The size of things: an ngram experiment
By colin_morris
Category: Science
What did writers use to describe size before phones and credit cards existed? I mined the Google Books Ngram dataset to map size analogies in English books from 1800 to 2008. See why "the size of a pea" stays top, how nature references yield to sports and household comparisons, and view the century by century top 20 with methods.
Rolly's Take
For the curious mind who revels in the subtle shifts of language and culture. This blog whispers the stories hidden within size analogies, revealing how the familiar frames our understanding of the world — a delightful exploration for anyone who lingers on the nuances of expression.