take off a little more, lady

Today we learned that it's not only the ladies at the deli counter at Basha's who don't understand tenths of a pound. The lady we talked to at Whole Foods couldn't handle it, either. They seem to be able to handle a half a pound, but if you go ask for four tenths of a pound of something, they have no idea how to measure that.

So I'm assigning homework: the next time you go to the grocery store, go ask the standard middle-aged deli lady if she would be able to measure out 0.40 lbs of something, and report back what she says.

This assignment will reveal the answer to one, but maybe both, of these important questions:
1. Is this mathematical illiteracy widespread?
2. Do I have any readers with the ability, time, and inclination to go pester deli ladies?

Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.*


* It just slipped out. I've been fantasizing about sending out job applications.