# Who invented silent letters?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 26, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418 "2013-05-26T18:08:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418/81 "2013-06-01T01:51:46Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Did your numerators and denominators go upsydaisium? I think you meant 0.96 hectohours.
> 
> 0.97 centihours is 58 minutes.

Yes, 0.96 hectohours would be 4 days.  
It would also be 6.411×10[sup]48[/sup] Planck time units.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418/82 "2013-06-01T02:31:26Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Did your numerators and denominators go upsydaisium? I think you meant 0.96 hectohours.
> 
> 0.97 centihours is 58 minutes.

Yeah, but who’s counting?

I’m way too old to adapt to metric.

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**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418/83 "2013-06-01T03:22:28Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> I’m way too old to adapt to metric.

Just think of the max speed signs on interstates: 120!

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418/84 "2013-06-01T13:00:33Z")

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There’s an 85mph road in Texas now, which is 136. And I’ve driven a lot in Canada, where all the signs are in metric. They’re somewhat more sedate these days - the roads are more crowded and there might have been crackdowns - but I remember a trip north to Sudbury. My old car had a speedometer (pronounced [SPEED o-meter](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=61578), eh) that only went to 85. I had it pegged out and I was being passed as if I were going still - up a long steep hill. Canadian drivers were maniacs.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-invented-silent-letters/659418/85 "2013-06-01T16:44:43Z")

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> [@Kenm](#):
>
> Just think of the max speed signs on interstates: 120!

That’s what the highways are posted here. (Actually mainly 100/110, but a few are 120.)

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