this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2024
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[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (6 children)

For decades, Britain has had campaigners against metric (or the “Napoleonic system” as some of them call it), who were generally on the populist right. There was a grocer who refused to display prices in metric measurements and, when he was fined, refused to pay and was sent to gaol; the tabloids called him the “Metric Martyr”, and lionised him as a hero alongside those who vandalise speed cameras. One of the promises of the Brexit campaign was to abolish the metric system and go back to imperial measures, though after they won, they realised that the imperial measurements have been legally defined in reference to SI units for decades, and establishing a new basis for measurement would be far too expensive and disruptive to do just to placate a bunch of pub bores and opinionated van drivers, so they dropped it.

So Britain has a mixed system (beer and milk are measured in pints, and road distances/speeds in miles, but most other things are metric), only the fluid ounce, which is 1/20 of a pint, is legally defined as 28.4ml or so. Even worse, road distances given in yards (each being around 0.9 of a metre) are actually in metres, going on the assumption that the average person can’t tell the difference. Of course, they can’t call them metres, as there’d be irate letters to The Times and questions in Parliament.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You forgot "and we continue to use Imperial and archaic things like 'stone' " too.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago (12 children)

As an American, I use the metric system whenever possible. As of more recently, it's usually taught in schools, as well as used ubiquitously in science. I wouldn't be surprised if the US switches to primarily using the metric system in the next few decades.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Nah, we have already reached the point of being a mix depending on tradition. We have been bottling soda in 20oz bottles and 2 liter bottles for decades and changing all the speed limit signs would cost too much to gain any traction. Just a confusing mix of whatever!

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago

This whole operation was your idea!

[–] [email protected] 252 points 2 weeks ago (74 children)

May I present to you, how to measure like a Brit

Flow chart showing the uses for metric and imperial in the UK

It's great fun especially when you're trying to work out how fuel efficient your car has been when your tank and fuel pump is in litres and the fuel efficiency is in miles per gallon.

Oh and you'll have a jolly time following a recipe from more than 20 years ago trying to remember what the hell "Gas Mark 4" is in centigrade for fan or convection ovens.

Oh and my personal favourite for the industry I'm in: when designing a PCB your component sizes will use imperial codes, your wire diameters will be in AWG, your track widths and PCB dimensions will be in millimetres, but your copper thicknesses will be in ounces despite the final weight for the assembly will be in grams.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

According to this chart, goat milk is vegan 🤔

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Canada has a similar chart, with some fun modifications. For example, distance could be feet/inches, millimeters/meters/kilometers, or minutes/hours, depending on what you are measuring.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Everything the UK has done throughout history was just for the banter. We're not a serious people.

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 2 weeks ago (13 children)

these MFs convey weight in whatever the fuck "stone" is. don't let them shame you for not using liters

[–] [email protected] 31 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It’s 14 lb. Definitely a contender for the dumbest unit in common use.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

They'll also list height in meters and centimeters, but list driving distance in miles.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Someone: Ugh, the recipe is in grams, and I need it in ounces.

Me: Just divide by 28

Them: How'd you know that?

Me: ...👀

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

That’s fine, it’s the insistence that “cups” is a measurement that pisses me off.

Especially when you have oz, fl oz and cups in one recipe. Sort it the fuck out and just use grams.

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