How much is a buttload? It’s a commonly used piece of slang used to insinuate that something is of large volume or bountiful, but surprisingly it is a real life measurement. It’s a common juvenile phrase that many of us throw about. Most people normally use the phrase when referring to money, as in “that’s a buttload of cash.” So now that you know that it is a real measurement, how much is a buttload?
First of all, the term has absolutely no rude undertones, despite the inclusion of the word butt. It’s a word that descends from middle English and is equivalent to 475 liters (126 US gallons). How is it that they get to this precisely odd figure? Well, it’s not really an exact science, and the value varies depending on the contents that is measured, as we will explain.
A butt, where the word originates from, is generally equal to two hogs heads, which is a unit of measurement for measuring alcoholic beverages, such as wines and beers. I’m glad that we don’t use these kinds of measurements any more. It would be very confusing and entertaining learning though. A hogs head is normally 237.5 liters (63 US gallons). That’s the value of a buttload for a liquid substance. When measuring space it is worth 4,000 cubic centimeters (244 cubic inches). In distance it is merely 45.7 meters (50 yards), which isn’t that far at all. I could easily run a buttload without raising a sweat. When it comes to weight, well it’s heavy. A buttload of weight is worth 14 tons, so you will never be able to lose a buttload of weight.
If you are a teenager and you ever get dragged over the hot coals for using this phrase by your parents, you can reassure them that it is a real unit of measurement. One thing for sure. There is no real value for a buttload of cash.
