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一丁 is a cut of tofu or konyaku, so why is it also used for photos? I always
imagined it as a Polaroid, flat, like もう一枚 but can't find out the original
reason もう一丁 was used for it.
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2015-05-08T14:37:08.857
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2015-05-08T15:46:21.103
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question
counters
Why is another photo referred to as もう一丁?
**_Formal and Informal Speech_**

「[丁]{ちょう}」, formally, is used like you said -- a counter for tofu, konnyaku,
etc.

In informal speech (mostly among male speakers), however, it can be used to
count many different **_inanimate_** objects. Saying 「[写真]{しゃしん}もう[一丁]{いっちょう}」
to mean "one more pic" is no problem.

I am sure that is not something they would actively teach in Japanese-as-a-
foreign-language but among native speakers, it is just pretty normal.
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2015-05-08T15:06:37.880
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2015-05-08T15:06:37.880
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answer
Its use is not limited to photos. もう一丁 is an idiomatic phrase which just means
"one more try", "give it another shot".

丁 is also used as a counter for dishes (of food), and today もう一丁 is typically
heard as a vigorous call in some restaurants (「牛丼、並一丁！」「ラーメン大盛り一丁！ もう一丁！」）. I
think you can just memorize it as it is.

Photographers may say もう一丁 to their subjects, but they never use 丁 to actually
count the number of photos or trials (e.g. [*]写真が5丁, [*]あと3丁撮ってみましょう).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-08T15:46:21.103
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2015-05-08T15:46:21.103
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answer