Oooh, I'm taking this to work with me!!

Nancy.

I think I know about 5 of these, going out to plant sales with Calamity :) I'll check in later.

Annette

I definitely don't hate this question and I think it's a great choice for a trivia question. At this point I know 2,5,6,7, and 11.

I can picture shocks of corn standing in a field, but didn't know that there was actually a standard for how much was in one, or if they are even the same thing. The same with a dash, not that I've seen dashes standing in the field ( I suppose they would look like this / \ / \ / \), but I didn't know they were an exact measure. And snit, dicker, nest, and the rest will be fun the hear about when all is revealed.

TM

Okay, good! Here are a few clues:

Shock of grain contains a number of sheaves which are bundles of stalks ~30-36 inches in circumference.

a snit is a US measure of volume for liquor-care to guess how much or little that might be. Wonder if that is where the idea of being in a snit came from-probably not since the first might make you feel a little happy and the other means a little irritated. Make mine a double.

A nest has to do with a # of things in a group. Decorators might be able to guess as might Goldilocks!

I actually may have exaggerated about dicker when I said "centuries." Apparently the term comes from Latin, but to me the root is not obvious-close though. Wrong vowel IMHO. Wonder if the spelling is actually from the French.

Back out to pull up more weeds. It already feels like July outside, so I will be in and out rather than out for hours at a time. :(

Cynthia

Can't believe only TM has guessed so far.....

1. might be enough sheaves to shock the mule pulling the wagon.

2. I should know this, it is a 'Canadian thing', now. It is just over 3 acres, I think....

3. A furlong - hmmm....mile and a half??

4. A snit - what I get into the next day if I have too many shots??

5. A ream is 1000 sheets??

6. I think it is about 14 pounds.

7. Lots and lots....less than a mile. Why do I not remember this one??

8. Quoi??

9. Feeling dumber and dumber - probably the time between maximum tides??

10. Got this from your clue - 3.

11. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickle peppers.....I think it's about 2/3 of a bushel? I remember seeing peck baskets, and this is what my memory eye is telling me.

12. 1/2 a pinch?? lol.

13. A dicker - probably not a precise measure - maybe what they came to as measure after negotiations....

14. 1/2 a dozen??

15. A Span - well, they talk about the span of a bridge. Not always the whole distance....500 feet?

Nothing scientific above!! As usual, I printed this to take to work and left it in the printer tray!! Just me guesses!!

Nancy.

Here's what I know, what I think I know and some guesses.

1.a shock of grain --- Total guess: 5 sheaves

2.a hectare --- an area that equals a square 100 m x 100 m.

3.a furlong

4.a snit (US unit of volume for liquor) --- total guess: 2 fluid ounces.

5.a ream of paper --- 500 sheets

6.a stone --- not sure, either 12 lb or 16 lb I think

7.a fathom --- 6 feet

8.a stere

9.an epoch (has to do with measuring and predicting tides)

10.a nest --- 3 bears?

11.a peck --- I'm pretty sure it is 1/2 bushel. 2nd guess is 1/4 bushel.

12.a dash (as in cooking measurement)

13.a dicker --- I'm going to guess it is 10 pelts.

14.a devil's dozen --- If a baker's dozen is 13, what would a devil's dozen be? 11?

15.a span (traditional unit of distance)

That's probably the best I'm going to do.

TM

Nancy, it is inetersting that several of yours are either half or double the numbers/amounts.

Let's see...
Span comes from old English(spann). Meanings such as span of a bridge came later. Think smaller, Nancy--much smaller.

Devil's dozen-we have a different term for it these days. Think a little bigger...

Dicker is a number of furs or skins-Latin and French words combined in my opinion. Perfect.

Dash-a pinch is actually half a dash-there is actually now a measuring spoon for a pinch. I find that funny.

Peck-think a little smaller-you are on the right track.

stere-metric unit of volume-want to guess how much? In Europe it is used mostly for firewood

fathom-you and I (probably Annette and Bobbie too) would be underwater. Not sure about TM. Chuck's head would be just under the surface in a fathom.

stone-yippee for you

ream-smaller

snit-as a former bartender (well sort of), I learned how to free pour a perfect half-snit, although I didn't know it

furlong-another from Old English-"the length of a furrow"; it represents the distance a team of oxen could plow without needing a rest. Apparently, oxen were not long distance runners. Not even milers!

hectare-too high, but not by a lot. I was actually thinking square meters, but either that or acres is fine.

shock-not a devil's dozen...

Cynthia

We were posting at the same time

Devils were unlucky, weren't they?

stone-don't know whether to suggest you go higher or lower-you could do either actually. ;)

snit-close. Maybe we are heavier drinkers here on the east coast.

Oh and forgot to address epoch-hard to give a clue. very odd number. Do you know what a Metonic cycle is? All possible alignments of the sun and moon occur in this 19-year cycle, so tidal heights and other tidal phenomena are averaged over this period.

I think you both have done a greta job. Time to tweak your answers.

Cynthia

I think I have

2. 2 1/2 acres

6. 14 lbs.

7. 6 feet

12. 1/8 tsp.

13. 13

Annette

OK, my final tweaked answers are ...

1.a shock of grain --- New guess: 12 sheaves

2.a hectare --- an area that equals a square 100 m x 100 m.

3.a furlong --- Guess: 5/8 mile

4.a snit (US unit of volume for liquor) --- new guess: a double shot - 3 fluid ounces.

5.a ream of paper --- 500 sheets

6.a stone --- new, more well-informed answer 14 lb

7.a fathom --- 6 feet

8.a stere --- Haven't heard of this, maybe a cubic meter?

9.an epoch (has to do with measuring and predicting tides)

10.a nest --- 3 bears?

11.a peck --- I'm pretty sure it is 1/2 bushel. 2nd guess is 1/4 bushel.

12.a dash (as in cooking measurement)

13.a dicker --- I'm going to guess it is 10 pelts.

14.a devil's dozen --- If a baker's dozen is 13, what would a devil's dozen be? The same, because bakers make devil's food cake?

15.a span (traditional unit of distance)

That's it for me. Time to get ready for beddie-bye.

TM

I've had a busy day/night and more to do so without reading everyone's posts today I know a few.

1. Shock--we used to go to threshing bees and remember counting the bundles in a shock usually slightly under 20.

2. hecatare 10,000 sq. meters I taught metrics to 7th & 8th graders 40 years ago

5. ream 500 sheets though I see the ream of paper by our printer has 625 sheets (guess it's a super ream)

6 stone 14 lbs. learned this the summer we spent in Scotland when weighing our 2 year old

7 fathom slightly under 2 meters, l.7 or l.8 meters don't remember exactly

11 peck is 2 gal or 8 qts, 4 pecks equal a bushel (also taught other measurements to those 7 & 8 graders)

12 dash 1/8 tsp I am a measurement gal and needed to know what a dash was though I am relaxing and adding a pinch now and then

14 devil's dozen 13 another name for baker's dozen

Will check back tomorrow.

Wow! You are all so smart! Combined, I think you got almost all, so **** for TM, Bobbie, Annette, and Nancy!

1.a shock of grain = 12 sheaves and sometimes only ten TM

2.a hectare = 10,000 square meters or ~2.47 acres TM, Annette, Bobbie

3.a furlong = 201.168 meters or 220 yards (1/8th mile) Anyone watch the Kentucky Derby yesterday? My picks came in 2nd, 3rd, and 6th.

4.a snit (US unit of volume for liquor) = 2 jiggers or 3 fl.oz TM I think this one is my favorite. Would love to ask someone if they'd like a snit!

5.a ream of paper = 500 sheets of 3'x2' sheets (used to be 480 sheets which is now called a short ream) TM, Bobbie

6.a stone = 14 lbs Nancy, TM, Annette, Bobbie

7.a fathom = 6 ft TM, Annette, Bobbie

8.a stere = 1 cubic meter TM

9.an epoch (has to do with measuring and predicting tides) = 19 years I can't believe I actually gave you the answer when I cut and pasted the last clue-sorry, but I will give it to all of you for being too honest to take advantage of my studidity!

10.a nest = 3 of anything Nancy, TM

11.a peck = 1/4th bushel, 2 gal, 8 quarts TM, Bobbie

12.a dash (as in cooking measurement)= 1/8th teaspoon Annette, Bobbie

13.a dicker (out of use now, but used in North America by European fur traders for centuries) = 10 TM

14.a devil's dozen = 13 because 13 was always considered bad luck-makes sense to me :) Annette, TM, Bobbie

15.a span (traditional unit of distance)= 9 inches or 1/4th yd and was a traditional unit of measure taken from a man's hand-how about checking yours TM and let us know how accurate that is!

Thanks a bushel and peck and a hug around the neck to all of you for playing. Have a wonderful Sunday and an easy, uneventful week (unless it is a good event, that is!).

Cynthia

Thanks for the interesting question. Some of these measurements I have never heard of and others I haven't thought about in years.

Well at least I didn't get skunked this was fun, thanks Cyn.

Annette

Lots of fun, Cynthia. Thank you for coming up with it and checking our work, like you don't get enough of that during the week.

That span thing is pretty close for me. Mine came out to be 9 1/2 ". Think I'll dash down to the bar now, order a peck of pretzels and have a snit or two.

Great question and answers.

TM

heheheh. Too bad we're a dry house these days-a snit might be just what I need to get rid of this cold!

Oh and here is a link with lots of measurements in case you are bored to tears some day with nothing better to do!

Cynthia

Here is a link that might be useful: measurement overload