I was just reading the thread about cooking websites and a post from Funke88 really annoyed me.

What is it with people over the age of about 35 and imperial measurements? I realise that it's what you learn when you're young, but I really don't understand them.

Where's the logic with having 12 inches to a foot and then having 3 feet to a yard. And lord knows what a mile is.

And then there's 16 ounces to a pound but 14 pounds in a stone! WTF is all that about???

And 8 pints in a gallon. :confused:


Yet with metric, everything's so simple. There's 1000 millimetres in a metre, 100 centimetres in a metre, 10 decimetres in a metre... it's all very logical. And a kilometre is 1000 metres. Obvious.

I don't know if length is related to capacity, and capacity is related to weight in imperial, but in metric, this is simple too.

A cubic decimetre is a litre, and a litre of water weighs a kilogramme.

See what I mean? It's all so simple.

I'll probably get some criticism for this, because I know how people like their imperial measurements. I just wish that some people would give metric more of a chance, and in time I'm sure they'd find it easier.

Originally posted by Sidla
And lord knows what a mile is.


What do you think all those signs mean when you're driving your car? ie 30, 50, 70

Well I know it's around 1600 metres, but in yards I don't have a clue.

Originally posted by Sidla
Well I know it's around 1600 metres, but in yards I don't have a clue.

It's 1760 yards, which, as you say, is approx 1600 metres.

If you grew up with the imperial system, it's hard to let go, even when you know metric makes more sense.

The one I have the most trouble with is when someone's height is given in centimetres on those Crimewatch programmes.

For example, I can visualise 6 feet 3 inches much more easily than 189cm (or whatever it is)

I still give my weight and height in Imperial (6'1 and 16st) and when I measure with a tape I tend to use inches but when I'm measuring gas on a manometer (U-Gauge) I use millibars. That's just the way I've been taught.

I can use both although I sometimes forget how many inches to a metre etc. 10cm = 4 inches as far as I know.

I do both i am afriad, was brought up at the time of changing over.
I do weights of cooking things and people in old imperial. At school everything is done on kg.
I do height and measures around the house in feet and inches, and drive miles but i do things at work in centimeters.

If they changed road things to Km it would be a nightmare, noone would understand it.

Question - how many men measure the size of there tools in Cm??? ;)

Originally posted by fuzzy
Question - how many men measure the size of there tools in Cm??? ;)
Well I've got a 10cm screwdriver and 2cm spanner...

You need to take another 10 years of your rant there Sidla, I HATE metric.
I insist on having weighing scales in my house that measure in both.
I was brought up with pounds and ounces and was taught the other stuff at school which never really stuck in my head.

I think I am possibly your classic women cos you can mention sizes to me (in either versioN) and I still cannot get a picture in my head of what it means. So if anyone sees me out driving park AWAY from me :)

Moon Maiden

I wish we could just have the one system and stick with it. I don't mind too much which. It's conversions that make things unnecessarily complicated.

I can use the Metric system mostly, but if it came to driving in Kilometres and measuring distance in the same, I'd be screw drivered ;)

I prefer the Imperial System because it's what stuck in my head through life. Everything was measure in pounds and ounces and that's the way I work it.

I'd rather weight say 18 stone than 114.31 Kilograms. It sounds less.

And like Mojo says, I can visualise 6ft 3 in height as opposed to 192 cm

I use both mainly, but some I dont know.

Like Kilometers and pounds and ounces lol.

Brought up on imperial and help the kids do homework in metric(which I find very difficult).

I can remember chanting all the inches,feet,yards,miles,furlong, chains stuff.

Logic tells me that metic should be so much easier but it isn't.

It's weird how people moved from pre-decimal coins so quickly yet still hold onto old weights and measures. Wonder what will happen if we ever get the Euro ? :P

I'm glad that our country decided to change to metric, the imperial system must be hell for kids to learn. From an engineering/maths/science point of view the imperial system is irrelevant. everywhere (Apart from the US) have chosen to use S.I. units which is metric. Brilliant system, everything is interlinked. is. one litre of water weighs one kilogramme etc. It annoys me greatly that the US insist on still using imperial when the rest of the world is metric. I appreciate it's hard change from imperial, but there really is no reason to stick with the nonsense of imperial. It also annoys me when peoples arguments for sticking with imperial consist of 'we like it' and 'we're used to it'. Unfortunately the world changes and moves forward. We have to move with it.

Originally posted by Moon Maiden
I think I am possibly your classic women cos you can mention sizes to me (in either version) and I still cannot get a picture in my head of what it means.

So you can't help me on the women's dress size conundrum then? I can tell you my height, chest, waist, inside leg measurements (if you really need to know!). But I can't explain what a womens size 8, 10 or 12 is. Any offers - how does it work?

Ta!!

I have no idea how womens sizes work. Baffles me too. boys have height waist and chest size etc. women just have one number, it's weird. imagine getting measured for a suit and saying, i'm a 12 and that's it. weird i tell you!

I can just about cope with metric measurements, but lord knows how I will cope when we switch over to metric time in 2007.

10 hours in a day? It just sounds stupid to me.

Can someone explain, please?

PLEASE tell me you're kidding!

No, most certainly not. 10 seconds in a deciminuta, 10 deciminutas in a minuta, ten minutas in a decihora and ten decihoras in one hora.

This sort of pattern goes right through. I have a book on it. I'll search out some facts and post them.

I believe the changeover is on the first of January in 2007.

You'll have to point me to this book on Amazon before I believe you Sam cos you're well known to me (and others) as the master of the joke.

As it is I feel I've already been conned into looking for 'Metric Time 2007 changeover' on Yahoo and Google, where I found nothing apart from some news about road signs being converted to Metric in September.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0205/roads.html

I honestly do hope I've been conned though. Metric time??? :loopy:

There's quite a lot written about it. An example is here:
Metric time (http://www.indwes.edu/Faculty/bcupp/things/metrictm.htm)

Also, for those of you who cannot get their heads round the concept there's a guide here:
A guide to metric time (http://zapatopi.net/metrictime.html)

As to a timetable for implementation I think 2007 is too early. At a presentation recently by Dr Juve Bin Haad in Leeds, the indications were that they would start on 1/10/2010 as it would be more natural.

Metric time will never happen, too many people are aquainted with the gregorian calender to make it work. its just uneeded and pointless...

Its just an idea bandied about by crazy people and hoaxers

Though everything below the second is in metric anyway. ie milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds etc... so it would make sense to covert minutes, hours etc to metric. that would be one hell of a changeover though. imagine the whole world having to change at the same time. woo mama! bet the US would still refuse to change though.

though as RPG say's, it's unlikely to ever happen.

............and ten days in a deci-anno (week). Ten deci-annos in an anno (year). That makes each anno 100 days and erm, er.......there, I've lost it already!!

:loopy:

We're all doooooooomed. :o

Originally posted by Pauly
You'll have to point me to this book on Amazon before I believe you Sam cos you're well known to me (and others) as the master of the joke.

As it is I feel I've already been conned into looking for 'Metric Time 2007 changeover' on Yahoo and Google, where I found nothing apart from some news about road signs being converted to Metric in September.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0205/roads.html

I honestly do hope I've been conned though. Metric time??? :loopy:

Joke. What, me? About silly stuff yes, but not when it's something serious. The book is called 'Time for a Change', by Janet Reedburg. ISBN 9567432.

My wife was going to buy me a new watch for Christmas, but bought me this instead as the watch will be useless in three-years time.

PS: Interestingly, the 12 month year is going to be gradually phased out until 2012. The reason being, apparently, that public holidays and soforth throughout the world will need a five-year span to adjust accordingly.

Actually, the more I read, the more I can see it working.

I don't understand the Imperial system at all, seeing as it was never taught at school. i understandf it enough from my parents, but I have no need to learn about it in detail, just like i don't really know how the old monetery system works.
Metric is great, even k/ph once you get your head around it. The only problem is when i have to read reports written by Americans. And they quote their dates and grid references the wrong way around!

Originally posted by max
Dr Juve Bin Haad

I most certainly have not :D

Just found out that a mega-mesa ( mega-month) is going to be equivalent to 5 weeks, but only during daylight-saving time.

The ano-glipta futuristica ( futuristic decorative year) is going to be all the rage.

Mark my very words.

But the silly thing is though, an American measurements aren't the same as imperial measurements.

A US gallon is 0.8327 of an imperial gallon.

Originally posted by Sidla
I was just reading the thread about cooking websites and a post from Funke88 really annoyed me.

What is it with people over the age of about 35 and imperial measurements? I realise that it's what you learn when you're young, but I really don't understand them.


Hey sorry Sidla that I annoyed you. I did state that it was an American website. Considering the advance technology in America you'd think they'd be metric by now to keep up with the rest of the world. Anyway that's another subject best left alone.:nono:

I left school in 79 and left England in 88, so metric is a bit of a blur. I barely remember measurement in centimetres and metres but weights in grams and kilograms I have no clue. I can only tell you what a litre of coca cola looks like compared to a pint of milk. I know what a 2lb bag of sugar feels like and what a yard of material looks like. I am certainly not against metric and I do understand why it is easy. But it all depends how you were brought up. When it's a recipe give me imperial anyday. I would have no idea if they asked for so many grams of this and litres of that. I guess most of the time when baking.

The old cliche says "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"
Don't expect us "old" people to suddenly understand metric just because you say it's easy. Like algebra you have to be taught it from an early age. With weights and measurements I like to visualize. So what do you ask for in the pub? Pint of beer or a half litre of lager? :confused:

yes indeed the Americans are...lets say...special. and they refuse to come into line with the rest of the world. which annoys me. especially as the professional engineers and scientists in the US have been banging on about changing to metric for years, but no, who would want to listen to the people that count. just stick with your silly invented imperial system cos the average Joe in the street likes it and doesn't want change. After all, it's not like the US need the rest of the world or anything.

Can you tell i'm in a bad mood? in case you can't, i'd like to let you know i'm in a bad mood. grrrrr!

What about DJs, or those who still use records. Surely they still use imperial measurement for 7" & 12" singles. Or are there any pedantic, metric DJs out there who say things like "here's the new 30.5cm single mix from the Pet Shop Boys"?

Imperial still seems an excellent weigh(!) of making certain measurements.
36-23-36 for instance. Can the metric equivalent express this sort of measure anything like as well?

Well if people are insisting we only use metric now and not imperial, can I insist that we use the correct term of 'Mass' not 'weight'. Weight is a force measured in newtons, and mass is measured in Kg (although I still prefer pounds and stones!!). So all you people arguing over weighing in pounds or kg, you are all wrong!!! :loopy:

Originally posted by Andy78
Can you tell i'm in a bad mood? in case you can't, i'd like to let you know i'm in a bad mood. grrrrr!

Like I said, a subject better left alone. The subject is Imperial vs Metric not Metric vs Americans.
Sorry that you are in a bad mood :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Funke88
Like I said, a subject better left alone. The subject is Imperial vs Metric not Metric vs Americans.
Sorry that you are in a bad mood :rolleyes:

sorry, wasn't particularly in a mood with americans, it just came out like that. I think i would have been moody about any subject. Look at me taking exam stress out on others (other nations even). I'm so weak!

Does anyone know what shots were measured in before millilitres came along? This is something that people seem to have adapted to it quite well. I think we should change pints of beer into half litres. I think this was tried before, but there was outcry :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Sidla
Does anyone know what shots were measured in before millilitres came along?

They were measured in 1/8ths of a gill. There are 4 gills in a pint hence 32 measures of spirit in a pint. Though I must admit to never getting past the first 16.:P

Now that is confusing! Why didn't anyone complain when that was phased out?

I don't think there's many people who'd want to go back to pre-decimal currency.

Originally posted by Sidla
Now that is confusing! Why didn't anyone complain when that was phased out?


Probably because the new 'single' measure is larger than the old 'single' measure.

Nomme

Originally posted by max
They were measured in 1/8ths of a gill. There are 4 gills in a pint hence 32 measures of spirit in a pint. Though I must admit to never getting past the first 16.:P

You've been shortchanged there Max, as every pub I ever went in sold spirits in 1/6 of a Gill.

I understand the Scots had it good with 1/4 of a gill.

Remind me to tell you the story of my great grandad and the tiny glass of aquavit.

nyway according to some website it goes like this: (these are measurement of booze only IIRC)
4 gills make one pint,
2 pints are one quart
4 quarts made one gallon
2 gallons were one peck
4 pecks one bushel,
4 bushels made one barrel,
2 barrels a hogshead,
2 hogsheads are one pipe
2 pipes one tun.

all simple doubling operations, making mental arithmetic simpler for the booze addled publicans of yesteryear.

Interesting note on decimal time - it exists in the form of internet time as 'pioneered' by Swatch - although arguably it is more of a promotion hangover -

http://www.swatch.com/fs_index.php?haupt=itime&unter=

The problem with extending metric time to include years etc, is that we are dealing with astronmical events, which do not occur at conveniently rounded intervals. Hence the leap year problem.

The Chinese neatly solved the problem by ignoring the sun altogether and using the lunar calendar. Through a remarkable system of recursive base mathematics based in the King Wen sequence of the I ching; they devised a calendar a great deal more accurate (in terms of falling out of step with astronomical events)than the Solar Julian or Gregorian (or Arabic or Jewish) calendars.