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rojo's avatar

When, and how did the CH become the standard unit of measure in the construction industry?(possible NSFW).

Asked by rojo (24179points) April 5th, 2013

Twice today, and today is not an unusual day, I heard the term “Cunt Hair” (as in “It’s too long, take of a cunt hair” and “Move it over a CH.”) on the jobsite. Two different trades, two different times.
So, how did this become the standard that all things are measured by at least in construction? Why did it? Is it used in other lines of work? How about scientific research? How far back does its’ usage go?
What did they use as the standard unit during the Dark Ages when lice made shaving a necessity and merkins were all the rage?
I heard that there may be an Egyptian Hieroglyph for it so that could put it at over 4000 thousand year old and there are many undecifered cave paintings some of which could easily refer to this!
These are the types of questions that keep me up at night.

Help!

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8 Answers

rojo's avatar

Touche!

rojo (24179points)“Great Answer” (1points) Flag as…
rojo's avatar

(it is also “off”, not “of” but too late to change.

rojo (24179points)“Great Answer” (0points) Flag as…
josie's avatar

It is something that just about everybody can identify with.

josie (30934points)“Great Answer” (0points) Flag as…
woodcutter's avatar

CH is actually large enough to get a unit of measure. Facial hair, not so much. There are variables eg; Blonde CH vs the robust red CH. Big difference so never confuse the two or shit will show bad early.

woodcutter (16382points)“Great Answer” (1points) Flag as…
cookieman's avatar

Haven’t heard it, but I knew a guy who used to say something was off by “a pubic hair and a coat of paint”.

cookieman (41886points)“Great Answer” (0points) Flag as…
zenvelo's avatar

We used it in the construction trades 40 years ago, when I was a Steamfitter apprentice. “That valve needs to be moved just a cunt hair.”

It was considered a fairly well understood standard of measurement. Although one time I asked:

“Is that a metric cunt hair or an English one?”

zenvelo (39548points)“Great Answer” (3points) Flag as…
citizenearth's avatar

Not in other industry that I know of. Everybody knows that construction people are of the rough type. So to them, CH is acceptable language and it makes the language fun at work.

citizenearth (781points)“Great Answer” (1points) Flag as…

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