this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2023
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[–] irdc@derp.foo 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?

They're Florida Ounces

[–] merridew 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.

[–] irdc@derp.foo 11 points 1 year ago

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

[–] Still@programming.dev 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] merridew 2 points 1 year ago

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

[–] OhmsLawn@lemmy.world 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.

That sounds like slang term for a boger.

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 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.

[–] irdc@derp.foo 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is that because you have 16 fingers?

[–] ChicoSuave@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We take off our shoes. Duh.

[–] Bluetreefrog@lemmy.world 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.

[–] Uncle_Bagel@midwest.social 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.

[–] Bluetreefrog@lemmy.world 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?

[–] Rouxibeau@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Because ten fingers. Base 12 is still better.

[–] Blamemeta@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

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

[–] orphiebaby@lemm.ee 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.

[–] radix@lemm.ee 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?

[–] joel_feila@lemmy.world 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

[–] radix@lemm.ee 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?

[–] joel_feila@lemmy.world 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.

[–] radix@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Interesting. Learned something new today, thanks!

[–] Blamemeta@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago

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