Why does the BBC use the stone as a unit of weight?

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4138147.stm

Yet the Haast's eagle weighed between 10kg (1st 8lb) and 14kg (2st 3lb) - between 30% and 40% heavier than the largest living bird of prey alive today, the harpy eagle of Latin America, and was approaching the upper weight limit for powered flight.

What the fuck is the point of using stones other than to confuse Americans who didn't learn THE MOST USELESS UNIT OF IMPERIAL WEIGHT. Just pounds and kilos, please.

Fuck 1 British Empire.

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

it puts kilos as well so what's the problem?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

what the fark are you doing looking at the a British website anyway you slack-jawed hick? get your metric arse out of 'ere geez.

― Eurofags On Ice (blueski), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

because MOST (older) 'mericans don't understand kilos OR stones.

I wager that most people my age couldn't wager a guess at how many pounds a kilo is.

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

To mock the success of Bush's "Sixteen Stone" in America?

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

on the BBC news site today there was also a story about a phone-ahead drugs delivery service - get one ounce guvnor

― Eurofags On Ice (blueski), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

Srious answer, it's one of the most commonly understood units of mass in the UK. People still, rather irritatingly, quote their own weight in stones rather than kilos.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

He has a point. Also, why do the Brits use pounds instead of dollars? It's confusing for Americans. Stop talking funny too.

― Justin P., Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

I wager that most people my age couldn't wager a guess at how many pounds a kilo is.

maybe some old people here still can't get their heads around metric. but that's okay because as we all know OLD PEOPLE DON'T USE T'INTERNET so gawd knows what the Beeb are up to, luvaduck

― Eurofags On Ice (blueski), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

because MOST (older) 'mericans don't understand kilos OR stones

Or for that matter, the Internet.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:25 (twenty years ago)

People still, rather irritatingly, quote their own weight in stones rather than kilos.

i still do this. i weigh just over 12 stone now. how big stones? it's a mystery.

― Frankenstein On Ice (blueski), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

Ed, who's it irritating for? Did you have weird eurohippy parents who refused to let you learn the imperial system?

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

I wager more 'older' (gimme an age range here, pls.) Americans understand way more about the Internet than they do metric and stones.

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

The stones are the size of fourteen pound coins, obv.

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

OLD PEOPLE ARE USELESS

― Eurohippies On Ice (blueski), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Stupid weights and measures are one of the joys of being British. Ounces, chains, leagues, furlongs, groats, guineas, pounds/shillings/pence, quarts, gills, cups, nobles, farthings and threepennies to thread!

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

it sounds better, it is a psychological thing. If you quote your weight in units which place you somewhere between, 8 and 18 (I'm guessing there aren't too many ilxors outside of this range) even if you are near the top, you don't sound that heavy. Giving a weight in pounds, however...."OMG, I'm 140 pounds! I'm ENORMOUS!"

any unit bigger than the stone would cause similar problems in the opposite direction. Supposing there was a unit of mass called the hester which equalled 140 pounds. Steve might say "I weigh 1.2 hesters" and someone else would say "I weigh 1.001 hesters" It would be pretty rubbish.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

Cup is a bloody American measure!

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

http://www.dswa.org.uk/images/Training/ExamS&A2002%20initial%20with%20many%20small%20stones.png

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

Well okay, that one was a mistake.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:34 (twenty years ago)

everything should be weighed in ounces, because that's the way the drug traffickers do it.

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

this is crazy though; do commonwealth nation use stones too?

British people should be able to understand weights of just pounds; there is no problem here except with the BBC.

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:37 (twenty years ago)

"two and a quarter pounds of jam/weighs about a kilogram"

Or maybe it was three and a quarter, I forget.

Our paraffin dispenser has a notice attached "this machine dispenses in units of 4.546 litres" this is because we are too cheap to buy a new dispenser. We still sell electric flex by the yard, and our yardstick dates back to king george the er (checks) sixth (it has a little stamp w/a picture of a crown on it and "g r 6"). I should really but a metre stick, I suppose.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

when it comes to expressing weights and measures in units ppl understand, I am always willing to go the extra 1.61km.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

It's really hard readjusting. I mean I was brought up on largely metric stuff, going to school after decimalization; however, I know my weight in stones and gallons are what petrol (gas) is measured in. If either of these are quoted in different scales (and petrol is now), I need to convert to understand them.

― KeithW (kmw), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

It is you who are wrong, Mr so-called Pounds, Shillings And Pence!

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:41 (twenty years ago)

British people should be left free to do as they like if only to disconcert lazy, arrogant, conformist, spoiled meddlers.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

Additionally, some things trip off the tongue more easily. I don't know how long a "yard" is; however, saying "about 100 metres down the road" sounds like Mr.Logic from Viz!

― KeithW (kmw), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

"2.5 centimetreworm, 2.5 centimetreworm, measuring the marigolds...."

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

because MOST (older) 'mericans don't understand kilos OR stones.

i mean, it already lists stones and pounds for those stupid enough not to know how heavy is a kg, so it should just list every unit of weight in the world in case some idiots might want to know the weight of a Haast Eagle in atomic mass units, because they don't know KG??

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

a yard is one twelve of the distance from the centre a football (soccer) goal to its penalty spot.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

Why is it "stones"? Stones are small and weigh very little. It should be "rocks" because rocks are heavier and have a cooler name.

How much do you weigh?
-Nine stone.
You pussy.

-vs-

How much do you weigh?
-Seven rocks.
Fuck yeah.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

a yard = approx 3" less than a metre.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

Can I make the case for boulders?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

xpost -

why do people measure things in terms of football fields?

The sun is 93 million miles away .. That's 16 BILLION football fields!

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

British people should be left free to do as they like if only to disconcert lazy, arrogant, conformist, spoiled meddlers.
-- Michael White (Sanmichel...) (webmail), January 4th, 2005 12:42 PM. (Hereward) (link)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Suez_War

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/policy/army/fm/3-11-22/taba-1.gif

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.abdick.com/Supplies/Images/metric.gif

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)

why do people measure things in terms of football fields?

i was only doing it for comedy value.. i hope Tombot isn't reading this thread or he'd have one of his fits again.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:50 (twenty years ago)

i hope ken c isn't reading this thread, or he'd make one of his snarky comments again.

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

According to this link, "Soccer" fields are not of a fixed size.

SCORE 1 FOR AMERICAN FOOTBALL.

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

The Imperial system is great. I love it. The metric system is so dowdy and proper.

― jel -- (jel), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

http://www.bonita.k12.ca.us/schools/ramona/teachers/carlton/tutorialexplanations/exM-R/metricfolder/metriccartoon.gif

― Ian John50n (orion), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

yeah, ken - I knew you were joking - but still, other people do it. fuckers.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:54 (twenty years ago)

"Soccer" fields are not of a fixed size.

s'right...when they shrink whilst a game's in progress it is especially fun to watch.

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

The Times does better anyway, in its version of the story here, not only avoiding the Jon's-bile inducing unit, but by putting a Tolkienesque spin on things....

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 18:17 (twenty years ago)

anyway my point is that essentially everyone in the UK understands pounds; and pretty much everyone else in the world understands either metric or pounds. Why restrict the people who only understand the North American version of the imperial system when pounds alone would serve all of us?

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

Because then they would give up their cultural heritage for the benefit of people who aren't even their national/cultural base. The better question is, since we're talking the internet, why people don't do a google search of 'stone weight' and learn about someone else's culture for once.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

Still nothing beats the uselessness of the slug.
Yankee textbooks and their slugfuckery.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Why don't you get rid of the metric versions for the units while you're at it? Fuck reverence for the cultural traditions of your turdy little island.

xpost

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

It's not my turdy island. I live in Kaleefornya.

avoirdupois weights 16 drams = 1 ounce
16 ounces = 1 pound
7 pounds = 1 clove
14 pounds = 1 stone
28 pounds = 1 tod
112 pounds = 1 hundredweight
364 pounds = 1 sack
2240 pounds = 1 ton
2 stones = 1 quarter
4 quarters = 1 hundredweight
20 hundredweight = 1 ton

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone answer about other commonwealth nations use of stone?

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

You're missing the slug and metric ton in there.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

And where is the unlove for the BTU?

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:09 (twenty years ago)

I think they all build with thatch, brick at the best but mostly mud and wattle and some sparse use of timber.

xxpost

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:10 (twenty years ago)

"NB: The sack is not in common use. There was a 'Butchers stone' of 8lb until the end of 1939."

From the site that had the table I posted above. Actually, I'm curious what other English measures besides the stone, pound, and lesser weights any Brits even use.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

surely the only reason for continued use of the stone as a measure of weight* is so that people can put on 5 pounds and still weigh the same "stone"

* or is it MASS??

― You've Got to Pick Up Every Stitch (tracerhand), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

iirc British units are units of weight

― LSD, called the aristocrat (ex machina), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

oh fuck a stone is FOURTEEN pounds? I thought it was twelve.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

I guess I just lost a lot of weight!

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

I weigh a little over 12 stone!

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

I weigh 1.69 hundredweight.

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

I'm about 14 stone, but I'm 1/50th of a football field tall.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

8 stone exactly.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

I think everything should be measured in grains. one sixteenth of a sixteenth of an ounce!

― cis (cis), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

Teeny, that means you weigh a hundredweight!

That's cool. I reckon I'm about 1.25 hundredweight.

― KeithW (kmw), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 22:41 (twenty years ago)

So, while you're on this side of the bridge, how many grains do you weigh?

― Michael White (Hereward), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Does this apply to currency too? Myself and pals used to refer to our salaries in terms of "bob".

― KeithW (kmw), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

this is crazy though; do commonwealth nation use stones too?

Yes, we do. Well babyboomers particularly. I know I'd be about 9 stone... or something suchlike, I havent weighed myself in fnyears.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

There are some road signs in the UK which say a junction or whatever is 110 yards away - so they can easily replace the sign to say 100 metres when we do eventually switch over. New motorway junctions are also built symmetrically so we can drive on the other side of the road one day.

All this really annoys me. We learnt metric at school, as KeithW pointed out, but all road signs, heights etc are in imperial. And meanwhile people get prosecuted for selling fruit by the pound. The sooner we go metric the better. We'll cope more easily than the country did when currency went decimal cos generations of children have been taught metric.

― beanz (beanz), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

British people do not understand pounds (apart from money). I weigh 0.92 Hesters.

― The Horse of Babylon (the pirate king), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 23:34 (twenty years ago)

I weigh exactly one spencer.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

my jimmy weighs a ton

― Frankenstein On Ice (blueski), Tuesday, 4 January 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

I understand pounds. Women specifically understand pounds as that's what babies come in, on a scale from "aawww" to "ouch".

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

ten bob bit

― Simeon (Simeon), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

I weigh about 5 tods.

But beyond baby sizes I can't get my head round pounds - I think I am just not good at values in the hundreds though, regardless of the unit.

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 13:13 (twenty years ago)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/colonpipe/stonegolem.jpg

― :| (....), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

In our office before Christmas, we had two 1.5kg tins of Roses, one 1.5kg tin of Quality Street and an almighty 2.5kg tin of Quality Street. I could say 7kg, but it seemed way more impressive to tell everyone we had a STONE OF CHOCOLATE.

― Madchen (Madchen), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 15:00 (twenty years ago)

Cotton-pickin' BBC varmints!

― Puddin'Head Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 5 January 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1394213,00.html?gusrc=rss

― beanz (beanz), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

Best unit of measure: the baker's dozen.

― Aimless (Aimless), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

If the foot was based on the king's foot, what were the stone and the rod based on?

― Michael White (Hereward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

the king's cock and bulls

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:47 (twenty years ago)

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