h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just to stick my size nines in, take a look here... http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/Foot_%28unit_of_length%29

Hope the link works!

turvy

... and just to get post no.42...

Yes, the link did work, thank you - always nice to see my wild guesses being verified by a proper authority - I mean, if it's on the internet, it must be true

Although I'm now moving towards favouring Donald's explanation ...

Mol

To me, it makes more sense that the inch was defined as a thumb-width (or thereabouts), and the foot was just 12 inches, and *approximately* the length of a foot.

With sexagesimal (base 60) arithmetic being a hangover from long ago (Babylonia?), 12 was a reasonable multiple to use.

Likewise, the yard isn't necessarily a human pace, but is roughly in the right ballpark.

Right then - I think that's settled the hash of these metric wallah's.

not really, imperial is still a harder system to learn and use and doesn't do the job any more efficently so why keep it

Because it's cuddlier than metric ...

Mol

and , possibly even are cuddly but imperial never

I agree with Mol. Metric is cold, precise and uncaring.

Avoirdupois and measurements based on human physiology is far more cuddly.

Donald

cold and uncaring seem appropriate when discribing a person but not a system of measurement, and I thought being precise would be a virtue in a system of measurement

Depends what you're measuring and why.

Mol

I'm going to ignore the extreme (and maybe just a bit ironic) topic drift here and pose a serious question.

Does ANYONE here think that a law against cohabitation (two people of opposite sexes) makes any sense, let alone enforcing it?

http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=3134887

"Woman Taking Cohabitation Law To Court"

"(Pender County) - A Pender County woman is taking the state and the county sheriff to court. Debora Hobbs wants to get rid of the law that forced her to choose between living with her boyfriend and keeping her job as a 911 dispatcher."

"North Carolina general statute 14-184 says that living with a partner while unmarried is a class 2 misdemeanor."

>> North Carolina general statute 14-184 says that living with a partner while unmarried is a class 2 misdemeanor <<

... and they call it the Land of the Free.

Donald

Hmmm - what chance of that being repealed given the current climate in USA ?

Of course she could go for the old 1 + 1 = 1 for very small values of 1 arguement. Another occasion where precision in measurement is to be avoided.

Thank you Donald. You took the words right out of my mouth!

turvy