48 replies to this topic

[*Anastasia]

Growing up in Canada, everyone in my life referred to fractions with a denominator of 4 as, 'Quarters.' A recipe would call for a quarter cup of milk. 15 minutes was a quarter hour. I'd be three-quarters done my homework, or three-quarters of the way to my destination.

On the other hand, once my primary schooling reached the point of teaching us fractions, this usage was censured, and we were strongly encouraged to use the phrase, 'Fourths.' One-fourth and three-fourths. I imagine this is somehow tied to the tyranny of the Metric system which they tried to shove down our throats like a dirty priest's cock, but honestly, I can't be sure. It's always seemed like a foreign usage to me.

Perhaps the reason it seems foreign is that in common parlance, the word, 'Quarter,' has currency to refer to things divided four ways beyond literal fractions. Land parcels are divided into quarter sections, each ¼ sq mile. Businesses report earnings in fiscal quarters of three months each. And, perhaps most notably in daily life, there are four quarters—25¢ coins—to a dollar. Does the usage of, 'Fourths,' seem foreign to me not because of its relation to Metric, but because the more common, 'Quarter,' is simply used much more here and in the US than it is elsewhere in the world? Do Brits and Australians with their 20p and 20c coins use, 'Quarter?' I don't know!

So, poll time! Do you call them quarters? fourths? something else I've never heard of?

[Scipio Africanus]

Quarters is what I predominantly use but I've probably called them fourths as well. 

[KiWi]

Only because you have it in fraction form am I throwing my hat in with fourths.

I don't say it's a fourth till four. It's a quarter 'till four. But if I need a forth of a cup of oil for cake, then yea.

Depends on context. I suppose. I flipflop.

[Manoka]

I do both, usually. xP

[Shokkou]

Either is correct and I use either (or sometimes I just use percentages). Between this and the winking poll, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

 

It has nothing to do with the metric system. How do you read 1/11?

 

(Unlike the winking poll, this one was just barely above the threshold of being something I could be bothered to respond to. :v)

[slimshadyinc]

I try to avoid all things fractions. And with time I don't use that quarter to nine or half past ten bullshit, I just say whatever time it is.Call me "barbaric"

[*Anastasia]

It has nothing to do with the metric system. How do you read 1/11?

First November.

[Redezra]

<numerator> on <denominator>

 

so in this case "Three on four"

 

Or in Shokkou's, "One on eleven"

[Shokkou]

It has nothing to do with the metric system. How do you read 1/11?

First November.

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

 

<numerator> on <denominator>

 

so in this case "Three on four"

 

Or in Shokkou's, "One on eleven"

Interesting. That's a new one for me.

[*Anastasia]

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.

[Shokkou]

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v

[*Anastasia]

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v
 

You sound like Tumblr.

[Shokkou]

 

 

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.

 

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v
 

 

You sound like Tumblr.

I called no one a shitlord, nor did I tell you to check your privilege or accuse you of oppression. Your argument is invalid. :v

 

(In any case, there is precedent for certain numbers to have different nomenclature in different contexts. You don't say you got oneth, twoth, or threeth place but fourth and fifth place are standard.)

[*Anastasia]

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.
 

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v
 
 

You sound like Tumblr.

I called no one a shitlord, nor did I tell you to check your privilege or accuse you of oppression. Your argument is invalid. :v
 
(In any case, there is precedent for certain numbers to have different nomenclature in different contexts. You don't say you got oneth, twoth, or threeth place but fourth and fifth place are standard.)
 

And so are half, third, and quarter.

[Shokkou]

 

 

 

 

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.
 

 

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v
 
 

 

You sound like Tumblr.

 

I called no one a shitlord, nor did I tell you to check your privilege or accuse you of oppression. Your argument is invalid. :v
 
(In any case, there is precedent for certain numbers to have different nomenclature in different contexts. You don't say you got oneth, twoth, or threeth place but fourth and fifth place are standard.)
 

 

And so are half, third, and quarter.

And so is fourth. Lucky number four, that it gets to have two different ways of referring to itself as a fraction of a whole. :v

[*Anastasia]

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.
 
 

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v
 
 
 

You sound like Tumblr.
 

I called no one a shitlord, nor did I tell you to check your privilege or accuse you of oppression. Your argument is invalid. :v
 
(In any case, there is precedent for certain numbers to have different nomenclature in different contexts. You don't say you got oneth, twoth, or threeth place but fourth and fifth place are standard.)
 
 

And so are half, third, and quarter.

And so is fourth. Lucky number four, that it gets to have two different ways of referring to itself as a fraction of a whole. :v
 

So lucky. It's like it has two dicks in its mouth at once.

[Shokkou]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know you know what I meant, so I will take this to mean I am right and you are trying to avoid proving my point. :v

Well I obviously know you meant, 'How do you read the fraction?' but I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. I read it as, 'One-eleventh.' But that's not a reason to read ¼ as anything in particular, in my view. I don't read ½ as, 'One-twoth,' after all.
 
 

 

Any reason to read anything in any way is an invented construct which only holds so long as society at large continues to agree on doing so. :v
 
 
 

 

You sound like Tumblr.
 

 

I called no one a shitlord, nor did I tell you to check your privilege or accuse you of oppression. Your argument is invalid. :v
 
(In any case, there is precedent for certain numbers to have different nomenclature in different contexts. You don't say you got oneth, twoth, or threeth place but fourth and fifth place are standard.)
 
 

 

And so are half, third, and quarter.

 

And so is fourth. Lucky number four, that it gets to have two different ways of referring to itself as a fraction of a whole. :v
 

 

So lucky. It's like it has two dicks in its mouth at once.

That sounds uncomfortable and inefficient. Diminishing returns and all that.

[Redezra]

.... how did you get to dicks from that? 

[ᗅᗺᗷᗅ]

I think I say "three quarters" more than "three fourths," but I alternate. New Englanders tend to say "quarters."

[King Biscuit]

I think I say "three quarters" more than "three fourths," but I alternate. New Englanders tend to say "qWaters."

FTFY