I think that's because they're not really equivalent. At least for me, a hole the size of 2 washing machines is something that will look close to two washing machines put together. That limits the shape it can have. On the other hand, 92 cubic centimeters doesn't. It could be a 1cm x 1cm x 92cm hole, which wouldn't be possible with 2 washing machines.

If we assume that the two washing machines are side to side, and that the average washing machine is 60cm x 60cm x 85 cm (height), that would be a hole 1.20m width x 60 cm depth x 85 cm height. The washing machine example is still easier to visualize, but it's also better than "a 612 000 cubic centimeters hole".

I think 'hole in the road' comes with its own visualisation more likely to be accurate than anything you get from 'two washing machines'.

How do you accurately visualize whether "hole in the road" means you saying "what was that?" And driving on without slowing. Or whether the hole will require a crane to get your car to a place where it can be towed if you, possibly inadvertently, attempt to drive over it?

I meant regarding shape.

holes can be all sorts of shapes

But rarely like washing machines. (Which can also be all sorts of shapes anyway.)

Aside from side by side vs stackable, every washing machine I've ever encountered is roughly the same shape. Some edges are rounder and the door might be on the front or the top but the shape is the same.

The vast majority are approximately cuboid boxes, sure. Ever seen a hole in the road like that?

Yes, all the time when I lived in Atlanta. They frequently do road construction where they dig up rectangular underground vaults, then cover them up with giant “temporary” steel plates for years at a time. When the steel plates get dislodged, which they always do because they are not supposed to be permanent repairs, it leaves a gaping rectangular hole. I would estimate that the remaining hole is around the 4-washing machine size. When I was working on my MS at Ga Tech, a friend drove over one at speed, the car made it past but it sheared the oil pan right off the engine. Any Atlanta resident can validate that this is not BS. https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/why-at...

You'd say something like "2 cubic metres". Which is roughly the size of 2 washing machines.

So like 1/20th of a cubic fathom?

> hole in the road that is about 92 cubic centimeters

92 cubic centimeters is a pretty small hole...

a hole in the road 1.5mx80cmx60cm is pretty easy to understand or imagine, when you know metric system and absolutely trivial to convert: ~0.70 cubic meters or ~700 liters or ~700.000 cubic centimeters

Washing machines comes of all sizes.

Is it like the slim one I have at home to save space or like the ones I find in laundromats?

Metric units have standards.

I don't know how many people would understand "a hole in the road the size of 137 trays of home made tiramisù"

TBF here too when the media want to make analogies, they are pretty terrible: "an asteroid the size of 8 soccer fields" means nothing to me, ~800 meters makes much more sense.

Where I’m from, we’d just say “There’s a big ass hole in the road”

Is that an imperial ass or a metric ass?

Around here that's just a normal morning commute

A big bottle of soda is 1000 or 2000 cubic centimeters. A can of soda is 200 or 300 cubic centimeters. A glass of water has 200 or 300 cubic centimeters. 92 cubic centimeters is half a glass of water.