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ChatterBank0 min ago
Imperial and Metric
I remember in the UK we changed to metric when I was at school, and I know that we still go to the pub for a pint even though its not anymore, but what professions are there that still work in imperial measurements to this day?
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A pint in a pub is (or at least should be) still a pint (and nothing else). A bar in Norwich (the Belgian Monk), which only sells Belgian beers, was selling its draught products in metric units. They received a visit from trading standards officials, who forced them to switch to imperial measures. That's despite the fact that the pub was (in accordance with the law) selling its bottled products and spirits in metric units (and also the fact that the same trading standards were visiting Norwich market to ensure that all food sales were in metric units).
The building trade still uses a lot of imperial measurements. (e.g. �" screws, 1" nails etc). If a builder orders a skip, he'll quote the size in (cubic) yards, not in metres.
The rail industry still refers to imperial units. For example, the gap between the rails is referred to as the 'four foot' (even though it's actually slightly greater) and the gap between adjacent tracks is the 'six foot' (even though it can be much wider). The distance markers, alongside the tracks, show miles and chains.
A day at the races will also see you encountering imperial measurements, with courses still measured in miles, furlongs and yards.
This might be of interest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_unit#Uni ted_Kingdom
Chris
The building trade still uses a lot of imperial measurements. (e.g. �" screws, 1" nails etc). If a builder orders a skip, he'll quote the size in (cubic) yards, not in metres.
The rail industry still refers to imperial units. For example, the gap between the rails is referred to as the 'four foot' (even though it's actually slightly greater) and the gap between adjacent tracks is the 'six foot' (even though it can be much wider). The distance markers, alongside the tracks, show miles and chains.
A day at the races will also see you encountering imperial measurements, with courses still measured in miles, furlongs and yards.
This might be of interest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_unit#Uni ted_Kingdom
Chris
Chris, I'm sorry but I think you'll be hard pressed to find a supplier of screws and nails that still supplies them in imperial measurements.
I buy screws, nuts and bolts in large quantities from around a dozen UK wholesale suppliers in bulk on a regular basis. The sizes have been metricated for years.
You may be familiar with one of the companies we buy from, Screwfix Direct, who also supply to the public via mail order and their stores.. A quick look in their catalogue will show that of the myriad of woodscrew and screw types sold only a few bog standard types in bulk quantities remain in imperial mesasurements.
It's virtually impossible to buy nails in the trade in imperial measurements. Aboutthe only place I see them now is packaged in small quantities in Woolworths, Wilkinsons etc.
If you want to waste an afternoon, try buying a pack of nuts and bolts in imperial measurement. They are non-existent apart from specialist fastenings suppliers.
Incidentally, Screwfix is owned by the same parent company as B&Q, which explains why B&Q have adopted metrication with ease. Other DIY superstores have just followed along.
I buy screws, nuts and bolts in large quantities from around a dozen UK wholesale suppliers in bulk on a regular basis. The sizes have been metricated for years.
You may be familiar with one of the companies we buy from, Screwfix Direct, who also supply to the public via mail order and their stores.. A quick look in their catalogue will show that of the myriad of woodscrew and screw types sold only a few bog standard types in bulk quantities remain in imperial mesasurements.
It's virtually impossible to buy nails in the trade in imperial measurements. Aboutthe only place I see them now is packaged in small quantities in Woolworths, Wilkinsons etc.
If you want to waste an afternoon, try buying a pack of nuts and bolts in imperial measurement. They are non-existent apart from specialist fastenings suppliers.
Incidentally, Screwfix is owned by the same parent company as B&Q, which explains why B&Q have adopted metrication with ease. Other DIY superstores have just followed along.
Lol! You're incredibly intelligent willie!!!
Anyway, my grocer still sells apples by the pound - mate - and although he doesn't advertise them like that, I've never, ever heard one of his customers ask for a kilo of.......
Same with cheese. I waited to buy some last weekend, and both people in front of me asked for half a pound of.......
However, newborn babies ARE weighed in metric - but most parents ask for that to be converted, as 6 or 7 pounds is more imaginable, than kilos.
Anyway, my grocer still sells apples by the pound - mate - and although he doesn't advertise them like that, I've never, ever heard one of his customers ask for a kilo of.......
Same with cheese. I waited to buy some last weekend, and both people in front of me asked for half a pound of.......
However, newborn babies ARE weighed in metric - but most parents ask for that to be converted, as 6 or 7 pounds is more imaginable, than kilos.
It isn't just a question of road signs just "using" yards: they must do so by law.
In this country it is unlawful to denote distances on roads and footpaths in anything but miles and yards. Metric roadsigns are illegal.
Footpaths signs in metric may be altered by anyone as long as they use stickers, thereby not damaging council property.
In this country it is unlawful to denote distances on roads and footpaths in anything but miles and yards. Metric roadsigns are illegal.
Footpaths signs in metric may be altered by anyone as long as they use stickers, thereby not damaging council property.
NASA spacecraft engineers still use imperial. Unfortunately...
http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars .metric.02/
http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars .metric.02/
All a bit of a mess really
Sucessive governments have failed to grasp the nettle - I guess when faced by ridiculous "save the pint" and "metric martyr" campaigns in the tabloids they quickly decide that there are more important fish to fry.
Consequently many of us have ended up "bi-lingual" thinking in metric for some things and imperial for others.
People got used to metric money quickly enough, but I can't see it moving up the political agenda any time soon!
( Incidently I buy cheese in grammes but I know I'm a minority)
Sucessive governments have failed to grasp the nettle - I guess when faced by ridiculous "save the pint" and "metric martyr" campaigns in the tabloids they quickly decide that there are more important fish to fry.
Consequently many of us have ended up "bi-lingual" thinking in metric for some things and imperial for others.
People got used to metric money quickly enough, but I can't see it moving up the political agenda any time soon!
( Incidently I buy cheese in grammes but I know I'm a minority)
The mess,jake, is entirely the fault of the metricists who went like a bull at a gate changing units in those areas where it was cheap and easy to do so - plastic bottles, butter slabs, crisps and cereal packets, petrol pumps and so on - without giving a thought to those areas which were going to be very difficult and very expensive. To change milk bottles to plastic packs will cost money; to change beer glasses to quarter-litre and half-litre glasses will cost a fortune; to change all road signs to metres and kilometres would be not only prohibitively expensive but will cause chaos on our roads.
Frankly it would be cheaper and easier to backtrack by going back to British units in those cheap and easy areas.
No government would have the courage to do that, but neither will they have the courage to complete the metrication process. So you are lumbered with the "mess" indefinitely.
Frankly it would be cheaper and easier to backtrack by going back to British units in those cheap and easy areas.
No government would have the courage to do that, but neither will they have the courage to complete the metrication process. So you are lumbered with the "mess" indefinitely.
Poppycock chakka!
Imperial units are plain daft
16oz to a pound 14 pounds to a stone goodness knows how many to a ton (long or short)!
How many pints to a gallon - depends if you're in the UK or the US
What's an acre? - the area of land a man can plough in a day or something?
It's an absolute dogs dinner!
Changing the road signs was accomplished cheaply and easily in Ireland - the colour was changed and when an old one needed replacing an old white miles one was replaced with a new green kilometre one.
If we can ditch LSD we can ditch the mile such arguments are just a lack of vision.
Imperial units are plain daft
16oz to a pound 14 pounds to a stone goodness knows how many to a ton (long or short)!
How many pints to a gallon - depends if you're in the UK or the US
What's an acre? - the area of land a man can plough in a day or something?
It's an absolute dogs dinner!
Changing the road signs was accomplished cheaply and easily in Ireland - the colour was changed and when an old one needed replacing an old white miles one was replaced with a new green kilometre one.
If we can ditch LSD we can ditch the mile such arguments are just a lack of vision.
