Strange scales

10 of the weirdest units of measurement humans actually used

Image: Towfiqu barbhuiya

Measuring the world is a human necessity, and throughout history, we’ve used some truly strange units. From the height of a monkey to the speed of beard growth, here are 10 of the weirdest—and funniest—measures ever recorded. Not the most practical, but undeniably fun!

Image: Tim Mossholder

A beard-second is the distance a beard grows in one second, roughly 5 nanometers. The unit originated in physics as a playful way to express extremely small lengths.

Although humorous, it can actually be used to illustrate minuscule distances, and some textbooks and teachers use it to make abstract concepts more relatable.

Image: Sam Carter

In medieval Scandinavia, a sheephead was a unit of weight for butter and cheese, representing roughly 30–40 pounds.

Units like this emerged from agricultural economies, where livestock products were common commodities. Though forgotten today, historical accounting records show widespread use of animal-based measures for commerce.

Image: Toomas Tartes

Another humorous velocity unit is the furlong per fortnight: a furlong equals 220 yards, and a fortnight represents 14 days. This means one furlong per fortnight is about 0.000116 meters per second.

Mostly used as a joke among scientists, it highlights the sometimes absurd combinations of units that can arise.

Image: Syed Ahmad

In 17th-century England, a "monkey" was a unit of weight for Indian textiles, equal to roughly 7.5 pounds. The name likely came from playful trade jargon rather than any connection to the weight of an actual monkey.

It facilitated commerce between Britain and its colonies, and historical trade documents preserve its use in textile contracts.

Image: Artur Solarz

An old temperature scale, where 0°R marked the freezing point of water and 80°R its boiling point. Named after René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur, it was widely used in France and parts of Europe until the early 20th century.

Though now mostly obsolete, Réaumur thermometers survive in antique collections and are still occasionally referenced in traditional cheesemaking guides.

Image: Stephan Frolov

A Scottish unit of land measurement, the "sheep’s eye" was said to be based on how far a sheep could see—roughly 30 meters.

This intuitive measure allowed local farmers to discuss land informally before precise surveying tools existed.

Image: Erol Ahmed

A gross equals 144 items, or 12 dozen. Traders historically used it for bulk counting and wholesale commerce. The term comes from the Old French grosse douzaine, meaning "large dozen."

Still common in packaging and manufacturing, gross is often a practical unit when large quantities are involved.

Image: Scott Webb

A British unit of weight, the stone is standardized at 14 pounds. It was traditionally used for weighing people and animals and is still in use in parts of the UK today.

While most of the world now uses metric units (and the modern imperial system in the US), the stone persists in Britain and Ireland as a traditional measure.

Image: Bernd Dittrich

A "smoot" equals 5 feet, 7 inches—the height of Oliver Smoot, a MIT student. In 1958, MIT students used Smoot’s height to measure the Harvard Bridge in Boston.

The bridge was humorously marked in Smoots with chalk during the experiment, and the unit stuck—today, the bridge still has "Smoot" markings.

Image: fred crandon

A barrel unit that varied by region, the hogshead typically measured 63 gallons for wine or 54 gallons for beer. Used as early as the 15th century, it helped standardize liquid trade.

The term’s origin is obscure, possibly a mispronunciation of "oxhead." Hogsheads were important for commerce in both colonial America and Europe.

Decoding

Being a "treasured guest" is not a compliment. This is the hidden meaning

Have you ever heard "Code Adam" while shopping for groceries at Walmart? Or maybe you’ve heard how "Dr. Firestone" was being paged during a routine hospital visit. They sound like harmless announcements. But behind these ordinary words are secret codes staff use to signal emergencies without causing panic. From hospitals and supermarkets to airports and Disney Parks, these phrases quietly warn employees that something is happening. You hope you never hear them, but if you do, it helps to know exactly what they mean.

We all love getting special attention at airports or hotel desks, but if you hear the clerk call you a "treasured guest," don’t feel so flattered. You may not be as VIP as one could think.

In the hospitality industry, "treasured guest" has become a humorous bit of industry folklore to describe someone causing trouble. Maybe a customer yelling at staff over expired coupons, demanding impossible accommodations, or throwing a full-blown tantrum at the front desk. Whatever it is, the phrase has become the staff’s secret way to warn co-workers without escalating the situation in front of the customers. Most guests don’t realize the meaning, but once you know it, you may start hearing it more often. We just hope it’s not about you.

Imagine you’re pushing a shopping cart through Walmart when suddenly the overhead speaker announces, "Code Adam." You can easily assume it’s some kind of employee meeting or cleanup request. But when you see them start locking the exits and moving around, you know something’s wrong.

This code was created in 1994 by Walmart in collaboration with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), in memory of the tragic case of 6-year-old Adam Walsh. Adam was abducted from a Sears department store in 1981 while shopping with his mother. His father, John Walsh, later became famous for hosting the TV program America’s Most Wanted and advocating for missing children. Even if Adam’s story ended in tragedy, Walmart created the emergency system in Adam’s memory, and other retailers soon adopted it nationwide, intending to have a quick response to missing or abducted children.

You’re sitting in a hospital waiting room during a routine check-up when you suddenly hear "Code Blue, Room 214." Most people immediately know it sounds serious, even if they are not entirely sure why.

The phrase "Code Blue" is used at hospitals to draw the necessary staff and equipment to perform a resuscitation. It was created in the early 1960s at Beathany Medical Center by Dr. Hughes Day. Before then, hospital resuscitations were often chaotic and poorly coordinated. In 1961, Dr. Day received a grant to build one of America’s first cardiac care centers, and he developed both the Code Blue alert system and the modern crash cart to improve survival rates during cardiac emergencies. Today, the system is used in hospitals across the country, sometimes with specialized versions like "Code Blue Pediatric" or "Code Blue Neonate."

Imagine visiting a loved one in the hospital when the intercom calmly announces, "Paging Dr. Firectone to the third floor." Your head surely goes, "Dr. Firestone’s probably having a busy day up there." He is, but it’s not what you think.

The phrase is actually a discreet fire alert used to warn staff about smoke, flames, or overheating equipment without frightening patients and visitors. Hospitals adopted these coded announcements after realizing that openly yelling "fire" over loudspeakers could create panic, especially among patients who aren’t able to move quickly. "Code Red" is an alternative used by many health centers today, but it also hints at the situation while keeping hallways calm.

You’re standing at a checkout counter when the cashier picks up the phone and quietly says, "I need a Code 10 authorization." If you think that’s just another way to get a supervisor’s approval or technical issue, think again. In reality, the cashier may suspect the credit card is stolen or fraudulent.

Code 10 was developed through a cooperative effort between major credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard, along with international standard organizations. As credit cards became more common in the 1960s and 1970s, stores needed a discreet way to alert banks about suspicious activity without directly accusing customers and potentially putting employees at danger. When a cashier requests a Code 10, the bank’s operator begins asking yes-or-no questions to assess the situation and guide the employee on what to do next.

You’ve probably experienced those long airport security lines. The wait is usually uneventful. But sometimes, you can hear "Code Bravo" over the speakers. Maybe it’s a delay, or maybe it’s an issue with luggage. Within seconds, people stop moving, the security line freezes, and exits may even close. It’s something bigger.

Code Bravo is the emergency phrase used by airport security and the Transportation Security Administration to signal a serious security threat, such as an unattended bag, a breach at a checkpoint, or someone slipping into a restricted area. The term comes from the international phonetic alphabet used in aviation and military communications, where "Bravo" represents the letter B. When this is called, security staff immediately lock down affected areas, stop screening lines, and search for the source of the threat. To passengers, it’s sudden and confusing, but to security, it’s a carefully rehearsed response.

You are heading back to your cabin on a cruise ship when the speakers announce, "Code Alpha, Deck 7." You may think Alpha is related to the captain, but that’s not the case. It means someone on board is suffering a medical emergency.

The phrase comes from the NATO phonetic alphabet, where "Alpha" represents the letter A. In maritime emergency jargon, it became shorthand for a Priority A medical situation requiring immediate response. Cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line commonly use the term, though some ships use variations like repeating "Alpha" three times. Once the code is announced, onboard medical teams rush toward the specified deck or cabin. If necessary, stretcher crews are mobilized, and in severe cases, the ship may even divert course toward the nearest port for emergency evacuation. Passengers are enjoying the views, but the staff is running to save a life.

Anyone who remembers the CB radio craze of the 1970s probably smiles when they hear "10-4." Movies, truckers, and radio fans turned those number codes into a part of American culture. So if you overhear "10-33" on a police scanner, you might assume it’s just another routine message. But it’s not as simple as it sounds.

The 10-code system was first created in 1937 by Illinois State Police communications director Charles Hopper and later standardized by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials, better known as APCO. Officers needed short phrases they could understand clearly over crackling radio signals. The 10-33 code commonly means an officer needs emergency assistance. In some departments, it also signals radio silence so dispatchers can focus on the crisis unfolding in real time.

Disney World is amazing, the parks offer something for everyone, and there are things to see wherever you look. But that’s exactly the kind of place where a child can easily disappear into a sea of strollers, balloons, characters, and crowds. For that reason, Disney has developed the "Signal 70," which alerts cast members and security that a child has become separated from their family.

The number comes from older police and emergency radio systems, where "70" was commonly associated with missing persons. Disney adopted the phrase because it allows employees to communicate discreetly without frightening or alarming nearby guests. If a member finds the child, they gently -and magically- escort them to Baby Care Center, where they coordinate the reunion.

Cruises are great to relax, enjoying a good book under the sun with a nice drink by the side. Until you hear "Echo, echo, echo" on the speakers. If you do, something is happening somewhere else on the ship.

The code is used among cruise employees to signal that dangerous winds or a navigational hazard are affecting the ship. It comes from the international maritime phonetic alphabet, where "Echo" stands for the letter E. In maritime signalling, the letter traditionally means "I am altering my course to starboard." And, in time, the phrase became associated with urgent ship maneuvers and weather-related warnings. However urgent, the repetition of the word by three doesn’t represent life-threatening situations. It alerts the crew of a certain hazard to prepare while avoiding panic among passengers.