Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 10:57:50 -0500 (EST)
From: danceswithcarp <dcombs-AT-bloomington.in.us>
Subject: Re: Thumb controversy




On Mon, 19 Jul 1999, Andy wrote:

> I thought it was less colourful - that the thumb was more or less an inch
> thick for measure type ruling purposes- the yard being the length from some
> king's [Henry 1/II?] nose to his finger tip. Being a modest and understated
> race, we called the interim measure a foot so as not to frighten the horses.

Believe it or not I once posted a screed here for you metrically impaired
people on how certain measurements came to be.  The inch was the King's
pointer-finger knuckle, a foot was the length of his foot, a yard was as
you say, nose to finger-tip.  Where we americans chuckle is in the vanity
of you folks trying to pawn off on us a 16.5 foot "rod."   What'd the king
do, drag it along behind him?
 
> Bring back chains, bushels and furlongs.

We don't do much with furlongs except race horses on them, but as for the
others, ah, they have never left us on this side of the pond.  You can buy
an unshucked  bushel of Pacific Oysters at Brady's Oysters south of
Aberdeen, Washington for $15.00 american.  
 
> Incidentally a friend [dcd]  who aided  the heroic/despicable [delete as
> applicable] Serb partisans, and later some Greek ones, in the Balkan war
> which everyone joined in [vers2.0] said that they always measured time in
> cigarettes when co-ordinating action against the Nazis. So the railways were
> derailed at 30 cigarettes from now etc. For the poor bastards smoking the
> fags, it must have been like being a rear gunner in a Lancaster only less
> immediate.


Hey?  Didn't you read the post about defaming Rednecks?   You can't
advocate "smoking fags" around here.

Hell's bells, son.  How would you keep them lit?



carp