[lace-chat] Re: Agnes and the world of measures
On Jan 21, 2009, at 18:06, Thurlow Weed wrote: One that has intrigued me, as there seem to be several values, is the stone. Different values for different commodities. One of the books I've been paging through slowly in the past few weeks has an appendix with Currency and Measures in Rennaisance Florence. The following weights are listed: libbra (l.) = pound (ca 300g) oncia (on.) = ounce (1/12 of a pound) denaro (d.) = 1/24of an ounce (used for precious metals, small pearls bought in bulk for embroidery, silver and gold buttons, and other gilded and silvered dress ornaments, and for silve wire) carato (ct.) = 1.24 of an ounce (used for larger gemstones, pearls, etc.) What gets me are the last two. Same weight. Both, basically, used to measure precious items (though in two different kinds of businesses). But two names... Go figure :) -- Tamara P Duvallhttp://t-n-lace.net/ Lexington, Virginia, USA (Formerly of Warsaw, Poland) To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com.
Re: [lace-chat] Re: Agnes and the world of measures
One would hope with a very highly accurate scale One that has intrigued me, as there seem to be several values, is the stone. Different values for different commodities. At least for measuring human weight, the stone seems consistent at 14 pounds. Thurlow Lancaster OH Agnes Boddington wrote: but just wonder how you measure 27.34 grains . Agnes Boddington To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com.
Fwd: [lace-chat] Celsius and Fahrenheit
Oops, I forgot to send it to chat as well. blonde moment!! Sue Begin forwarded message: > From: Sue Duckles > Date: 21 January 2009 09:41:03 GMT > To: "Jean Nathan" > Subject: Re: [lace-chat] Celsius and Fahrenheit > > I agree Jean. It is really bizarre wool is sold by the x25, x50 > & x100 gram. Sugar by the kilo. If you go into a pub or a > restaurant, beer & lager & cider is sold by the pint or half pint, > but if you get it in a bottle from the supermarket, it's 1/2, 1 or 2 > litres! Whereas wine is sold by millilitres in pubs, and bottles > (75 cl) or litres in supermarkets! We weigh ourselves in stones & > pounds, but most doctors weigh us in kilos! > > Liquid drugs are measured in millilitres, but we still think of > custard by the pint! > > I wonder how many of us still use imperial measurements when making > a cake (4 oz flour, sugar, butter etc) rather than metric (100g > flour, sugar, butter etc)? (I must admit, when making muffins > (American) I use the cup from my breadmaker!! Spoon > measurements 1tsp = 5ml, dessertspoon = 10 & tablespoon anywhere > between 15 and 20!! > > As for knitting needles. the more senior think of 8's, 10's etc, > but if you go into a shop you need 4mm, 3.75mm etc. And the > American system is different again!!! > > Aargh!!! > > Sue in East Yorkshire where the temp today is around 2 deg C (39 deg > F!?) > > On 21 Jan 2009, at 08:51, Jean Nathan wrote: > >> Tamara wrote: >> >> > kilos, every thermometer in the house has both Celsius and >> Fahrenheit, > >> >> The UK always used imperial measurements - inches, feet yards, >> miles - and temperatures in Fahrenheit. The EU has tried to impose >> metric measurements on us, but we've resisted certain changes so we >> use a combination of both metric and imperial, which can be rather >> bizarre. >> >> For a long time wood was sold in imperial widths, but metric >> lengths. So you would by a 3.04 metre (10 feet) length of 2 inch by >> 2 inch. Now it's all metric. >> >> We buy petrol by the litre, but travel by the mile. >> >> Milk is sold by both the litre and pint. I think beer (don't drink >> alcohol) is sold by the pint. >> >> Now the EU has said we can keep our imperial measurements - the >> government wanted to keep them for sales to the USA. >> >> The one rather silly combination we use is Celsius and Fahrenheit >> for temperature - we tend to quote high environmental temperatures >> in Fahrenheit and low ones in Celsius, probably because it sounds >> hotter in Fahrenheit and colder in Celsius. I never could get the >> hang of how much of a fever someone had if their temperature was >> over 37 degrees Celsius - much easier to judge from 98.4 degrees >> Fahrenheit. >> >> Like you, both the environmental thermometers we have at home show >> both Fahrenheit and Celsius. > To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com.
[lace-chat] Celsius and Fahrenheit
Tamara wrote: The UK always used imperial measurements - inches, feet yards, miles - and temperatures in Fahrenheit. The EU has tried to impose metric measurements on us, but we've resisted certain changes so we use a combination of both metric and imperial, which can be rather bizarre. For a long time wood was sold in imperial widths, but metric lengths. So you would by a 3.04 metre (10 feet) length of 2 inch by 2 inch. Now it's all metric. We buy petrol by the litre, but travel by the mile. Milk is sold by both the litre and pint. I think beer (don't drink alcohol) is sold by the pint. Now the EU has said we can keep our imperial measurements - the government wanted to keep them for sales to the USA. The one rather silly combination we use is Celsius and Fahrenheit for temperature - we tend to quote high environmental temperatures in Fahrenheit and low ones in Celsius, probably because it sounds hotter in Fahrenheit and colder in Celsius. I never could get the hang of how much of a fever someone had if their temperature was over 37 degrees Celsius - much easier to judge from 98.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Like you, both the environmental thermometers we have at home show both Fahrenheit and Celsius. Jean in Poole, Dorset, UK To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com.
