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Re: those irregular prepositions

From:Mark Reed <markjreed@...>
Date:Friday, June 23, 2006, 13:18
Actually, weighing flour is not at all quaint.  It's the more accurate
method and preferred by professional chefs.

On 6/23/06, R A Brown <ray@...> wrote:
> Gary Shannon wrote: > [snip] > > > > Ah, those Brits are an odd bunch, eh? It's obvious to > > any mathemetician that "half ten" is five. I suppose > > their cake recipes call for "a half and a cup of > > flour". > > Nah! We don't measure flour in cups (they ain't all the same size!) - > Brit recipes have traditionally measured flour in pounds and ounces; in > more recent years books also include weight in kilos (for big cakes!) > and grammes. > > I know it's very quaint actually weighing flour, but there it is :) > > Nor do we say *"a half and a pound of flour" - 'tis "a pound and a half > of..." or "one and a half pounds of..." > > In the good ol' days of predecimalized money, 1.5 denarii were "a penny > ha'penny" or "three ha'pence" ;) > > -- > Ray > ================================== > ray@carolandray.plus.com > http://www.carolandray.plus.com > ================================== > "A mind which thinks at its own expense will always > interfere with language." J.G. Hamann, 1760 >
-- Mark J. Reed <markjreed@...>

Reply

R A Brown <ray@...>we quaint Brits (was: those irregular prepositions)