It's actually amazing what you learn on this list from time to time (apart from how methods of measuring things can take over some people and make them personally aggressive that is!) As a car enthusiast - which is a very expensive hobby unfortunately - the term 'tonneau' is used to describe a soft top for cabriolet (drop head) cars to cover over the 'living quarters' (so to speak) in order to protect the cockpit from rain - usually as a temporary measure (ie to quickly protect against a shower). I wonder how the term came about and why it appears to have been adopted from a metric measure? Currently I'm looking for one for our latest metal addition to the family (a Triumph Stag).
Steve Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:22:43 -0700 From: [email protected] Subject: [USMA:44874] Metric Act of 1866, was IEEE/ASTM SI-10 To: [email protected] Pat, The USMA laws page includes the Metric Act of 1866. It has been amended to remove invalid conversion tables, but the history section at the bottom has scans of the actual bill and tables. We were using meter, liter and deka- at the time. However, the metric ton (1000 kg) is described with two terms, tonneau and millier, I assume "everyone" later simplified tonneau to tonne, and the other died out. However, both sets of spelling have been used. The Mendenhall Order of 1893 (found on same page) uses metre, litre, and even gramme. Also on the same page, U. S. Grant's report to Congress on the Treaty of the Meter uses "meter" but it is only a US report, not the original. Finally, the Upton report of 1878 seems to indicate that the original spellings of "are" and "stere" (cubic meter) omitted the final "e", although the Metric Act of 1866 shows a final "e" in both cases. These are just data points. I've never seen anything that would represent a scholarly tracking of the situation. _________________________________________________________________ Share your photos with Windows Live Photos – Free. http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/134665338/direct/01/
