Since 1992
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By Barbara McAllister
Word of the Day: Smoot
A smoot is a non-standard unit of measurement that equals 5 feet, 7 inches. Google Earth will tell you that the distance from Lewiston to Lisbon is approximately 7.5 miles, 12.06 kilometers, 13,194 yards, or 7,089.18 smoots. A smoot is the length of Oliver R. Smoot, who, as an 18-year-old fraternity pledge at Massachusetts Institute of Technology In 1958, was part of a fraternity prank used to measure the Harvard Bridge, which connects Cambridge and Boston. The pledge master chose Oliver because he was the shortest pledge, thereby making the measurement process more time-consuming and difficult. Oliver had to lie down, have his position marked by the fraternity brothers and repeat the process for the entire length of the bridge. The bridge is a standard measurement of 678 yards, which turned out to be 364.4 smoots “and an ear.” That means Oliver had to lie down and get up repeatedly in the cold and dark some 365 times. Near the end, he was so exhausted he had to be carried by the fraternity brothers to each new position.
The fraternity didn’t realize their feat not only made its way into MIT and Boston lore, but to Google lore as well. Google’s calculator function can change any measurement to smoots. In 2011, the word smoot (spelled with a small s) was added to the fifth addition of the American Heritage Dictionary and is a valid Scrabble word.
Smoot graduated from MIT with the class of 1962, became a lawyer, and later became chairman of the American National Standards Institute, then president of the International Organization for Standardization.
The Harvard Bridge over the Charles River is still covered with painted markings of the measurements. They are repainted every year by incoming class members. A plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the measurement was placed on the bridge in 2010 to honor Smoot’s contribution. Next time you watch a football game, you’ll know it takes 5.37 smoots for a first down.
