# Using your body to measure things **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166 "2002-07-16T03:06:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/1 "2002-07-16T03:06:45Z")
Does anyone else do this? The max I can lift is 50 lbs, so if something can’t weigh more than 50 lbs, I just see if I can lift it. My hand, tip of thumb to tip of pinkie or index finger is almost exactly 8 inches. I use this a lot to do a quick check on stuff I’m thinking of buying to see if it’s the right size. Chin to thumb is about 2 1/2 yards. If I have a piece of cloth, it’s easier to use this than a measuring tape. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/2 "2002-07-16T03:19:57Z")
You are not the only one to do this, Zyada. The Harvard Bridge, which spans the Charles River from Boston to Cambridge, and leads to directly to MIT, is 364.4 [Smoots](http://web.mit.edu/museum/fun/smoots.html) and one ear in length. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/3 "2002-07-16T03:23:08Z")
It’s seven and a half feet from your chin to your thumb? :eek: Are you Plasticman? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/4 "2002-07-16T03:24:38Z")
7 1/2 feet from chin to thumb! That means you have about a 15 foot wingspan. And I didn’t even notice. Jim PS: My thumb to pinky is 9 inches, my elbow to 1st finger is 18 inches. My casual walking stride is 2 feet. My thumb is one inch wide. My fist is 4 inches across. I do this all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/5 "2002-07-16T03:34:25Z")
Humph! 2 1/2 _feet_. Or a little less than a yard. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/6 "2002-07-16T12:21:32Z")
My feet are almost _exactly_ 30 cm. from heel to middle toe… I sometimes use this…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/7 "2002-07-16T12:31:32Z")
My fert are pretty nearly a foot, so I _do_ use them for measuring. There are plenty of such “body measurements” that have been used – measuring horses in “hands”, or rope in “ells” (which seems to be hand-to-ELbow, close to a yard). I’ve been told that, by chance or designthe first knuckle of the thumb is about an inch. But I don’t use these, mainly because I don’t have to. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/8 "2002-07-16T13:03:33Z")
Middle fingertip to elbow = 18 inches. Index finger = 3 inches Left thumb width = 2 cm ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/9 "2002-07-16T13:14:05Z")
Flat footed (with shoes), reaching upward, fingertip of my middle finger is 8 feet. As for measuring 8 INCHES… …I use a ruler. ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/10 "2002-07-16T13:22:21Z")
Hey, UncleBill, all I know is that this: |-----------| equals 8 inches. Doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/11 "2002-07-16T13:33:10Z")
The only one I use regularly is this: the last joint of my pinkie finger, from tip to knuckle, is exactly one inch. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/12 "2002-07-16T13:33:26Z")
index finger middle joint = 1 inch. Heel height on favorite black pumps - 3 inches. Pinkytip to thumbtip, hand spread = 8 inches. Each foot length = 9.5 inches Crook of elbow to base of middle finger = 12 inches. ---
**Author:** ![Delta-9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@Delta-9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delta-9)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/13 "2002-07-16T15:44:09Z")
My natural stride (2 steps) is pretty close to five feet. My size 10 1/2 foot is almost exactly one foot long. The distance from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger is exactly the same length as my. . . Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Wrong\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Wrong_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/14 "2002-07-16T15:50:08Z")
My mother’s feet are exactly twelve inches long, which was a big help when measuring things around the house. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/15 "2002-07-16T15:58:33Z")
Okay, not my own body parts, but my ex-SO and I used to measure weight in units of “Dennigrams.” One Dennigram is a comparative measure of weight equal to total weight of Dennis, our cat. I can’t really tell you what 14 lbs is like to lift. I have no idea how tired I would be if I carried 8 kg for four blocks. But I DO know what it’s like to lift and carry Dennis. Whenever we had heavy backpacks hiking, or had to carry a lot of groceries, we’d divvy up the weight based on the number of Dennis’ it felt like we were carrying. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/16 "2002-07-16T16:25:03Z")
Something that is ALLEGEDLY a standard - middle fingertip to middle fingertip (arms extended straight out to your sides - llike a cruciform) = your height ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/17 "2002-07-16T17:51:57Z")
Freaking board ate my post…four times…oh yes, I WILL post here, if it f’ing kills me… Since I live in Michigan, I find myself using my hands to explain geography all the time. Left hand palm up, horizontal, thumb facing “north,” right hand palm up, vertical, thumb facing “east.” Sure, take the ring finger north, hang a left at the Bridge, follow the left ring finger east until you hit the knife scar, turn in a thumbward direction… ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/18 "2002-07-16T18:29:32Z")
I’m not even going to post the most obvious one! I’ll just let you all keep guessing. (hint: it’s nickname was “The Ruler” with some of the girls around my college) * * * Everywhere you go, there you are! ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-your-body-to-measure-things/119166/19 "2002-07-16T20:35:59Z")
The first joint of my thumb is a tenth of a foot, which I discovered the year I did surveying fieldwork. Also, one average step is about 2.5 feet. Those are the only body parts I use to actually measure things, although sort of related is the fact that I use the hollow of my hand to measure a teaspoon (of herbs, or salt, or whatever) instead of a measuring spoon–I cup my hand, and pour in as much as looks like a teaspoon. But that’s not exactly what the OP was asking for.