"Stephen" <mcavoys_AT_aolDOT.com> wrote:
> 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


don't you British spell 32 as two and thirty?  at least, it is that way in
Victorian literature

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