Howdy folks. I'm sure someone out there (probably everyone but me!) knows the origin "bbl", often used as an abbreviation for the word "barrels". Have often wondered about that...

Me? I'm a lazy writer. It was the easiest contraction I c'd think of, which accurately reflected the word of origin. No idea as to where I'd seen it, prior to that use, but would think such a useful abb had been around for a loong time.

PS: I might haved a cornerstone on the word "PETAphile", tho. Someone who care'd c'd write a master's theis researching it that claim. Not that the subject is so great, but that Master's theses have sunk to such minutiae. ;~`)

My goodness I hope spring comes soon
The Latin word for cannon is canna, which comes from 'reed' which may come from a bamboo tube (used by the Chinese as early cannons) or cannae.
Barellus is the Latin word for 'barrel', but referes to a 'cask' rather than the barrel of a cannon.

Easy.

1 bbl = 31 gallons
1/2 bbl = 15.5 gallons (Keg)
1/4 bbl = 7.75 gallons (Pony Keg)

according to this site and others it comes from Blue Barrel (standard color for 42 gallon oil barrel.) According to wikipedia that is not correct...

Once again proving, truly, this is the 'college of obscure knowledge'.

A compendium of worthwhile information and useless trivia.

Regards,
Charles

origin unknown, but thot to perhaps be from the Gaulish.

Origin: 1250–1300; ME barell < AF baril, OF barril < VL *barrīculum, equiv. to *barrīc(a), perh. deriv. of LL barra bar1 + L -ulum -ule; cf. ML (ca. 800) barriclus small cask

today, in digi-text and cell fone jargon it means 'be back later'

I read the original question as to the origin of "Bbl" as the abbreviation for barrel or barrels. Here's what I foung by entering Bbl on Google: The "b" may have been doubled originally to indicate the plural (1 bl, 2 bbl), or possibly it was doubled to eliminate any confusion with bl as a symbol for the bale (see above). Note: Some web sites are claiming that "bbl" originated as a symbol for "blue barrels" delivered by Standard Oil in its early days; this is almost certainly incorrect because there are citations for the symbol at least as early as the late 1700s, long before Standard Oil was founded.[3]

From Wikipedia. If the question was why are they called barrels. that's because the first ones for guns were made by "barrel", as in cask, makers.

The Late Keith Neal once told me on one of his visits to Purdeys Factory aprox 1959. that he had some of both John & Joseph Mantons Handwritten Gun Orders. I did get to see them some time later, Barrels used the Abbreviation, BBL 2ft 8in.& bbl 2ft 10". What do the Tula Gunmakers use in their Gunshops????cc/dt.

To further muddy the waters, in aircraft fabrication it stands for "body buttock line"...

Hmmm, I hadn't heard that one before. An Everettism? Certainly not a Long Beachism.

Could very well be, my only other experience is the A-10 back in Farmingdale...long ago...