The next time you hear someone refer to a “buttload,” don’t be too quick to assume he or she is speaking about a huge-but-undefined amount. 

In medieval times, liquids were  measured in units of “butts.” A butt is an amount of liquid equivalent to two hogsheads. The precise measurement has varied a bit, but it is generally accepted that one butt of ale is 108 imperial gallons (130 US gallons/491 liters), and one butt of wine is 126 imperial gallons (151 US gallons/573 liters).

If you make fun of someone’s use of this term, you may find yourself being the butt of the joke.

Measuring By the Meter, Foot, and Smoot

If you are accustomed to the metric system, imperial units can be perplexing. There is logic in the fact that there are 1,000 meters in a kilometer or ten centimeters in a meter. How are you supposed to remember that there are 5,280 feet in a mile, and why are there 12 inches in a…

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June 14, 2022June 14, 2022