Obscure units of measurement

[mr_hippo]

The 'firkin' - standard British measure of excess as in:-
Too firkin heavy
Too firkin much
Too firkin stupid

Lubs per squinch - imperial measure of pressure

 

[hubgearfreak]

Having just posted a link about Scoville units, which measures the heat of chillis

are you well into the heat then?

it's become an obsession for me

 

[Jaded]

A Routemaster Bus, A football pitch.

 

[Jaded]

My garage is 3 mini metros wide.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Or one Volvo estate.

 

[rikki]

Barns, as noted by marinyork. More on barns here.

If happiness is measured in puppies. See derall's list. "The proposed SI unit of happiness, puppy, is derivable as the quantity of happiness which one 1 kilogram beagle puppy whose body temperature is 310 kelvins produces when held in skin contact for one second."

How many puppies = 1 baby elephant?

 

[Pete]

Barns, as noted by marinyork. More on barns here.

Funny thing is, I remember learning of that very explanation of the origin of 'barn' from my physics student days. It seemed to me then, and still does, perfectly plausible. Never suppose that physicists are too aetherial to enjoy a little joke....

 

[TheDoctor]

Barns, as noted by marinyork. More on barns here.

If happiness is measured in puppies. See derall's list. "The proposed SI unit of happiness, puppy, is derivable as the quantity of happiness which one 1 kilogram beagle puppy whose body temperature is 310 kelvins produces when held in skin contact for one second."

How many puppies = 1 baby elephant?

Well, I have traveled a mile to see a puppy, and 25 miles to see a baby elephant. Whether I would go 25 miles to see 25 puppies is another matter.

I'm therefore not sure that these are subject to linear scaling - it may be logarithmic or some other form of inverse exponential. Further research is justified, I feel.

 

[QuickDraw]

There's a Glasgow Coma Score, I think...

... more usually measured in pints.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Many years ago the R&D department at BOC had a unit of measurement for pain known as the “Watling”.
1 “Watling” was thought the level of pain required to render somebody dead. It was named after somebody who was very very difficult to work with.
We had a “Watling Trophy”, it was made from parts of machines retrieved and welded together from development projects or designs that had failed in a big way!

I was lucky enough to be awarded the “Watling Trophy” at our annual Business meeting for a project where I successfully withstood 0.75 Watlings…more than anybody had ever received!

 

[magnatom]

There's a Glasgow Coma Score, I think...

I actually know the chap that invented this! He's retired now, but his wife still works in the same department as me.

I suppose this is my claim to fame (appart from knowing Arch of course!)

 

[Hugo15]

My fav has to be the "Fire Hydrant".

I worked for a bit at a food manufacturer and when they implemented the computer system they didn't know what unit of measure to use for the sausage skins. Programmer looks out of the window and see a fire hydrant. The rest, as they say, is history.

Always took a bit of explaining to new starters.

 

[trustysteed]

How many puppies = 1 baby elephant?

a trunk full?

 

[abchandler]

Nibble- 4 bits of a binary code

Obvious really, since [geek]a nibble is half a byte[/geek]

 

[Sh4rkyBloke]

Obvious really, since [geek]a nibble is half a byte[/geek]

... and 12 years if she's woefully underage, your Honour.