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Re: Numbers from 1-10

From:John Cowan <cowan@...>
Date:Monday, September 1, 2003, 19:07
Tristan McLeay scripsit:

> OTOH, I think 'hundred' used to be applicable to anything b/n 100 and 120, > hence the English fakemeasurement called the hundredweight (I think it's > 120 pounds, but for all I know it could've been 120 stone). Of course, > Americans decided to confuse the Brits and made it 100 of whatever it was,
When the stone was changed from 12.5 to 14 lb in 1340, the hundredweight (100 lb = 8 stone) was automatically changed to 112 (not 120) lb. http://www.sizes.com/units/hundredweight.htm gives the details. "Hundred" has never meant anything but 100 except in that one context. -- "You're a brave man! Go and break through the John Cowan lines, and remember while you're out there jcowan@reutershealth.com risking life and limb through shot and shell, www.ccil.org/~cowan we'll be in here thinking what a sucker you are!" www.reutershealth.com --Rufus T. Firefly

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BP Jonsson <bpj@...>