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May 24, 2013, 7:45pm

Any Port in a Storm :: Warehouse District and Beyond :: The Science Dock :: Measurements

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Topic: Measurements (Read 732 times)

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Measurements
« Thread Started on Apr 2, 2011, 12:36pm »

I'm sure we are all familiar with the measurement of distance in miles or kilometres. Volume in litres or gallons, time in seconds, hours etc, weight in kilogrammes, tons, tonnes and pounds. Even some of us can figure Fahrenheit.

But what if I said you could measure something in a Beard-second or a Shed? A Wheaton or a Helen?
Confused?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_humorous_units_of_measurement

My favourite is a Sheppey - "A measure of distance equal to about 7⁄8 of a mile (1.4 km), defined as the closest distance at which sheep remain picturesque."

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cheerypeabrain
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Re: Measurements
« Reply #1 on Apr 2, 2011, 8:08pm »

As a scientist, I find that accurate measurement is critical for most tests...but we also indulge in 'bucket-chemistry' in other less precise (qualitative rather than quantitative) analysis....A squidge being a recognised measurement in serology at times....

Interesting......Bottlesworth is my favourite...but I often use the Shed measurement to denote copious quantities of stuff....for example

'Would you like some balloons ?'

'No thank you...we have shedloads at home....'

« Last Edit: Apr 3, 2011, 7:13am by cheerypeabrain »

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Re: Measurements
« Reply #2 on Apr 3, 2011, 5:21am »

I think also in everyday life we have ways of measuring things that obviously have no scientific or accurate measurement.
A 'tadge', 'smidgen', 'a touch' and a 'gnats knacker' also spring to mind. Though 'shed loads' I think is a polite version of 'shit loads' - or it might be the other way round, that shit derived from shed. Don't know.

But I'm sure in the different nationalities we have our way of conveying distances, especially small ones.

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cheerypeabrain
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Re: Measurements
« Reply #3 on Apr 3, 2011, 7:12am »

Ahh...but as I was brung up proper I would never have said 'sh*tloads...I'm a nice girl me. In fact the first time my OH said the 'eff word' I fainted...

However...having married said OH and lived with him for 34 years I now swear like a trooper.

(altho not in polite society unless drunk)

a gnat's knacker ay? must try to include this in a conversation at work....some of my colleagues are aghast that this staid elderly (apparently a woman over 50 is elderly altho a man not necessarily so) matron is capable of skipping in public and can drop a serious swear word into the conversation when speaking to senior managers without batting an eyelid....

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Re: Measurements
« Reply #4 on Apr 3, 2011, 8:07am »

Gnats knacker tends to be used for small measurements especially when aligning pictures for example or moving something to a precise spot and tends in polite society to be shortened as thus - "Up to the left a gnats".

Off the topic a little (or a lot) but I do enjoy slipping into a conversation the descriptive noun 'wazzock' when referring to a person. Most are never sure if I'm swearing or not.

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