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I was just thinking, that I am getting much more used to the metric system in everyday use than the old imperial one. I use it in work anyway, so I am familiar with it. But having grown up with miles, pounds, and pints, and gallons I realize that I now think of petrol and most liquids (except beer) in litres, distances in kilometers, and sizes in meters and centimeters at least as easily as the older ways.

I still think of height in feet and inches though, meat in pounds, and football pitches in yards, and I probably always will. I find it quite easy to use the two selectively for different things.

What do other people think, are they comfortable with metric units, or do they still struggle with them? What system do you think of for different measurements? (I know you don't have them in the U.S. so don't worry, this isn't really aimed for you lot).

Galbally;735262 wrote: I was just thinking, that I am getting much more used to the metric system in everyday use than the old imperial one. I use it in work anyway, so I am familiar with it. But having grown up with miles, pounds, and pints, and gallons I realize that I now think of petrol and most liquids (except beer) in litres, distances in kilometers, and sizes in meters and centimeters at least as easily as the older ways.

I still think of height in feet and inches though, meat in pounds, and football pitches in yards, and I probably always will. I find it quite easy to use the two selectively for different things.

What do other people think, are they comfortable with metric units, or do they still struggle with them? What system do you think of for different measurements? (I know you don't have them in the U.S. so don't worry, this isn't really aimed for you lot).


I struggle cos im thick and also cos I aint interested it doesnt sink in, I stand at the deli counter and think do I ask for a pound of ham or so many grammes/ounces and I canny work it out so I just say 4 slices please :wah::wah:

I do do miles as kilometres, they dont exist in my brain:-3

I still do pints and not litres too.....

My kids are gonna be shaming me something awful lol

Galbally;735262 wrote: I was just thinking, that I am getting much more used to the metric system in everyday use than the old imperial one. I use it in work anyway, so I am familiar with it. But having grown up with miles, pounds, and pints, and gallons I realize that I now think of petrol and most liquids (except beer) in litres, distances in kilometers, and sizes in meters and centimeters at least as easily as the older ways.

I still think of height in feet and inches though, meat in pounds, and football pitches in yards, and I probably always will. I find it quite easy to use the two selectively for different things.

What do other people think, are they comfortable with metric units, or do they still struggle with them? What system do you think of for different measurements? (I know you don't have them in the U.S. so don't worry, this isn't really aimed for you lot).


Very selective. As well as the usual speed in MPH and road distance in miles, beer in pints etc I still convert petrol to gallons and fuel consumption in MPG except the boat which is litres per hour.

If I'm doing DIY then its millimetres but my word processor is always set to inches.

Food is always imperial but most other weights are metric

Engines are always BHP but other power in kilowatts

I still refer to pounds shillings and pence occasionally but usually accept this new fangled decimal currency.

Spanners are always metric but feelers in thou, pressures in PSI and torques in foot pounds



So horses for courses really - my usual irrational take on life.

Gal

Tha US is trying to incorporate the Metric system.

Its tough to teach a old dog new tricks - but they're trying

Patsy

I use imperial.I can see in my head an inch foot and yard. I know how much I am getting if I ask for a Ilb of steak.I know how far twenty miles is.Pure laziness that I have never tried to compare,but if I dont need to,then why bother.

I've only ever known driving by km, not miles.

I know exterior temperatures by Celsius but room temperatures by Fahrenheit.

Height by feet and inches.

Other measurements used to be more familiar by cms until I did construction, now I always think in inches.

Purchasing volume amounts in litres, except when measuring ingredients which I still go by cups.

I'm pretty mixed up between the two systems.

A quick Google informs me that:-

In 1893, under the Mendenhall Order, metric standards, developed through international cooperation under the auspices of BIPM, were adopted as the fundamental standards for length and mass in the United States. The customary measurements – the foot, pound, quart, etc. – have been defined in relation to the meter and the kilogram ever since.


So even though you never knew it, Murcans is metricated.