5 go is equal to a half of 1 sho (reads as 'hanjo' in Japanese), so Japanese people use this and pose a riddle how to read '2 masu 5 go,' and the answer is 'masu masu hanjo' (means 'more and more prosperous').
また、5合は2分の1升にあたるため、「二升五合」を「ますますはんじょう（益々繁盛）」と判じ読みを行う。