My daughter has just returned from 2 months in Australia. Among her trophies, now posted on her bedroom door, is a small triangular yellow sign with a kangaroo on it, saying 'Next - 14km'. Aaaaaargh!

*But* she confirms that waves and surfboards are exclusively discussed in feet and inches and that pints, pots, middies, handles and schooners - all based as I understand it on Imperial fluid measurements - are in widespread use; see this definition below, for example, obtained from the Internet:


"handle - a traditional unit of volume for beer, used in pubs in the Northern Territory of Australia. A handle of beer is 285 milliliters (10 fluid ounces). Glasses of this size are called middies or pots in most Australian states, schooners in South Australia"

Tony Bennett wrote

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My daughter has just returned from 2 months in Australia. Among her trophies, now posted on her bedroom door, is a small triangular yellow sign with a kangaroo on it, saying 'Next - 14km'. Aaaaaargh!
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No doubt you know better than to touch the sign. (I speak form experience as I await my own daughter's A Level results).

re (martin): "No doubt you know better than to touch the sign (I speak from experience as I await my own daughter's A Level results)".

REPLY: Judging by today's news, martin, if she took, say, 4 'A' levels, the statistics suggest she'll probably get 4 grade 'A's.

I hope she does well, anyway.

No, I shan't be touching, still less moving, the sign, which by the way means 'Beware of kangaroos hopping across the road for the next 8 miles and 1,220 yards'

"Miles" get an airing in Australia too - I hasten to "contribute"!

Thanks for the best wishes regarding my daughter's results. I am pleased to report that she obtained the grades neccessary for her perferred course.