Things that frustrate us all

[rhubarbodendron]

what I find particularly puzzling is measurements that are neither metric nor imperial. How much is 'a stick of butter' in any system?? (Over here, butter comes not in sticks but in a brick-shape at 250 g exactly).
And what size was the respective recipe author's tablespoon? Old-fashioned ones are huge while modern table spoons have only about half their volume.

 

[Discofan]

what I find particularly puzzling is measurements that are neither metric nor imperial. How much is 'a stick of butter' in any system?? (Over here, butter comes not in sticks but in a brick-shape at 250 g exactly).
And what size was the respective recipe author's tablespoon? Old-fashioned ones are huge while modern table spoons have only about half their volume.

How much is a peck of pickled peppers?

 

[Butters]

How much is a peck of pickled peppers?

I wouldn’t expect to pay more than about £1.97.

 

[Avro Arrow]

How much is 'a stick of butter' in any system?? (Over here, butter comes not in sticks but in a brick-shape at 250 g exactly).

Over here, anyway, a stick is a 1/2 cup. You can either buy butter here in one 2-cup brick, or in a package of four 1/2-cup sticks. (I have actually even seen some stores sell sticks individually, too.) I buy the sticks just because I find them super convenient.

In metric (we are a metric country, after all! ), they say the stick is 125 g... which they then sell in a package of four, which is 454 g. I guess that's why all the wrappers on the sticks say "all measures approximate".

So it sounds like yours are sold in one cup units, so each one should be the equivalent of two sticks.

 

[scotpens]

Over here, anyway, a stick is a 1/2 cup. You can either buy butter here in one 2-cup brick, or in a package of four 1/2-cup sticks. (I have actually even seen some stores sell sticks individually, too.) I buy the sticks just because I find them super convenient.

In metric (we are a metric country, after all! ), they say the stick is 125 g... which they then sell in a package of four, which is 454 g. I guess that's why all the wrappers on the sticks say "all measures approximate".

In the U.S., butter is sold by the pound or by the quarter-pound stick. 1 pound (or 16 ounces) equals 454 grams.

 

[Avro Arrow]

In the U.S., butter is sold by the pound or by the quarter-pound stick. 1 pound (or 16 ounces) equals 454 grams.

Oh, my apologies... I usually only worry about them in terms of cups, and so when I checked the measurements for the post, I reported the units incorrectly. It wasn't 125 g, it was 125 mL, a volume measurement, rather than a mass. So the package should be about 500 mL, and also 454 g.

Sorry about that. I should probably be in bed anyway! (I should have spotted that before... you can see the mL units in the picture I posted! )

So it sounds like our butter is the same size as the American butter, we just don't label them in pounds.

 

[Discofan]

Hence "don't be a stick in the mud", because once it's been in the mud a stick of butter is useless... (j/k)

 

[rhubarbodendron]

thank you! Now I finally can convert my American recipes and try them out.
Measuring butter in cups/ml seems rather complicated to me as it requires the butter to be very soft whereas for pie crust or shortbread you need very cold (and therefore hard) butter. In that respect our system of weighing it is perhaps a trifle more convenient.

 

[MacLeod]

Imperial

12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
16 ounces = 1 pound
14 pounds = 1 stone

It's a mess of system and quick question how big is a gallon in metric? is it 4.54ltr or 3.78ltr

Now to me it's 4.54ltr

 

[rhubarbodendron]

3.78 liters if it's an American one, 4.54 if it's British. Figures somehow since American cars tend to need more petrol than British ones. This way they both appear to need the same amount per 100 miles which is propably good for the sales figures.

Not so much frustrating but highly annoying: someone next to my office keeps hammering like crazy for more than an hour now. Definitely a case for Simon Templar's newest audio-adventure. How fortunate that in a moment of distraction I left my lunch at home this morning and brought my walkman instead! =)

 

[MacLeod]

3.78 liters if it's an American one, 4.54 if it's British. Figures somehow since American cars tend to need more petrol than British ones. This way they both appear to need the same amount per 100 miles which is propably good for the sales figures.

Yep but because they are different it can cause confusion as they are different, besides doesn't the US really use US customary units (system) rather than imperial system? Whilst the two are broadly similar they are some differences.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

It's been a while since I was last in the US but back in 2012 they used to measure gas/petrol in gallons, at least in LA. They also did use Imperial inches, feet, miles and pounds but no stones.
Rather illogically, even we Germans use Inches (Zoll) when it comes to the diameters of pipes and the nuts, bolts, gaskets, brackets etc. connected to them. However, that's something that's gradually of dying out as old pipes get replaced by new (metric) ones. It's not unusual, though, that an old house has 100 year old water pipes.

 

[MacLeod]

I was brought up during the main transition phase in the UK so I learnt both systems. Ask me my height and I'll give it in feet and inches same with my weight unless asked specifically for metric. Long distances I'll use miles short distances depending on the age of person I might use metres or yards. For temp it's always C.

 

[Discofan]

I hear the Americans buy their Icecream by the gallon! That seems like a lot!

 

[MacLeod]

I hear the Americans buy their Icecream by the gallon! That seems like a lot!

And that's a bad thing when it comes to Ice Cream? (depending on flavour)

 

[Discofan]

And that's a bad thing when it comes to Ice Cream? (depending on flavour)

What flavor(s) do you like?

 

[Kor]

I hear the Americans buy their Icecream by the gallon! That seems like a lot!

Economies of scale. Small containers are too expensive for the quantity that you get.

Kor

 

[Butters]

My favourite ice cream are those bitterly rich triple chocolate varieties, or the Old Jamaican, rum and raisin flavour.

Frustratingly, mine is a household of dairy intolerance, and ice cream is a distant happy dmemory.

I also miss the contrast of ice cold vanilla ice cream served with a piping hot apple strudel. Those were the days.

 

[Discofan]

My favourite ice cream are those bitterly rich triple chocolate varieties, or the Old Jamaican, rum and raisin flavour.

Frustratingly, mine is a household of dairy intolerance, and ice cream is a distant happy dmemory.

I also miss the contrast of ice cold vanilla ice cream served with a piping hot apple strudel. Those were the days.

Sorry to hear that. Maybe someday they'll make Ice Cream without dairy products, a sort of I can't believe it's not Ice cream ice cream.

 

[Butters]

Sorry to hear that. Maybe someday they'll make Ice Cream without dairy products, a sort of I can't believe it's not Ice cream ice cream.

There are substitutes, but they don’t compare.