A British Soldier and an American Soldier drink ounce per ounce

[Snagglefoot]

This is a riddle. A British soldier at a British army base invites an American soldier to the pub and they match drinks containing the same number of ounces of alcohol. The British soldier knows that an Imperial gallon of booze is 20% larger than a US gallon of booze, so he thinks he should be able to drink the American “under the table” since the American would be drinking more alcohol than he thinks. They weigh about the same and have a similar physique. At the end, the American is the last man standing. Mathematically, why would this happen?

 

[vavavroom]

All I can say with certainty is that as a generalization a young British guy can tolerate a lot more alcohol due to a three-year head start.

 

[Jango]

Because the British army base is in Canada (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_Training_Unit_Suffield) and Canada does not use the Imperial gallon but the US gallon? My response can`t be right if the answer is humor related.

 

[R_W_M]

It has nothing to do with gallons. The drinks are served in ounces and the British ounce is smaller than the US ounce, and thus contains less alcohol.

 

[KGMtech]

The British gallon has more ounces than the American gallon, but each ounce is the same.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It has nothing to do with gallons. The drinks are served in ounces and the British ounce is smaller than the US ounce, and thus contains less alcohol.

Bingo. You win the chicken dinner! Yes, the Imperial gallons are bigger, the quarts are bigger, and even the pints are bigger.

BUT, a US gallon has 128 fluid ounces and an Imperial gallon has 160 fluid ounces. There are US fluid ounces and Imperial fluid ounces. Us fluid ounces are bigger by 4%.

The Brit was drinking Imperial ounces but the American was used to US fluid ounces which were bigger. The Brit passed out.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Because the British army base is in Canada (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Army_Training_Unit_Suffield) and Canada does not use the Imperial gallon but the US gallon? My response can`t be right if the answer is humor related.

Close. We do our calcs in metric, but since most imported fluids have gallon markings from the US, as well as metric, it would be US gallons. And yes, the British Army has been training in Suffield for years.

 

[Snagglefoot]

A little extra for the experts. On the left is a British pint. On the right is a US pint.

 

[vavavroom]

At my pub everyone gets served the same size glass.

 

[Kira]

Nifty little puzzle. Thanks
I loved the Imperial gallon on trips to Canada (Montreal). We'd convert to US measure because dad tracked mileage.

One must admit that a picture of water in two wavy clear glass vessels before an irregular brick surface with an angled element creating wacky refraction lines which dazzle the eye in an example where the difference in level isn't that great is, frankly, very funny.

I love the tile work. travertine?

 

[Number_35]

Nifty little puzzle. Thanks
I loved the Imperial gallon on trips to Canada (Montreal). We'd convert to US measure because dad tracked mileage.

One must admit that a picture of water in two wavy clear glass vessels before an irregular brick surface with an angled element creating wacky refraction lines which dazzle the eye in an example where the difference in level isn't that great is, frankly, very funny.

I love the tile work. travertine?

As young car guys in Canada, my friends and I found the EPA's early estimates of gas mileage unduly optimistic. (I understand they simulate real-world conditions much more realistically now.)

Anyway, my friend Bruce summarized it well - he said that if you assumed Imperial (rather than US) gallons, a careful driver could probably achieve the EPA estimated mileage.

E.g.
EPA estimate: 30 MPG
Careful driver in real life: 25 MPG (US gallons), 30 MPG (Imperial gallons)

 

[Kira]

^^Ha-ha.
When we started driving, we'd swear neighboring Vermont used a 3 quart gallon at gas stations.,.,at the same price!

 

[Snagglefoot]

Nifty little puzzle. Thanks
I loved the Imperial gallon on trips to Canada (Montreal). We'd convert to US measure because dad tracked mileage.

One must admit that a picture of water in two wavy clear glass vessels before an irregular brick surface with an angled element creating wacky refraction lines which dazzle the eye in an example where the difference in level isn't that great is, frankly, very funny.

I love the tile work. travertine?

Yes, travertine. Good eye! It’s also the way things look after the third pint!

 

[vavavroom]

A hogshead of beer, wine, whiskey, etc will put anyone out and in the ground.

 

[Number_35]

Fun discussion! I had always assumed the Imperial ounce was larger than the American, proportional to the gallon difference.

Live and learn ...

 

[RhondaHonda]

Interesting. Although, I’d wager a pour could be off more than 4% and it’s such a small difference I don’t think it would matter.

 

[SC Maintenance]

A little extra for the experts. On the left is a British pint. On the right is a US pint.

View attachment 227502

I think that is incorrect. A British pint is 1/8 of a British gallon. Its 20 (british) ounces, 1/8 of a 160 british ounce gallon.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I think that is incorrect. A British pint is 1/8 of a British gallon. Its 20 (british) ounces, 1/8 of a 160 british ounce gallon.

Yes, correct, and a US pint is 1/8 of a US gallon. It’s 16 ( US) ounces, 1/8 of a 128 US ounce gallon. A US ounce is 4% larger than a British ounce so the 20 ounce British pint is .96 x 20 = 19.2 US ounces.

19.2-16= 3.2 ounces. The glass on the left has 3.2 ounces more. 3.2/16 = .2. The British pint is 20% larger than a US pint, just as a British gallon ( Imperial gallon) is 20% larger that a US gallon. The 3.2 extra ounces are inside the larger bulge of the glass on the left. It’s hard to notice but the larger bulge is there. Sound right?

 

[Kira]

the larger bulge is there. Sound right?

Using glasses with different sized bulges in a volumetric comparison does not sound right.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Using glasses with different sized bulges in a volumetric comparison does not sound right.

I’ll see if I can find those two glass and dispense water into them using a US ounces measuring up. 16 oz for the smaller glass and 19.2 oz for the larger glass. All done. I even placed the US 1 pint pub glass INSIDE a British pub glass to show the 20% volume difference. The photos will load to my iPad and then I’ll post them.