Sure, Mike.
Back in September 1997, someone on this list sought an appropriate name
for the things we Americans use as a "system" of measurement (most of us
who favor US adoption, including myself, of SI don't think we have a
system of measurement at all, just an collection of whimsically
established units that fell into general use centuries ago and have
never been revoked)
In response to this request, my mind began to turn, and I called it the
"Way Of Measuring Badly in America Today". Lo and behold, this acronym
came out as the same name as a small mammal, "W.O.M.B.A.T.". For a few
years, the acronym caught on as a synonym for what some call the US
Customary System of measurment (feet, miles pounds), but perhaps it has
fallen into disuse.
Mike Joy wrote:
> Can you tell me what ' Wombat' is please?
> Mike Joy
> Perth Australia
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul Trusten" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 7:22 AM
> Subject: [USMA:21424] got metric milk?
>
>
> |
> | I get out my car here in Texas, walk towards the grocery store window,
> | and beam with satisfaction at those wondeful posters screaming the
> | special price of ONE LITER of soda or water (no WOMBAT conversion in
> | those sales posters). How thoroughly the American public has embraced
> | that unit, which came up and offered it a hug more than 25 years ago!
> | The words "ONE LITER" are shown in the largest fonts the container
> | bears--the WOMBAT units are the fine print. The soda industry has gone
> | on to offer 3-liter containers.
> |
> | So, why can't we have metric milk? Why no 3-liter jug of moo juice?
> | Anybody seen any SI skim in America? Don't the dairy barons want to seel
> | 215 mL of additional product per container?
> |
> | A couple of years ago, someone on this list said (s)he had seen a
> | 3-liter milk jug for sale, and I've been lookng, but no joy yet.
> |
> |
> |
> | --
> | Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
> | 3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122
> | Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
> | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> |
> | "There are two cardinal sins,
> | from which all the others spring:
> | impatience and laziness."
> |
> | ---Franz Kafka
> |
> |
>
>
>
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
"There are two cardinal sins,
from which all the others spring:
impatience and laziness."
---Franz Kafka
