Query for friends from the USA

[sally_maria]

I linked to the wonderful xkcd's Converting to Metric chart, and wellinghall noticed that it says 3L = Two-Liter bottle .

Quite apart from the mind breakage induced by 2 litres = 3 litres, I was intrigued by the concept.

Given the spelling, the two-liter bottle reference seems like it might actually be a US thing. In the UK the standard "family" size bottles of Coke and other similar drinks are two litres - is this the same in the US? If not, what size(s) does it come in?

Comments

[elegaer.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly sure they are 2 litres. They certainly look about 2 litres! But actually I think smaller sizes are more common, like our litre botles.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I had wondered if 2 litres was close to being a nice round number of American pints, but it isn't.

[sally_maria]

Thank you. :-) I was trying to think of the equivalent in imperial measurements - about half a gallon, I suppose.

(Isn't it odd, how beer and milk come in pints, and anything else is weird, but fizzy drinks are automatically metric?)

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

There's a dispensation to allow the Brits to carry on selling milk and beer in pints, but nothing else.

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

Random thought - I wonder if it might be the case that the US so regularly has '50% extra free!' promotions, that a '2l bottle' might often enough actually contain 3l that it can be said to do this normally, for humorous effect? No idea if such promotions are in fact common, but it was the possibility that popped into my head.

[sally_maria]

That's a good thought, it sounds quite plausible.