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Original poster

Inspired by the height and weight thread in Chat - are you metric or imperial? And why?

49 replies

broguemum · 26/01/2009 08:16

I've been wondering this for a while, but how come the vast majority of you seem to think in Imperial terms when it comes to measurements?

I'm a Brit, I went through the UK education system up to the age of 21, I am nearly 40 years old and I have NEVER EVER been taught the imperial system. I have no intuitive feel for it AT ALL! So how come so many of my contempories (that's you lot by the way) appear to be almost entirely Imperial.

My lack of Imperiality (is that a word?) really hinders me on threads about babies weights etc as I have no idea what 10 pounds is. I have to go away and find a converter and by then I have usually missed the moment.

Can someone enlighten me? How come you are all so Imperial? And I don't mean purple and ermin....

[baffled emoticon]

OP posts:
Clayhead · 26/01/2009 08:17

Metric, as you have never been taught Imperial and so don't use it.

Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 09:26

Have you looked at the height and weight thread in chat though? The overwhelming majority have posted in imperial. I think there are 2 out of 196 messages that are metric! It's unbelievable. Did I somehow miss out on some secret imperial lessons that were given?? I am truely baffled here. Completely.

Can an Imperialist come along and explain their position please?

OP posts:
sarah293 · 26/01/2009 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

fishie · 26/01/2009 09:32

i'm mainly metric but do get a bit stuck with height. am 40 too.

MissusLindt · 26/01/2009 09:32

Metric

Was taught metric at school then moved to Germany when I was 17yo.

I am baffled that UK still clings to the imperial system. Metric is just so much easier.

bronze · 26/01/2009 09:36

For lengths I can do both. Except height where I find it a lot harder to picture 1m72 than I would 6ft 4 (ok theyre not the same I know).

I'm at the age where my parents taught me one and they were teaching the other in school.

I can also do weight in both. I used to get a bit confused with lbs and oz but having babies sorted that.

I can't do temperature in either so need the forecaster to tell me if its going to be hot or freezing

Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 09:38

Thanks for that Riven.

Maybe if I'd have stayed in the UK I would have become an imperialist too but I emigrated about 16 years ago. Maybe that's why I am so totally metric but I honestly have no feel for imperial measurements at all and find it extraordinary that so many Brits are imperial. Anyone else (an imperialist) care to contribute?

Um. Better be careful with my wording or else I shall be accused of having marxist tendencies with all my talk of imperialists!

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Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 09:41

Oooh! It moved on whilst I was typing.

Temperature seems to be the one thing where metric seems to be "winning" in the UK. My sister who is imperial in height and weight is metric in temperature. Bizarre. I do find this fascinating (maybe 'cos I'm trying to avoid doing work at the moment?).

And why does the UK still use miles? And yards? Children are not taught these at school (at least I wasn't) and kilometres are so much nicer as they are SHORTER!!

OP posts:
bronze · 26/01/2009 09:42

Because we don't want to be like everyone else

bronze · 26/01/2009 09:44

yes but them you have to walk more km to get the same distance. How demoralising

Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 09:48

I can understand the wanting to be different thing (you are all individuals!!) but why use two systems and teach only one in schools? Would it not be more sensible to teach both systems if both are in use? It just seems crazy to teach only one and to use two. Does any school teach both?

Any how many pounds are there in stone anyway?

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Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 09:49

And why doesn't the great Imperialist nation use stones at all? Why is weight all in pounds???

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ZoeC · 26/01/2009 09:52

I can't explain, but I am a mix of both. Imperial for weight and height, metric for temperature. If I'm baking I'll generally use ounces, but for other cooking I'm as likely to use grams

(14 pounds to a stones btw, 16 ounces to a pound - madness!)

throckenholt · 26/01/2009 09:53

I am pretty much your age (ok - slightly older ) and I do a bit of both.

I think body measurements I tend to use feet and inches and stones for adults, but cm and kg for the kids !

I use miles for long distances - but cm and m for small ones.

I think it is a case of familiarity - and what you grew up with. I certainly don't remember being taught at school that we were 1.5m tall (but then I don't remember being taught we were 5ft either !).

bronze · 26/01/2009 09:56

Zoe you sound as confused as me

I remember the oz to lb to stone ration because ds1 was 9lb 14 so there must be more than 14oz in a lb making it 16. so then the other one must be 14. If that makes any sense

apsie · 26/01/2009 09:58

It's true we are confused here. I used to work with an australian guy who thought the mixed system we seem to have was really strange - in Oz everything is metric. In the US everything is imperial, no metric at all and while I was there I realised that while I had no trouble with imperial heights and weights (of people), I found buying food in imperial quite hard and couldn't deal with weather reports in fahrenheit at all! Think the problem is definitely the older generation hanging on to imperial measurements - my mum can't understand how hot 20 deg C is - she can only cope with fahrenheit.

ZoeC · 26/01/2009 09:59

Throckenholt - same for distances, miles for anything long, metric for smaller distances. Litres for petrol, pints for milk.

pooka · 26/01/2009 10:01

I am 34. Was taught metric, but use a weird mixture now.

My weight is in stones and pounds. Though I can at a push work out kilos but not for babies i.e. 3.5 kilos - wouldn't have a clue. Children's weight is in stones and pounds.

My height is in feet and inches. BUt children's heights are in metric.

I am pretty "bi-lingual" when talking about buildings and sizes and distances. Can manage feet and inches and cm and m when talking about how deep and extension is/how high.

BUt when I go on a journey I deal in miles and generally if I exercise it would be in miles though can do km if appropriate.

I rather like the hotchpotch mishmash of it! Seems eccentric and yet familiar. I remember watching QI and Stephen Fry saying how odd it is that people use celsius when describing cold weather i.e. "it's minus five today" and yet fahrenheit when dealing with heatwaves.

Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 10:01

Aaargh!!! Confusion worse confounded!!!

Why 14 pounds to a stone and then 16 ounces to a pound? Why? Is there a reason?

And why not teach both?

OP posts:
pooka · 26/01/2009 10:02

Oh definitely grammes for weighing in cooking but pints for liquids. Odder and odder.

Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 10:03
OP posts:
ZoeC · 26/01/2009 10:05

Good point about child heights - I use metric for the dds but imperial for all adults. I will no doubt convert the dds to imperial when they become adults too

Original poster
broguemum · 26/01/2009 10:10

ZoeC - Will you have a sort of Bar Mitzvah? A ceremony noting the transition into the secret society of Imperialists?

I need to have a word with my Dad. I never had one. So unfair!

OP posts:
ZoeC · 26/01/2009 10:15

Lol broguemum. I have no idea when it will happen though or if I'll wake up one day and it will have already happened without me knowing

I just can't imagine using metric heights for adults!

throckenholt · 26/01/2009 10:18

hmm - I buy petrol in litres now (because you have to) - but still work out the mileage in miles per gallon (even to the extent of converting litres to gallons !)

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