How did Brits order pounds of food without confusion ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pm
content: Before they went metric, if u wanted to buy 5lbs of meat, and asked for " 5 pounds of meat", how would they know if u meant 5lbs or £5 ? I bet a lot of people got ripped off over the years due to this.

author: Tom45
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 02:11:22 pm
content: They would order 0.36 stone of meat.

author: hexreader
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 02:17:26 pm
content: If you were posh... "Five pounds worth"If you were Cockney... "Five quids'f"... and nobody wrote "u" when they meant to write "you". If someone had tried such as stunt, they would have been handed a loaded revolver and expected to do the decent thing.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 02:17:29 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmLife, uh, finds a way.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 02:36:00 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmIt's very simple, before metrication £5 worth of meat was a cow, it was an absolute bugger for the butcher to wrap because they rarely stay still long enough and it wouldn't fit in your shopping basket anyway, 5lbs of meat was 50 pence and would.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 03:01:42 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmDo you ever ask for 5 dollars worth of meat? I bet not. People usually ask something by the weight in pounds or kilograms, not price.By the way, we don't want another metric vs imperial debate. There are too many of those here already!

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 04:03:24 pm
content: I usually ask for meat in pounds. Its usually obvious that you mean lb. I do occasionally hear people ask for it by money £ though.Of course, despite people asking for lb, they have to sell in kg. I was in Jersey a couple of years ago where lb is normally used. Made a nice change to see prices in 'pounds per pound'.

author: richard.cs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 04:17:23 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on September 12, 2018, 03:01:42 pmOccasionally yes, and "pounds worth" instead of "pounds" makes it completely unambiguous. Errors are obvious anyway since most meat here is far from £1/lb.

author: lordvader88
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 04:50:41 pm
content: I'd ask for 3 Slugs worth

author: IanMacdonald
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 04:52:50 pm
content: There are still plenty people here who use imperial units. Of course they risk being exterminated if the EU Daleks find out.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 05:01:51 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmThe same way that, in the US, people know what a "quarter of ham" means. Or not. A real example, back in the late 50s.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 05:04:04 pm
content: Life in the UK is very tough...When someone says fetch the mail it could a reference to the head of the household, the post or your armour.Over the years we have joined the EU so luckily we barely have to think for ourselves nowadays.5 pounds for a cow? Wouldn't cows normally be sold in guineas?Confused

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 05:04:10 pm
content: Quote from: CJay on September 12, 2018, 02:36:00 pmBased on the Retail Price Index and a current price of ~£10/kg, assuming meat prices have tracked the RPI, 1 lb of beef topside would have cost 6s 2d (£0.31 in new money) around the time of metrication of the pound sterling. Food prices have increased slower than general retail inflation so I suspect that meat is relatively cheap now compared to then, so it's quite likely that it would have cost a bit more back in the day.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 06:14:07 pm
content: Quote from: IanMacdonald on September 12, 2018, 04:52:50 pmI believe the Germans have "pfund", a.k.a 500g.

author: bodger
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 06:43:43 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmI would think the opposite, people knew what a 1lb of something would roughly look like as they're used to working in that medium i.e. 1lb of apples is roughly 3 apples. More people will have been duped when switching to metric as people wouldn't intuitively recognise the quantity of 500grams or a 1kg of an item.People generally order in weight anyway, if they wanted to order in the cash value they would say so, i.e. can I have 50 pence worth of jelly babies.We still use imperial though, if you go to any local market or butchers.

author: donotdespisethesnake
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 07:41:12 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmI bet no one *ever* got ripped off like this.There are these things called "words" which can be used in conversation.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 07:54:06 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on September 12, 2018, 06:14:07 pmAbsolutely. Still in regular colloquial use -- which is a tad surprising, given that the unit was officially phased out in 1884.But who would want to buy 250g of butter, when you can buy a "halbes Pfund"?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 08:07:12 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmContext is everything.Just like if they are talking about a "tank".This could be a big container for fluids, a military vehicle, or amongst EEs, a tuned circuit.(strangely, amongst most of the people I have worked with, who deal with big transmitters, this latter is regarded as an "archaic"term)The only time they would have been asking for a quantity in "Pounds worth" would be if they were organising something like a Company Barbecue.When I was in the UK, many years ago, they had just changed to Decimal currency.At around the same time self serve petrol (gasoline) pumps were appearing.With these, it is more convenient to order in an amount of money, rather than in gallons or litres.Some old codgers used to growl about this, having ordered in gallons "man & boy".In Oz, ordering in money value for fuel had been normal for years.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 08:54:37 pm
content: Quote from: lordvader88 on September 12, 2018, 02:06:48 pmHow would be a rip-off ? Either they would get 5lbs at whatever the price was, or £5 worth, at the same price per pound.

author: Wilksey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 09:26:00 pm
content: 5 pounds of meat is not the same as 5 pounds worth of meat.As soon as you put in the "worth" it kind of automatically implies monetary value.You'd say "a fivers worth", or similar, it's quite obvious when spoken.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 12, 2018, 11:27:48 pm
content: Quote from: hexreader on September 12, 2018, 02:17:26 pm”Quid” is hardly cockney, it’s commonly used in the UK by every socioeconomic class in colloquial usage. (Also, it’s just “quid”, it does not take a plural. So £5 is “five quid”.)

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 12:10:10 am
content: Quote from: IanMacdonald on September 12, 2018, 04:52:50 pmIt's not as if the metrication of the UK hadn't been happening a long time before the EU even existed. Somehow everything seems to be the EU's fault nowadays. Frustration seems to be oozing from some posts. Thanks, Obama?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 04:06:24 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on September 12, 2018, 05:01:51 pmA few years ago I asked for a third of a pound of deli meat, the girl looked at me and said "That's .75 right?"

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 04:33:51 am
content: Quote from: Mr. Scram on September 13, 2018, 12:10:10 amObama has made the Brits frustrated with the EU?!

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 04:44:22 am
content: Quote from: ebastler on September 13, 2018, 04:33:51 amIt's a not too serious reference to the republican catchphrase used to blame Obama for any and all problems during his presidency.

author: SparkyFX
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 08:48:48 am
content: In soviet russia you do not metrificate the system, the system metrificates you?!

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 09:17:46 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on September 12, 2018, 06:14:07 pmYes, that's true.If one asks the butcher for "ein viertel Hackfleisch" (one quarter of minced meat) that'd be 125g. That was quite common here with people that are older than maybe 50 now. I guess the <30yo don't use that term anymore.There's another common weight unit: The "Zentner" which equals 50kg. Often equal to a sack of potatoes.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 09:27:53 am
content: In the Netherlands we had the same."pond" was 500 gram"ons" was 100 gram.It is still in use esp. with older people but also with the butcher it is still common to ask for an "ons" of the meat that goes on your bread.The butcher likes it because if you ask for an "ons" you don't care that much if it will be 95 grams or 110 grams , but if you ask 100 grams, he will look more carefully on his scale and ask if it is allowed some what more or less(this ofcourse depends on the person).

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 09:56:25 am
content: Does anyone here ever ask for things in even more vague units? Like a 'portion', or a 'handful', or a 'small handful'.

author: glarsson
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 10:25:10 am
content: Quote from: Kjelt on September 13, 2018, 09:27:53 amYou don't have to use quaint units to get the same result. Instead of 100g you could ask for 1hg, one hectogram. Here in Sweden it is very common to ask for "1 hekto" at the deli counter.

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 10:52:46 am
content: Quote from: steve30 on September 13, 2018, 09:56:25 am"A couple of..." as in couple of sausages.When hunting I normally take out at least fifteen couple hounds.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 12:16:41 pm
content: Quote from: glarsson on September 13, 2018, 10:25:10 amThat would get you some puzzled looks from a German butcher."Hekto" is, of course, an official prefix, but very uncommon in daily life here. The only occasion I remember hearing it is on the weather forecast, when they translate the inofficial "millibar" into "hekto Pascal". And I am sure the majority of the audience is wondering what that is about...

author: capt bullshot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 12:25:21 pm
content: Quote from: ebastler on September 13, 2018, 12:16:41 pmDon't forget the Hektoliter of beer consumed at your local Kirmes (county carnival or whatever).

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 12:49:59 pm
content: Quote from: capt bullshot on September 13, 2018, 09:17:46 am"Zentner" is derived from "centum" (100) and relates to 100 Pfund (100 * 500g = 50kg). And two Zentner are a "Doppelzentner" (100kg or 1dz). IIRC, in Austria a Zentner is 100kg. Using kg or t (for tons) produces more reliable results when ordering potatoes in the EU.

author: brozier
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 01:28:14 pm
content: Quote from: madires on September 13, 2018, 12:49:59 pmAhh the good old hundredweight - I often wondered what that actually was - I'm post-decimal :-)

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 01:45:41 pm
content: Quote from: madires on September 13, 2018, 12:49:59 pmThe handy official unit is the "Dezitonne" (dt).Another promising way of confusing your local potato dealer, I think...

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 01:59:07 pm
content: Quote from: brozier on September 13, 2018, 01:28:14 pmUsed to confuse me as a kid because a hundredweight wasn't the obvious 100 lb, but 112 lb. Used to be used for sacks of coal and potatoes which in the modern world have downsized to 25kg each to keep the 'elf and safety boys happy so that granny can now safely lift a sack rather than having to get a big strapping lad to do it. Granny isn't too happy because she used to quite like watching a shirtless big strapping lad do her lifting for her. (Obviously does not apply in Mediterranean countries where Nonna is usually the strongest person in the house and regularly beats the village blacksmith at arm wrestling.)

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 03:00:49 pm
content: Quote from: brozier on September 13, 2018, 01:28:14 pm1cwt = 112lbs in the UK, or 100lbs in the US. From there it is a short step to the "long ton " of 2240lbs (UK) vs "short ton" 2000lbs (USA).Never be unaware of the UK building trade's "hard metric" (e.g. a tile is 150mm) vs soft metric (e.g. a tile is 6" = 152.5mm).The nice thing about units is that there are so many to choose from.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 03:28:47 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on September 13, 2018, 03:00:49 pmAnd sheet material supplied in 2440mm x 1220mm, softwood in 50.8mm x 25.4mm etc. All that actually happened was the inches and feet were converted to cm, nothing actually changed.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 04:05:05 pm
content: I've purchased more than a couple of full sheets of plywood in my time - and those I bought that were manufactured in Australia have been 2400mm x 1200mm. If the sheet is 2440mm x 1220mm, then it is likely to be imported stuff, as per this:Quote from: CJay on September 13, 2018, 03:28:47 pm

author: richard.cs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 04:13:10 pm
content: I can confirm that sheet materials bought in the UK can be either 2440mm x 1220mm or 2400mm x 1200mm. I assumed it was all the former until I ordered a load recently and they were exact metric sizes.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 05:12:27 pm
content: 2400 by 1200 is a Chinese size, pretty much every locally produced board is 2440x1220 in size.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 06:56:00 pm
content: Quote from: Hero999 on September 12, 2018, 03:01:42 pmOver here it is not uncommon to order a bag of fries worth some amount of money.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 07:02:03 pm
content: Quote from: richard.cs on September 13, 2018, 04:13:10 pmI think it depends where you shop, I've got an old school timber merchant just round the corner from home and almost everything is old imperial sizes expressed in mm and cm, I suppose it'll change at some point.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 08:08:15 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on September 13, 2018, 06:56:00 pmUsed to be common here but for some reason as fallen by the wayside. I well remember my dad asking for tenpen'th of chips in the chip shop.

author: Mr.B
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 13, 2018, 08:45:08 pm
content: The old style fish and chip shops in New Zealand usually sell the chips by the scoop or half scoop.There is no standard size for a scoop.You just say to yourself - Am I hungry today? Yes? Ok, I will have a whole scoop.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 07:16:37 am
content: A significant number of years ago I was in a market standing at the cheese counter, The old guy ahead of me said "whatever a pound of that is in metric I'll have one". The retailer then cut off a piece from the block by eye and it was as near as dammit 0.45 kg. The scale then calculated the price and everyone was happy.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 07:27:13 am
content: Quote from: Brumby on September 13, 2018, 04:05:05 pmThe Metrication Board in Australia didn't like centimetres at all, plus they were worried about people missing the decimal point if lengths were quoted in metres, so they decreed building materials should be measured in mm.Of course, we paid for them in Decimal currency with a decimal point in the price, & nobody had ever been confused by that!

author: glarsson
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 07:50:59 am
content: Quote from: German_EE on September 14, 2018, 07:16:37 amYou can probably train yourself to do the same. When feeding my dogs I place a bowl on the scale and scoop up ground meat until the scale shows 100 grams. Or, that is how it started. Soon I realized that I only needed one scoop; the scale started showing 100 grams on the first try.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 12:56:18 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on September 13, 2018, 06:56:00 pmTrue, but the accuracy is extremely bad. Depending on the person behind the counter you get way more or way less fries than the number of standard bag portions you would get with a fixed price. In my experience the portion size is quite random.

author: hexreader
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 02:35:44 pm
content: This thread reminds me of the kind of conversation had in a retirement home..... and I participatedAh well, off to make myself a nice mug of Horlicks now... Just wish I could remember where I left my slippers.... and my glasses....

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 04:53:56 pm
content: Quote from: Kjelt on September 14, 2018, 12:56:18 pmNot at all, it's directly proportional to how nicely you ask or how winsome you are in the eyes of your server.

author: Cerebus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2018, 04:55:02 pm
content: Quote from: hexreader on September 14, 2018, 02:35:44 pm[1 minute later in the kitchen:] "Why did I come in here?"