6 creative ways to measure things in a pinch

The ubiquitous red Solo cup is more than a shatter-proof drink receptacle. The indents along the sides indicate common beverage measurements—the lowest groove is a 1 oz shot, the next for a 5 oz pour of wine, and the third indicating a 12 oz beer.

A woman’s size 9 shoe is 25.1 cm long. So, with two pairs lined up nose to heel, you can measure out 1 metre almost exactly. If you have a basketball player in the family, a men’s size 14 is 30.2 cm, which is just under one foot long.

Canadian currency is precisely 2 3/4-by-6 inches (or 7-by-15 cm). So, if you line up a fiver and a twenty side by side, you’ve got a foot-long measurement. And now that our currency is plasticized, you don’t have to worry about tattered edges bringing your measures up short.

A standard credit card is approximately 2-by-3½ inches. Stacking five of them on top of each other adds up to 10 inches. Four lined up in a row will be 14 inches wide. Use a fifth laid perpendicular, and subtract that amount to get an even foot.

A standard sheet of letterhead paper is 8½-by-11 inches. If you make a T with two sheets, you’re just shy of 20 inches. Legal size paper is 8½-by-14 inches.

A standard ice cube tray holds about two tablespoons or one fluid ounce in each slot. Freeze leftover pasta sauce, stock, or other liquids, and you’ll know how many cubes to use with your next recipe.