My grandmother used to say to us, as children, usually when we found a bit of soil left on vegetables, 'We must all eat a peck of dirt before we die'. A peck is an old measure of volume equal to a bushel, 2 gallons or 554.8 cu. ins (UK measurements). Has anyone else heard this expression; does anyone know where it originates and why this precise measurement was chosen?

Moved to Folklore category.