It gets better (for computer geeks
anyway)... the original English liquid measure of a Tun was 2^8
gallons or 256 gallons, later lowered (c15?) to 252 to make it
more easily divisible by low integers (2^2*3^2*7). This olde
English Tun (252 gallons) weighs 2,240 lbs, a Long or Imperial
Ton. Later yet, the English (Imperial) Tun was redefined to be
210 gallons (2*3*5*7).
The Butt is 1/2 of a Tun... The Imperial Butt being 105 gallons
and the US Butt left hanging at the odd 126 gallons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_wine_cask_units#Units
And according to Wikipedia, the Bushel is 8 gallons, the Seam is 8
bushels or 64 gallons suggesting that the Butt is roughly 2 Seams
(not 6?).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_of_units#Volume
The use of butt-load seems to refer to yet another dry volume
measure (not weight nor liquid volume) but other than the
anecdotal references to "a butt load is about 6 seams", I don't
find any support for this. I can imagine that a "butt load" is
approximately the 1/2 tun by weight but of dry material like wheat
and therefore somewhat larger?
That's the great thing about standards, we have so many to choose
from!
- Steve
Rather
nice, I think:
Quote: As we now know, the Oxford English Dictionary has a citation for "butt-load" as a unit of measure equal to "about six seams", which amounts to roughly 450 gallons.
Once
again brought to us by Twitter. The tweet pointed to:
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
to unsubscribe
http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com
Locked
