Metric

Who are the stupid ones ?
Who worked behind the bar, in a shop, adding up 3&6 and 11 pence 3 farthings.
I’d like to see all the clever dicks do that in their head
I think I’ve proved my point.

MissAdventure

Yes, never label yourself stupid.
Log on to here and let someone else do it for you.

???

Bluebelle, I expect, like me, you didn't learn metric at school (not wishing to be rude, you may be younger than me) but only had to learn all those complicated imperial systems of weights and measures with their intriguing names!
Easy peasy.

Metric's a doddle in comparison.

I work in an estate agent’s and I can assure you that lots of people prefer feet and inches, and not just older ones either.

Yes, never label yourself stupid.
Log on to here and let someone else do it for you.

BlueBelle, don’t label yourself stupid.
Adults who’ve only ever worked in metric never had to learn and would have to work hard to cope, with ounces, pounds, stones, quarters and cwt, or inches, feet, yards, chains, furlongs and all the multiplication tables that went with them.
They missed the joys of knowing that there were 240p 480 1/2p, 960 farthings in £1 (with an extra line on the £ sign.)
I’ve heard children grumble about being asked to calculate how many cm in 3km. Sadly they missed out on calculating 63,360 inches in 1 mile so how many in 3 miles.
We’re definitely not stupid!

Chestnut

Esspee

Why do we still use miles? Can anyone enlighten me?

I am approaching 74 years of age. In primary school we used ounces, pounds, inches and feet but at secondary school we used the metric system. It is disgraceful that the changeover wasn't enforced in all aspects.

We still use imperial because we're British and we love it! I'm not sure that makes us disgraceful. Centuries of imperial means our brains are wired for it, and not naturally wired for metric. What annoys me is when they use both, sometimes together. Let's just go back to imperial, although that might be tricky for the money. ? ?

I like metric, it seems more efficient.

But I also like the eccentricity and history of imperial measurements; it would be a pity to enforce their abolition.

We're British! It's being eccentric as keeps us going ?

CountessFosco

Bearing in mind Britain adopted the metric system in 1965, it is really pathetic that estate agents, and advertisers [on eBay] are still using feet and inches.

Do you do a lot of buying and selling, CountessFosco?
If it's not harming anyone, why worry?

Just looking at some properties online and room sizes, which are given in metric and imperial.
The total size, including garage, is given just in sq.ft but as that information is not much use to anyone, it matters not.
The plot is given in acreage (I can tell that it's too big for us now).

57 years !

Esspee

Why do we still use miles? Can anyone enlighten me?

I am approaching 74 years of age. In primary school we used ounces, pounds, inches and feet but at secondary school we used the metric system. It is disgraceful that the changeover wasn't enforced in all aspects.

We still use imperial because we're British and we love it! I'm not sure that makes us disgraceful. Centuries of imperial means our brains are wired for it, and not naturally wired for metric. What annoys me is when they use both, sometimes together. Let's just go back to imperial, although that might be tricky for the money. ? ?

MerylStreep

Maybe it’s because we’re British and *we like it*

And because imperial measurements are still used in some countries we trade with?
eg the USA

I m afraid I m one of those stupid people who still thinks in stones pounds and ounces and feet and inches and definitely miles
I can convert using Mrgoogle ? I ve no idea what I am in height or weight without converting
I m better with weather / heat that’s just about there
….but cooking I need scales and liquid containers with both on
So sorry countessfosco I m stupid
I presume if we had gone completely over I d have got used to it better but because many things are still in imperial I ll stick with half and half

I use both under different circumstances - grams and kilogrammes when cooking but stones and pounds when weighing myself.

It was funny a couple of weeks ago, when our son Skyped us from Australia with the lovely news of his son's birth. We asked how much he weighed. "3.445 kg" was the reply. We sat there for five minutes trying to calculate the weight in lbs and ozs (7lb, 6oz - a good healthy weight).

Maybe it’s because we’re British and we like it

Don't complicate issues.
I've just about worked out roughly 100cm in my mind.

MissAdventure

Oh balls!!

Variable in size!

MissAdventure

I still use gret and inches.
My mind can't fathom metric measurements.

Like it!

A fathom is 1.8288m btw!

Oh balls!!

Feet.
Couldnt Dee die to an advert taking up my screen.

I still use gret and inches.
My mind can't fathom metric measurements.

Why do we still use miles? Can anyone enlighten me?

I am approaching 74 years of age. In primary school we used ounces, pounds, inches and feet but at secondary school we used the metric system. It is disgraceful that the changeover wasn't enforced in all aspects.

Fleurpepper

Yes. If anyone has not got the hang of metric by now, then I just don't know what to say!

I still haven't a clue! Why is this on pedants corner?

We're still using miles CountessFosco

I still think in Imperial I roughly know metric but it just makes more sense to my old brain. My new GGD was 6lb 7ozs not sure why babies are still weighed that way though.

I can work in both, but perhaps those brought up with imperial measurements might find it easier to visualise room dimensions in imperial but want to know the metric too.

On a building site it is not uncommon for a builder to ask for "2 metres of the 2 by 3" (meaning 2 inch by 3 inch timber)
Yes, DH measured how much he wanted from the timber merchants and asked for it in metric as required, which they went to get ready. "How much is it?" he asked.
"£1 a foot" they replied ?

I do a bit of both and always ask Mr Google to convert if needed.