The reason nothing fits in our house is because my Dad says things like, "It's about eighteen inches" and "I need half a yard of sand" and "It's a 3/4 Whitworth".
2006-09-02 02:19:05 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Your Dad is using a system we call Old Metric.
2006-09-02 02:25:21 · answer #1 · answered by st_john_gumby 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We will get there eventually, but when you have machines that are over 20 years old and are put together using Whitworth nuts and bolts.
There are European directives about changing over but its oh so difficult to get all the countries to agree.
And the Americans will insist one using feet and inches, Fahrenheit and UNF / UNC.
And what about British Standard Pipe thread?
We should declare war on the rest of the world, wipe everyone out apart from the Brits and impose our own standards!
Bring back Pounds Shillings and Pence, thats what I say.
2006-09-03 02:19:19 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, he'll never convert.
I honestly can't stand certain aspects of the weights & measures system.
You are not allowed (by UK / EU law) to sell a pound of sugar - only 454grams - BUT, you CAN sell a pint of beer...but NOT a pint of milk.
Go into a hardware store and you can get an 8x4 (8foot x 4 foot) sheet of plywood....or you could get a stupid look by asking for a 2440x1220mm sheet. Both systems work very well in their own right & are frequently interchanged.
I was taught ONLY metric at school, but have always worked in feet & inches AND millimetres in my jobs. I drive there in MILES per hour, not metres per second!! I think it's here to stay, like it or not! I will always be 5'10" - not 1.78m, buy my clothes in INCHES, and my shoes in imperial UK sizes.
It's a good system, and did perfectly well for hundreds of years....now it's just a badly administered mish-mash with too many 'euro'crats making jobs for themselves.
2006-09-02 04:44:54 · answer #3 · answered by creviazuk 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I HATE Imperial measurements.
Before all of you get defensive, I mean come on.
Hands, Furlongs, Feet......
Never mind that most things come in 12.
Our numbering system has been decimal since the Romans (and probably long before).
Every thing in Imperial has a different name and number, all of which must be remembered. And how the hell can you be bothered with fractions of 12's when your designing something.
I've got better things to do with my time than math.
It's all very well for measurements to be based on the size of the body or how much a horse can plough in a day, but hopefully today we are smarter than that.
All you have to remember in Decimal is 10. That's it.
And all the measurements are based on something that can be measured scientifically. Helps to remember things you will need in the future, not the past.
2006-09-02 02:51:34 · answer #4 · answered by Simon D 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He is a man after my own heart.
3/4 whit, a lump of 4 be 2, yard an alf of ballast, give or take 1/2 inch, are terms generally used by the old school , those who built things to a high standard (`cept your dad?) . He won`t change, why should he? :o)
2006-09-02 12:53:27 · answer #5 · answered by Spanner 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what is 3/4 whitworth?
I don't think the problem is metric, I think the problem is your dad is approximating everything. Any system of measuring is fine as long as it is consistently applied, so you aren't running around saying "its about...." when it isn't.
2006-09-02 02:25:47 · answer #6 · answered by 2007_Shelby_GT500 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the U. S. already makes use of the Metric equipment for forex, yet is not likely to pass to it for "weights & measures" because of the large fee to marketplace (retooling) that ought to entail. basically, adopting the Metric equipment promises no benefit to established human beings in on a daily basis existence, and in those technical settings the position it frequently does furnish a benefit (technology, technologies, and so on.) it has in reality already been followed in the U. S..
2016-12-06 03:42:50 · answer #7 · answered by bockoven 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might be surprised to learn that some things, like lengths of timber, come in metres of length but inches of width, i.e. 4.2 metres of 8x2 inch scaffold planking. Loads of things in constant, continual daily use have imperial measurements, like plumbing fittings and pipework, and if they ain't broke, you wouldn't want to replace them all just because there were new ones available that had somehow more "modern" measurements, would you?
2006-09-02 02:30:29 · answer #8 · answered by Kango Man 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why should your dad convert from Imperial Measures to metric, just to satisfy the cranks in the EU????
As a Gardener, I can use and do use both systems. In my mind I can readily assess and estimate distance, weigh and volume in Imperial and no doubt your dad can too.
Why don`t you convert to imperialism and join in?
2006-09-02 02:24:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
And it's a half a bubble off plum, lol! I know the feeling BUT... the old days seemed to work better than today. The more precise we get, the shorter the product lasts... or at least seems to
2006-09-02 02:32:31 · answer #10 · answered by MadMaxx 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋