Why 115mm is a standard measuring device
I grew up in a time of change (doesn't everyone?) and decimalisation was something that, despite being a 400 year old concept, the British were still struggling to adopt. I was schooled in metric yet daily life was dictated by an obscure measuring system based around an aristocrat's foot. To be fair - I don't have a gripe with the origin - it makes sense - it's just that no other element of the imperial system relates to common sense. Even the name is outdated for crying out loud! Like holding on to something in the distance that you bullied your way into owning. Metric even sounds more democratic.....
A pound of potatoes used to confuse me, golfing yards confused me, buying drugs confused me, acres of farmland still confuses me, choosing a drill bit for metal just made my brow furrow.
But now I always have something on my person that is exactly 115mm - no - not that. Nor my elbow to fingertip (or Ell in old Scots). Something, in fact, that you can hear people referring to as a standard measure: "what size is that?" - "eh, it's about the size of an iPhone." or 115mm. or 4.527 inches.
Posted by stupot at 11:16 AM Sunday 22 Apr