Another curious American unit of measurement [Archive]

Rocker

18th November 2005, 09:23 AM

Many Aussie woodworkers have been nonplussed by unfamiliar American units of measurement, such as the board-foot and the quarter, as in, say, "35 b.f.", or "8/4" (said as "eight quarters" - American woodworkers were never taught, it seems, that you should divide the numerator by the denominator, if the former is larger). A less familiar unit, used mainly in Massachussets, is the Smoot. To prevent any further disasters like the self-destruction of a spacecraft, which occurred due to American confusion over the metric system, I append an explanation of these curious units.

Board-foot = 144 cubic inches = 0.00236 cubic metres
Quarter = 1/4 inches = 0.00635 metres
Smoot = 1.7018 metres

The Smoot is defined as the body-length of a football-playing nerd. The original Smoot was a student from MIT, whose body was used to mark out in paint on the roadway of Harvard bridge a series of Smoots. The Smoot is now, by a typical instance of American cultural imperialism, one of the units you can choose to measure distances in Google Earth.

Rocker

echnidna

18th November 2005, 09:32 AM

Has anyone ever measured the length of a dropbear.
Could be a perfect oz measure of length

Sturdee

18th November 2005, 10:17 AM

Thanks Rocker.

I've heard a lot of stupid things before but that really beats it all. :D

Peter.

Ratbag Oz

18th November 2005, 10:31 AM

It would seem that some of them are still inventing new measurements! I discovered this after downloading some free recipes from the internet. When I went to baking, I noticed that the measurements were unusual, and I didn't recognise them. After searching all my recipe books for conversions, I went back to the site. Turns out that they sell measuring devices, in new measurements, so the only way to make all the "Free recipes" Is to buy a full new set of measuring gear, that will only be useful for their recipes anyway. Nice trick eh?

Everything went in the bin, so I can't give you any more detailed info LOL

craigb

18th November 2005, 10:33 AM

Has anyone ever measured the length of a dropbear.
Could be a perfect oz measure of length

Nah, the oz measure of length is the beesdick :cool:

Termite

18th November 2005, 10:40 AM

Nah, the oz measure of length is the beesdick :cool:
The Ubeaut Bible has the full breakdown of Australian Standard Units of Measurement, beesdick, gnatsnut poofteenth etc etc.:D

silentC

18th November 2005, 10:52 AM

I came across the Smoot in an article in the SMH last month so I looke dit up in Wikipedia and found it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_strange_units_of_measurement

I took the liberty of adding the poofteenth and the beesdick to the article but some foreigner has had the audacity to challenge the validity of these well known units of mensuration and has removed them. The nerve!

AlexS

18th November 2005, 11:13 AM

Another well-known Australian unit of measurement, of both length and mass, is the long weight. These are kept in most Bunnings, just at the cash register. Send the apprentice for one.

bitingmidge

18th November 2005, 11:27 AM

I took the liberty of adding the poofteenth and the beesdick to the article but some foreigner has had the audacity to challenge the validity of these well known units of mensuration and has removed them. The nerve!
Apart from the outrage in having legitimate units of measurements removed so audaciously, I think it's a shame that you stopped at small measurements.

I really think that Google Earth should give some credence to the Stubby, the Six Pack, and the Slab/Carton as methods of measurement of distances between towns.

On the other hand, (and this is a little removed from woodwork) my favourite unit of speed is also fairly well removed from the metric system: Why don't we bring back "Furlong per Fortnight" as the national method of mesuring speed??

P

:D

Iain

22nd November 2005, 04:20 PM

But what is a Stubby, 375-345 or 330ml, I have even seen some 310ml.
A bottle used to be 750 even for spirits then they shrunk them to 700ml, noticed the price didn't shrink accordingly.
For all the coke sniffers out there, snorting is a term originated by the Royal Navy for replenishing air in a submarine via a snorkel whilst still submerged.
I've been dying to offload that one.

AlexS

23rd November 2005, 01:01 PM

Why don't we bring back "Furlong per Fortnight" as the national method of mesuring speed??

P

:D
This unit is related to a unit used by hydrographers to measure the volumetric rate of liquid flow - firkins a fortnight.;)

E. maculata

23rd November 2005, 01:18 PM

If you ever needed proof of how conservative the yanks are as a whole read this
http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/dates.htm
in the time they've taken to not yet fully implement the system that has been approved by congress we've amongst many more things
been discovered
colonised
industrialised
unionised
metricized(within a decade I may add, not over 2 centuries)
deunionised
& developed a whole new culture

Oh yeah nothing like accepting change is there, makes the "staid" europeans seem like speed demons in matters of state change don't they?

keith53

23rd November 2005, 02:40 PM

Has anyone ever measured the length of a dropbear.
Could be a perfect oz measure of length

Picnic Bears are supposed to be pretty accurate as well..:D

Cliff Rogers

24th November 2005, 11:41 AM

...Why don't we bring back "Furlong per Fortnight" as the national method of mesuring speed??...

That's called 'clocking it with a calender'...

A similar measure of slowness (not speed) it the 'month of Sundays'

antisense

24th November 2005, 03:22 PM

Gra

24th November 2005, 03:32 PM

Turducken

Sounds like something you would do at grunts place......:D

E. maculata

24th November 2005, 08:28 PM

Might just be enough in that meal to feed all of his family;)

sailingamerican

27th November 2005, 10:41 AM

Now these (http://www.thesalmons.org/lynn/turducken.html) yanks are just plain wierd...

Something so wrong about stuffing a bird with a bird in a bird... :p

you'll see what I mean..

Damn TURDuckens... :D

antisense ^_^

Even we are laughing at this one. It is the but of every joke this week.
As for our measurements. Thank King George of jolley old England for that one. All or medical, science, physics etc are all in metric. Our whole country is in feet. Every house, every door, window etc. If you are a replacement company you must use feet and inches. Our infrastructure is so large that it makes it imposible to change. As for the EU we laugh. They are dicades behind us. The 36 hour work week and months of vacation creats their 15 plus unemployment rate. Basic Econ 101. The cost of production makes their products cost more because they are not using manifacturing plants effenectly. Thus theor goods cost to much to export. We have 5 percent unemployment. Our econemy is going like crazy. Your Aussie vat taxes keep your econemy a mess. Every thing there cost 3 times what we pay. I spend several months a year in Australia. I love it there and the people are very nice. I go to buy things and can't find them and what I do find is years behind. You may think we are slow. Hum, That is why the world is beating down the door to come here. That is why we have the best collages in the world. The space shuttle did not come down because of the metric system. Damn old politics. The wacked out environmentalist where fussing about what they were using for a heat shield and bolcked the good materials from being used. Blame that on the candy ass tree hugging liberal morons who thing no one has a right to live and own property. Socialism does not work and never will work. It keeps people from being the best they can be and dumbs everything down and takes away incentive . Come here and live for a year and you will find out just how far behind the world is compaired to us Yanks. I pay $800 for a side by side refrigiator the same one cost you $3800. I tell ya socialism does not work. It can take you months to get an operation in Canada, EU and Australia. If need be we can have it the same day. Our medical care is the worlds best bar none. If I have offend you so what. The world does not evolve around us. It follows us because be are woking our asses off. You don't think we have so much because we sit on our bumbs do you. As for board feet that is English.

Iain

27th November 2005, 12:52 PM

I pay $800 for a side by side refrigiator the same one cost you $3800.
US$800 = AU$1080 roughly, just bought a 560Lt S/Steel frost free side by side for $1500.00, thats a bloody big fridge.
My kitchen full of Blanco appliances cost under AU$2000.00.
Eye fillet steak AU$9.50 a pound, King Prawns AU$8.50 pound.
Decent beer, AU$30 slab 24 stubbies.
The recipe looks like one taken from the Middle East, Camel stuffed with a goat stuffed with a goose stuffed with a chicken, far from new.

Termite

27th November 2005, 01:05 PM

Re operations "if need be you can have them the same day."
Dear me, I am realy stunned by that fact.
The last operation I had here in backward Australia I had to wait 4 whole HOURS. :rolleyes:

craigb

27th November 2005, 01:15 PM

Re operations "if need be you can have them the same day."
Dear me, I am realy stunned by that fact.
The last operation I had here in backward Australia I had to wait 4 whole HOURS. :rolleyes:

And I'm guessing that you didn't have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it either. ;)

outback

27th November 2005, 01:20 PM

My duickhead detector just went crazy. :p

doublejay

27th November 2005, 01:23 PM

Even we are laughing at this one. It is the but of every joke this week.
As for our measurements. Thank King George of jolley old England for that one. All or medical, science, physics etc are all in metric. Our whole country is in feet. Every house, every door, window etc. If you are a replacement company you must use feet and inches. Our infrastructure is so large that it makes it imposible to change. As for the EU we laugh. They are dicades behind us. The 36 hour work week and months of vacation creats their 15 plus unemployment rate. Basic Econ 101. The cost of production makes their products cost more because they are not using manifacturing plants effenectly. Thus theor goods cost to much to export. We have 5 percent unemployment. Our econemy is going like crazy. Your Aussie vat taxes keep your econemy a mess. Every thing there cost 3 times what we pay. I spend several months a year in Australia. I love it there and the people are very nice. I go to buy things and can't find them and what I do find is years behind. You may think we are slow. Hum, That is why the world is beating down the door to come here. That is why we have the best collages in the world. The space shuttle did not come down because of the metric system. Damn old politics. The wacked out environmentalist where fussing about what they were using for a heat shield and bolcked the good materials from being used. Blame that on the candy ass tree hugging liberal morons who thing no one has a right to live and own property. Socialism does not work and never will work. It keeps people from being the best they can be and dumbs everything down and takes away incentive . Come here and live for a year and you will find out just how far behind the world is compaired to us Yanks. I pay $800 for a side by side refrigiator the same one cost you $3800. I tell ya socialism does not work. It can take you months to get an operation in Canada, EU and Australia. If need be we can have it the same day. Our medical care is the worlds best bar none. If I have offend you so what. The world does not evolve around us. It follows us because be are woking our asses off. You don't think we have so much because we sit on our bumbs do you. As for board feet that is English.
Maybe they should add grammar and spelling to the curricula at "the best collages in the world"

journeyman Mick

27th November 2005, 01:43 PM

Just a few points, SA, I won't dignify all your ramblings with responses though:

Our infrastructure is so large that it makes it imposible to change.

What happened to good old American can do? The size of your infrastructure is relative. Yes, you've got a large amount of infrastructure, but you've also got a large population and lots of resources. We had a smaller infrastructure but a much smaller population in a country not much smaller than yours yet we managed to change over to the metric system. It's not the largeness of the infrastructure that makes it impossible to change, it's the smallness of people's minds.

You may think we are slow. Hum, That is why the world is beating down the door to come here.

Macdonalds is probably the most popular "restaurant" chain in the world with people "beating down their doors" to eat there. Doesn't mean that it's good food though.

It can take you months to get an operation in Canada, EU and Australia. If need be we can have it the same day. Our medical care is the worlds best bar none.

Actually, just like in America, if you've got enough money you can get pretty much whatever treatment you like, when you like. Unlike the US though, over here if you have a life threatening condition you will recieve treatment even if you don't have any money or insurance. If that means we're socialist, then so be it but in my mind it just means we're more compassionate, or at least our system is.

The US at the moment is very much like the Roman Empire was in its twighlight years and sadly most of its inhabitants don't realise that their once powerful nation is on a definite economic, social and moral decline. Luckily I have friends and relatives who are Americans so I realise that the US is not populated entirely by xenophobic and bigotted fools. Unfortunately, most Americans are so insulated from the real world by their "culture" and standard of living that they haven't even noticed that they're very unpopular with a lot of the rest of the world. When they or their citizens or interests are attacked they wonder why. If you haven't yet done so, go an read a book written by two of your fellow countrymen back in the late 50's called "The Ugly American"

Mick

Iain

27th November 2005, 01:49 PM

A little point I forgot, when in the Public Service, I (well, four of us) travelled to good ole US of A 3-5 times a year lecturing law enforcement departments on forensic skills, negotiating and profiling.
And I never went to 'Collage', only University.
Only the Poms have vat, not us.
Doublejay, I have worked with a lot of DICADES, so don't be too critical (critticle).

Termite

27th November 2005, 02:51 PM

And I'm guessing that you didn't have to take out a second mortgage to pay for it either. ;)

Not a brass razoo. ;) :D

E. maculata

27th November 2005, 03:29 PM

There rests a point I like to make occasionally, the bottom line to some people is only ever measured in $$$$$, humans like it to be measured in humanity.

Rocker

27th November 2005, 03:29 PM

The world does not evolve around us.

It is really sad how many Americans do not believe in evolution:rolleyes:

One has to wonder about the standard of their universities, if SA's spelling, grammar, punctuation, and logic are typical of American graduates.

Rocker

bitingmidge

27th November 2005, 04:24 PM

You don't think we have so much because we sit on our bumbs do you.

Mate, if you got off your "bumbs" occasionally, maybe they wouldn't be sooooo big!

Actually, those of you that have so much, usually have it from exploiting those that don't. Still paying those wetbacks $5.00 an hour??

Yep!:mad:

P (lovely country, shame about the lack of free lobotomies)

:D :D :D

Termite

27th November 2005, 05:05 PM

There rests a point I like to make occasionally, the bottom line to some people is only ever measured in $$$$$, humans like it to be measured in humanity.

Ah Bruce, I think your reply was aimed at the Yank, but it followed straight after me so just in case:-

It was very high on the humanity scale, I was writhing on the floor of the doctors surgery with a (born with it - only just made itself felt) twisted bowel, absolute agony apart from life threatening. A big shot of morphine, siren screaming ambulance, surgery as fast as possible.
As far as money was concerned I was willing to give them my house, SWMBO, and even my woodwork tools.

At no point did they even ask if I was in a health fund, yet I have heard that in the land of the free you can lay in the gutter and die if you're not in one.

bitingmidge

27th November 2005, 05:11 PM

It is really sad how many Americans do not believe in evolution:rolleyes:

Well clearly, there hasn't been much evolving in the case of the above!

cheers,

P
:D :D :D

Termite

27th November 2005, 05:24 PM

Well clearly, there hasn't been much evolving in the case of the above!
cheers,
P
:D :D :D

No there does not seem to have been much, but there seems to have been a lot of indoctrination.
Quite a few of them seem to be like Pavlov's dogs, ring the bell and you get "We are the greatest".

This is a bloody shame, because when I was working overseas I found a lot of yanks that didn't seem any different to us Aussies, apart from the accent, and they seemed to dislike the "Stereotypical Yank" as much as we do.

Sturdee

27th November 2005, 05:38 PM

At no point did they even ask if I was in a health fund, yet I have heard that in the land of the free you can lay in the gutter and die if you're not in one.

That's why it's also known as the home of the brave. You have to be brave to get sick over there.:(

S.A. I missed your usual bit about your wife being an Aussie, poor girl, as you used to tell us. :confused: Nothing wrong on the home front I hope.

Peter.

bitingmidge

27th November 2005, 06:11 PM

I found a lot of yanks that didn't seem any different to us Aussies, apart from the accent, and they seemed to dislike the "Stereotypical Yank" as much as we do.
Hey, some of my best friends fit that description, in fact, I'm currently sponsoring a couple of their kids in their quest for Oz residency.

The nasty kind are good sport though, as opposed to being good sports.

Cheers,

P
:D

Termite

27th November 2005, 06:26 PM

The nasty kind are good sport though, as opposed to being good sports.

Yeah, to hell with the racial vilification laws. :eek: :D

bitingmidge

27th November 2005, 06:39 PM

Yeah, to hell with the racial vilification laws. :eek: :D
Well you see, this particular kind of villification isn't actually based on race, but rather on the content/form of the bit between the shoulders.

It's just a deliciously dumb co-incidence that the term "jerk" was coined in the country that propogated most of 'em.

:D :D :D

P (with apologies to Ryan, JunkBoy et al....):o

ozwinner

27th November 2005, 07:05 PM

:eek: Dudes :eek:

Im even suprised that you are responding to him.
He is a troll, comes, stirs, leaves.

Al :eek:

Iain

27th November 2005, 07:19 PM

Al, do you have any Smith & Wesson evolvers in the craporium?

ozwinner

27th November 2005, 07:26 PM

Al, do you have any Smith & Wesson evolvers in the craporium?

Sorry we have no evolvers, the last one was take by Charles Darwin, he mumbled something about shooting all the churchie do gooders as he left.

I do how ever have some nice pointy sticks.
We also have some nice Weston bickies.

Al :D

Termite

27th November 2005, 07:30 PM

We also have some nice Weston bickies.

I'd kill for an Iced VoVo. :D

ozwinner

27th November 2005, 07:34 PM

I'd kill for an Iced VoVo. :D

Ello, ve uonly hoove wagoun veels.

Al :D

Termite

27th November 2005, 07:44 PM

Ello, ve uonly hoove wagoun veels.

Al :D

Al, I said VoVo not Volvo, but I'll settle for a wagon wheel so long as there's no horse sh.. on it. :eek:

bitingmidge

27th November 2005, 08:34 PM

Ah yes! The iced Vo-Vo!!

It's still not too late to save it you know!!

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=15121&highlight=iced+vo-vo
Cheers,

P
:D :D :D

craigb

27th November 2005, 08:57 PM

Ah yes! The iced Vo-Vo!!

It's still not too late to save it you know!!

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=15121&highlight=iced+vo-vo
Cheers,

P
:D :D :D

Yes, and who stuffed it up in the first place? That's right, bloody Americans :mad:

As to him being a troll Al, I don't think he has the wit. :rolleyes:

boban

27th November 2005, 09:36 PM

What an incredible post.

Im starting to wonder about what Al was saying about being a troll.

He cant really be that deluded can he?

And to think they have nuclear weapons....

E. maculata

27th November 2005, 10:34 PM

Sorry Termite, was just an observation of those lost within the lure of capitalism, obviously a being a socialist;) team player it was not directed to you:D

Termite

28th November 2005, 06:42 AM

I have a feeling that we lost a bit to the axe. :D

Greg Q

28th November 2005, 08:56 AM

Bumper sticker I'd sport if I lived 10,000 km east;)

Bodgy

28th November 2005, 10:44 AM

SA - If my country was knocked as much as the US is here, I'd want to retaliate like you did.

Putting aside the relative merits of different economic systems, I'd just like to comment on the VAT is correctly called GST in OZ, but same thing. For simplicity. this is a 10% charge, effectively levied on the last retail transaction. It replaced a sales tax (on most things, not all) of 20% levied on the last wholesale transaction. Across the board things haven't changed, some went up, some went down. Tax cuts were provided to mitigate any increase.

Secondly, I spend a fair bit of time in the US. Seems to me that most States have State sales taxes. I think that CA, the most prosperous State, is 15%.

Don't take offence to these posts, they shouldn't be aimed at you personally, but do realise that the current USA has offended a lot of people around the world. Just as the Greek, Roman, and British Empires did in their day.

outback

28th November 2005, 11:24 AM

I have a feeling that we lost a bit to the axe. :D

Hmm, me too. :D

silentC

28th November 2005, 11:42 AM

Don't take offence to these posts, they shouldn't be aimed at you personally, but do realise that the current USA has offended a lot of people around the world.
I beg to differ there, Mr Bodgy. These posts ARE aimed at SA personally. You wont find it in the archives because it was deleted but there was an exchange regarding Mexican itinerate workers a while back which put quite a few of us offside. And then there's all the stuff about how wonderful the US is. But don't worry about him, it's water off a duck's back.

Rocker

28th November 2005, 11:45 AM

Bodgy,

It is a stretch to maintain that my original post in this thread can be construed as 'knocking' the US, although SA seems to have taken it that way. My intention in drawing attention to the Smoot was merely to raise a smile, and maybe to poke mild fun at our trans-Pacific friends. SA's reaction - making out that the US is decades ahead of all other nations, whose inhabitants are a bunch of lazy so-and-so's, who need to get off their dumb asses, was, in my view, a gross over-reaction.

I think all fair observers would agree that America has had many remarkable achievements, but it has also had some spectacular failures, particularly in its foreign and social policies. Many Americans are willing to acknowledge these, but a minority of bigoted patriots will not.

Rocker