"When soaking wet" is just a phrase used imply that is the high end of the estimate. Many things, such as clothes, are much heavier when wet.

Also, # = pound = lb

Fascinating - I don't remember ever seeing that usage, didn't know it's used for pounds/weight, although I knew "pound sign" is one name for #. Seems the sign evolved from "lb" with a horizontal line through it.

"When # is after a number, it is read as "pound" or "pounds", meaning the unit of weight. ...rare outside North America."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_sign#Names

Reading that page, I learnt the word "octothorpe" was likely invented at Bell Labs in 1968! haha. Gee I thought it was a centuries-old name.

Sorry to go even more OT, but were you familiar with the "soaking wet" part? Your profile says Australia and I'm curious if that's an idiom there as well.

:-) A very fair question. No, I'd also never heard that expression.

ohh ok thanks! I thought maybe it was fahrenheit hehe.