On Tue, 19 Dec 2000 09:46:18 -0400, you wrote: >Chris wrote in USMA 9835: > >>I've already sent this message to Louis, but it occurred to me that >>someone else might know this answer. >> >>I'm engaged in a discussion on uk.food+drink.real-ale about selling >>beer in metric measures. One chap is claiming that the French 'pinte' >>is roughly a 'pint', while the 'demi' is un demi pint. Bill Potts told >>us that the pinte is nearly a litre, so is a demi half of that pinte? > > >The (Canadian) Weights and Measures Act defines in English "quart 1/4 >gallon" and in French "pinte 1/4 gallon; chopine 1/8 gallon". > >Le Petit Robert defines "pinte: Ancienne mesure de capacit� pour les >liquides (0,93 l)." and "chopine: Ancienne mesure de capacit� contenant >la moiti� d'un litre > >Note that the Canadian pinte and chopine are based on the imperial gallon, >and hence are slightly larger than the original French pinte and chopine. > Thanks, Joe. However, it does seem from the newsgroup posting I quoted that the meaning of a 'demi' has changed. Whether that means that 'pinte' is now used as synonymous for 500 ml is not yet clear. Chris
