# Time for a new Hi Opal rule **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994 "2007-02-05T22:45:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/1 "2007-02-05T22:45:47Z")
At a local carryout place, the otherwise on-the-ball and friendly counter person replied to my request for a “small Coke” with, “OK… um, well, we have medium and large.” :dubious: Me: “Which is the smaller of the two?” Him: “The medium.” Me: “Yes, I’ll have that please.” :rolleyes: New rule: If you only have two sizes of something, neither of them can be medium. So sayeth me, forever and ever amen. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/2 "2007-02-05T22:48:59Z")
Maybe they used to have small, but they discontinued it. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/3 "2007-02-05T22:52:40Z")
Burger King… Oh Og how I hate thee… Medium? As compared to what? Wouldn’t your “Large” be the medium? How about we just go ahead and get rid of the “King” size and just call it large… would anyone really care? Would it change the sales statistics? Would that bit of advertising really hurt to lose? ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/4 "2007-02-05T22:54:07Z")
Even if you used to have three sizes - or even five sizes - once you’re down to only two sizes, _neither of them is allowed to be “medium.”_ I will accept “regular” as a alternative to small. I will not accept it as an alternative to “large.” SO SAYETH ME FOREVER AND EVER AMEN. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/5 "2007-02-05T23:06:21Z")
But, see, they don’t have small anymore. Would it be okay if they named the bigger one “medium” and the not as big one “extra-medium?” ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/6 "2007-02-05T23:11:19Z")
What bothers me is when I go to a fast food place and order a “medium” drink, and they hand me a cup that at any other place would be a “large”. Then I have to say, “Wait, make that a small.” ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/7 "2007-02-05T23:15:28Z")
[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy] What bothers me is when I go to a fast food place and order a “medium” drink, and they hand me a cup that at any other place would be a “large”. Then I have to say, “Wait, make that a small.” [/QUOTE] But they don’t have small, only medium and large. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/8 "2007-02-05T23:32:55Z")
I’m with you **LoW**. I also dislike coffee places that decide on cutesy names for sizes. I’m real stubborn and ask for small, medium or large. I think an acceptable substitute for small, medium and large is the actual size, in the local measurement standard for liquids. (My local coffee shop has sizes in ounces.) Of course, some soft-drink sizes are positively ridiculous when measured in ounces (yes, I’d like a 1/2 gallon…OK, not quite, but close). But, yeah, can’t have a medium without small and large on either side. GT ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/9 "2007-02-05T23:35:25Z")
[QUOTE=gardentraveler] Of course, some soft-drink sizes are positively ridiculous when measured in ounces (yes, I’d like a 1/2 gallon…OK, not quite, but close). [/QUOTE] Oh, no…not “not quite”! They’re there. Turkey Hill has a gigundous mug-thing for fountain drinks. It certainly looks like 64 oz to me. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/10 "2007-02-05T23:37:13Z")
Perhaps they mean “medium” as in tv, radio, newpaper… ? Or, more likely, perhaps they mean that they have one size that can communicate with the dead? ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/11 "2007-02-05T23:40:33Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] Perhaps they mean “medium” as in tv, radio, newpaper… ? Or, more likely, perhaps they mean that they have one size that can communicate with the dead? [/QUOTE] I’ve often wondered: if NBC ran a two-hour episode of that Patricia Arquette show, would it be an “extra-large Medium”? ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/12 "2007-02-05T23:41:05Z")
I’ll have the Hi Opal, because I’m not very thirsty. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/13 "2007-02-05T23:42:23Z")
Papa Murphy’s Pizza did that to me recently. They have, I think, three sizes: 12", 14", and 16". OK, I’ll have a medium… She checked 12". “Oh no, I want medium.” “That is medium. We have medium, large, and extra-large.” ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/14 "2007-02-06T00:31:05Z")
With the inexorable march of inflation comes: small / medium / large -\> medium / large / extra-large -\> large / extra-large / family-size -\> extra-large / family-size / gigantic … ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/15 "2007-02-06T00:40:28Z")
Maybe small = no coke. Then medium is half way between no coke, and too much coke? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/16 "2007-02-06T01:00:53Z")
As they say at Fourbucks: Tall \*is \* small! Which results in the sizing of a small tall, a medium grande and the screwball 20-Extra-Large. Actually, there is a truly small small, called the “short” but it’s a secret menu item that’s not displayed anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/17 "2007-02-06T01:11:55Z")
At least it’s in english and you don’t have to speak Starbucksian to get the wrong size. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/18 "2007-02-06T01:16:39Z")
McDonalds does not have a small fries. They have only medium, large, and extra large. Just ask them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/19 "2007-02-06T01:35:13Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Papa Murphy’s Pizza did that to me recently. They have, I think, three sizes: 12", 14", and 16". OK, I’ll have a medium… She checked 12". “Oh no, I want medium.” “That is medium. We have medium, large, and extra-large.” [/QUOTE] An excellent local pizzeria does that, too. I always want their medium pizza, which means i have to order their large, because the sizes are personal, large, and jumbo. Goddammit, that’s not helpful! It took me several tries to remember that their large was their medium, and so it took several confusing and irritating conversations with hapless waitstaff before I got it right. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994/20 "2007-02-06T02:06:14Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > Burger King… Oh Og how I hate thee.. The BKs here have small, medium, large and king size. I see no problem with that sizing. [QUOTE=kayT] McDonalds does not have a small fries. They have only medium, large, and extra large. Just ask them. [/QUOTE] Not true here; I don’t know about where you live. But, buying the small is stupid from an economy standpoint: the small is 3.2 oz. for $.99 while the medium is 4 oz. for $1.00. And none of the McDonald’s here have extra large anymore; they discontinued that size, not coincidentally, shortly after the release of _Super Size Me_. I’m pretty sure that’s true of all MacDonald’s in the US. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-a-new-hi-opal-rule/390994.md?page=2)