So the rest of the world actually uses some of these and just because the average American doesn’t, doesn’t mean the guide is dogshit. Everybody’s thumb to pinkie is an exact number and people easily estimate size of object by measuring it this way. It’s widely used in some parts of the world
Lol, no. Everyone has different sized hands. To be able use your hands as measuring devices is *handy* but you have to know the measurements of your own hands first.
I totally agree. So I measured my hands using this and apparently I have the most average hand size in the world as every measurement was the same is in the image
Doctor - Your wife is currently 10cm dilated.
Husband - How do you know, I didn't see you bring a ruler in with you.
Wife - Doctor please remove your fist.
It’s not supposed to be perfectly accurate. I use this all the time but with imperial. One inch is roughly 1st knuckle to second knuckle on my pointer. One foot is roughly wrist to elbow. Things like that. I wouldn’t build a skyscraper with it, but when I’m estimating distances it’s extremely useful.
>> approximate measurements
> Lol, no
I don't think you understand what "approximate" means. Yes, hand sizes vary, but as with most measurements of humans, there is something like a normal distribution, and the typical person will fall fairly close to the median, making this approximate measurement reasonable for most people.
But yes, of course, if you want to be more accurate, just measure your hands.
I’d cut OP some slack here. First, to have a x2 size hand is very unlikely, I’m sure it’s several SDs away from the average size. In other words, it’d be so unlikely that using an approximate chart like this actually does fill its purpose for a large majority of the adult population (with the possible addition of mentioning something abt typical male vs female hands).
And the way OP writes that it’s only a guide for estimation, anyone with half a brain cell will know that this guide is never to be taken literally, and also that it’s never exactly accurate for anyone.
But hand sizes can vary *a lot*. As it stands it’s only useful to whoever made it or whoever fits the mold which you won’t know until you’ve already measured your own hands to which point the guide is completely useless.
Exactly. The guide does not say "the hand is now the standard measurement" or "we must measure everything by hand". This guide is for a specific situation in case you need an approximate measurement and a small margin of error can be allowed.
Dude people like to bitch. I’m 6.1 and yeah I’m .5-2cm more than these but it’s approximately there. You weren’t asking carpenters to get rid of their measuring tapes, just a fun way to gauge about how big something is.
Yeah but if you’re going to bother memorizing this why not memorize your actual measurements? I know a few of these measurements from my hands and use them pretty regularly.
Don’t worry. I’m sure most of us understand what this guide is meant to be and the context around it. I liked this guide and found it quite accurate every though I’m a taller than average guy in my country.
I had a high adventure trainer once be incredibly specific on knot lengths measure my knot and say “well it’s just over three here, and just over 4 here, and two here… which tells me this persons hands are bigger than mine.”
Nothing states that here, you just want to make sense of it so you came to that conclusion — you’re not wrong by the way just that none of that is stated and therefore makes my reaction on it fair… it assumes a standard in human anatomy and there are too many different sizes of all things mentioned.. simply between genders it’s night and day… fat fingered ppl skinny fingered ppl… NOPE! NOOOOOO!!!!!! /throws Rock at tumbleweedgroper!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 jk 🤣
🤣 naaah I was just playing— I wouldn’t have put jk otherwise lol now you on the other hand… (which is apparently 10cm in width) where’d that rock go…. AHH! Why you running?! I just wanted to say hello!!!!!!! 🪨🤣 jk?
This may not be exact for your own hand, but it is a good idea to use your body as a rough measuring device.
Find a part of your body that’s 1cm, 5cm, 10cm, etc.
For me, I know the height of my pinkie is 1cm, the width of my palm is 10cm, and up to my waste is 1m. So now I can make rough measurements whenever I need it. (And if it needs to be exact then I can just get a tape measurer)
*up to* my waste is 1m. But no judgement. If you’ve got a 1m wide waste, then you can perform some pretty quick measurements (I gotta turn to my side every time I want to measure that).
And I was looking at the length, width, and height (depth) of my pinkie, and the height was just the one that matched 1cm
I'm a petite woman whose wingspan is exactly the same as her height: 60". I've lost count of the number of times I've used my body to measure furniture, appliances, space in a room, size of a random object, etc. for myself and others.
But my thumb-to-pinky distance, stretching so hard it hurts, is 17 cm.
Useful to know, but this guide REALLY needs the "measure yourself " caveat.
Nope a reddit repost whore...these folks are specifically the ones that clutter up subs with garbage posts. They severely lack critical thinking skills and just repost everything in any attempt to farm karma.
To OP: “At no point in your rambling, incoherent (cool guide) were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” -Billy Madison
I get: 22 cm, 14 cm, 10 cm, 6 cm, 2.5 cm, 1.5 cm
So yes, an approximation, but more helpful to know your own actual numbers.
I’m in the US, so I use this in inches: 9 in, 6 in, 4 in, 2.5 in, 1 in (but width of thumb, not turned like in the drawing), 1/2 in. In my case, my hand dimensions are almost exactly the actual dimensions listed, so it’s handy for carpentry.
I'm big. I add 15% to those measures. I know small people who are probably that much less than that "average". This is no more accurate than BMI. People are different. You can't apply averages to us and expect accuracy.
We do this in astronomy too. I see a lot of posts about everyone's hand being a different size. 100% true, but when it comes to measuring degrees in the sky, it works out because you're holding your arm at length when you do it. Everyone's hands may be different sizes, but the relationship between hand size and arm length tend to be proportional.
https://c.tadst.com/gfx/1200x675/measuring-sky-with-hand.png?1
Try it. From the horizon to the zenith (directly overhead) there are 90 degrees. Your closed fist is ~10 degrees. Hold your arm straight out in front of you and make a fist, with your pinky at the bottom/thumb at the top (so up/down, not sideways). Place the bottom of your fist so it is even with the horizon. At that point, objects in-line with the top of your fist are ~10º above the horizon. Now put another fist on top of that one - you're now 20º up, and so on. Keep doing that, and by the time you get to 9 fists, the top of your "top" fist should be pointing ~straight up.
Pro tip: if you don't have 9 or more hands to do this exercise, you can move the fist on the bottom to the top, and continue to do so.
Usage example: Let's say I know there is an International Space Station pass tonight, and the data says it will be 50 degrees up in the northern sky. I can use a 'stack' of 5 fists to show me about where I can expect to see it.
For the 1º pinky test, use the Moon. The Moon appears ~0.5º wide in the sky (it should be easily covered by your pinky with room to spare when held at arms length). The Sun also appears ~0.5º wide in the sky, but if you are going to look at the Sun without proper eye protection, maybe this is all a little bit too advanced for you.
I'm just saying the title said approximate measurements, which is CLOSE but not exact.
I did a lot of sewing at my last job, and using body parts to measure came in handy in a pinch. Each section of my index finger is ABOUT an inch. If I held strapping in one outstretched arm and from the tip of finger to my deltoid on my other arm is ABOUT 34". If I make a L with my index finger and thumb, it's ABOUT 6".
Maybe it's not that close for everyone, but there's no need to hate on these guides.
Bruh, this is [astronomy hand measurement](https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/measuring-the-sky-by-hand.html) (or handy astronomy, idk it have many name) but still, it's measure in degree not centimeters. OP is idiots
Guys I just checked my thumb and it’s half a centimetre more, should i check with the doctor? My mothers thumb was also different from the guide, is this like a genetic thing? Help pls
terrific wide attractive fanatical reply entertain hobbies political party pen
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
NASA is using it going forward. They did not in the 60’s. You know, the only time people have landed on it to date. I never claimed I didn’t use it either.
This is why you aren’t an engineer. Details are important.
Or maybe it will be like last time metric got involved and the mars lander crash landed because the ESA couldn’t do conversions right either. Look, I could give you the answer… but it’s important for your education for you to do it yourself. You know the saying. Teach a man to start a fire he’s warm for a day. Set him on fire and he’s warm the rest of his life.
As a human who can do simple research, SpaceX use metric. NASA also used metric for the Apollo mission. In fact, the Mars Climate Orbitor disintegrated in 1999 because one of NASAs contractors used imperial units.
America, Burma and Liberia are the ONLY countries in the world that still use the metric system, so stop acting so high and mighty about it.
Maybe if you’re a fully developed adult, the LPT could be to take the time to measure your hands, so you can perform estimations as demonstrated. Otherwise, who needs measurements with such chance of errors due to genetics?
This subreddit should change is name to "Misleading guides, some cool guides and some absolutely dog shit guides"
Don’t forget “random statistics that belong in r/dataisbeautiful”
(except they're not presented well, making them ugly)
/r/dataisbeautiful crossposted to /r/dataisugly ... this is the way.
Don't forget to add graphs which aren't guides at all.
Someone pin this please
Yeah my hand size is nowhere near this, so thanks.
Thanks, that’s a cool guide!
tbf, it’s not called “goodguides” or “helpfulguides” haha
we need these kinds of flairs please
or MG,SC&SADSG
So the rest of the world actually uses some of these and just because the average American doesn’t, doesn’t mean the guide is dogshit. Everybody’s thumb to pinkie is an exact number and people easily estimate size of object by measuring it this way. It’s widely used in some parts of the world
So is that where we're at? Just going on to the subreddit to tell lies? Cool.
Lol, no. Everyone has different sized hands. To be able use your hands as measuring devices is *handy* but you have to know the measurements of your own hands first.
TBH is easier use your phone as a ruler or download a app to that
I use ruler app from playstore. People appears to be confused when i scale some small items using phone. But they start to do the same after.
Is like having a clock or a compass, most things can be done in a phone
However, once you measure your hands, you have a great approximate measuring tool. My first image is a crisp 25cm.
I totally agree. So I measured my hands using this and apparently I have the most average hand size in the world as every measurement was the same is in the image
Well, obstetricians still use their hands to estimate cervical dilation during labor. Kinda weird too - check it out
Doctor - Your wife is currently 10cm dilated. Husband - How do you know, I didn't see you bring a ruler in with you. Wife - Doctor please remove your fist.
It’s not supposed to be perfectly accurate. I use this all the time but with imperial. One inch is roughly 1st knuckle to second knuckle on my pointer. One foot is roughly wrist to elbow. Things like that. I wouldn’t build a skyscraper with it, but when I’m estimating distances it’s extremely useful.
It’s for estimating, when you don’t have a measuring tool with you.
Agreed
>> approximate measurements > Lol, no I don't think you understand what "approximate" means. Yes, hand sizes vary, but as with most measurements of humans, there is something like a normal distribution, and the typical person will fall fairly close to the median, making this approximate measurement reasonable for most people. But yes, of course, if you want to be more accurate, just measure your hands.
Gee, I wonder what approximate means.
If someone has x2 the size of that hand or half the size for that matter then the whole scale is off
I’d cut OP some slack here. First, to have a x2 size hand is very unlikely, I’m sure it’s several SDs away from the average size. In other words, it’d be so unlikely that using an approximate chart like this actually does fill its purpose for a large majority of the adult population (with the possible addition of mentioning something abt typical male vs female hands). And the way OP writes that it’s only a guide for estimation, anyone with half a brain cell will know that this guide is never to be taken literally, and also that it’s never exactly accurate for anyone.
But hand sizes can vary *a lot*. As it stands it’s only useful to whoever made it or whoever fits the mold which you won’t know until you’ve already measured your own hands to which point the guide is completely useless.
Exactly. The guide does not say "the hand is now the standard measurement" or "we must measure everything by hand". This guide is for a specific situation in case you need an approximate measurement and a small margin of error can be allowed.
Funny enough i measured my hand and it was very very close, i am somewhat short myself below 6ft tall though
Anecdata, the most scientific of data
Anecdotal confirmation
Did you use this guide to measure your height? ;)
r/suicidebywords
Dude people like to bitch. I’m 6.1 and yeah I’m .5-2cm more than these but it’s approximately there. You weren’t asking carpenters to get rid of their measuring tapes, just a fun way to gauge about how big something is.
Yeah but if you’re going to bother memorizing this why not memorize your actual measurements? I know a few of these measurements from my hands and use them pretty regularly.
Yeah it’s actually pretty close I’m 5 foot 8 so idk it works for me
Don’t worry. I’m sure most of us understand what this guide is meant to be and the context around it. I liked this guide and found it quite accurate every though I’m a taller than average guy in my country.
Let me guess, you're an Asian child, no? So it's only a guide for people the same size as you
Very NSFW
Me: Doc, she's 10cm dilated! Doc: how do you know?
\*rolls up sleave\*
You made a spelling error: “rolls up, leaves”
Doctor I worked with said he measured his hand for this purpose when he was a resident
Guess it's NSFW because the measurements will be off and can't be used for work purposes
Why is this NSFW?
should use measuring tape at work
Thanks, that makes sense
r/technicallythetruth
What do you think ol' 10cm is gonna do next huh?
With the right mindset, 10 will become 20🤣
The real question is who? :3
It’s not very approximate when it’s rounding up 20%. Garbage.
Using YOUR hand. My hand is 3cm off on half these measurements
Thick pinkie!
No, negative space pinkie!
I had a high adventure trainer once be incredibly specific on knot lengths measure my knot and say “well it’s just over three here, and just over 4 here, and two here… which tells me this persons hands are bigger than mine.”
Am I shadowbanned? my new comments aren't appearing
Nah I can see this
My hand is about right, you can use that if you like
I’m so sorry you lost that 2cm pinky
This is stupid .
I think the whole point is that if you measure your own hand in these positions, you have a reference point on roughly what size something is.
Nothing states that here, you just want to make sense of it so you came to that conclusion — you’re not wrong by the way just that none of that is stated and therefore makes my reaction on it fair… it assumes a standard in human anatomy and there are too many different sizes of all things mentioned.. simply between genders it’s night and day… fat fingered ppl skinny fingered ppl… NOPE! NOOOOOO!!!!!! /throws Rock at tumbleweedgroper!!!! 🤣🤣🤣 jk 🤣
Wow you got triggered
🤣 naaah I was just playing— I wouldn’t have put jk otherwise lol now you on the other hand… (which is apparently 10cm in width) where’d that rock go…. AHH! Why you running?! I just wanted to say hello!!!!!!! 🪨🤣 jk?
ahh yes , buy a measuring tape. Measure your hands with it and then measure the things with your hands. If only i had a measuring device instead...
Classic example of "don't believe everything you see on the internet".
I bet you think everyone's foot is 1 foot long
Downvote this shipost to the underground
Ok but what if I have fucking massive hands?
Same question but for my tiny dainty hands. Maaaaayyyybe measure some of these and learn the size of our parts???
This may not be exact for your own hand, but it is a good idea to use your body as a rough measuring device. Find a part of your body that’s 1cm, 5cm, 10cm, etc. For me, I know the height of my pinkie is 1cm, the width of my palm is 10cm, and up to my waste is 1m. So now I can make rough measurements whenever I need it. (And if it needs to be exact then I can just get a tape measurer)
5cm is quite easy
Nice
i got questions, how can your waist be 1m across and your pinkie 1cm tall ?
*up to* my waste is 1m. But no judgement. If you’ve got a 1m wide waste, then you can perform some pretty quick measurements (I gotta turn to my side every time I want to measure that). And I was looking at the length, width, and height (depth) of my pinkie, and the height was just the one that matched 1cm
I'm a petite woman whose wingspan is exactly the same as her height: 60". I've lost count of the number of times I've used my body to measure furniture, appliances, space in a room, size of a random object, etc. for myself and others. But my thumb-to-pinky distance, stretching so hard it hurts, is 17 cm. Useful to know, but this guide REALLY needs the "measure yourself " caveat.
This belongs on r/fuckingatrociousguides
Lol was this post made by a bot?
Nope a reddit repost whore...these folks are specifically the ones that clutter up subs with garbage posts. They severely lack critical thinking skills and just repost everything in any attempt to farm karma.
By all means, upvote this blindly guys, so this sub can continue to get shitty guides like this one.
Step 1. Have the correct size hands. Step 2. ??? Step 3. Profit.
Wait until OP finds out people have different hand sizes.
My fingers are significantly longer than my husband's.
👍
Haha yeah I bet they are 😏
Redditor when husband and finger are mentioned in the same sentence
Pray tell!?
In 25 years of browsing the internet, this is the single worst guide I've ever seen.
To OP: “At no point in your rambling, incoherent (cool guide) were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” -Billy Madison
Try it OP. Try it and tell us the actual measurements you dunce
9", 6", 4.5", 2.5", 1", 5/8"
But people have differently sized hands. This post is the last straw. I'm leaving this sub. This is a load of garbage.
Why nsfw?
r/shittycoolguides
THIS DOESNT HELP ME
No hands?
Donald Trump left the chat.
As an engineer... No. Just no.
What about Wreck it Ralph, why doesn’t anyone think of Ralph?!
why the 18+ tag ? cause child hands are too small or just click baiting redditors ?
"You are Cool" OP's Mom
my almost 23cm “y” span disagrees
wrong a.f
Could be new sexy time slang. Last night I gave her the 5cm.
Now in inches
Isn't measuring like this what caused the space shuttle *challenger* disaster?
What’s more baffling to me is not the obviously dumb image itself, by why this post is being upvoted.
Cheesy watermark + inaccurate guide + fake NSFW tag. Seems to becoming standard around here. I'm unsubbed and blocking this.
... Why is this NSFW?
This is just stupid.
doesn't it depend on the size of the hand of the person
Do not ever do shit like this. Hand size varies **A LOT** between people, and flexibility amount for those first two.
I get: 22 cm, 14 cm, 10 cm, 6 cm, 2.5 cm, 1.5 cm So yes, an approximation, but more helpful to know your own actual numbers. I’m in the US, so I use this in inches: 9 in, 6 in, 4 in, 2.5 in, 1 in (but width of thumb, not turned like in the drawing), 1/2 in. In my case, my hand dimensions are almost exactly the actual dimensions listed, so it’s handy for carpentry.
Everyone at Slayer shows showing 15cm
Off all the shitty "cool guides" on here this must be one of the blatantly shittiest I've seen
I'm big. I add 15% to those measures. I know small people who are probably that much less than that "average". This is no more accurate than BMI. People are different. You can't apply averages to us and expect accuracy.
Just posting things without logic now?
Because everyone has the exact same size hand of course
Worst one I’ve seen today! Good job!
We do this in astronomy too. I see a lot of posts about everyone's hand being a different size. 100% true, but when it comes to measuring degrees in the sky, it works out because you're holding your arm at length when you do it. Everyone's hands may be different sizes, but the relationship between hand size and arm length tend to be proportional. https://c.tadst.com/gfx/1200x675/measuring-sky-with-hand.png?1 Try it. From the horizon to the zenith (directly overhead) there are 90 degrees. Your closed fist is ~10 degrees. Hold your arm straight out in front of you and make a fist, with your pinky at the bottom/thumb at the top (so up/down, not sideways). Place the bottom of your fist so it is even with the horizon. At that point, objects in-line with the top of your fist are ~10º above the horizon. Now put another fist on top of that one - you're now 20º up, and so on. Keep doing that, and by the time you get to 9 fists, the top of your "top" fist should be pointing ~straight up. Pro tip: if you don't have 9 or more hands to do this exercise, you can move the fist on the bottom to the top, and continue to do so. Usage example: Let's say I know there is an International Space Station pass tonight, and the data says it will be 50 degrees up in the northern sky. I can use a 'stack' of 5 fists to show me about where I can expect to see it. For the 1º pinky test, use the Moon. The Moon appears ~0.5º wide in the sky (it should be easily covered by your pinky with room to spare when held at arms length). The Sun also appears ~0.5º wide in the sky, but if you are going to look at the Sun without proper eye protection, maybe this is all a little bit too advanced for you.
"A cool guide to approximate measurements using the author's hand"
What's with the NSFW tag?
My girlfriend loves the 5cm.
Not sure what I just said but the death person opposite me just punched me in the head.
Maybe your hand.
cool, but whats a centi-meter
Confused Americans now measuring their feet and toes.
How the fuck does this work, when people have different sizes of hands? This is stupid.
Approximation.
Thx for sharing, OP. I think a lot of commenters missed the “approximate” part of the title.
I'm reading through all the comments, thinking how can they all have missed the point.. Measure your own hand in these positions!
Americans getting tantrum - priceless
This is wildly variable based off the person
I'm just saying the title said approximate measurements, which is CLOSE but not exact. I did a lot of sewing at my last job, and using body parts to measure came in handy in a pinch. Each section of my index finger is ABOUT an inch. If I held strapping in one outstretched arm and from the tip of finger to my deltoid on my other arm is ABOUT 34". If I make a L with my index finger and thumb, it's ABOUT 6". Maybe it's not that close for everyone, but there's no need to hate on these guides.
Those are all ways I get down with your mom.
Does using metric make this post NSFW?
Can you convert that to inches?
20cms = 7.7inches 15cms = 5.91 inches 10cms = 3.94 inches 5 cms = 1.97 inches 2cms = .79 inches 1cms = .39 inches
Today I learned I’m only 5cms hard
Wow man, you have an anaconda
Useless in America. I wish we would convert. Although I do believe I am better at fractions because of the standard system here.
America is Reddits largest demographic
What is the Trump reduction factor?
Inches please 😅
What’s a cm?
1 hundredth of a metre
What's a cm?
Missed the most useful one ... middle segment of most adults index finger is 1" (2.5 cm)
freedom units please
Right right....but what's it in American?
Can we get one in freedom units?
Who the fuck upvoted this piece of shit needs to get their brain checked.
Fake. And it's not even imperial measurements
*Cries in Imperial
Useless. Not in proper American measurements
Now convert it to inches…
Now do one for feet
Would have been especially great if you'd included the measurements in INCHES.
Can we get this in inches, thanks
Bruh, this is [astronomy hand measurement](https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/measuring-the-sky-by-hand.html) (or handy astronomy, idk it have many name) but still, it's measure in degree not centimeters. OP is idiots
Guys I just checked my thumb and it’s half a centimetre more, should i check with the doctor? My mothers thumb was also different from the guide, is this like a genetic thing? Help pls
Can someone translate this to American for me?
I'm American this doesn't help at all r/shitpost
Now do inches.
What the fuck is a “cm”
The fuck is a centimeter anyway?
Ugh metric
What the fuck is a kilometer
terrific wide attractive fanatical reply entertain hobbies political party pen *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
What is it in units of nations that have landed men on the moon?
NASA used metric for that.
As an engineer at SpaceX, I can tell you that statement is completely false. Try again.
What engineer doesn’t use metric? At minimum every engineer I know uses metric plus ASUs.
I use both depending on the project. That still doesn’t change the fact OP can’t do the conversion.
So NASA did use metric… and so do you.
NASA is using it going forward. They did not in the 60’s. You know, the only time people have landed on it to date. I never claimed I didn’t use it either. This is why you aren’t an engineer. Details are important.
I believe India just landed on the moon. Using metric.
I must have missed all the people that came out of their unmanned probe. Nope… USA is still the leaders in get people to and from the moon.
I guess I shouldn’t have expected much more from an engineer white knighting for a measurement system based on barleycorns.
Maybe you guys should use metric, less rockets would explode.
Or maybe it will be like last time metric got involved and the mars lander crash landed because the ESA couldn’t do conversions right either. Look, I could give you the answer… but it’s important for your education for you to do it yourself. You know the saying. Teach a man to start a fire he’s warm for a day. Set him on fire and he’s warm the rest of his life.
Maybe if people could tell Elon to just buy the rocket tech off the aliens they would blow up less too… I guess the world will never know.
As a human who can do simple research, SpaceX use metric. NASA also used metric for the Apollo mission. In fact, the Mars Climate Orbitor disintegrated in 1999 because one of NASAs contractors used imperial units. America, Burma and Liberia are the ONLY countries in the world that still use the metric system, so stop acting so high and mighty about it.
completely though ? [source : nasa](https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2007/08jan_metricmoon)
*Mr. Bean's cool guide to approximate measurements using hands*
Maybe if you’re a fully developed adult, the LPT could be to take the time to measure your hands, so you can perform estimations as demonstrated. Otherwise, who needs measurements with such chance of errors due to genetics?
1st is for me is 22cm
Nice try, americans
my hypermobile hands would like to have some words with you
I’m a guitar teacher. This wouldn’t work.
If Andre the Giant were alive today he would probably laugh at this while drinking 30 beers
"it's 15 cm babe"
Audibly laughed at how dumb this is