Here's why we abbreviate pounds as lbs

StillOne

StillOne

Well-known member
Most abbreviations are clearly derived from their root word, like "pt" for pint. But the abbreviation for pound is a very special exception. "lb" is*an abbreviation of the latin word libra. Libra is widely known as the astrological sign for balance. But, it was also part of the roman unit of weight, libra pond, which translates to “pound weight."*Britain derived pound from that expression as its unit of measurement and also as a term for its currency because centuries ago, a pound in money was considered equal to the value of a pound of silver.*So when pound is abbreviated to "lb," it’s a call back to the original expression

(Business Insider)
 
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david starling

Well-known member
"Pb" is the chemical abbreviation for the metal "lead". It's from the Latin word for the soft, heavy metal, "plumbum". Since the the Romans used it to make pipes to carry water, that practice became known as "plumbing". Lead is the metal traditionally associated with Saturn, and is element #82, which converts numerologically to #10, the number for Capricorn (if you begin numbering the Signs at Aries). :cool:
 
JUPITERASC

JUPITERASC

Well-known member
StillOne said:
Most abbreviations are clearly derived from their root word, like "pt" for pint.
But the abbreviation for pound is a very special exception.
"lb" is*an abbreviation of the latin word libra.
Libra is widely known as the astrological sign for balance.
Click to expand...
A weighing scale is a balance :smile:
StillOne said:
But, it was also part of the roman unit of weight, libra pond, which translates to “pound weight."
*Britain derived pound from that expression as its unit of measurement
and also as a term for its currency because centuries ago
a pound in money was considered equal to the value of a pound of silver.
*So when pound is abbreviated to "lb," it’s a call back to the original expression

(Business Insider)
Click to expand...
Back on topic regarding "why we abbreviate pounds as lbs"

LIBRA is also why the symbol for the British pound is £
an L with a line through it :smile:
The Italian lira also used that symbol with two lines through it
the word “LIRA” itself is a shortened version of LIBRA
 
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david starling

Well-known member
The copper (Cu) penny relates to Libra through its ruler, since copper is the metal associated with Venus. As an Air-sign, Libra is a Sign of Thought, so, "a penny for your thoughts..." :lol:
 
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JUPITERASC

JUPITERASC

Well-known member
david starling said:
The copper penny relates to Libra through its ruler,
since copper is the metal associated with Venus.
As an Air-sign, Libra is a Sign of Thought, so, "a penny for your thoughts..." :lol:
Click to expand...
"Copper" is a slang word for police officers.
the term "coppers" can be traced back tot he early 19th century in New York city
when the first police force consisting of an 8 men unarmed patrol unit
wore on their shirt an 8 point copper badge
to distinguish themselves as officers of the law
as a result the general public started calling them coppers
clearly also
mismanagement of the balancing of the books
may attract the attention of coppers :smile:
 
D

david starling

Well-known member
JUPITERASC said:
"Copper" is a slang word for police officers.
the term "coppers" can be traced back tot he early 19th century in New York city
when the first police force consisting of an 8 men unarmed patrol unit
wore on their shirt an 8 point copper badge
to distinguish themselves as officers of the law
as a result the general public started calling them coppers
clearly also
mismanagement of the balancing of the books
may attract the attention of coppers :smile:
Click to expand...

The "Scales of Justice", held by the Ancient-Greek goddess Themis, is in the courtrooms, where coppers attempt to send those who break the laws.
 
JUPITERASC

JUPITERASC

Well-known member
StillOne said:
I'm a Libra Sun and I work in finance. :innocent:
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Bunraku said:
:love::love::love: That is a very charming position for a Libra to be in.

The other I know works in retirement homes to help the elderly
and she thoroughly enjoys her job and is very passionate about it.
Click to expand...

Steven Mnuchin Treasury Secretary is Sagittarius Sun LIBRA MOON :smile:
After Mnuchin graduated from Yale 1985 he worked for Goldman Sachs
an American multinational finance company that engages in global investment banking
where his father had worked since 1957.
Mnuchin started in the mortgage department, and became a partner at Goldman in 1994
and left the company in 2002 after 17 years of employment
with an estimated $46 million of company stock
and $12.6 million in compensation that he received in the months prior to his departure.
 
Blaze

Blaze

Account Closed
Huh, neat. I like to mess with my...fellow Americans and use Kilograms when discussing weight.

Just like using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit.

"Yo man, how is it outside?"

"30c m8"

"****, better wear a jacket"

"Mmm'hmm"
 
C

CancerEvolve

Banned
Blaze said:
Huh, neat. I like to mess with my...fellow Americans and use Kilograms when discussing weight.

Just like using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit.

"Yo man, how is it outside?"

"30c m8"

"****, better wear a jacket"

"Mmm'hmm"
Click to expand...

My kind of humor, but i'm likely to say no really 30c is very hot because i'm too caring lol.
 
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