Too many missing measurements for the Brits. What about quart, gill, minim, rod, furlong, bushel, peck, pennyweight, scruple, grain? I could go on.....& on.
My understanding is that they measure their car's efficiency in Miles per gallon -- kind of like the US does, except their gallon is bigger than the US gallon, so their car's MPG numbers are higher than US MPG numbers.
So if you know your car gets 20 miles per gallon, and you want to go 200 miles, you need at least 10 gallons. So you go to the petrol station, where they sell gasoline...in liters.
Why would you spell the volume measure litre in that manner (t, r, e) when the other measure in the metric system, the meter, is spelled t, e, r?
And the idea of a 'liter' being for cigarettes is just stupidity (or misspelling) that has become codified through persistent use.
Come to think of it, maybe that's why the Brits spell things differently, like using an 's' in place of a 'z' in certain words, or their insistence in throwing the odd 'u' in between the 'o' and the 'r' in words like colour, flavour, honour, or neighbour. Someone couldn't spell correctly and – rather than admit their error – insisted that it was the alternate, British spelling. (grin)
We don't like to admit it, but a lot of English spelling, such as '-ise' and 'metre' is because French was very fashionable in the late 18th/early 19th century and we changed our spelling accordingly. I think 'color', however, was a result of Webster's American dictionary.
LOL!
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, they measure their car tires (tyres) the same way we do here in the US, with the diameter in inches, and the width in millimeters.
I bet you thought I would comment.
ReplyDelete275 K and sunny here today.
ReplyDeleteToo many missing measurements for the Brits. What about quart, gill, minim, rod, furlong, bushel, peck, pennyweight, scruple, grain? I could go on.....& on.
ReplyDeleteProof that we're smarter than everyone who can only operate with one system.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that they measure their car's efficiency in Miles per gallon -- kind of like the US does, except their gallon is bigger than the US gallon, so their car's MPG numbers are higher than US MPG numbers.
ReplyDeleteSo if you know your car gets 20 miles per gallon, and you want to go 200 miles, you need at least 10 gallons. So you go to the petrol station, where they sell gasoline...in liters.
In a league of your own, Patty.
ReplyDeleteI felt morally obliged, Kolo.
That's litres, Newton, liters are for cigarettes.
Why would you spell the volume measure litre in that manner (t, r, e) when the other measure in the metric system, the meter, is spelled t, e, r?
ReplyDeleteAnd the idea of a 'liter' being for cigarettes is just stupidity (or misspelling) that has become codified through persistent use.
Come to think of it, maybe that's why the Brits spell things differently, like using an 's' in place of a 'z' in certain words, or their insistence in throwing the odd 'u' in between the 'o' and the 'r' in words like colour, flavour, honour, or neighbour. Someone couldn't spell correctly and – rather than admit their error – insisted that it was the alternate, British spelling. (grin)
I wondre if a British watre metre measures litres? Perhaps petre would know.
ReplyDeleteWe don't like to admit it, but a lot of English spelling, such as '-ise' and 'metre' is because French was very fashionable in the late 18th/early 19th century and we changed our spelling accordingly. I think 'color', however, was a result of Webster's American dictionary.
ReplyDelete