What's with measuring things in stones?

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Replies

  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    To the befuddled Brits...it's simple. 8 oz. of fluid fits into a VERY specific sized object. Has nothing to with drinking cup or a glass or anything of the sort....that argument is like us saying that stones are confusing because it's a rock...which is clearly silly.

    Stones IS part of the imperial measurement system....as well as pints....sigh this is probably a bad use of my time to explain this.

    Seems we spend a lot of time explaining things around these parts.. eh? I wouldn't worry about explaining the difference between metric and imperial measure, though. Maybe this will help everyone anyway:

    science.png
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
    Has anyone else wondered why American people still measure weight in pounds? I could see that this would make sense if a pound was an even 10 ounces or something, but its something like 16 ounces, right? How is it not more confusing and hard to calculate to say I weigh 194 pounds then just to say I weigh 88.18 kg?

    :drinker:
  • xSophia19
    xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
    Right so i weigh 194lbs, in stones thats 13.12. If a family member asked how much i weigh, if i said 'oh i weigh 193lbs now' they would look at me as if to say 'and exactly how much is that?' soo for us British people, its easier for us just to use stones over pounds.. This website annoys me a little, wen you loose weight, it records how much youve lost in lbs, soo each time i weigh in and lost a lb or 2, i have to figure what that is in stones soo then if anyone says 'blimey soph, youve lost weight how much you lost now?' i can just say 2stone blah blah blah or how ever much it is!! I wish this website would let us choose between lbs and stones for when we weigh in! Cos i find it easier to be using stones :)
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    In Phils, pounds, feet, inches, ounce are used to measure weight, height or in fluids but I would rather weigh myself in kilos than lbs. or in meters than feet. I just use the lbs on my ticker for the sake of MFP. Oh & I don't understand whenever they say 1 or 2 miles, all I know is kms. I dont even know what is a mile to a km. Sorry I was too busy daydreaming in school all day to even know those things :laugh:
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    I was born and raised with the metric system. Pounds, stones, ounces, inches, feet, it all confuses me! I love the cup/spoon thing, though, way easier than with a kitchen scale!
  • nickiben
    nickiben Posts: 117 Member
    Im a Brit, and any American recipe I ever follow in cups never seems to work out?? Why dont you measure stuff???

    Ive got used to pounds now from using MFP, but still have to sit with my calculator when watching Biggest Loser so I know how much people now weigh!!
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    Im a Brit, and any American recipe I ever follow in cups never seems to work out?? Why dont you measure stuff???

    Ive got used to pounds now from using MFP, but still have to sit with my calculator when watching Biggest Loser so I know how much people now weigh!!

    Are you using an actual set of measuring cups and spoons? Don't just use any cups and spoons because they're all different.
  • clarech82
    clarech82 Posts: 244 Member
    Hi im a brit and the only thing I measure in cups is my tea. Like the one I'm drinking at the moment :drinker:
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    What's with living in the dark ages and measuring in pounds and ounces? That always makes me think of my grandma's cookbook from the 1940's!!
  • clarech82
    clarech82 Posts: 244 Member
    One thing that always confuses me is why do we weigh babies in pounds and ounces but when it comes to buying carseats its in kg?
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    One thing that always confuses me is why do we weigh babies in pounds and ounces but when it comes to buying carseats its in kg?

    Wild guess here but maybe because they're meant to be distributed in the whole world and metric system is the majority?
  • maria1113
    maria1113 Posts: 508 Member
    As European, I only use metric system. But when I was back in States I did use all the funny cups and lb's :laugh:
    Metric system seems more accurate to me, but then again, I have always been using it.
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
    I'm a Dutch national living in Ireland for 12 years now and I still can't get my head around pounds and stones. If someone is 150 pounds or 14 stone I honestly would have no clue how to even viualise this.
    And then I arrive on MFP and see something even weirder: measurements in cups! For real? WTF is a cup, coffee mug, teacup?

    Come one, cop on everybody and go metric! :laugh:
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
    I think it's funny that people assume a 'cup' has anything to do with something you're meant to drink from... Not to mention that dry cups and liquid cups are different sizes. Hee. Imperial is awesome. (I like the metric system, too, I work in the sciences and that's all we use but I can't visualize a weight in kg to save my life). Stones, however, are just silly to me. It's based on pounds, why do people who weigh everything else in kg use it? *flails arms*
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    I'm still confused.... Stones...

    I was hoping to get some light shed onthe topic. I was Aldo wondering why people were saying "I've lost 2 stones" on my news updates. I'll be honest, it's the first time hear about these stones. I thought people were going out and weighing freaking rocks..... Lol.
    So confusing *bangs head on desk*
  • coatsie79
    coatsie79 Posts: 187 Member
    I'm getting used to pounds through being on here, but stones will always make more sense to me as it's what i've been brought up with. Kilos are starting to make more sense to me as food measurements in the UK is now mostly Metric. Also, if I go to the doctors now they weigh in Kilos. The future is Metric.
  • KENNY1957
    KENNY1957 Posts: 89 Member
    IF YOU GOT GALL BLADDER STONES.........LOSING TWO HURTSSSSSSSS....LOL...JUS SAYIN!!:laugh:
  • pacmanjack
    pacmanjack Posts: 866 Member
    I assumed one-and-a-half Stones equaled one Mick Jagger and half a Keith Richards. :glasses:
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
    Why do they speak Spanish in Mexico, and Japanese in Japan, and Chinese in China, and Portuguese in Brazil?
  • pacmanjack
    pacmanjack Posts: 866 Member
    Why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
  • Banks01
    Banks01 Posts: 945 Member
    Why do Americans measure things in cups?

    A cup
    B cup
    C cup
    D cup

    I may be missing the point.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    I assumed one-and-a-half Stones equaled one Mick Jagger and half a Keith Richards. :glasses:

    :laugh:
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,332 Member
    In response to the metric system, I'm from Canada, and I still weigh everything in pounds and measure in feet and inches. It's only when I'm talking about distance or speed that I really use the metric system.... I even still use cups and tablespoons for measurements.

    I'm from Canada too and was in school when we made the switch from Imperial measures to Metric. I ended up thinking in a big mash-up of both of them. I think distance and speed in kilometers, gasoline in liters, but measure my weight in pounds, and meats in pounds, but when measuring for my servings I use grams. It goes back and forth for measuring other things from feet and inches from some things and centimeters and meters for others. Basically I am all messed up. From a purely practical point of view I like the metric system as the various units make sense as they are on a base of 10. I just don't think that way.
  • pandabear_
    pandabear_ Posts: 487 Member
    Why do Americans measure things in cups?

    A cup
    B cup
    C cup
    D cup

    I may be missing the point.


    Yes! WHY?!

    It's the most infuriating thing measuring ingredients in cups and it's not even a cup as in a glass.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Has anyone else wondered why British people still measure weight in stones? I could see that this would make sense if a stone was an even 10 pounds or something, but its something like 14 pounds, right? How is it not more confusing and hard to calculate to say I weigh 13 stone, 11 pounds then just to say I weigh 194 pounds?

    Then again us yanks still use a foot to represent 12 inches, so maybe we'd all be better off on the metric system.....

    Do you use feet, or just inches? Same thing. How tall are you in inches? I wouldn't have a clue, but I know I am 5'5. Likewise, I know I am 9 1/4 stone. It's an easier measurement to perceive than a high no. in lbs.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    And DO NOT get me started on bl**dy American cookery books and their bl**dy cups!!!!!! And sticks of butter? WTF's a stick??? Butter comes in PATS, which is 1/2 a lb.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    And DO NOT get me started on bl**dy American cookery books and their bl**dy cups!!!!!! And sticks of butter? WTF's a stick??? Butter comes in PATS, which is 1/2 a lb.

    I think a stick is a 1/4 lb. They are typically wrapped with markings by the tablespoon.
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