In a bar in Scotland, two sizes are listed for the beer - pint and half. I assume that half is half pint, however for all beers the price for "half" doubled is less then the price for a pint (say pint is 5.50, while half is 2.30). So it does not make sense to me. What does half mean in this context? Is it half pint? If so, what is the reason why two halfs cost less than a whole pint? Is this something standard here?
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17I say this as an expert - having drunk beers in Scotland for almost half a century: It is not standard - that bar is doing something very weird with their pricing.– Rory Alsop ♦Commented Aug 30, 2022 at 21:00
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7Marketing technique, ordering halves makes you sit longer perhaps, which makes you hungry so you order food, and feeling the price is less you might end up ordering 3 halves instead of one pint.– Nean Der ThalCommented Aug 30, 2022 at 21:30
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3Or they had drunk to many halves before editing the prices :-)– jcaronCommented Aug 30, 2022 at 22:04
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13So order "two halves in a pint glass".– RobinCommented Aug 31, 2022 at 4:29
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5Questions like these confuse me. The correct answer is easy enough to come by.... ASK them. It's still a useful and interesting question, and once you determine the answer by asking the proprietors, answer it yourself.– CGCampbellCommented Aug 31, 2022 at 11:06
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3 Answers
As this other answer correctly says, the "Half" means indeed half pint.
As for the weird pricing, they changed the menu, and got some mistakes while doing it.
This is the previous menu, with "correct" prices:
So they raised the price of all draft beers, and forgot to raise it for the half pints as well.
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3Lol. The internet is amazing. Follow up on law SE: Is that menu a binding offer in the jurisdiction of Scotland? Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 13:09
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@Peter already asked! Well, for USA, but still... ;) Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 13:19
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@JackAidley yeah, here in Israel anyone can add one word to legal document (טל"ח) and that would dismiss any legal charges in case of honest mistake. Probably same in other places. Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 15:48
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@Peter-ReinstateMonica - Menus and advertisements are "invitations to treat" in UK law (all jurisdictions). There is no legal obligation on the merchant to honour a price. Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 19:38
A "half" is indeed a half pint. The amount is regulated by law and can't be less.
I'm as baffled as you are by the pricing policy. It may be a mistake, or it may be intended to encourage people to drink less, or maybe try more of their varieties of beers. Or it may be relying on the traditional Scottish attitude that "half pints are for wusses" to never have to serve one. ( That last was a joke, don't call me out on it.)
answered Aug 30, 2022 at 20:12
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1In the example, they are NOT charging more for the half, they even charge less, hence the question.– RelaxedCommented Aug 30, 2022 at 20:23
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1Yes indeed charging me more for two halves than the whole pint would make sense and is what I've seen everywhere else. That is what gets me confused Commented Aug 30, 2022 at 20:32
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2A pint is basically the "Planck volume" in many counties. It's impossible to measure beer in anything smaller. Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 12:13
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3@EricDuminil That's a US unit, not the volume of a standard glass in the UK or Ireland.– RelaxedCommented Aug 31, 2022 at 21:11
Usually anyone asking for a pint and a half is asking for a pint and a spirit - the measure of spirit is the 'half'. It's a colloquialism. Older gents (usually always gents) asked for 'a hauf and a hauf pint' back in the day - lack of spare cash would be the reason.
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2While this is an explanation about the use of 'half' in the UK, it does not explain the 'half' in the question. (I did not down vote but that might be the reason someone did.)– Willeke ♦Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 18:54
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1That's a very unusual use of "half". In the twenty years I spend drinking in Britain I never encountered it. Commented Sep 3, 2022 at 17:25