kitchen measures

[kengr]

I 'm starting with gallon both because it's a defined measurement, but also because I don't have the info for larger measures on hand.

A gallon is legally defined as 231 cubic inches.

1 gallon = 2 pottles = 128 fluid ounces
1 pottle = 2 quarts = 64 fluid ounces
1 quart = 2 pints = 32 fluid ounces
1 pint = 2 cups =16 fluid ounces
1 cup = 2 gills = 8 fluid ounces
1 gill = 2 jacks = 4 fluid ounces
1 jack = 2 tablespoons = 2 fluid ounces
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 1 fluid ounce
1 teaspoon = 1/3 fluid ounce

Comments

[warriorsavant]

Since the cube root of 231 is between 6 and 7 inches, how do they actually measure a gallon? (No, I'm not a math genius, just checked it.) Is it x by y by z inches, where x ≠ y ≠ z?

Jack and Pottle are new ones for me. Is that really a traditional measure, or did someone more recently make it up so that everything would be 2 of something else?

[kengr]

I have no idea how they came up with 231. But that's the legal definition. and yeah, you aren't to get a cube that's exactly 1 gallon without a lot of work.

Jack and pottle are *old*. Not sure how old.

[warriorsavant]

1. I just factored 231, which only evenly factors to 3, 7 & 11. An unlikely combo, but so is 231 cubic inches.

2. Looked up pottle, which, as you note, is a half-gallon, and dates to at least 14th c. Jack if less certain in both origin and size; seems to have meant different sizes at different times and places in Old England (not unusual for a “standard” measure to not be). It is also possible that gill was originally jill, as in “jack and jill,” but reference I found was not clear.