In this case, being pint-sized is a good thing. But too many pubs and bars are falling short, pouring so-called pints of beer that fail to deliver a full 20 ounces.

A Star investigation has found that some Toronto beer drinkers have been promised pints but are being denied as much as six ounces of social lubricant — a bitter result indeed. The implications for beer pong, alone, are staggering.

It’s enough to bring tears to the eyes of Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Folks at Measurement Canada are in charge of weights, measures and “standards calibration” for everything from oil to beer. And, thank goodness, they’ve decided to hop to it and address this brewing scandal.

As reported by the Star’s Manisha Krishnan, the department is responsible for the federal Fairness at the Pumps Act . Coming into force last month, much of the act concerns gasoline pumps and electricity meters, but it also covers pints of beer that fail to measure up — as so often happens in Toronto.

A pint can mean different things... depending upon the bar it is ordered in.

A dedicated Star investigator recently ordered pints of beer at 15 local watering holes and received a full 20 ounces at only three (three!).

Any establishment advertising a pint is obligated to deliver precisely that. Violations can result in fines of up to $2,000. For the record , according to Measurement Canada, a pint of draught beer contains 20 fluid ounces, with a half-ounce margin of allowable error, not including foam or “head.”