Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou5h.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!ariel!hou5f!hou5g!hou5h!mgh From: mgh@hou5h.UUCP (Marcus Hand) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Re: Semantic Reversals Message-ID: <403@hou5h.UUCP> Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 20:34:10 EST Article-I.D.: hou5h.403 Posted: Wed Mar 6 20:34:10 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 9-Mar-85 06:20:17 EST References: <127@cfa.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 14 Just a short follow up to what Bill Wyatt was saying about "proof" and its meaning in the alcoholic context. Proof spirit (100 proof spirit to be precise) is the mixture which will just permit gunpowder to go off still. A lower proof rating and it fizzles out, a higher one and it is still fearsome. If my memory serves me correctly, 100 proof is 58.42% alcohol by volume. Of course, in the US this isn't true because the proof values have been fiddled around with to make them simple (100 proof = 50% by volume?) which is why you should thik twice before saying that one liquor is stronger than another if they've been brought back from a vacation. -- Marcus Hand (hou5h!mgh)