The General Chat Thread (2025)

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I’ve been long convinced there’s a secret deep state department that exists between the US and the UK, meant to ensure all language, measurements, etc are purposely kept at “close, but not quite.”

“Ok, we’ve just invented this new widget, and I propose we call it a blippity-blap, so…blappity-blip for your side? Sound good?”

“Yes…that might work, but how about this instead? You call it blippity-blap, and we’ll call it blippity-blap…but we’ll pronounce it slightly differently, like, oh I don’t know…you say BLIP-ity and we’ll say bli-PITY, hmmmm?”

“Oh, I like that, extra confusing because it’s the same spelling and all that! Now, what’s up with these teaspoons? Is everyone in agreement that 0.07ml difference is sufficient?”

“Yeah, but say ours is 0.0024oz different.”

I can’t think of another plausible explanation
Although in all honesty it’s a known occurrence in countries using English systems that gained independence.
It was considered a little bit of a two fingered salute waving off overseas rule

 

[TastyReuben]

It was considered a little bit of a two fingered salute waving off overseas rule

See what I mean? We cut that in half, to one middle finger!

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

See what I mean? We cut that in half, to one middle finger!

 

[karadekoolaid]

There's a theory that island nations always consider themselves independent. The UK, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia.
Whether they're geographically classified as belonging to a particular continent or not, is somewhat irrelevant to them.

 

[kaneohegirlinaz]

There's a theory that island nations always consider themselves independent. The UK, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia.
Whether they're geographically classified as belonging to a particular continent or not, is somewhat irrelevant to them.

Like Hawaii.
It was an independent Nation until ...

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

A Tbsp is 1/2 ounce, by volume, and mine is marked 15 ml. When I take the tsp it takes four of those to fill up the Tbsp yet it's marked 5 ml.

In Australia a tablespoon is 20ml not 15ml.

 

[medtran49]

I don't get it on the tsp and the 0.07 ml. A Tbsp is 1/2 ounce, by volume, and mine is marked 15 ml. When I take the tsp it takes four of those to fill up the Tbsp yet it's marked 5 ml.

Either ATK or Cook's Country tested commercially available measuring items on 1 of their shows against high quality laboratory measuring items. A lot of the measuring items available to home users were way off, cheaper ones especially. Not saying what your wife had was cheap, just that it's something to bear in mind for everyone, particularly when measurements really matter, like in baking.

 

[Barriehie]

Either ATK or Cook's Country tested commercially available measuring items on 1 of their shows against high quality laboratory measuring items. A lot of the measuring items available to home users were way off, cheaper ones especially. Not saying what your wife had was cheap, just that it's something to bear in mind for everyone, particularly when measurements really matter, like in baking.

I mostly eyeball everything unless I'm baking, then it's the scale dialed down to grams.

 

[TastyReuben]

Either ATK or Cook's Country tested commercially available measuring items on 1 of their shows against high quality laboratory measuring items. A lot of the measuring items available to home users were way off, cheaper ones especially. Not saying what your wife had was cheap, just that it's something to bear in mind for everyone, particularly when measurements really matter, like in baking.

That’s a good point. I have an Anchor Glass 1-cup measuring cup that’s off by a good 2 tablespoons, and I have a cocktail shaker with measurements and recipes listed on the side…it’s so far out of whack it’s ridiculous.

 

[MypinchofItaly]

Temperatures dropped sharply today, I went from wearing a T-shirt this morning to a sweatshirt tonight.

 

[TastyReuben]

Well, that was weird. I ordered a 32oz bag of coffee beans from Amazon and it just arrived, from San Francisco.

That’s something like 2,000 miles away, and they didn’t even put it in a box. They just slapped an address label on the front of the bag of coffee beans and sent it on its way.

 

[Barriehie]

Well, that was weird. I ordered a 32oz bag of coffee beans from Amazon and it just arrived, from San Francisco.

That’s something like 2,000 miles away, and they didn’t even put it in a box. They just slapped an address label on the front of the bag of coffee beans and sent it on its way.

Profit, maximized...

 

[karadekoolaid]

In Australia a tablespoon is 20ml not 15ml.

Irregular measurements all over the world. Same thing, different size.
When I started cooking my Indian food (about 3 weeks ago) in the restaurant, It was important to have the recipes in Chef's format. All my recipes are in metric, except for tsps and tbsps; I suppose it's a rough measure, because for spices, salt, etc. , I'd have thought "a little tiny bit more, or less, who cares?"
Chef cared. He explained to me that every single ingredient, including salt, water, etc., had to be measured. Only that way could he have an exact cost and exact, immutable flavour and texture for each dish . That might sound absurdly obsessive, but I can assure you, 3 weeks in, that he was spot on. Every single thing I've eaten there is always EXACTLY the same. That's what makes his restaurant so good and so successful.

 

[Herbaceous]

Well, that was weird. I ordered a 32oz bag of coffee beans from Amazon and it just arrived, from San Francisco.

That’s something like 2,000 miles away, and they didn’t even put it in a box. They just slapped an address label on the front of the bag of coffee beans and sent it on its way.

I kinda love that - no unnecessary packaging!

 

[TastyReuben]

I kinda love that - no unnecessary packaging!

Well, apparently that’s the point, if it’s big enough to take a shipping label, that’s how they send it, and they’ve been doing it for a few years now, but this is the first time I ordered a single item from Amazon, so my first time encountering it.

I can say, I don’t like it. Not at all. I know they’re just beans, but the bag is scuffed all to hell, and the tape that’s meant to close the bag once you open it was half off and the sticky bit covered with dirt and hair and god knows what else. Also, they slapped the label right over that little gas-escape hole that coffee bags have, so I had to peel the label off, and of course it’s not an EZ-peel label, so now the whole front of the bag is sticky.

I was going to raise a righteous stink with them about it, until I researched it and found out they’ve hidden a little checkbox somewhere during the checkout process for having any items packed in a shipping container regardless, so complaining would be useless.

I’ll be on the lookout for that next time, though, that’s for sure.