Re: OT: we quaint Brits (was: those irregular prepositions)

Mark J. Reed wrote:
 But over here, measuring by
> weight is considered newfangled, not quaint.
I wonder.... I suspect it has to do more with the standardization of
measurements and packaging things in small fixed quantities, and
standardized implements (the "8oz. cup, tsp., tbsp" etc.). Plus reduced
family size, of course. Quite likely, a scale was a frequent fixture in old
kitchens; esp. when you (or the servants) were cooking huge quantities to
feed the average fecund family (my great-grandfather had 9 children), plus
servants and/or farm hands etc.) and surely it would be easier to measure
large quantities of stuff by weight than by little cupfuls etc. I've seen
old recipes that call for "a wine-glass of...", "a teacup of...", "a soup-
(or coffee-) spoonful of...", "a piece of butter the size of a walnut" etc.
Precision doesn't always matter, but still...

Our old T-day/Xmas dinners used to be for 14 minimum-- the 13 actual
relatives + an invitee to avoid unlucky 13 at the table :-)) but everyday
meals at our house only needed to serve 5 or at most 6 (Parents, 2 kids,
Grandmother-- and the maid when we had one).