Ten Of The Most Absurd Units Of Measurement

Measuring stuff can be an ordeal, what with the 2.54 centimeters in an inch and the 453.592 grams in a pound, but if you think the differences between U.S. customary and metric are wacky you've never tried to measure the amount of land a single person behind a single oxen can till "in the morning hours."

At least the units used by the two main systems of measurement make sense, but how the heck did people use “a cow’s grass”, aka the amount of grazing land needed to feed a single cow, as a unit of measurement?

And if you think that’s hard to wrap your head around try measuring the difference in shoe sizes by The Barleycorn, which originally stood for the size of a corn of barley but has since been standardized to 1/3 of an inch. The Barleycorn must die!

Read about 10 Of The Most Absurd Units Of Measurement On Earth at io9


Newest 2
Newest 2 Comments

Login to comment.




Email This Post to a Friend
"Ten Of The Most Absurd Units Of Measurement"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More