I understand a few of the reasons behind our complicated English measurements. For instance, an acre was the area plowable in one day using draft animals. But where, pray tell, did the mile and, while we’re at it, the yard come from? I mean, 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet can’t possibly hold any mystical significance, even to the Illuminati. –Michael Hollinger, Herndon, Virginia
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Never underestimate the Illuminati, chum–I’m still stumped by the 17/23 correlation. (See More of the Straight Dope, page 297.) The mile, though, is more the result of congenital British half-arsedness than conspiracy. It originated in the Roman mille passuum, a thousand paces, or more precisely, a thousand strides. Each pace consisted of five Roman feet, giving us a mile of 5,000 feet. Since the Roman foot (the pes) was smaller than today’s foot, the Roman mile was about nine-tenths the length of our mile.
As for the yard, no one is quite sure how it originated. One 12th-century historian said it was the length of Henry the First’s outstretched arm as measured from the tip of his nose, a contention that causes most modern historians to roll their eyes. Others think it was a double cubit, originally a Roman measure used in surveying. Still others say it was the measurement of a man’s waist. Whatever the case, the name has no relation to that place out back where the crabgrass grows but rather comes from Old English gierd, meaning wand or stick.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): illustration/Slug Signorino.
