OT: percentages (was: RE: OT: Re: Musical languistics

John:
> Andreas Johansson scripsit:
>
> > In Swedish, some people (eg, me) are very careful about the
> difference between
> > _procent_ "percent" and _procentenhet_ "percentage point", whereas others
> > happily use _procent_ for either meaning. In the last general election, the
> > Left Party went from about 12% to about 8% of the vote - quite alot
> worse than
> > the _4 procent_ fall many people are saying that they suffered, if
> you ask me!
>
> I just yesterday saw a reference to a "4% reduction" in something or other
> Puzzled by why that was news, I found that it was a reduction from 8% to
> 4%, or a 50% reduction by my (and your) definitions
In many universities, including mine, student work is given a "percentage"
grade, which is on a scale going from "0%" to "85%". Certain sins,
such as lateness, are punishable by a "10% penalty". No examinations
meeting is complete without a confused discussion about what that means.
It is a really bad idea to let people in the humanities loose anywhere
near numbers. All sorts of harm can come of it.

--And.