Units of measurement & Posh cars.

[Matthew_]

We're 6/6 etc over here...but of course, we know what you mean if say 20/20 etc because it used to be that system here about 560 years ago..or something

[Andrew MacLean]

BEFORE READING THIS POST, PLEASE READ GARTH'S RESPONSE BELOW!

Matthew

do you still measure depth in furlongs? What is the metric equivalent of a furlong?

when the changed the money an elderly parishioner complained that they ought to have waited until all the old people were dead before they meddled with the money. i feel a bit like that with distances.

Andrew

[GarethB]

Furlongs is horse racing, fathoms is the nautical term for depth.

[Andrew MacLean]

Correct! I was having an over 50's moment. It is always good to know that there are under 50's around to rescue us oldies from our muddlement.



Thanks Gareth

Andrew

Question still stands. do divers still measure in Fathoms?

A

[GarethB]

What would sea horses measure distance in?

Combination of fathoms and furlongs

[Andrew MacLean]

What would sea horses measure distance in?

Combination of fathoms and furlongs

or hands and feet?

[Matthew_]

A fathoms about 6 feet or 2 metres. But we measure depths in metres, pressure in Bar ...so metric.
But then we measure distances in nautical miles which is older than imperial but is roughly 2000 yards but then that depends on your latitude. Confused.
Sea horses don't measure their distances, that's riduculous. Obviously their trainers and jockeys do that!

[Andrew MacLean]

Doesn't the run of the sea affect nautical miles? I have always wondered if heading at 4 knots into a 5 knot current meant that you would have to measure your progress in negative nautical miles?

I am glad to see that men at sea are every bit as inconsistent as men ashore. For the most part the aim would be to stay on the surface and therefore measure distances in nautical miles. Only the brave or foolhardy would want to go beneath the surface where they can measure distances in metric units.

A cousin of mine always wanted to be a submarriner, but when he joined the navy he got a job on the surface and now spends pretty much all his time at sea trying to stay there.

Andrew

[Damien W]

So if your foot is 12 inches long it is a foot,

What is your foot when it is 228.6 mm long?

[Andrew MacLean]

Its still a foot! But in ancient times they'd have managed to get round variations in the sizes of people's feet by devising "Variations from the standard foot". If you varied a great deal, then getting shoes could be an adventure.

Andrew