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Go to first message Go back 20 messages Messages 10189 - 10208 out of 29250 Go forward 20 messages Go to most recent message
10189. alistairConnor - 7/5/2004 9:24:20 PM

Hey, I can guarantee that I have no difficulties with conversions in everyday life. Metres, kilogrammes, celcius and euros, all easily convertible.

I grew up with pounds, shillings and ounces, but I've forgotten all that.

Do you still do Imperial in Eireland, or have you decolonised?

10190. Magoseph - 7/5/2004 9:25:18 PM

Salut, Mac! The TVs (four, not my doing) are very excited right now and I can't stand the commotion. I can't turn them off since I don't want to start one of those 'roof-lift' fights. I plan today to spend most of the day outside in the garage working on my 'now-posponed until whenever famous garage sale'.

10191. Macnas - 7/5/2004 9:34:37 PM

Ireland is, officially at least, purely metric.

However, in practise, we use a hodgepodge of both metric and imperial units. For instance, pipe and tube is measured in metric units with regard to length, but with regard to diameter we use the inch measure for the very most part.

Likewise pressure ratings can still be stated in lbs. per, and area is often expressed in square foot.

Interestingly enough (well to me anyway), calculation of land area for our national land registry is done in roods and perches.

10192. Macnas - 7/5/2004 9:39:38 PM

Mago, when you go so far as to turn on 4 excitable TV's, a commotion is the least you can expect.

10193. PelleNilsson - 7/5/2004 11:52:09 PM

As most people know 40 perches is one rood, and 4 roods make up one acre.

10194. PelleNilsson - 7/5/2004 11:55:10 PM

And 40 roods is one square furlong.

10195. Macnas - 7/6/2004 12:04:19 AM

And one furlong is made up of 10 chains.

10196. judithathome - 7/6/2004 12:06:01 AM

I thought roods were ladies' headpieces. ;-)

10197. Macnas - 7/6/2004 12:07:51 AM

Of course, if we were using the old Irish units, then one perch would be equal to 7 yards, not 5 and a half yards.

10198. PelleNilsson - 7/6/2004 12:21:57 AM

Of course.

10199. Macnas - 7/6/2004 12:28:16 AM

Are there any particular Swedish units of measure?

10200. PelleNilsson - 7/6/2004 12:51:27 AM

Not now but there have been of course. I have a manual on old measures comprising ca. 350 pages. A couple of them is actually featured on that site. A 'kappland' is 1/4 of a 'tunnland' = 1.22 acre. The measures indicate the areas that can be sown by a 'kappa' or 'tunna' of grain. They were originally variable depending on the nature of the soil but became fixed in the 17th century.

10201. PelleNilsson - 7/6/2004 12:52:24 AM

Which would mean that one kappland is close to one rood.

10202. Macnas - 7/6/2004 1:19:35 AM

My interest in units of measure stems from when a friend of mine spent some time in London working as a surveyor’s assistant, which has always been called a chainboy.
This of course harks back to the time when, instead of a measure staff, the assistant would hold the end of a surveying chain, which was used as a definite measuring device.

10203. Magoseph - 7/6/2004 1:27:50 AM

Gee, you're working late today, Mac.

10204. PelleNilsson - 7/6/2004 1:31:57 AM

Old measures are indeed intersting. Look for a somewhat weird story in the Slow thread tomorrow.

10205. Macnas - 7/6/2004 1:46:38 AM

If I can I will, but it might have to wait until the weekend.

I'm offsite for the next three days, and I very much doubt I will be able to get online. So see you all in a few days time.

10206. Ulgine Barrows - 7/6/2004 1:17:49 PM

I genuflect before my dad's old slide measure.
Tools are pleasurable.

(er, I re-read this before posting, that was not a nasty comment....the correct tool for the job, is how I honor my mom & dad...they taught me how to use my hands)

We were at my sister-in-law's house, she has a grand-daughter, yet is much younger than I.

The twists life takes.

We went tubing, and this boat has a serious passenger drench problem.

I got about a gallon of lake water in my purse, and it killed me cell phone. I am now lighting cigarettes off of matches that are mysteriously fused together in clumps of three, from the same incident.

10207. Ulgine Barrows - 7/6/2004 1:19:16 PM

O, give up.

Nothing I say in real life comes out right, either.

10208. Ulgine Barrows - 7/6/2004 1:24:12 PM

I mean to say, I am full of hope, and it's my wish that you are, as well.

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