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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 10, 2006 Since You Asked Reams vs. flocks: what’s the deal? Who decided that "ream" was the word to describe a large group of pieces of paper? Why not "flock"? — M.L., Talent Just when we thought this one would be easy, it got interesting. Advertisement According to "How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement" by mathematics Professor Russ Rowlett of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ( www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/index.html ), a ream is "a traditional unit of quantity, used for counting sheets of paper. The word is thought to be derived from the Arabic rizmah , meaning a bundle. A ream is equal to 20 ‘quires,’ which would be 480 sheets with the traditional definition of a quire as 24 sheets." Modern reams are 500 sheets of regular paper stock and 250 sheets of "cover" stock — thicker, heavyweight paper. Rowlett says the old ream of 480 sheets is now called a "short ream." And our Funk & Wagnalls (OK, it’s Webster’s New World College Dictionary 4th Edition, but "Funk & Wagnalls" has such a nice ring to it) says a ream can go all the way up to 516 sheets. The 16 sheets were added to cover printing mistakes. Interestingly, a "flock" as a quantity is an Old English measurement not necessarily attributed to animals. Rowlett reports that it meant two score, or 40. And how’s this for a James Burke-style "connection": "Flock" is also a type of short fiber that is sprinkled over a glue "printed" in a design on fabrics. When the glue dries, excess flock is removed, leaving a raised velvet surface. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to Since You Asked Reams vs. flocks: what�s the deal? ">[email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Hammocks Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement