links: coraline, stupid shoe sizes, pigeon-smuggling

[cimorene]

Coraline: 10" plush replica of Coraline's button-eye doll. Creepy and cute! The crazy knitting genius woman who hand-knitted all the tiny miniature sweaters and gloves in the movie. WOW.

I knew the international shoe sizing conversions were complex, stupid, and frequently misunderstood, but I didn't quite know how MUCH. Sample info from Wikipedia:

UK sizes are based on a unit called the "barleycorn" which is 1/12th of a "hand" (1 hand=4 inches/10.16 cm). The US system is based on the UK system+1, except US women's sizes are either men's+1.5 or men's+1, concurrently and with no explanation. Several major athletic brands (Nike, Reebok, Fila mm) use a different system based on 5mm increments instead of the 4.233333mm of a half-barleycorn. The continental European system is measured in "Paris points", a "Paris point" being 1.5cm. The Asian system is the only metric one.

Some guy tried to smuggle live pigeons into Australia in his tights the other day. He was also travelling with "undeclared eggplant".

Comments

[undersea.livejournal.com]

Ooh, did the most recent episode of QI spawn this reflection on shoe sizes, or is that just a ridiculous coincidence?

[cimness.livejournal.com]

It's a coincidence, but it's not all that ridiculous, really: I think about shoe sizes a lot because of how most of my shoes come from outside continental Europe. And I'm a shoe addict.

[undersea.livejournal.com]

I just never thought I'd hear the word "barleycorn" more than once in one day! *g*

[cimness.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay; that is indeed a coincidence. Unless they were talking about barley.

[brownbetty]

BARLEYCORN? Honestly this sounds like parody.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

I know, right? Why would you even name it that? I can see why you might want a unit that was one-twelfth of a hand, but... barleycorn? Now I'm going to picture primitive seamstresses measuring with them...

[anglepoiselamp.livejournal.com]

The thought of there being such a thing as an undeclared eggplant is now stuck in my mind for ever and ever. :D

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

Last night my husband proudly declared that he finally understood the lyrics from one of his favorite sea-chanties, because he now knows what a cran (http://www.sizes.com/units/cran.htm) is.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I clicked. AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH. Oh, Imperial measurements! ♥

[copracat]

That is, without any doubt, the very best website EVER.

[copracat]

We take eggplants very seriously in Australia.

[dreamnnightmare.livejournal.com]

Is that an eggplant in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?

We...we ATE the eggplants yesterday!