Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> On Sun, 21 Jul 2013 18:33:06 -0400, nemesis wrote:
>
> > Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> >> Orchid Win7 v1 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> >> > three seventy-seconds of one inch
> >>
> >> I think that at least *some* Americans realize how ridiculous the
> >> imperial measurement system is. It's a petty that resistance to change
> >> is such a huge psychological phenomenon that it's not going to change
> >> any time soon.
> >>
> >> --
> >>                                                           - Warp
> >
> > I actually had a laugh at the "three seventy" vs the usual "seventy
> > three".  or did he mean "3 x seventy-seconds"?
> >
> > then again, I'm used to it from Sherlock Holmes books :)
>
> 3/72 is what was meant (not sure if you were not getting that, or being
> silly)
>
> Jim

I think that if you are not used to the system it is easy to read it as three
times seventy seconds. Then when you realise what is meant you laugh at your
embarrassment at getting it wrong.
It is great how English words change their meaning depending on their context.

Stephen

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