this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2026
75 points (97.5% liked)

Chapotraphouse

14247 readers
773 users here now

Banned? DM Wmill to appeal.

No anti-nautilism posts. See: Eco-fascism Primer

Slop posts go in c/slop. Don't post low-hanging fruit here.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

if you see an American (me) whining about it being -8 degrees just know that -8C is warm in comparison

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Keld@hexbear.net 14 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The bit about the furlong being named after a furrow length, I.e. the length that oxen could drag a heavy plow, is true.
Incidentally that is also the origin of acres. An acre is a furlong long and a chain wide. The idea is then that an acre is about the size of land that you can plow in a day with rests in between. Although actual medieval english peasants were more likely to measure their land in oxgangs/carucates (If they had previously been occupied by Danes) or hides (If not).

Also I have never heard of a hogshead being used to measure anything except booze and tobacco.