Buzz
Inches, centimeters, feet, kilometers, miles, gallons, and quarts—these are just a handful of the internationally recognized units we rely on daily for measuring distance, volume, and size. Whether you prefer the metric system or the imperial system, one thing’s for sure: there are specific ways to quantify these elements that most of us agree upon.
However, not all units of measurement are as straightforward as they seem. Some, in fact, are downright peculiar and even amusing! In this article, we’ll explore ten such units that you might not even know exist. They aren’t your typical everyday measurements, but once you learn about them, you’ll probably be tempted to slip them into your next casual chat with friends. And we’re betting we’ll do the same!
10. Sagan
Carl Sagan, the legendary astronomer and planetary scientist, continues to be one of the most revered figures in the world of space exploration. Even though he passed away in the late 1990s, his influence and vast knowledge still resonate today. His name remains a staple in conversations about the stars, the planets, and the vast universe around us.
It makes perfect sense that Carl Sagan’s name would be turned into a humorous unit of measurement, doesn’t it? And just like the vast subjects Sagan explored, this unit is colossal. In fact, it’s ridiculously enormous. Officially called a “sagan” (or “sagan unit” to avoid confusion with the famous astronomer), it’s a playful unit designed to measure an extremely large quantity.
Throughout his life, Carl Sagan was famous for his catchphrase “billions and billions.” He used it to describe everything from the stars in the sky to the age and scale of the universe itself. So, naturally, the concept of a “sagan unit” is tied to those very “billions and billions”!
A sagan unit is technically four billion of something. That’s two billion (Sagan’s “billions”) added to another two billion (his “and billions”). It could be anything—money, stars, grains of sand, the possibilities are endless. So if you find yourself with four billion of anything, congratulations, you’ve got yourself a sagan unit!
9. Altuve
Jose Altuve, second baseman for the Houston Astros, took home two MVP awards in 2016 and 2017 for his remarkable performances on the baseball field. Despite being just 5'5" (1.65 meters), Altuve has continued to be one of Major League Baseball’s most dynamic players. Some say he’s 5’6” or even 5’7”, but throughout his career, Altuve was known as the 5’5” phenom during his rise through the minor leagues.
Altuve’s exceptional skills, combined with his shorter stature, made him even more of a spectacle. His small frame brought him more attention than taller players, making fans wonder how someone so small could hit so well, field so effortlessly, and showcase such impressive power and speed. It became a source of inspiration for all those who are a little shorter than the average!
In light of this, fans started to joke about creating an official unit of measurement named after Altuve. And they did! Regardless of where Jose Altuve stands height-wise now, an 'Altuve' is exactly 5 feet 5 inches. You could measure other players in 'Altuves,' or use this unit to measure random heights around your house or office—let’s give it a go before we move on.
Legendary left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson stood tall at 6'10" (2.08 meters). Back in his day with the Astros, he was the tallest player to ever wear the team’s uniform. His height measured exactly 1.26 Altuves—imagine that on Johnson’s long, lanky frame! This is a fun and unique way to measure height, don’t you think? Certainly more entertaining than that dreaded metric system! (No offense, European readers—just a little joke!)
8. The Jimmy Griffin Snow Index
Buffalo, New York, is no stranger to snow. The city is renowned for its lake-effect snow, and every winter, the residents brace themselves for wave after wave of snowstorms. It’s nothing unusual—just another winter in Buffalo!
But in Buffalo, snow isn’t measured in inches or even feet anymore. Now it’s measured in cans of beer, all thanks to their former mayor! Back in the 1980s, James D. Griffin served as mayor and quickly gained a reputation for his larger-than-life personality—and his love for beer. His passion for beer led him to combine it with some amateur weather forecasting.
In 1985, during a particularly heavy snowstorm, Mayor Griffin (or ‘Jimmy,’ as the locals called him) earned a new moniker: 'Six Pack Jimmy.' He appeared on television and advised Buffalo residents to grab a six-pack of beer and drink up as they waited for the snowstorm to pass.
When asked by WKBW-TV how fast locals should drink to keep up with the snowfall, Griffin suggested they have one can of beer for every four inches of snow. And just like that, the 'Jimmy Griffin Snow Index' was born. To this day, longtime Buffalo residents measure snow in four-inch increments, and if two feet of snow fall, you’re downing a six-pack of beer in the process!
7. Donkeypower
Horsepower is a term we all recognize, but where did it come from? In the late 18th century, engineers needed a way to measure the immense power of locomotives and steam-powered machines, which were unlike anything the world had ever seen. They turned to Scottish engineer and inventor James Watt to help them quantify this newfound power.
James Watt discovered that a typical horse could lift 180 pounds (81.6 kilograms) to turn a millwheel 144 times in an hour. This motion covered 181 feet (55.2 meters) per minute, and combined with the pulling force of 180 pounds, Watt was able to define 'horsepower' as 32,500 foot-pounds-per-minute. For simplicity, he rounded it up to 33,000, and that's how horsepower was officially established!
Today, horsepower is the standard measure for the power of car engines. The average compact car today has around 150 horsepower, while sports cars or more powerful vehicles can reach 250 horsepower and sometimes even exceed 400 horses under the hood. But what if you're trying to measure just one horsepower or even less than that?
Enter donkeypower! Donkeypower is defined as one-third of a single horsepower unit, which is about 250 watts in technical terms. So, if you have an exceptionally slow machine that doesn't even reach one horsepower, you can measure its output in donkeypower instead.
It might sound amusing, but this concept has been around since the creation of horsepower itself! Back in the 1880s, engineers suggested using donkeypower as a playful measurement for less powerful machines. They wanted to study engines that fell below Watt’s horsepower threshold, and thus donkeypower has been in use for about 140 years!
6. Friedman Unit
The Friedman Unit refers to a six-month span. It’s a lighthearted unit, created as a jab at New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and his take on the Iraq War. When the conflict escalated in the early 2000s, Friedman argued that the first six months would be crucial in determining the war's outcome.
In one of his famous columns, he wrote that 'in the next six months,' the world would 'find out... whether a decent outcome is possible' in Iraq. The intriguing part? Friedman made this exact 'next six months' prediction no less than fourteen times in various columns! How many six-month intervals could there be?
On May 16, 2006, the group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) published a piece highlighting how Friedman had repeatedly used his 'next six months' phrase, first appearing in a November 2003 op-ed in the New York Times.
In that initial article, Friedman stated: 'The next six months in Iraq—which will determine the prospects for democracy-building there—are the most important six months in U.S. foreign policy in a long, long time.' Yet, he continued to push that same six-month timeline again and again, as noted in FAIR’s 2006 article.
And so, the Friedman Unit came into existence. In an ironic homage to the columnist’s seemingly endless six-month forecasts, the 'Friedman Unit' became a way to measure time, equivalent to six months. This means there are two Friedman Units every year, and they just keep on coming, much like how Thomas Friedman’s columns perpetually reset the six-month clock on Iraq.
A blogger named Duncan Black is credited with sparking the whole Friedman Unit concept and establishing it as a measure. FAIR and other organizations then helped popularize it, turning it into a widely recognized term.
5. Microcentury
John von Neumann was one of the most brilliant mathematicians of his time. Born shortly after the turn of the 20th century, he taught and conducted research in both Hungary and the United States. Though his life was tragically cut short in the 1950s, his contributions to mathematics were monumental. But one of his most remarkable traits wasn’t just his math genius—it was his teaching style.
He spoke at an incredibly fast pace, articulating with clarity and precision. His speed and brilliance left colleagues—who were themselves top-tier mathematicians—awed, and he delivered each lecture with flair. His students often found it challenging to take notes quickly enough to keep up with his rapid-fire explanations, and it became common for them to request that he slow down to allow them time to process his material.
Von Neumann, however, was determined to keep his lectures moving at full speed, as he had a specific timeframe in mind for how long they should last. Enter the “microcentury”—his term for the ideal duration of a lecture. For von Neumann, it was crucial not to waste time or let his students stay glued to their seats all day long. The microcentury was his perfect balance of brevity and content delivery.
A microcentury is precisely 52 minutes and 35.7 seconds. When calculated, this duration amounts to exactly one-millionth of a century. Von Neumann insisted that his lectures never exceed this time frame, and as a result, the microcentury became a well-known measure in mathematics during the first half of the 20th century.
4. The New York Second
You’ve probably heard the term 'New York Minute' at least once. It’s widely recognized by now. A 'New York Minute' doesn’t correspond to a specific amount of time, but rather refers to something happening incredibly quickly or in the blink of an eye.
New York City is known for its fast-paced environment, and the 'New York Minute' reflects how rapidly things can change in this vibrant city. Saying 'everything can change in a New York Minute' signifies a drastic, immediate shift. Likewise, if you tell someone you'll be there in a 'New York Minute,' they’ll expect you to show up almost immediately after the promise is made.
Building off the idea of the 'New York Minute,' let’s consider the 'New York Second.' This term was first introduced in Terry Pratchett’s novel Lords and Ladies. Unlike the Minute, however, the 'New York Second' has a precise time measurement.
In essence, Pratchett describes the 'New York Second' as the time it takes for a traffic light to turn green before the car behind you honks impatiently. It’s a playful and witty idiom that, like the 'New York Minute,' emphasizes the quick-paced and demanding lifestyle of the city. Only in New York could time seem to move this fast!
3. Tatum
A tatum is a musical concept that many may not realize exists, though your brain recognizes it without a doubt! It’s a highly technical measure, with several definitions. One describes it as 'the smallest time interval between successive notes in a rhythmic phrase.' Another defines it as 'the shortest duration in music that the brain still identifies as a beat.'
Furthermore, a third interpretation of a tatum is 'the smallest cognitively significant subdivision of the main beat.' Essentially, it’s the tiniest pause between notes that your brain can pick up when following the rhythm. It may sound complex, but the study of the tatum is rooted in technical science. Surprisingly, though, it was born out of an artistic pursuit!
The term 'tatum' was coined in 1993 by Jeff Bilmes, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His master’s thesis, titled 'Timing Is of The Essence,' focused on the beats and spaces between notes in music. In his research, he concluded that the 'tatum' should be identified in those fleeting pauses between beats. But why call it a tatum? And what’s the significance of these pauses?
Bilmes drew his inspiration for the 'tatum' from the legendary jazz pianist Art Tatum, who was renowned for his unbelievably fast playing. Tatum’s skill was so exceptional that Bilmes discovered scientifically that his 'tatum' beats were faster than anyone else’s. Hence, the term 'tatum' was named after Art Tatum in recognition of his incredible speed on the piano!
2. Ohnosecond
An 'ohnosecond' is a simple yet relatable measure, something many people who’ve ever used a computer have experienced, even if they didn’t know it. It refers to the brief moment between realizing you’ve made a dreadful mistake on your computer and exclaiming 'oh no!' in response to the unintended action you just took.
Common examples include deleting a large chunk of text from a document, closing a file without saving, sending an email to the wrong recipient, or forgetting to attach a file to an email you just sent. These kinds of mistakes are annoying but usually not catastrophic—well, most of the time.
The term 'ohnosecond' is believed to have been coined by Elizabeth Powell Crowe in her 1993 novel The Electronic Traveler. The timing makes sense, given that, in the early days of computing, the technology often felt like a chaotic frontier, full of unpredictable mishaps.
We battled with clumsy computers, outdated word processors, and various software, often without a clear understanding of how they were supposed to function or how to maximize their use. As a result, many of us experienced those frustrating mini-terrors, with our hearts leaping into our throats when a document vanished, followed by that moment of pure dread—the 'ohnosecond.'
1. Scaramucci (aka 'Mooch')
Anthony Scaramucci served as Donald Trump’s communications director in the White House for exactly eleven days. He was hired, worked for less than two weeks, and was promptly dismissed. Now, Scaramucci and others in Trump's circle measure time in terms of 'Scaramuccis,' or 'Mooches,' as they are sometimes known.
It’s an informal term, but a 'Mooch' equals eleven days. White House staffers coined it as a joke after Scaramucci’s brief tenure ended under President Trump. Interestingly, Scaramucci himself embraces the joke, even stating that he uses the 'Mooch' as a way to track the 11-day segments of his own life. At least he can laugh about it now!
After Scaramucci's departure, other communications staff began measuring their time in the White House by how many 'Scaramuccis' they lasted. When Stephanie Grisham took over as Press Secretary—and managed to remain in her position far longer than Scaramucci—Anthony himself credited her perseverance. Now, a month is just under three 'Scaramuccis,' and a year is just over 33. The pattern continues!
