this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Their US customary units. What even is a fluid ounce, and what is it doing in my drink?

[–] ButWhatDoesItAllMean 19 points 1 year ago

They're Florida Ounces

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Come visit the UK. We have fluid ounces too, but only for baking. Your drink will be served by the millilitre, unless it's beer in a pub, or milk in a home, in which case it will be served by the pint.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

And here’s me hoping to be served by the bartender.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

oh and British imperial pints are different than US customary pints just for the extra fun

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Oh that's true. American pints are a disappointment.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

A shot? An eighth of a cup? Sixteenth of a pint? I mean, I get it. Metric is standard, but of all the units to pick on, the fluid ounce is probably one of our more reasonable measurements. We have acres of less-intuitive units.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

That sounds like slang term for a boger.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Flounces are the best part of US Customary units. It's all base 2/8/16, which is a hell of a lot more sensible than base 10 units.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that because you have 16 fingers?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We take off our shoes. Duh.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It’s all base 2/8/16, which is a hell of a lot more sensible than base 10 units.

Debatable. I probably shouldn't restart the whole imperial vs metric debate, but I might just say that people who grow up with metric think exactly the opposite.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'll convert to metric once we convert to a dozenal number system. Ten is a terrible number to base our counting system on.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Ten is a terrible number to base our counting system on.

Maybe when you are counting apples, but not when you are dealing with arbitrary amounts. Why else is our number system base 10?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Because ten fingers. Base 12 is still better.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

2x2x3. You can divide 12 so many ways, its nice.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Imperial sucks, and metric is better, but still +1 for dozenal. Anybody who isn't for it is either confused about the very concept of different bases (I've talked to plenty of those), or biased.

I don't know why you dozenal advocates are being downvoted.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You're serious? Why? I've genuinely never heard this stance before.

Is it because they're powers of two and are therefore easier to halve, quarter, etc. for baking and cooking purposes?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah this is why most old measurement systems used 4 8 12. 4 fingers to a palm, you don't count the thumb as a finger. Then 4 palms to arm, for a total of 16 fingers. At 12 arms into a bigger unit so you can count the joints on your hand

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can't tell if you're kidding. How do you keep track of four palms per arm?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That actually how the Egyptians made their cubits. Tuck your Thumb under you hand and place all four finger at your elbow. You have about 4 palms before you get to your wrist.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Interesting. Learned something new today, thanks!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Maybe before we had the scientific ability it measure micro-measurements. It makes no sense today.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

It doesn't really matter, does it? Just look at the mL.