Elephants or Hippopotami...?

The commercial in the headline link was a classic. But a friend of mine was living with 2 engineering students when it was broadcast. They objected to the use of an Elephant as a unit of measurement. Hardly scientific they thought. Could be a big elephant, could be a small elephant; could be African, could be Indian - the ears make all the difference.

I'd forgotten this until I was up the CN Tower in Toronto this summer. The tower enjoys a glass floor one can walk on. 500 metres in the air. It's a spooky experience.

You are comforted by the fact that the glass can withstand heroic weights. But instead of using elephants for their measurements they use hippopotamuses. The transparent stuff can take 14 apparently. Again you ask yourself - are these big happy hippos or small hippopotami...?

Hardly scientific.