While we often think of a dozen as a straightforward count of 12, its counterpart, the half dozen, amounts to 6. Surprisingly, the half dozen has played a significant role throughout history and culture. Derived from the Old French word “douszain,” the dozen has deep roots in ancient measurements, with the half dozen naturally becoming a preferred unit for counting and packaging smaller quantities.
In baking, a half dozen is a common way to package or sell items like bagels or cupcakes, appealing for its simplicity and practicality. Beyond its culinary applications, the term “half dozen” is frequently used in expressions and idioms, highlighting the innate human preference for dealing with manageable chunks of numbers.
A “small gross” may sound peculiar in the world of measurements, yet it holds a significant niche in the realm of counting. A small gross equals 120 units, serving as a fascinating intermediate between a dozen and a gross. This unit reflects the duodecimal system’s influence, a base-12 number system used historically in trade and counting, particularly before the widespread adoption of the decimal system. While its usage is rarer today, it was once quite practical for merchandise packaging and bulk items, highlighting humanity’s penchant for diverse mathematical solutions in different eras. Rediscovering units like the small gross bridges the gap between historical trade practices and modern numerical systems, shedding light on how societies have quantified goods across centuries.
| Half Dozen | Small Gross |
|---|---|
0
half-dozen
|
0
sm-gr
|
0.5
half-dozen
|
0.025
sm-gr
|
1
half-dozen
|
0.05
sm-gr
|
1.5
half-dozen
|
0.075
sm-gr
|
2
half-dozen
|
0.1
sm-gr
|
2.5
half-dozen
|
0.125
sm-gr
|
3
half-dozen
|
0.15
sm-gr
|
3.5
half-dozen
|
0.175
sm-gr
|
4
half-dozen
|
0.2
sm-gr
|
4.5
half-dozen
|
0.225
sm-gr
|
5
half-dozen
|
0.25
sm-gr
|
5.5
half-dozen
|
0.275
sm-gr
|
6
half-dozen
|
0.3
sm-gr
|
6.5
half-dozen
|
0.325
sm-gr
|
7
half-dozen
|
0.35
sm-gr
|
7.5
half-dozen
|
0.375
sm-gr
|
8
half-dozen
|
0.4
sm-gr
|
8.5
half-dozen
|
0.425
sm-gr
|
9
half-dozen
|
0.45
sm-gr
|
9.5
half-dozen
|
0.475
sm-gr
|
10
half-dozen
|
0.5
sm-gr
|
10.5
half-dozen
|
0.525
sm-gr
|
11
half-dozen
|
0.55
sm-gr
|
11.5
half-dozen
|
0.575
sm-gr
|
12
half-dozen
|
0.6
sm-gr
|
12.5
half-dozen
|
0.625
sm-gr
|
13
half-dozen
|
0.65
sm-gr
|
13.5
half-dozen
|
0.675
sm-gr
|
14
half-dozen
|
0.7
sm-gr
|
14.5
half-dozen
|
0.725
sm-gr
|
15
half-dozen
|
0.75
sm-gr
|
15.5
half-dozen
|
0.775
sm-gr
|
16
half-dozen
|
0.8
sm-gr
|
16.5
half-dozen
|
0.825
sm-gr
|
17
half-dozen
|
0.85
sm-gr
|
17.5
half-dozen
|
0.875
sm-gr
|
18
half-dozen
|
0.9
sm-gr
|
18.5
half-dozen
|
0.925
sm-gr
|
19
half-dozen
|
0.95
sm-gr
|
19.5
half-dozen
|
0.975
sm-gr
|
20
half-dozen
|
1
sm-gr
|
20.5
half-dozen
|
1.025
sm-gr
|
21
half-dozen
|
1.05
sm-gr
|
21.5
half-dozen
|
1.075
sm-gr
|
22
half-dozen
|
1.1
sm-gr
|
22.5
half-dozen
|
1.125
sm-gr
|
23
half-dozen
|
1.15
sm-gr
|
23.5
half-dozen
|
1.175
sm-gr
|
24
half-dozen
|
1.2
sm-gr
|
24.5
half-dozen
|
1.225
sm-gr
|
25
half-dozen
|
1.25
sm-gr
|
25.5
half-dozen
|
1.275
sm-gr
|
26
half-dozen
|
1.3
sm-gr
|
26.5
half-dozen
|
1.325
sm-gr
|
27
half-dozen
|
1.35
sm-gr
|
27.5
half-dozen
|
1.375
sm-gr
|
28
half-dozen
|
1.4
sm-gr
|
28.5
half-dozen
|
1.425
sm-gr
|
29
half-dozen
|
1.45
sm-gr
|
29.5
half-dozen
|
1.475
sm-gr
|
30
half-dozen
|
1.5
sm-gr
|
30.5
half-dozen
|
1.525
sm-gr
|
31
half-dozen
|
1.55
sm-gr
|
31.5
half-dozen
|
1.575
sm-gr
|
32
half-dozen
|
1.6
sm-gr
|
32.5
half-dozen
|
1.625
sm-gr
|
33
half-dozen
|
1.65
sm-gr
|
33.5
half-dozen
|
1.675
sm-gr
|
34
half-dozen
|
1.7
sm-gr
|
34.5
half-dozen
|
1.725
sm-gr
|
35
half-dozen
|
1.75
sm-gr
|
35.5
half-dozen
|
1.775
sm-gr
|
36
half-dozen
|
1.8
sm-gr
|
36.5
half-dozen
|
1.825
sm-gr
|
37
half-dozen
|
1.85
sm-gr
|
37.5
half-dozen
|
1.875
sm-gr
|
38
half-dozen
|
1.9
sm-gr
|
38.5
half-dozen
|
1.925
sm-gr
|
39
half-dozen
|
1.95
sm-gr
|
39.5
half-dozen
|
1.975
sm-gr
|
40
half-dozen
|
2
sm-gr
|
40.5
half-dozen
|
2.025
sm-gr
|
41
half-dozen
|
2.05
sm-gr
|
41.5
half-dozen
|
2.075
sm-gr
|
42
half-dozen
|
2.1
sm-gr
|
42.5
half-dozen
|
2.125
sm-gr
|
43
half-dozen
|
2.15
sm-gr
|
43.5
half-dozen
|
2.175
sm-gr
|
44
half-dozen
|
2.2
sm-gr
|
44.5
half-dozen
|
2.225
sm-gr
|
45
half-dozen
|
2.25
sm-gr
|
45.5
half-dozen
|
2.275
sm-gr
|
46
half-dozen
|
2.3
sm-gr
|
46.5
half-dozen
|
2.325
sm-gr
|
47
half-dozen
|
2.35
sm-gr
|
47.5
half-dozen
|
2.375
sm-gr
|
48
half-dozen
|
2.4
sm-gr
|
48.5
half-dozen
|
2.425
sm-gr
|
49
half-dozen
|
2.45
sm-gr
|
49.5
half-dozen
|
2.475
sm-gr
|
50
half-dozen
|
2.5
sm-gr
|
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