the language-sensitive centimeter

[Mark A Mandel]

The following text is copied from an item on sale at CVS (a chain
drugstore):

18" FOLDING BARBECUE GRILL
254 square inches of cooking surface

ASADOR DE 46 CM
Superficie de coccio'n de 1638 cm^2

BARBECUE SUR PIED DE 45 CM
Surface de cuisson de 1587.5 cm^2

Apparently the Spanish centimeter is the standard 2.54 per inch, but the
French centimeter runs exactly 2.5 per inch.

Spanish:
sqrt(1638/254) = 2.5394+
46/18 =          2.55+

French:
sqrt(1587.5/254) = 2.5
45/18            = 2.5

-- Mark A. Mandel