Subj : degrees
To   : Alexander Koryagin
From : Ardith Hinton
Date : Sat Feb 15 2020 23:15:10

Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to Mike Powell:

AK>  I heard that American whiskey contains as much alcohol
AK>  as a producer wants, up to 90%.


           Ah... I think I get the picture (pun alert!) now.  The cartoon shows 
a scale of ninety degrees similar to what one might see on a protractor, but in 
reverse order.  Around these parts one might often see a scale near the exit of 
a commercial establishment which helps the staff report accurately how tall the 
thief is who's just made a hasty retreat.  I reckon this man's wife has devised 
a scale for measuring the angle at which he stands when he is inebriated.  :-))



AK>  I suspect the alcohol degrees in Russia are actually equal
AK>  to the alcohol percentage. But why we call it "degrees" is
AK>  a puzzle for me.


           I see the percentage of alcohol by volume listed on various items... 
including examples from Canada, Australia, the US, and the UK.  If others refer 
to the same idea in "degrees" it's a mystery to me as well.  But the cartoon is 
more amusing AFAIC now that I know "degrees" are widely used in Russia....  :-)



AK>  For instance, the strength of pure alcohol is 90 degrees.
AK>  Is it 90%? Why 90%, not 100% if it is a pure substance?


           We have a bottle of isopropyl alcohol listed as 99% USP.  It is used 
for de-icing frozen car door locks & dissolving glue from sticky labels we want 
to remove from book covers, e.g., without damaging them.  Medical professionals 
often use it as an antiseptic.  However, it's clearly labelled "POISON" & there 
may be different rules WRT the variety human beings tend to drink... [chuckle].




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

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