English or Metric?

[Whistlin' Will]

This will probably surprise my fellow Americans, but I prefer the Metric system. Besides the ease of converting between units, (no pesky fractions like the English system!) it seems to me that a lot of scientific measurements are based on Metric measurements (like atomic mass units to grams), so it's easier to just use those measurements as they come then convert them to English.

[hans]

The English system has different meanings in different countries.
Here in the UK we talk about imperial units, whereas in the USA you got American units, which often have the same name but different values! The metric system is unambiguous.

Generally I prefer the metric system I've grown up with in Germany. Since living in Scotland I had to get used to quite a few imperial units, so for length measurements I can use both systems, up to a point. For engineering tasks like in whistle making I prefer to work in mm, as fractions of inches are just too confusing. But quite a few of the aluminium tubing I use come in steps of nominal imperial units, so I have to twist my head around those fractions of inches like 9/16". And the walls may be in SWG wire gauge, which I suppose is another imperial unit. All so much fun to keep the mind flexible!

In my professional gardening past I enthusiastically converted to use the unit of feet to lay out garden beds etc, as my own feet are close enough to be suitable measuring tools!

Generally I think in the UK we got a delightful mess of units in use, even though most standards are now in the metric system, but many keep on using imperial units like pounds, inches and Fahrenheit. Road signs are all in miles, even though the map grid system uses km.

Amazing that we all agree on using the same units for time!

[Peter Duggan]

the English system

Since when did 'Imperial' become 'English'?

[Hotblack]

I prefer the metric system in many ways, but am equally at home with imperial measurements. We still travel miles and drink pints.

[Innocent Bystander]

Schooling, for me, involved the metric system. I was brought up with Pounds, Shillings and Pence, and saw the advent of Decimalisation. When I studied Architecture, the rulers were in metric, not imperial units. If I'm measuring something with any pretence of accuracy, I'll do it in metric. I am 1.75m tall. Once upon a time I weighed 80 Kg. (I don't care to measure that these days.) If I'm hazarding a guess at a measurement, I'll do it in imperial, by rule of thumb. I wish I could lay that canard about "a stick the width of your thumb" being what you were allowed to beat your wife with. A "thumb" in mediaeval French was a "pouce" - an inch. You measure with your thumb. It gives a good guess, and a good guess is better than a bad measure.
I honestly don't see why people are not allowed to use both measurements. In the UK at the moment shops are required to give measurement in Metric units, and are penalised for showing measurements in Imperial units. It doesn't take much to do both at once. Car speedometers show Mph on one side of the dial and Kmph on the other. Last time I drove in Ireland, which was a while ago, the signposts had the distance in one measurement and the Speed Limit signs were in the other. I can't even remember which way round it was. Does anyone recall? Are they consistent yet? As long as you know what you're getting, who cares whether it's measured in pounds, kilograms or taels? It does help to know whether the speed limit is 80 kmph or mph, though...

[dwest]

I just eyeball it and cut. For laying out a garden bed I use a hose.

[MTGuru]

the English system

Since when did 'Imperial' become 'English'?

English System is the common term here in the States.

[dwest]

the English system

Since when did 'Imperial' become 'English'?

English System is the common term here in the States.

Actually "Standard" is a more common term or "U.S. units." All my measuring tapes have both.

[hans]

Do they use US units in Canada?

[Innocent Bystander]

English System is the common term here in the States.

Americans have long been trying to avoid the accusation of imperialism.

[dwest]

America's system pre-dates the Imperial system. While we learned from the Imperialists we usually reserve the imperial units for gas containers which are often sold in Canada and parts of the Caribbean where Imperialism and these units are still common. Imperial units just seem to be made for measuring gas...especially hot gas.

[benhall.1]

the English system

Since when did 'Imperial' become 'English'?

English System is the common term here in the States.

Interesting though. I suspect that I had the same reaction as Peter and Hans (or rather, that is, that they might have had the same reaction as me). I haven't voted. And I find it quite impossible to make myself do so, even after it's been explained what is meant. Some things become ingrained through repetition and cultural assimilation, sometimes from a positive point of view and sometimes from a negative point of view. So, using "Imperial" to describe measures doesn't raise an eyebrow over here. Describing them as "English" gets almost everybody's hackles up, including the English.

I can't get past all that, and it's not my fault (as it isn't Americans' fault when they use the term) - it's ingrained.

Having said that, I use metric for some things some of the time and Imperial for some other things at some other times. I keep two sets of weights for my kitchen scales. They take up a lot of room and the two little stacks of weights do have a tendency to get knocked over fairly frequently but I need 'em. For pastry and Christmas items such as cake, pudding etc, I use Imperial. For most other things I use metric. For ordinary measurements of lengths I use Imperial. When measuring a musical instrument, such as that imcomparable instrument - THE FLUTE - I use metric. Don't know why, but the Imperial measures seem more artistic and the metric measures seem more 'accurate' and scientific somehow.

My bathroom scales are in metric only, but this is because they are an old doctor's scales with the big bar thingie at the top that you slide the two weights along until it balances. I then convert this into stones and pounds, because I only really understand human weight in stones and pounds. (FWIW, I even have to mentally convert the total weight in pounds used in American TV dramas - presumably reflecting what Americans use - to both stones and pounds before I can grasp what sort of weight they're talking about.)

[dwest]

America's "English" measurements are not the same as "Imperial" measurements which were invented in the early 1800s. We prefer more medieval methods.

[benhall.1]

America's "English" measurements are not the same as "Imperial" measurements which were invented in the early 1800s. We prefer more medieval methods.

Oh? Oh blimey! In that case, I have no idea what you're all talking about. I'd p'r'aps best shut up.

[mutepointe]

I'm fine with inches and feet, until I have to divide them into thirds. What do YOU PEOPE call 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper anyway?

I wish there were an easy way to tell what size bolts were, not just between US and metric but what the actual size was. I can't eyeball that kind of stuff.

I have no clue how long a mile or a kilometer is in real life nor do I know how big an acre is. I don't need to know.