Gill (unit)
The gill /ˈdʒɪl/ or teacup is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint. It is no longer in common use, except in regard to the volume of alcoholic spirits measures.
Imperial[edit]
1 imperial gill ≡ 5 imperial fluid ounces ≡ 1⁄32 imperial gallon ≡ 1⁄4 imperial pint ≡ 1⁄2 Imperial cups = 40 Imperial fluid drams ≡ 142.0653125 mL[a] ≈ 142 mL ≈ 1.2 US gills ≈ 8.67 in3
US[edit]
1 US gill ≡ 4 US fl oz ≡ 1⁄32 US gallon ≡ 1⁄8 US quart ≡ 1⁄4 US pint ≡ 1⁄2 US cup ≡ 8 tablespoons ≡ 24 teaspoons ≡ 32 US fluid drams ≡ 77⁄32 in3 ≡ 118.29411825 mL[b] ≈ 118 mL ≈ 5⁄6 imperial gills
United Kingdom[edit]
Prior to metrication, in the United Kingdom, the standard single measure of spirits in a pub was 1⁄6 gill (23.7 mL) in England and Northern Ireland, and either 1⁄5 gill (28.4 mL) or 1⁄4 gill (35.5 mL) in Scotland. After metrication, this was replaced by measures of either 25 or 35 millilitres (0.176 or 0.246 gi), at the discretion of the proprietor.
However, a spirit measure in the Isle of Man is still defined as 1⁄5 gill (28.4 mL) and 1⁄6 gill (23.7 mL) in Northern Ireland.[1][2] Colloquially, in all jurisdictions, a measure of spirits is referred to as a 'gill' regardless of metrication and the way it is defined.
Half of a gill is a jack, or an eighth of a pint.[3] But in northern England, a quarter pint could also be called a jack or a noggin, rather than a gill, and in some areas a half pint could be called a gill, particularly for beer and milk.[4][5][6]
Ireland[edit]
In Ireland, the standard spirit measure was historically 1⁄4 gill and in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, it still retains this value, though it is now legally specified in metric units as 35.5 mL.
Scotland[edit]
In Scotland, there were additional sizes:[7]
- big gill = 1+1⁄2 gills (213 mL)
- wee gill = 3⁄4 gill (107 mL)
- wee half gill = 3⁄8 gill (53 mL)
- nip=1⁄4 gill (36 mL)
In popular culture[edit]
There are occasional references to a gill in popular culture, such as in:
Literature[edit]
- In L. Frank Baum's The Patchwork Girl of Oz, one of the ingredients required for a magic spell is a gill of water from a dark well. In chapter 19, the obscure unit is used for humor including a pun with the nursery rhyme "Jack and Jill", which also involved a well.
- In George Orwell's Animal Farm, Moses the Raven is allotted a gill of beer a day after he returns, with the implication that this is part of his payment for supporting the farm leaders, the pigs.
- Dan Simmons' novel The Terror (2007) makes frequent references to gills of grog and rum.
- In Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island there are uses of the measure gill, with Israel Hands drinking a gill of brandy in the chapter "I Strike the Jolly Roger". In Stevenson's Kidnapped the protagonist, David Balfour, is "forced" "to drink about a gill" of brandy.
- In Melvyn Bragg's memoir Back in the Day he recalls his grandfather in the pub with "a gill of bitter" in front of him.
Music[edit]
- The cumulative song "The Barley Mow".[8]
- The traditional English folk song "Byker Hill" begins with the words, "If I had another penny, I would have another gill."
- The Fall's song "Edinburgh Man" contains the line "Keep me away from the Festival and just give me a warm quarter-gill."
Television[edit]
- A gill is also referenced in Archer season 2, episode 3 ("Blood Test") when Barry explains to Archer that a liter of blood is, "about 8 gills". (Eight gills would be 32 US fl oz, or 0.95 L.) A call back reference, also discussing units of blood, is further made in season 3, episode 3 ("Heart of Archness, Part 3"). In both instances, the word is pronounced with a hard ⟨g⟩.
- In "Bart the Genius," an episode of The Simpsons, a child tricks Bart by offering, "I'll trade you 1,000 picoliters of my milk for four gills of yours." (A picoliter is a trillionth of a liter, so Bart is losing almost a pint of milk in this exchange.)
Mispronunciation[edit]
Because of its more widely used homograph, gill has sometimes been mispronounced with a hard 'g' sound. In English, the sound of soft ⟨g⟩ is the affricate /dʒ/, as in general, giant, and gym. A ⟨g⟩ at the end of a word usually renders a hard ⟨g⟩ (as in "rag"), while if a soft rendition is intended it would be followed by a silent ⟨e⟩ (as in "rage").
- FX's animated cartoon Archer mispronounced gill in the episodes "Blood Test" (Season 2, Episode 3)[9] and "Heart of Archness: Part Three" (Season 3, Episode 3).[10]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Changes to Isle of Man alcohol measurements scrapped". BBC News. March 8, 2013.
- ^ "1/5 Gill Shot Glass Government Stamped". Gellings.
- ^ Klein, Herbert Arthur (1974). The Science of Measurement: A Historical Survey. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. p. 34. ISBN 0-486-25839-4. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ Griffiths, Samuel (1873). Griffiths' Guide to the Iron Trade of Great Britain. Griffith. p. 292.
- ^ O'Gorman, Daniel (1853). Intuitive calculations; the readiest and most concise methods. Manchester. p. 50.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ International Dictionary of Food and Cooking by Charles Gordon Sinclair, ISBN 1-57958-057-2, published by Taylor & Francis, 1998
- ^ Purves, James (1903). "The Scottish Licensing Laws". Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Good Luck to the Barley Mow, lyrics and audio". Chivalry.com. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (11 February 2011). "Archer: "Blood Test"". The A.V. Club.
- ^ VanDerWerff, Emily (30 September 2011). "Archer: "Heart Of Archness, Part Three"". The A.V. Club.