Dear Chris, Bill, and All,
I have interspersed some remarks.
on 2002/04/29 08.14, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> On Sun, 28 Apr 2002 17:42:31 +0000, Barbara and/or Bill Hooper
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>> on 4/28/2002 3:01 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] at
>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>>> wines and spirits, for instance, are fixed. The
>>> former may only be sold in the EU in 25, 37.5, 50, 75 cl bottles
>>
>> I find it surprising that the EU prescribes sizes which are 1/4 litre, 3/8
>> litre, 1/2 litre and 3/4 litre instead ofsomething like 200 mL, 400 mL, 600
>> mL and 800 mL.
The most common bottle size in Australia is one of about 750�mL. Although it
appears so, this does not mean that it was chosen to be 3/4 of a litre. Its
history goes something like this:
1 Beer and wine bottles were designed so that 6 bottles would hold 1
imperial gallon. Since an imperial gallon contains 8 pints of 20 fluid
ounces, or 160 fluid ounces, each bottle contained the convenient quantity
of 26 2/3 fluid ounces.
As a side issue, I suspect that this size when it was introduced to the USA
had no connection with the local measures � the USA did not use imperial
gallons � so the locals rounded it to a convenient fractional value of the
USA gallon. The calculations go like this:
One sixth of an imperial gallon = 26 2/3 fluid ounces = 757.682�64�mL
Five bottles at 757.682�64�mL = 3788.4�mL
And this is conveniently close to the size of a USA gallon = 3785.41 mL
2 At the time of metrication in Australia this was converted to
757.682�64�mL, which was then conveniently rounded to 750�mL � making an
immediate and ongoing gain of about 1�% in profits for the wine makers,
brewers, and bottlers.
> Perhaps because these sizes have been used for decades (certainly for
> wine - I can't say what non-UK countries used for spirits sizes). I
> think also that 70 cl is a permitted size in the UK for spirits - I've
> seen cheap, 'no brand' bottles in this size.
This downsizing process is normal amongst traders. Where there is no
regulation about container sizes traders will always try to reduce the
quantity while keeping the price the same � or increasing the price while
keeping the quantity the same. Twas ever thus; remember the use of the royal
cubit and the common cubit by the pharaohs.
In Australia there has been a steady rounding of 750�mL to 740�mL and then
some went to 720�mL before there seemed to be a new settling at 700�mL.
>> The use of the 3/8 size is especially surprising and it is also repeated in
>> the allowed masses (in grams) for grains, cereals, dried fruits and
>> vegetables, and perhaps others.
3/8 is half of 3/4 and it automatically arises when you try for a half
bottle of wine. But, as I noted previously, in imperial nations this arose
from the 26 2/3 fluid ounce bottles.
>> And I am flabbergasted (really surprised) at the list for coffee:
>> 57g, 75g, 113g, 125g, 227g, 250g, 340g, 454g, 500g, 680g, 750g or a
>> multiple of 454g ... etc. Clearly some of this is just hidden POUND
>> measurements (454 g is a pound and this leads to 227, 113 and 57 grams for
>> 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 pound, and 340 and 640 grams for 3/4 pounds and 1.5 pounds).
>> And 125, 250 and 750 grams are just 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of a kilogram.
>
> The sizes in the two paras above are in UK legislation ONLY (see the
> link at the bottom). This is what I said earlier about the continued
> persistence of imperial sizes in the UK.
At a deeper level I think that this is also driven by a deeper lack of
knowledge about the nature of decimal numbers. There is a deep yearning in
many parts of our society for halves, quarters, and eighths. But having said
this I really believe that this sentimental longing for these old fractions
soon passes when the yearner gets to sixteenths or thirty-secondths, and
especially seventeenths and thirty-firsts.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
CAMS - Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist
- United States Metric Association
ASM - Accredited Speaking Member
- National Speakers Association of Australia
Member, International Federation for Professional Speakers
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