Why 142 yards?
Discussion
Boring but driving me nuts - in my neck of the woods there are several "Give way" signs displaying with "in 142 yds"!! Now I don`t believe the distances are that accurate but my rusty brain is trying to remember if it is a modern (ish) equivalent for some old measurement like a furlong for instance!
icamm said: All UK road signs MUST be in inches, feet, yards and miles by law. Anything in centemetres, metres and kolimetres is illegal.
and so it should be the metric system
Boring but driving me nuts - in my neck of the woods there are several "Give way" signs displaying with "in 142 yds"!! Now I don`t believe the distances are that accurate but my rusty brain is trying to remember if it is a modern (ish) equivalent for some old measurement like a furlong for instance!
I think there are guide lines on where a sign has to be placed. If other road furniture/stuff is in the way then they place it as close to ideal as possible.
Could be talking bollox though?
Paul
donatien said:
alan_driver said:
donatien said: A linked question - where does the phrase "the whole nine yards" come from?
Something to do with horse racing?
No
ive heard two stories about this - one is that fighter pilots in thier spits or hurris used to have the rounds in 9 yard long belts and so would give jerry the whole nine yards. the other i cant remember but is something to do with full scottish kilts being made from 9 yards of cloth. dont look at me - its just what i read....
nine yards to the top of the mast ?
just guessing
edited to say, I think this is what I meant :-
Another naval version is that the yards are yardarms. Large sailing ships had three masts, each with three yardarms. The theory goes that ships in battle can continue changing direction as new sails are unfurled. Only when the last sail, on the ninth yardarm, is used do the enemy know which direction the ship is finally headed.
>> Edited by gopher on Friday 9th May 22:29
just guessing
edited to say, I think this is what I meant :-
Another naval version is that the yards are yardarms. Large sailing ships had three masts, each with three yardarms. The theory goes that ships in battle can continue changing direction as new sails are unfurled. Only when the last sail, on the ninth yardarm, is used do the enemy know which direction the ship is finally headed.
>> Edited by gopher on Friday 9th May 22:29
paolow said:
donatien said:
alan_driver said:
donatien said: A linked question - where does the phrase "the whole nine yards" come from?
Something to do with horse racing?
No
ive heard two stories about this - one is that fighter pilots in thier spits or hurris used to have the rounds in 9 yard long belts and so would give jerry the whole nine yards. the other i cant remember but is something to do with full scottish kilts being made from 9 yards of cloth. dont look at me - its just what i read....
That's the story I heard. Happy to be corrected though.
Oops - yes, it't the fact that Corsairs had 27 feet of ammo and if they let rip with the lot it was - the whole 9 yards.
>> Edited by donatien on Friday 9th May 22:34
It well predates WW2
A mild possibility that it comes from WW1, 9yds being the length of a vickers .303 machine gun belt.
But there is evidnce that it comes from suit/kilt manufacture well B4 20th century ( no suggestion of the navy thang [ yardarms are ALWAYS yardarms cos yards is rope ])
A mild possibility that it comes from WW1, 9yds being the length of a vickers .303 machine gun belt.
But there is evidnce that it comes from suit/kilt manufacture well B4 20th century ( no suggestion of the navy thang [ yardarms are ALWAYS yardarms cos yards is rope ])
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff