In England we usually and historically refer to 5 X 4 and not 4 X 5. Is 4 X 5 an Americanism? Does most of Europe say 5 X 4 or 4 X 5? However, I like the way they spell colour without the u in America. Do others have views about some of these pedantic differences?
As usual America bastardized the language.
Why not call a faucet a tap? It is a more simple name and have the USA ever thought about going metric? It makes more sense.
Maybe it comes from the Printing Trade? I noticed that all the paper sizes in my US references are quoted with the shortest dimension first. This has no relation to the grain, which is indicated independently (either with an underline or the phrase "grain long" or "grain short").
If this has any relation...
What size is A4 paper?
Why not call a faucet a tap? It is a more simple name and have the USA ever thought about going metric? It makes more sense.
I also recall when I worked on a European-designed typesetting machine, the language had me specify the vertical dimension first, followed by the horizontal dimension. So when I would created a 9 1/2 inch x 11 inch continuous form design (that ran on a web press with perfs at every 11 inches), I had to key the size as 11 x 9 1/2.
So my next question would be, when you specify 5x4...
Are you doing it because you are specifying the long dimension first?
Or are you specifying the height first?
210 × 297mm
Well, when you order wood do you ask for a 2 x 4 or a 4 x 2?
We had this argument before in a long thread about 3 years ago or so.
It seems that we in the US use 2 x 4 for wood and construction, and 4 x 5 uniformly for film, but in the UK they use 2 x 4 for wood and construction, but 5 x 4 for film and some other measurements. At least this is what I have distilled out in my memory.
So, what is right? Color or colour? How do you justify the silent "u"? (Oh, this is OT from the other thread too which degenerated into a good natured?? meleee.)
PE
OK so printing trade paper size is quoted differently than film size.
What about the silver gelatin paper? We've got common sizes 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, 20x24 in the US.
The real question is why are your fries called chips, and why are your chips called crisps, and why (in America) if you want fish and fries, you have to order fish and chips?
What about us poor, confused Canadians?
A lot of the differences exist because the US broke away from Britain in 1776. Practices diverged from there. In some cases, the US practice is actually older and less evolved than current British practice.
In Canada, we sort of broke away from Britain about 100 years later. From then on, in Canada, the influences of Britain and the US tended to compete.
As an example, in Canada, we drink our mass-market (i.e. not craft brewed) beer cold, but it actually has flavour:munch:.
Because then we would have to admit someone else is right...
Metric! Our money is metric, that's all that is needed.
As an example, in Canada, we drink our mass-market (i.e. not craft brewed) beer cold, but it actually has flavour:munch:.
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