Hatrack River Forum: Pound

This is topic Pound in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Clincher (Member # 7395) on :

Why is the abbreviation for pound 'lb' when l or b isn't in the word pound? Couldn't they have used 'po' or 'pd'? Was the word from another language originally that had a l and a b in it?

Who invented this stuff, it doesn't seem right. Sure right now it seems right since we all got used to seeing 'lb' as pound, but when it was first abbreviated, were people thinking the person was an idiot? Kilogram is kg, they should of kept it consistent.

[ February 18, 2005, 02:27 PM: Message edited by: Clincher ]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

because it is an abbreviation for the word libra, which was a latin word that had to do with weight measurement.

FG

Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :

And why is # both the number sign and pound sign?

Posted by Clincher (Member # 7395) on :

British money is 'Pound' too

Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :

What is the situation with England and the Euro?

Posted by Intelligence3 (Member # 6944) on :

Arrrgh, I can't find the page again, but I saw a great history of the octothorp once.

Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :

It was his idea! ---------------> Click me!

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

[ROFL]

Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :

quote:
And why is # both the number sign and pound sign?

Gah. It may be in America and Canada but it's not elsewhere, at least in my experience.

This is a pound symbol to me: £

Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :

quote:
What is the situation with England and the Euro?

It ain't happening, basically. The government keep saying that when the economic requirements are met for us to come into line with the Euro-zone nations, we'll get a referendum on the subject, but all the opinion polls show that the government would loose the vote by a huge margin. People like our money. It has humming birds on it.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

Yeah, well, France had Le Petit Prince on theirs and it didn't stop them. [Grumble]

Posted by Ophelia (Member # 653) on :

I thought this thread was going to be about Ezra Pound.
Boy was I wrong!

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

I thought it was going to be about poor kitties and puppies and bunnies with no home. [Dont Know]

Posted by AntiCool (Member # 7386) on :

So did I.

Posted by Intelligence3 (Member # 6944) on :

quote:
I thought this thread was going to be about Ezra Pound.

What's with the Ezra Pound revival lately, anyhow. They guy was a Fascist propogandist and virulent anti-semite. Insane, sure, so was Hitler. It's giving me the heebies.