mixed measuring units

In article , of NMIX Reader uttered

We are bilingual. Official measurements are in metric, and that is taught in schools, most of us over about 30 can operate in imperial as well

No. All the measurements are now in metric, but most shops/ market stalls will still measure it for you in imperial and convert if required. Widths of imported fabrics are generally given in both because they are produced on old (imperial size) looms.

It's actually chilli in English. Kate is not American. See above re: bilingual measurements. However, while we're on the topic, could you please tell me how many grams in a cup of flour and a stick of butter, because I'm blowed if I know. Failing that, ounces will do at a pinch, but this is for my 12yo who is still learning.

Chile is the country in South America.

"chile" is a correct spelling for spicy peppers, used in Asian, Mexican and other cuisines. Sure, it's a country too. Many chile affectionados bristle at calling a chile, chili, they are two different things.

I'd kill for some good Carne Asada right now. "chili" is that stuff that comes in can, or that they make for cook -offs. Chili may have chile it in. 's a quote from the New Mexico Chile information site; Order "chile" in New Mexico and the immediate response is usually "Red or Green?" Chile as we know it here is a variety of dishes where the major ingredient is either fresh green chile, or a sauce made from rehydrated dry red chile pods. Chili, on the other hand, is usually a soup made with meat and various other ingredients, seasoned with a mixture of powdered chile and other spices. Don't get us wrong...we occasionally enjoy a good bowl of Chili, but we've come to want much more than ground beef, beans, and cheese with our Chile. .

In article , small change of

uttered>>"chile" is a correct spelling for spicy peppers, used in Asian, >Mexican and other cuisines. Sure, it's a country too. Many chile >affectionados bristle at calling a chile, chili, they are two different >things.>

Not in English English. I think the Red Hot Chilli Peppers would agree with me. As does the Cambridge dictionary online.

First thing I always ask when faced with a spelling conundrum. "How does a rock band spell it?"

In article , Angrie.Woman of SBC

uttered>She who would like to be obeyed once every Preston Guild wrote:>> In article , small change of >> uttered>>>>>

Absolutely! But thank you for trimming off the other reference - to an on-line dictionary - in order to have your obligatory little dig.

The point I was (and am) making, is that Tom was mildly, if amusingly, out of order for correcting Kate's English spelling on her English website in favour of his American one.

Can anyone not tell me how many grams (or failing that, ounces) of flour in a cup or butter in a "stick"?

Sorry! It was meant to be a joke, not a dig.

A

I agree that in the UK the usual spelling is chilli; consulting the Oxford English Dictionary I find:

chilli // n. (also chile, US chili) (pl. chillies, chiles, or US chilies)

1 (in full chilli pepper) a small hot-tasting (dried) pod, usu. red or green, of a capsicum, Capsicum anuum, used in sauces, relishes, etc. 2 = chilli powder. 3 esp. N.Amer. = chilli con carne. [Spanish chile, chili, from Nahuatl chilli]

I don't think Tom was out of order. To restore his quote:

From this I understand Tom to be saying that where he is, it is spelled 'chile'. He's not claiming that there is no other way to spell it.

Five minutes with Google produces the following -

Online conversion table here

unit conversion calculator here (I haven't installed this one and so can't vouch for it) use Calc98 which has a unit conversion feature Cup is a volume - nearest you can get is cups to fluid ounces.1 cup = 8 fl.oz. (US), 8.32 fl.oz (UK) The stick of butter doesn't come up on any of the converters I have used. However this page says it is four ounces.

A stick (1/4 pound) of butter in hand is labeled "Net wt 4 oz (113g)"

A Home Economics Teachers' cookbook says that 4T flour (1/4 cup) measures 1 ounce. So one cup flour weighs 4 ounces. If a gram equals

0.035 ounces...uh oh, someone else whose math isn't rusty needs to figure that one.

Doreen in Alabama (long out of algebra class)

Thanks, Alan, lots of good information in those links.

Fluid ounces isn't a good measure for flour, though. Fluids are much heavier. The Home Ec Teachers' reference (1 cup = 4 oz.) could be accepted as accurate, I think.

Doreen in Alabama

In article , Alan Dicey of would be an advantage uttered

Cheers - I can do imperial-metric and back stood on my head - Jo searched and found cups ... but the "stick2 thing had us stumped - was hoping someone could just tell us without a load of rigmarole what size a standard packet of supermarket butter is in the US. $0z sounds plausible, looking at the recipe - but then again ours are 250g, used to be 8oz.

In article , Doreen of EarthLink Inc. --

uttered>>A stick (1/4 pound) of butter in hand is labeled "Net wt 4 oz (113g)" >>A Home Economics Teachers' cookbook says that 4T flour (1/4 cup) >measures 1 ounce. So one cup flour weighs 4 ounces. If a gram equals >0.035 ounces...uh oh, someone else whose math isn't rusty needs to >figure that one.>

Wonderful - Jo is now busy in the kitchen - deep joy! LOL!

I have also made a note for myself - in addition to Textiles next term, I also have to teach Food Tech and Resistant Materials. It's gonna be fun!

In article , Doreen of EarthLink Inc. --

uttered>>Fluid ounces isn't a good measure for flour, though. Fluids are much >heavier. The Home Ec Teachers' reference (1 cup = 4 oz.) could be >accepted as accurate, I think.Cheers D

Dam straight new New Mexico is CHILE country, not chili country

jeezus-fffing-christ... I said "a" correct spelling, not "the" correct spelling....

The one in my fridge is 4oz, 113g, 8 tbls

Besides which....according to their website it's The Red Hot *Chili* Peppers. One "L" in Chili.

Iris

The next question is, how are they quartered? Here, the package is the thickness of one quarter, the length is two quarters and so is the width. When I lived in New Hampshire, the package was two quarters thick, two quarters wide, and one quarter in length. If you can follow that mental picture. New England butter sticks are longer and narrower than the sticks here. Dunno why that is.

But we have Best Foods mayonnaise, while the same thing is Hellman's back east.

A fluid ounce is a measure of volume, and is two tablespoons or one eighth of a cup. It's hardly ever used in recipes, since fractions of a cup suffice.

The one-fluid-ounce measure doesn't come with a set of measuring cups, but is sold separately as a "coffee measure". Mine is marked "1/8 cup". I had to buy the pint measure separately too; it's marked "2 cups". (But my measuring pitchers are marked in quarts and ounces as well as cups. Also milliliters and liters.)

There are at least two weight ounces -- the troy ounce is used for precious metals, and the I-can't-spell-it ounce is the one you find on U.S. kitchen scales. We usually say "ounce" for the weight and "fluid ounce" for the volume. A fluid ounce of water weighs close to one ounce, which is often useful.

Joy Beeson

I dont claim to cook......but my measuring cup says 8oz.......

sorry can't help much.

Michelle Giordano Canada (I think we spell the same as you in England) do you say "ZED" or "ZEE" for Z?