Thread: UK to revert to Imperial Measurements?

As a Boomer, I am adept at both systems. O'course metric makes FAR more sense....mostly.....but Imperial has it's moments.
What would we do without the expression "6 feet under"? "1.8288 metres under" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Not quite sure how the Grave Diggers (aka backhoe operators) would stop before they hit 1.8289 metres either.
"Give him an inch and he'll take a mile" translates to "Give him 25.4mm and he'll take (...waiddaminit....while I go to the calc) 1.34112 kilometres"
"The whole nine yards"......"The whole 324 inches"...sorry...."The whole 8.229 (rounded) metres".
"The Mile High Club"....nobody wants to be a member of "The 1.34112 kilometres High Club"......although I'd prolly take that.

I could go on.....

Nah, seriously, there are times when 1 inch, or a foot, or a coupla inches is good, and I use that all the time. I guess that's because the closer the number is to one, or at least single digit, the more comfortable it is for humans.

Originally Posted by Alan Reynolds

When I work with people who use only metric, they all seem to make a basic mistake when measuring and it’s always 10 or 100 mm. They cut things too short because there’s no interim stage in a metre, unlike a yard that had a division f three feet. 3ft 9 1/4in is unmistakeable but1145mm can introduce the 10 pr 100mm error. They do it, I do not. I’ve also got lovely sub divisions if I need them. 10ths, 16ths and 12ths of an inch. You haven’t got that with your millimetres.

With respect Alan, you must be working with flippetygibbets. A metre has numerous subdivisions: 1 decimetre (ok, uncommonly used), 1 centimetre, 1 millimetre, 0.1 mm (which is a gnat's chough over 4 thou). Note the progression too: Deci, Centi, Milli. Easy peasy.

And apart from that, measure twice, cut once.

Originally Posted by Alan Reynolds

I can accurately step a yard but not stride a metre and can measure a yard from nose to finger but not the extra 3 inches for a metre.

Eat more spinach?

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

pints if you are drinking beer.

Ah yes, another concession I'm very happy to make.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Perhaps Boris' announcement is just an excuse for another party.

Stop it now! He needs no encouragement, speaking of flippetygibbets.

Originally Posted by Glider

At least the US military use metric, unless of course they're doing exercises with Liberia or Myanmar.

"Yeah, we're gonna bomb the crap outta you guys! IN METRIC!"



I do have one major gripe with the metric system which irritates the bejaysus outta me, but it's not so much the system as those who use it. I shall elucidate (y'all knew I would).
1000 grams is commonly called what? A kilogram. So that's a KILLO-gram or a KEELO-gram. Nobody, NOBODY, not one idiot, says kil-LOG-ram, do they? No, nobody is that stupid.
OTOH, 1000 metres is far too commonly called what? A kil-LOM-eater. It's bloody well not, it's a KILLO-metre.

It's just as damned aggravating as all those people who think there is only one "u" in "nucular".

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

While in general metric is easier and more logical to use there are some things that seem to lend themselves to the imperial system such as the use of "thou" in engineering

Regards
Paul

I am surprised nobody picked up the combination of imperial and metric on my above statement: I didn't at the time !

Perhaps it is an indictment of the obscurities and idiosyncracies of the imperial system. Even cricketers don't say their pitch is a "chain" long, pole dancers are not proclaiming the dizzy heights to which they could rise, only the British horse racing industry refers to furlongs and even the athletics bodies always called it 220 yards before we were swept away with 200m. Only "the mile" has endured in athletics (actually, maybe the marathon too).



Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

I am surprised nobody picked up the combination of imperial and metric on my above statement: I didn't at the time !

That's because thou didn't pay enough attention.

Olympic distances in metric.

The Guy Who Decides Olympic Sports 😝🏇🍸🎾🏅 - YouTube

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Only "the mile" has endured in athletics (actually, maybe the marathon too).

The Olympic marathon has an interesting history

Not only is the original distance (Ancient Greece) from Marathon to Athens an approximation, the length of the "Marathon race" was permanently extended in 1908 so that members of the British Royal family could watch the start.

So not really either a metric or imperial distance

Ian

I think 26 miles and 385 yards would generally be considered imperial, although not the original distance. I read that it was made standard in 1921. I am still amazed that a human can run that in just over two hours (I imagine the two hour barrier will be broken one day). In fact my first car was only a little quicker.

Regards
Paul

PS: Good to hear you made it back to Oz, albeit for a limited time only.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

... and pints if you are drinking beer.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Ah yes, another concession I'm very happy to make.

Its pints for POURING out beer, the DRINKING thereof is done in Gallons

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Its pints for POURING out beer, the DRINKING thereof is done in Gallons

Or Guzzles.

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Ian

I think 26 miles and 385 yards would generally be considered imperial, although not the original distance. I read that it was made standard in 1921. I am still amazed that a human can run that in just over two hours (I imagine the two hour barrier will be broken one day).

according to this site 100 Years of the Marathon: 42.195 km = 25 Miles + 1 Mile + 385 Yards – Marathon Course of the 1908 Olympic Games in London – The Anniversary of 42.195 km
The "standard marathon" as set by the IAAF is METRIC at 42.195 km, converted to 26 miles 385 yards


Also, a marathon has been run in just under 2 hours -- but the Kenyan runner was accompanied by a pace car and 40(?) supporting runners.

Originally Posted by woodPixel

Its pints for POURING out beer, the DRINKING thereof is done in Gallons

Here we go, back on the Boris thing again.

Originally Posted by ian

Also, a marathon has been run in just under 2 hours -- but the Kenyan runner was accompanied by a pace car and 40(?) supporting runners.

Not quite Ian, the runner ran a marathon distance, not a marathon race.

Mick.

Well I'd have to say that this thread has now amounted to nowt.

BOJO THE BUFFOON IS GOING...GOING..... And thank gawd fer that!

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

As a Boomer, I am adept at both systems. O'course metric makes FAR more sense....mostly.....but Imperial has it's moments.
What would we do without the expression "6 feet under"? "1.8288 metres under" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Not quite sure how the Grave Diggers (aka backhoe operators) would stop before they hit 1.8289 metres either.
"Give him an inch and he'll take a mile" translates to "Give him 25.4mm and he'll take (...waiddaminit....while I go to the calc) 1.34112 kilometres"
"The whole nine yards"......"The whole 324 inches"...sorry...."The whole 8.229 (rounded) metres".
"The Mile High Club"....nobody wants to be a member of "The 1.34112 kilometres High Club"......although I'd prolly take that.

I could go on.....

Nah, seriously, there are times when 1 inch, or a foot, or a coupla inches is good, and I use that all the time. I guess that's because the closer the number is to one, or at least single digit, the more comfortable it is for humans.

With respect Alan, you must be working with flippetygibbets. A metre has numerous subdivisions: 1 decimetre (ok, uncommonly used), 1 centimetre, 1 millimetre, 0.1 mm (which is a gnat's chough over 4 thou). Note the progression too: Deci, Centi, Milli. Easy peasy.

And apart from that, measure twice, cut once.

Eat more spinach?

Ah yes, another concession I'm very happy to make.

Stop it now! He needs no encouragement, speaking of flippetygibbets.

"Yeah, we're gonna bomb the crap outta you guys! IN METRIC!"



I do have one major gripe with the metric system which irritates the bejaysus outta me, but it's not so much the system as those who use it. I shall elucidate (y'all knew I would).
1000 grams is commonly called what? A kilogram. So that's a KILLO-gram or a KEELO-gram. Nobody, NOBODY, not one idiot, says kil-LOG-ram, do they? No, nobody is that stupid.
OTOH, 1000 metres is far too commonly called what? A kil-LOM-eater. It's bloody well not, it's a KILLO-metre.

It's just as damned aggravating as all those people who think there is only one "u" in "nucular".

So, what is the precise measurement system you use for your soapbox?

Originally Posted by rwbuild

So, what is the precise measurement system you use for your soapbox?

Well if you are only referring to what you quoted, I'd hardly call that soapbox, as I've seen other people gripe about similar things (and it was not particularly long - just a paragraph). Perhaps you missed the humour in it? If you are referring to something else as well (perhaps being glad that BoJo is resigning as I type this), then...whatever.

Either way, it would seem that I have your measure, in whichever system it might be.