The correct term is a 'foot-pound'

"Pound-feet" sounds like a disease treated by a podiatrist.

For those in the know, when pound-feet was used as a measure of torque, as it was in the March 24 AutoMonday article("BMW 1 series impressive entry-level offering"), the reward is a hardy guffaw.

For those who didn't laugh or failed to shake their head in dismay, be aware that the average American's knowledge of science is mediocre at best. Every year the media reports how poorly our knowledge of science is compared to citizens in other advanced nations.

The correct word is "foot-pound" or, in the plural, "foot-pounds." It is a measure of work accomplished when a force of one pound acts through a distance of one foot in the direction of the force, meaning that an engine that develops 300 foot-pounds of torque can perform 300 times the amount of work in a given time period as one that develops 1 foot- pound of torque. And "torque"? The dictionary explains its meaning well.

The sad part of the story is that many in the media fail to see their gaffe. They ain't got the knowledge to keep their readership accurately informed.

M. Michael Dorr

Kildeer