cubic gallons

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 16:22:48 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:

>On Thu, 22 Sep 2005 15:34:25 -0400, Michael McKernan wrote:
>
>>A 'metric gallon' consisting of four liters (to approximate the English
>>gallon), would be a departure from the basic ideology of the metric
>>system, which AFAIK, is firmly committed to the 'decimal' system.  Thus,
>>it already has a volume measure, the 'deciliter', (1/10 of a liter).
>>Apparently not in common use, the next-larger-than-liter metric unit
>>would be a'dekaliter' (or'decaliter'?), equal to 10 liters.
>
>Yeah, but there's already been a nondecimal precedent established by the
>"metric mile" (= 1500 meters, or would that be a sesquikilometer?).

Forgot about another noncanonical metric measurement that one sees from
time to time: a "metric buttload". I see Grant Barrett is already on the
case: <http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/metric_butt_load/>


--Ben Zimmer