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Comments
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And HS2's primary unit being the billion.Verulamius said:
On the railway distances are measured in miles and chains, apart from HS1 which is in kilometers.SeanT said:
Yes, a bit of Googling says I am right. It is illegal to have traffic/road signs giving distance in metric units. However, you CAN use metric when indicating width (of tunnels etc). Brilliantly absurd.Richard_Tyndall said:
Certainly official road signage including distance markers (I suppose for the obvious reason that it should be all or nothing to avoid confusion). Pretty sure that it is okay for non-highways stuff though. So I think a local council signpost with distances to local landmarks for tourists would be absolutely fine.SeanT said:
I could be wrong, but I think it is actually illegal in the UK to have signs in kms, metres, etcEl_Capitano said:
A bunch of km signs were actually installed in a small corner of Gloucestershire, and many are still there today.kyf_100 said:
A beautiful example of the old eec in action.Gardenwalker said:Posted without comment.
https://twitter.com/bbcarchive/status/1092120538259038209?s=21
Nobody forced us to switch from mph to.kmh and indeed we're on the same standard now. Back when Europe was about trading with each other rather than "harmonising" everything.
Local authorities apparently need special dispensation to use metres and kms on ANY distance signs, and some have been successfully prosecuted and forced to replace metres with yards.
Hooray for YARDS. Bring back the furlong, rod and pole.0 -
Canada allows imperial units to be shown alongside metric units.Foxy said:
CANZUK will be metric.Casino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Catch up with the modern world.
Full metrification wasn’t popular there, and imperial units only for weighing loose fruit and veg are tolerated.0 -
Strange units used in science today (and with a reference to that incident).Ishmael_Z said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_OrbiterSeanT said:
Yes, but wasn't there some evidence that the Space Shuttle explosion was because of US scientists and engineers mixing SI with Imperial and fitting a wrongly-sized widget? So the confusion isn't always charming and benign.Casino_Royale said:
They are much more interesting, diverse, historic and characterful. Slightly more human, good for estimating and rather evocative. Not so good for scientific calculations, and that’s where you use SI, but it’s horses for courses, isn’t it? I think we have the best of both worlds.SeanT said:
Yes, a bit of Googling says I am right. It is illegal to have traffic/road signs giving distance in metric units. However, you CAN use metric when indicating width (of tunnels etc). Brilliantly absurd.Richard_Tyndall said:
Certainly official road signage including distance markers (I suppose for the obvious reason that it should be all or nothing to avoid confusion). Pretty sure that it is okay for non-highways stuff though. So I think a local council signpost with distances to local landmarks for tourists would be absolutely fine.SeanT said:
I could be wrong, but I think it is actually illegal in the UK to have signs in kms, metres, etcEl_Capitano said:
A bunch of km signs were actually installed in a small corner of Gloucestershire, and many are still there today.kyf_100 said:
A beautiful example of the old eec in action.Gardenwalker said:Posted without comment.
https://twitter.com/bbcarchive/status/1092120538259038209?s=21
Nobody forced us to switch from mph to.kmh and indeed we're on the same standard now. Back when Europe was about trading with each other rather than "harmonising" everything.
Local authorities apparently need special dispensation to use metres and kms on ANY distance signs, and some have been successfully prosecuted and forced to replace metres with yards.
Hooray for YARDS. Bring back the furlong, rod and pole.
And, I mildly enjoy confusing my wife with them.
Kilometres do seem very foreign though. I am always startled by the use of them in Ireland and Oz.
So no loss of life, but expensive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsEB65Q4kHI
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You see, it’s comments like that from globalist fundamentalists like you, that make me realise I’m 100% right.edmundintokyo said:
They should make metrication a requirement when Britain tries to rejoin the EU. Obviously practically better, and requires an unambiguous commitment to stop pandering to nostalgic old people.Casino_Royale said:
It is, at present, but under the old European Communities Act 1972 if the EU had agreed a directive for metrification in that area under the auspices of completing the single market then the UK would have been obligated to follow.
I suspect the UK quietly shelved it and convinced the EU it wasn’t a big deal and not to push for it.
Thank you.0 -
Ooh, now that’s different!_Anazina_ said:
I note that the Irish and Australians have standardised a pint at 570ml. A bonus 2ml on ours!Casino_Royale said:
You should never mix any units in a project. That’s retarded. They should all be SI for calculating something like that.SeanT said:
SnipCasino_Royale said:
They are much more interesting, diverse, historic and characterful. Slightly more human, good for estimating and rather evocative. Not so good for scientific calculations, and that’s where you use SI, but it’s horses for courses, isn’t it? I think we have the best of both worlds.SeanT said:
Yes, a bit of Googling says I am right. It is illegal to have traffic/road signs giving distance in metric units. However, you CAN use metric when indicating width (of tunnels etc). Brilliantly absurd.Richard_Tyndall said:
Certainly official road signage including distance markers (I suppose for the obvious reason that it should be all or nothing to avoid confusion). Pretty sure that it is okay for non-highways stuff though. So I think a local council signpost with distances to local landmarks for tourists would be absolutely fine.SeanT said:
I could be wrong, but I think it is actually illegal in the UK to have signs in kms, metres, etcEl_Capitano said:
A bunch of km signs were actually installed in a small corner of Gloucestershire, and many are still there today.kyf_100 said:
A beautiful example of the old eec in action.Gardenwalker said:Posted without comment.
https://twitter.com/bbcarchive/status/1092120538259038209?s=21
Nobody forced us to switch from mph to.kmh and indeed we're on the same standard now. Back when Europe was about trading with each other rather than "harmonising" everything.
Local authorities apparently need special dispensation to use metres and kms on ANY distance signs, and some have been successfully prosecuted and forced to replace metres with yards.
Hooray for YARDS. Bring back the furlong, rod and pole.
And, I mildly enjoy confusing my wife with them.
It’s happened elsewhere as well. Planes have crashed because the fuellers got confused and only filled up the number in pounds when it should have been in kilos.
I’ve found kilometres equally weird in Canada. On the plus side, the pint is still going strong as a concept internationally, even if you usually do get cheated of the extra 68ml.0 -
C'mon get with the Imperial nostalgia.dixiedean said:It seems metrication was a UK idea. Pre-dating our EEC entry by some years. It ended as an official policy quango in 1981.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_Board
3 grains of laudanam squire!0 -
And bars are only allowed to sell beer in pint and half pint measures.SeanT said:
I could be wrong, but I think it is actually illegal in the UK to have signs in kms, metres, etcEl_Capitano said:
A bunch of km signs were actually installed in a small corner of Gloucestershire, and many are still there today.kyf_100 said:
A beautiful example of the old eec in action.Gardenwalker said:Posted without comment.
https://twitter.com/bbcarchive/status/1092120538259038209?s=21
Nobody forced us to switch from mph to.kmh and indeed we're on the same standard now. Back when Europe was about trading with each other rather than "harmonising" everything.
There have been cases when Austrian and Polish themed restaurants in the UK have been prosecuted by the authorities for not so doing.
With the restaurant owners being supported by the 'metric martyrs'.0 -
Minor point of order - WTO complaints can only be brought by governments, not e.g. Argentinian beef farmers. Not disagreeing with your general points, and welcome to pb.matthiasfromhamburg said:
The WTO issue is not that it could instruct us to create a border in Northern Ireland.
It is that if we deliberately go out of our way not to collect tariffs, then we will have cases brought against us by (for example) Argentinian beef farmers who would claim that we allowed beef from Ireland in tariff free despite the absence of an FTA, and therefore its farmers should get the same treatment.0 -
Sounds like we have to rely on globalist fundamentalists to uphold the British sense of humour.Casino_Royale said:
You see, it’s comments like that from globalist fundamentalists like you, that make me realise I’m 100% right.edmundintokyo said:
They should make metrication a requirement when Britain tries to rejoin the EU. Obviously practically better, and requires an unambiguous commitment to stop pandering to nostalgic old people.Casino_Royale said:
It is, at present, but under the old European Communities Act 1972 if the EU had agreed a directive for metrification in that area under the auspices of completing the single market then the UK would have been obligated to follow.
I suspect the UK quietly shelved it and convinced the EU it wasn’t a big deal and not to push for it.
Thank you.0 -
My teenage kids...weight kg, height in feet, fuel mpg, but priced in litres, distance in miles and metres, area in square metres.kjohnw said:
Most of us still speak about our weight in stones and pounds, our height in feet and inches, our fuel economy in miles to the gallon, distance in miles, drinks in pints, engine power in horsepower, Land in acres, thread count in fabric threads per square inch. We still very much think in imperial measurements. Mind you I’m 50 so can’t speak for the younger generationrpjs said:
I grew up in the 70s and in some ways failed to properly learn both systems. Higher ambient temperatures make more sense to me in Fahrenheit - "in the 70s" sounds warm - but lower ambient temps make more sense to me in Celsius. Despite living in the US for eight years now, 32F just doesn't mean freezing to me!Gallowgate said:I’m 26, UK born and raised, and I measure nothing in imperial units apart from alcoholic drinks, speed and penis size (heh). I can hardly comprehend what a stone or a yard is to be honest.
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One practical area where I think metrication has been counter productive has been in housebuilding/renovation. You can't retrofit houses to be metric nor can you make new products which are incompatible with pre metric housing. So we end up with everything be the old imperial standards but just converted to metric measurements. Which means you get some really strange mm measurements for stuff._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
But I like both Imperial and metric and am comfortable switching back and forth. And at work - in one of the most advanced technological industries in the world - everything is done in API which is a kind of American Imperial.0 -
Its the colour TV which does it.justin124 said:Time does play its tricks on the memory as we get older . I find it incredible to have to accept the reality that the clip shown relates to events closer to 1938 - the Anschluss and later Chamberlain returning from Munich - than to the present day! Yet it seems a mere few years ago - but in 1978 the late 1930s felt like a different age.
Which makes 1970 the big dividing line.0 -
Indeed. PSI for tyre pressures. MPG for fuel efficiency. Similar for pushbikes too._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
It goes on and on. And so what? It works, it’s understood and it’s fun.0 -
Not really bothered, but I've no idea what an acre is, and always measure my weight in kilos. Just a matter of what one's used to.Casino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
But I do think it's insane to sell petrol in litres but have cars rated by miles per gallon.0 -
If you are a UK manufacturing business selling into the US you have to be able to manfacture to imperial specs.
Same for EU firms, look at a spec sheet for a EU car sold in the US all in imperial.0 -
Interestingly, rugby of both codes is metric, despite being mostly an ex-empire game.
Football, thoroughly worldwide remains imperial.0 -
Right. Yes. Sorry, of course.. I missed a real corker there.williamglenn said:
Sounds like we have to rely on globalist fundamentalists to uphold the British sense of humour.Casino_Royale said:
You see, it’s comments like that from globalist fundamentalists like you, that make me realise I’m 100% right.edmundintokyo said:
They should make metrication a requirement when Britain tries to rejoin the EU. Obviously practically better, and requires an unambiguous commitment to stop pandering to nostalgic old people.Casino_Royale said:
It is, at present, but under the old European Communities Act 1972 if the EU had agreed a directive for metrification in that area under the auspices of completing the single market then the UK would have been obligated to follow.
I suspect the UK quietly shelved it and convinced the EU it wasn’t a big deal and not to push for it.
Thank you.
My bad.0 -
What size shirts and trousers do you wear ?Gallowgate said:I’m 26, UK born and raised, and I measure nothing in imperial units apart from alcoholic drinks, speed and penis size (heh). I can hardly comprehend what a stone or a yard is to be honest.
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I thought journalists had an additional measure which is 'The Belgium'. Most commonly used in phrases like 'an area of Rain Forest the size of Belgium has been destroyed in the last 10 minutes'.Jonathan said:The standard Imperial units of area are
Tennis court
Football pitch
Isle of Wight
Wales0 -
Slightly worrying that a former MP doesn’t know what an acre is, no offenceNickPalmer said:
Not really bothered, but I've no idea what an acre is, and always measure my weight in kilos. Just a matter of what one's used to.Casino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
But I do think it's insane to sell petrol in litres but have cars rated by miles per gallon.
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I like the cut of your jib, Sir.Foxy said:
C'mon get with the Imperial nostalgia.dixiedean said:It seems metrication was a UK idea. Pre-dating our EEC entry by some years. It ended as an official policy quango in 1981.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_Board
3 grains of laudanam squire!
Hooray for quarts, gills, rods and slugs!0 -
IIRC Geoffrey Howe was chair of the all-party metrication group when I was its secretary. We were neither very zealous nor, as you see, very effective.dixiedean said:
I'm sure I heard Geoffrey Howe once say they abandoned actively promoting metrication under Thatcher, as they believed it had largely been completed.
Although I may have hallucinated.0 -
Imperial units are for nuttters. How many furlongs are there in a peckle?0
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An acre is a big garden.NickPalmer said:
Not really bothered, but I've no idea what an acre is, and always measure my weight in kilos. Just a matter of what one's used to.Casino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
But I do think it's insane to sell petrol in litres but have cars rated by miles per gallon.0 -
I’m minded to agree. I also agree with you about SI and building work / engineering etc. If only schools would teach it!Casino_Royale said:
Indeed. PSI for tyre pressures. MPG for fuel efficiency. Similar for pushbikes too._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
It goes on and on. And so what? It works, it’s understood and it’s fun.
The cm is a pony primary school measurement - nobody doing much important uses it. The millimetre is probably France’s finest invention, a perfect unit of precision used in engineering worldwide.
Why then do I still meet adults who don’t seem to know how many mm in a metre, and who use cm when working on a project where (like most) precision is paramount?0 -
LOL. I like that.Jonathan said:At the height of Imperial units the most you could expect to live was three score and ten years. Today, after metrification a lifespan of 100 years is possible.
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I have always wondered why that is! Did rugger change it’s pitch markings to metric at some stage? True about football - 12 yard box, 18 yard box etc.dixiedean said:Interestingly, rugby of both codes is metric, despite being mostly an ex-empire game.
Football, thoroughly worldwide remains imperial.0 -
But engine size is measure in cc or l.Casino_Royale said:
Indeed. PSI for tyre pressures. MPG for fuel efficiency. Similar for pushbikes too._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
It goes on and on. And so what? It works, it’s understood and it’s fun.
Does anyone know how long that has been the case in the UK ?0 -
Yes, that is one genuinely stupid outcome of our mixed system.NickPalmer said:
Not really bothered, but I've no idea what an acre is, and always measure my weight in kilos. Just a matter of what one's used to.Casino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
But I do think it's insane to sell petrol in litres but have cars rated by miles per gallon.0 -
I'm happy to be corrected, but to my knowledge there is only one case of anything like this and the conversion involved was from pounds to litres to kilograms, so it wasn't just a straightforward imperial to metric conversion.Casino_Royale said:
It’s happened elsewhere as well. Planes have crashed because the fuellers got confused and only filled up the number in pounds when it should have been in kilos.
The aircraft didn't actually crash, it executed a fairly hairy emergency landing and was flying again a few days later after some minor repairs.
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OK, that helps, thanks. Just never really needed to know, but perhaps one day.another_richard said:
An acre is a big garden.0 -
Without looking it up, how many yoctometres are there in a zettametre?Jonathan said:Imperial units are for nuttters. How many furlongs are there in a peckle?
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I'm sorry, I've messed up the blockquote.NickPalmer said:
Minor point of order - WTO complaints can only be brought by governments, not e.g. Argentinian beef farmers. Not disagreeing with your general points, and welcome to pb.matthiasfromhamburg said:
The WTO issue is not that it could instruct us to create a border in Northern Ireland.
It is that if we deliberately go out of our way not to collect tariffs, then we will have cases brought against us by (for example) Argentinian beef farmers who would claim that we allowed beef from Ireland in tariff free despite the absence of an FTA, and therefore its farmers should get the same treatment.
What you have replied to was part of the comment by rcs1000 which I have replied to.0 -
Rugby changed in the mid 1970s - so on old films you hear references to the '25'._Anazina_ said:
I have always wondered why that is! Did rugger change it’s pitch markings to metric at some stage? True about football - 12 yard box, 18 yard box etc.dixiedean said:Interestingly, rugby of both codes is metric, despite being mostly an ex-empire game.
Football, thoroughly worldwide remains imperial.0 -
That is a very good point about housing. As someone who has spent the last six years renovating an Edwardian terrace, it is something I have noted.Richard_Tyndall said:
One practical area where I think metrication has been counter productive has been in housebuilding/renovation. You can't retrofit houses to be metric nor can you make new products which are incompatible with pre metric housing. So we end up with everything be the old imperial standards but just converted to metric measurements. Which means you get some really strange mm measurements for stuff._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
But I like both Imperial and metric and am comfortable switching back and forth. And at work - in one of the most advanced technological industries in the world - everything is done in API which is a kind of American Imperial.
I didn’t know that about the oil industry - interesting. Thanks.0 -
Nebraska is pretty big. Much more than a Belgium.Ishmael_Z said:
Nebraska.Jonathan said:The standard Imperial units of area are
Tennis court
Football pitch
Isle of Wight
Wales
From PB's favourite movie
"Bishop: Ripley, in nineteen minutes this area is going to be a cloud of vapor the size of Nebraska."
Nebraska compared to the UK0 -
I remember the change from a 25 yard dropout to a 22metre one. Some time around the early 80s._Anazina_ said:
I have always wondered why that is! Did rugger change it’s pitch markings to metric at some stage? True about football - 12 yard box, 18 yard box etc.dixiedean said:Interestingly, rugby of both codes is metric, despite being mostly an ex-empire game.
Football, thoroughly worldwide remains imperial.
Edit 1976 for Union https://www.reddit.com/r/Metric/comments/4h2m7i/the_metrication_of_rugby/0 -
Beer can be also be sold in one-third and two-third pint measures.another_richard said:
And bars are only allowed to sell beer in pint and half pint measures.SeanT said:
I could be wrong, but I think it is actually illegal in the UK to have signs in kms, metres, etcEl_Capitano said:
A bunch of km signs were actually installed in a small corner of Gloucestershire, and many are still there today.kyf_100 said:
A beautiful example of the old eec in action.Gardenwalker said:Posted without comment.
https://twitter.com/bbcarchive/status/1092120538259038209?s=21
Nobody forced us to switch from mph to.kmh and indeed we're on the same standard now. Back when Europe was about trading with each other rather than "harmonising" everything.
There have been cases when Austrian and Polish themed restaurants in the UK have been prosecuted by the authorities for not so doing.
With the restaurant owners being supported by the 'metric martyrs'.0 -
NickPalmer said:
IIRC Geoffrey Howe was chair of the all-party metrication group when I was its secretary. We were neither very zealous nor, as you see, very effective.dixiedean said:
I'm sure I heard Geoffrey Howe once say they abandoned actively promoting metrication under Thatcher, as they believed it had largely been completed.
Although I may have hallucinated.
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It is some while since pub measures were 1/6 Gill.Casino_Royale said:
I like the cut of your jib, Sir.Foxy said:
C'mon get with the Imperial nostalgia.dixiedean said:It seems metrication was a UK idea. Pre-dating our EEC entry by some years. It ended as an official policy quango in 1981.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_Board
3 grains of laudanam squire!
Hooray for quarts, gills, rods and slugs!0 -
An acre is 2 cricket pitches by 5 cricket pitches.another_richard said:
An acre is a big garden.NickPalmer said:
Not really bothered, but I've no idea what an acre is, and always measure my weight in kilos. Just a matter of what one's used to.Casino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
But I do think it's insane to sell petrol in litres but have cars rated by miles per gallon.0 -
There are at least six inches in my peckle.Jonathan said:Imperial units are for nuttters. How many furlongs are there in a peckle?
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It can give you nightmares when dealing with volumes particularly, which are a crucial feature of safety management in drilling, but it does make you ace at mental arithmetic. The conversion factor for annular volumes in barrels (1029.42) is scarred into my brain for life._Anazina_ said:
That is a very good point about housing. As someone who has spent the last six years renovating an Edwardian terrace, it is something I have noted.Richard_Tyndall said:
One practical area where I think metrication has been counter productive has been in housebuilding/renovation. You can't retrofit houses to be metric nor can you make new products which are incompatible with pre metric housing. So we end up with everything be the old imperial standards but just converted to metric measurements. Which means you get some really strange mm measurements for stuff._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
But I like both Imperial and metric and am comfortable switching back and forth. And at work - in one of the most advanced technological industries in the world - everything is done in API which is a kind of American Imperial.
I didn’t know that about the oil industry - interesting. Thanks.0 -
I was too young to remember that change - thanks - that’s interesting. It has always been the 22 since I have been watching rugby.dixiedean said:
I remember the change from a 25 yard dropout to a 22metre one. Some time around the early 80s._Anazina_ said:
I have always wondered why that is! Did rugger change it’s pitch markings to metric at some stage? True about football - 12 yard box, 18 yard box etc.dixiedean said:Interestingly, rugby of both codes is metric, despite being mostly an ex-empire game.
Football, thoroughly worldwide remains imperial.
0 -
Yes, the Gimli Glider: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_GliderRamtop said:
I'm happy to be corrected, but to my knowledge there is only one case of anything like this and the conversion involved was from pounds to litres to kilograms, so it wasn't just a straightforward imperial to metric conversion.Casino_Royale said:
It’s happened elsewhere as well. Planes have crashed because the fuellers got confused and only filled up the number in pounds when it should have been in kilos.
The aircraft didn't actually crash, it executed a fairly hairy emergency landing and was flying again a few days later after some minor repairs.0 -
Meters? NEVER!edmundintokyo said:
I think the current situation is that kilometers are still foreign but meters are becoming acceptably britishSeanT said:
Kilometres do seem very foreign though. I am always startled by the use of them in Ireland and Oz.
Metres, however, have a pleasant British timbre to them0 -
Wiltshires are a fairly standard unit of land area.0
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Apparently "negations" have not been reopened.
https://twitter.com/andreajenkyns/status/10923898857958440970 -
Klopp cracking up...0
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Glad we agree. I find millimetres and millilitres are useful for precision._Anazina_ said:
I’m minded to agree. I also agree with you about SI and building work / engineering etc. If only schools would teach it!Casino_Royale said:
Indeed. PSI for tyre pressures. MPG for fuel efficiency. Similar for pushbikes too._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
It goes on and on. And so what? It works, it’s understood and it’s fun.
The cm is a pony primary school measurement - nobody doing much important uses it. The millimetre is probably France’s finest invention, a perfect unit of precision used in engineering worldwide.
Why then do I still meet adults who don’t seem to know how many mm in a metre, and who use cm when working on a project where (like most) precision is paramount?
I think it comes back to the inhumanness of it. It’s similar for millions, billions and trillions. Tens, hundreds, thousands.. people get confused.
If you’re using it professionally, you’re paid to get it right, but on some building projects when you’re digging the pits and cutting the wood on site cm can be accurate enough.0 -
1976 for rugby union apparently._Anazina_ said:
I was too young to remember that change - thanks - that’s interesting. It has always been the 22 since I have been watching rugby.dixiedean said:
I remember the change from a 25 yard dropout to a 22metre one. Some time around the early 80s._Anazina_ said:
I have always wondered why that is! Did rugger change it’s pitch markings to metric at some stage? True about football - 12 yard box, 18 yard box etc.dixiedean said:Interestingly, rugby of both codes is metric, despite being mostly an ex-empire game.
Football, thoroughly worldwide remains imperial.0 -
Liverpool looking fairly strong bets to choke.0
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For very rough work, I guess. But I’ve yet to encounter a single proper woodwork project where that’s the case. I also like how mm quotes - to me, saying “cut that to 576” is easier and less ambiguous than describing the same length in cm or inches.Casino_Royale said:
Glad we agree. I find millimetres and millilitres are useful for precision._Anazina_ said:
I’m minded to agree. I also agree with you about SI and building work / engineering etc. If only schools would teach it!Casino_Royale said:
Indeed. PSI for tyre pressures. MPG for fuel efficiency. Similar for pushbikes too._Anazina_ said:
Square feet for propertyCasino_Royale said:
They’re certainly not “insane” and nor are they best confined to the bin.Jonathan said:Miles and pints are the only Imperial measure worth keeping and that’s only for sentimental reasons.
The rest are insane anachronisms best consigned to the bin.
Height measured in feet and inches makes sense, aeroplanes use feet and knots, and we measure our weight in stones and pounds, and babies in pounds and ounces. Acres are still widely used too.
Chill. It’s all good.
Inches for clothing sizes and TV screens
Furlongs for horse races
Imperial remains the standard in many areas — that is simply a fact.
It goes on and on. And so what? It works, it’s understood and it’s fun.
The cm is a pony primary school measurement - nobody doing much important uses it. The millimetre is probably France’s finest invention, a perfect unit of precision used in engineering worldwide.
Why then do I still meet adults who don’t seem to know how many mm in a metre, and who use cm when working on a project where (like most) precision is paramount?
I think it comes back to the inhumanness of it. It’s similar for millions, billions and trillions. Tens, hundreds, thousands.. people get confused.
If you’re using it professionally, you’re paid to get it right, but on some building projects when you’re digging the pits and cutting the wood on site cm can be accurate enough.0 -
Yay West Ham!!!tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
I actually really like Klopp and would love to see him win the title this season but not over West Ham getting points.0 -
What's slightly concerning from United's point of view is that Spurs excellent run has essentially made it 1 from 3 for that last CL place as opposed to 2 from 4. We were so far behind that even 22/24 has barely got us in contention.dixiedean said:
3 way title race on now. Looked unlikely some weeks ago.tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
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Klopp is impossible to dislike, even by a United fan.Richard_Tyndall said:
Yay West Ham!!!tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
I actually really like Klopp and would love to see him win the title this season but not over West Ham getting points.0 -
Win v Fulham on Saturday and City beat Chelsea at the Eithad on Sunday, United go 4th on their ownDavidL said:
What's slightly concerning from United's point of view is that Spurs excellent run has essentially made it 1 from 3 for that last CL place as opposed to 2 from 4. We were so far behind that even 22/24 has barely got us in contention.dixiedean said:
3 way title race on now. Looked unlikely some weeks ago.tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
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Yes, he’s a nice bloke. I would like to see him win the title. But, I think Liverpool might crack under the huge pressure of their fan base.DavidL said:
Klopp is impossible to dislike, even by a United fan.Richard_Tyndall said:
Yay West Ham!!!tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
I actually really like Klopp and would love to see him win the title this season but not over West Ham getting points.0 -
I manage it. He laughs and jokes with the Press, but never fails to have a whinge when they don't win.DavidL said:
Klopp is impossible to dislike, even by a United fan.Richard_Tyndall said:
Yay West Ham!!!tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
I actually really like Klopp and would love to see him win the title this season but not over West Ham getting points.0 -
+1dixiedean said:
I manage it. He laughs and jokes with the Press, but never fails to have a whinge when they don't win.DavidL said:
Klopp is impossible to dislike, even by a United fan.Richard_Tyndall said:
Yay West Ham!!!tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
I actually really like Klopp and would love to see him win the title this season but not over West Ham getting points.0 -
True but a lot of hard games to come.Big_G_NorthWales said:
Win v Fulham on Saturday and City beat Chelsea at the Eithad on Sunday, United go 4th on their ownDavidL said:
What's slightly concerning from United's point of view is that Spurs excellent run has essentially made it 1 from 3 for that last CL place as opposed to 2 from 4. We were so far behind that even 22/24 has barely got us in contention.dixiedean said:
3 way title race on now. Looked unlikely some weeks ago.tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
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And Puel's mighty Leicester away form next Sunday._Anazina_ said:0 -
And a Mars orbiter .Casino_Royale said:
Yes, the Gimli Glider: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_GliderRamtop said:
I'm happy to be corrected, but to my knowledge there is only one case of anything like this and the conversion involved was from pounds to litres to kilograms, so it wasn't just a straightforward imperial to metric conversion.Casino_Royale said:
It’s happened elsewhere as well. Planes have crashed because the fuellers got confused and only filled up the number in pounds when it should have been in kilos.
The aircraft didn't actually crash, it executed a fairly hairy emergency landing and was flying again a few days later after some minor repairs.
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/qkvzb5/the-time-nasa-lost-a-mars-orbiter-because-of-a-metric-system-mixup
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By rights, I should be quids in now. Liverpool’s goal was miles (kms) offside.0
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And winning it for the first time after 29 years_Anazina_ said:
Yes, he’s a nice bloke. I would like to see him win the title. But, I think Liverpool might crack under the huge pressure of their fan base.DavidL said:
Klopp is impossible to dislike, even by a United fan.Richard_Tyndall said:
Yay West Ham!!!tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
I actually really like Klopp and would love to see him win the title this season but not over West Ham getting points.
I remember that United's first premiership title was the most nerve wracking during the last few weeks
As Fergie said 'squeaky bum time ' and looks as if Klopp may experience it first hand0 -
I wonder how motivated Everton will be on Wednesday when they meet City? If City beat them, they go top.0
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IndeedDavidL said:
True but a lot of hard games to come.Big_G_NorthWales said:
Win v Fulham on Saturday and City beat Chelsea at the Eithad on Sunday, United go 4th on their ownDavidL said:
What's slightly concerning from United's point of view is that Spurs excellent run has essentially made it 1 from 3 for that last CL place as opposed to 2 from 4. We were so far behind that even 22/24 has barely got us in contention.dixiedean said:
3 way title race on now. Looked unlikely some weeks ago.tlg86 said:Klopp cracking up...
0 -
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And if they had scored in the last minute that would have been offside as well_Anazina_ said:By rights, I should be quids in now. Liverpool’s goal was miles (kms) offside.
VAR next season and therefore Liverpool would have lost0 -
Silva next in the sack race?dixiedean said:
Given our form, how motivated we are is a matter of only marginal importance. Might make the difference between six or seven I guess._Anazina_ said:I wonder how motivated Everton will be on Wednesday when they meet City? If City beat them, they go top.
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Fairly conclusive!Scott_P said:0 -
A man for all seasonsCharles said:
It profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world ... but for Wales?0 -
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Yes, was a class tip. Sadly I was already on the nose by thenFoxy said:
Foxy's tip on laying Liverpool was the good 'un for a change._Anazina_ said:By rights, I should be quids in now. Liverpool’s goal was miles (kms) offside.
Liverpool look most likely to leave the CL and "concentrate on the League" .
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Does anything motivate Everton this season ?_Anazina_ said:I wonder how motivated Everton will be on Wednesday when they meet City? If City beat them, they go top.
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Yep, everything within it is yours.Theuniondivvie said:
Can I have fall out radius from Faslane?Jonathan said:The standard Imperial units of area are
Tennis court
Football pitch
Isle of Wight
Wales0 -
Yes, apart from giving all teams a sporting headstart by conceeding an early goal, Leicester are a decent team!Big_G_NorthWales said:0 -
Seems soFoxy said:
Yes, apart from giving all teams a sporting headstart by conceeding an early goal, Leicester are a decent team!Big_G_NorthWales said:0 -
Possibly. However, we have been through some managers recently. At least he tries to play good football, and we have gone away to the big 6 at least prepared to have a go at them for the first time in ages.Foxy said:
Some want him sacked, but the prevailing anger is at the players at least for now. They are the common denominator.0 -
Double decker buses let's not forget them.0
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It was my favourite play at school. Indeed this was what me think about doing law for the first time:Charles said:
...And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned around on you--where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast--man's laws, not God's--and if you cut them down...d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.”0 -
Easily done. I did think you were putting both sides of the argument!matthiasfromhamburg said:
I'm sorry, I've messed up the blockquote.
What you have replied to was part of the comment by rcs1000 which I have replied to.0 -
That was my grandfather’s favourite quoteDavidL said:
It was my favourite play at school. Indeed this was what me think about doing law for the first time:Charles said:
...And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned around on you--where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast--man's laws, not God's--and if you cut them down...d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake.”0 -
Liam Neeson - Oh dear...0
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