Bye Bye acre

[jake-the-peg]

Can anyone come up with a good reason for keeping the acre?

At 4,840 square yards (be honest did you actually know that) it isn't even a square number!

Shouldn't we welcome this EU directive with open arms?

[claymore]

Jake, here in Oz we have had the metric system since the 60`s but the acre is still widely used, unofficially of course, when the question is asked "How big is your house block"? 9 out of 10 people will say third of an acre, half an acre or a couple of acres and so on. Its probably the one bit of the old country we still hang on to.

[Gromit]

buildersmate

Is that right?

220 yds x 220 yds = 48,400 sq. yds

And we have already established an Acre is 4840 sq. yds.

[BillySugger]

What about the poor old farmer who got kicked in the balls - he had 2 acres

[buildersmate]

Oops, Gromit, it's 220 x 22, and not square. Something to do with the lengths for ploughing, as others have pointed out. Sorry.

[Panic Button]

sp1814, it is London that smells funny, not everything outside.

I can visualise litres, metres and kilometres, but start quoting lengths in centimetres and I have no chance. Good old feet and inches are the only way to do small measurements.