Why do Brits still use stone as a measurement?
Replies
-
lemurcat12 wrote: »Anyway, it seems a dumb thing to fret about. And in fact although I say I'm American (based on the country, not the continent), if someone asked me where I was from I'd say "the US" or perhaps "Illinois" or "Chicago." Not "America." So I guess I really don't understand why it's such a hardship that people are confused when you give that answer.
Just answering for myself, here... It's not something I *fret* about but I do find it annoying for personal reasons.
My mom is from Ecuador and my dad was French but grew up in Brazil. I've spent a large part of my life in South America, so I have more South American "sensitivities" than most "Unitedstatesians."
When I say I'm "American" I mean I'm from the United States, but I never use "America" as a noun to mean this country because it sounds arrogant...like I'm dismissing all the other countries on this American continent as irrelevant. When I'm in South America I refer to myself as "estadounidense," not "americana." Spanish and Portuguese speakers (all 600 million of them!) never refer to this country as America. When they say America they're referring to the whole continent. Many people from the U.S. don't get this. Just the other day we were talking about family history and I mentioned that my ancestors came to America from Spain in the early 16th century. I didn't mean to, but I completely confused my American in-laws because they know I'm first generation "Unitedstatesian" and they didn't realize I was referring to SOUTH America.
Confusing, annoying, yes. I wouldn't consider it a hardship or something to fret about, but I will continue to point this out to people as part of my effort to enlighten Americans far and wide.
0 -
An expense for someone else, though, right? You don't personally want to put up the billions of dollars. If you personally had to pay it, it might seem less "worthwhile." It might even seem impossible.Lourdesong wrote: »
It's very expensive to switch. It's hard enough to force everyone to learn and use, but the costs involved have made it impractical.pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »Why do Yanks still use Imperial as measurement when the rest of the world uses Metric?
As America falls further behind in industry, it will happen.
Is it? It wouldn't happen overnight, of course, but the move to switch over in a serious way would be a worthwhile expense; it seems so to me, anyway.
My husband is an engineer and he complains all the time about the customary measures and how having to mentally switch back and forth between customary and metric is extremely dangerous and always ripe for expensive screw ups on expensive machinery.
For better or worse, the people who would actually have to do the paying have not been as in favor of it as those who won't actually be ponying up the cash.
It cannot be done all at once. People will continue needing quarter-inch bolts until whatever uses them is obsolete. So, the point of adding a new system when the old one must be continued...people have long felt, "What is the point? Just to change systems?"
Millions of things - from the tiniest washer to the largest mold - and all kinds of parts have to be converted. Every drill bit that drills the holes (and all those molds), everything. It's a huge and very, very expensive thing. And the old stuff has to continue to be made to replace parts on the old stuff. Can't very well say, "Sorry that your faucet can't be turned off / car doesn't run / bridge is falling down. We no longer have those parts. We switched systems."
The entire industrial world worked on our system. Machines all over the world were designed for it.
As we fall further behind, industrially, it will change. It's already happening. But it's a long and expensive process, so the people who pay the cash are going about it as cheaply as they can.
I'm in favor of One System and metric is as good as any. It's easier to learn for kids. The whole world could work together, easily. Nobody would have to remember who they were talking to before they used a measurement.
It will be great when it happens. But I'll probably be dead before that time. So, I live with it.
Going metric should ideally mean we as a nation are not going to tolerate the perpetuation of the customary system. If that means that manufacturers have to pay a (ultimately inevitable) price in order to continue to hawk their wares, then so be it.
Much of industry has switched over metric already, and it is my understanding that the switch is profitable for everyone involved.
0 -
Lourdesong wrote: »
An expense for someone else, though, right? You don't personally want to put up the billions of dollars. If you personally had to pay it, it might seem less "worthwhile." It might even seem impossible.Lourdesong wrote: »
It's very expensive to switch. It's hard enough to force everyone to learn and use, but the costs involved have made it impractical.pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »Why do Yanks still use Imperial as measurement when the rest of the world uses Metric?
As America falls further behind in industry, it will happen.
Is it? It wouldn't happen overnight, of course, but the move to switch over in a serious way would be a worthwhile expense; it seems so to me, anyway.
My husband is an engineer and he complains all the time about the customary measures and how having to mentally switch back and forth between customary and metric is extremely dangerous and always ripe for expensive screw ups on expensive machinery.
For better or worse, the people who would actually have to do the paying have not been as in favor of it as those who won't actually be ponying up the cash.
It cannot be done all at once. People will continue needing quarter-inch bolts until whatever uses them is obsolete. So, the point of adding a new system when the old one must be continued...people have long felt, "What is the point? Just to change systems?"
Millions of things - from the tiniest washer to the largest mold - and all kinds of parts have to be converted. Every drill bit that drills the holes (and all those molds), everything. It's a huge and very, very expensive thing. And the old stuff has to continue to be made to replace parts on the old stuff. Can't very well say, "Sorry that your faucet can't be turned off / car doesn't run / bridge is falling down. We no longer have those parts. We switched systems."
The entire industrial world worked on our system. Machines all over the world were designed for it.
As we fall further behind, industrially, it will change. It's already happening. But it's a long and expensive process, so the people who pay the cash are going about it as cheaply as they can.
I'm in favor of One System and metric is as good as any. It's easier to learn for kids. The whole world could work together, easily. Nobody would have to remember who they were talking to before they used a measurement.
It will be great when it happens. But I'll probably be dead before that time. So, I live with it.
Going metric should ideally mean we as a nation are not going to tolerate the perpetuation of the customary system. If that means that manufacturers have to pay a (ultimately inevitable) price in order to continue to hawk their wares, then so be it.
Much of industry has switched over metric already, and it is my understanding that the switch is profitable for everyone involved.
Considering it's taken 4 or 500 years for the metric changes that are in place, I don't think the world will be 100% metric in any of our lifetimes
0 -
0somuchbetter0 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Anyway, it seems a dumb thing to fret about. And in fact although I say I'm American (based on the country, not the continent), if someone asked me where I was from I'd say "the US" or perhaps "Illinois" or "Chicago." Not "America." So I guess I really don't understand why it's such a hardship that people are confused when you give that answer.
Just answering for myself, here... It's not something I *fret* about but I do find it annoying for personal reasons.
Well, recall that the assertion was that it's terrible or somehow offensive or wrong that Americans say "I'm American," which you yourself have acknowledged that you do, because--as I pointed out--there's no other convenient English way to convey the same thing without it being awkward or requiring more words.My mom is from Ecuador and my dad was French but grew up in Brazil. I've spent a large part of my life in South America, so I have more South American "sensitivities" than most "Unitedstatesians." When I say I'm "American" I mean I'm from the United States, but I never use "America" as a noun to mean this country because it sounds arrogant...like I'm dismissing all the other countries on this American continent as irrelevant. When I'm in South America I refer to myself as "estadounidense," not "americana." Spanish and Portuguese speakers (all 600 million of them!) never refer to this country as America. When they say America they're referring to the whole continent. Many people from the U.S. don't get this. Just the other day we were talking about family history and I mentioned that my ancestors came to America from Spain in the early 16th century. I didn't mean to, but I completely confused my American in-laws because they know I'm first generation "Unitedstatesian" and they didn't realize I was referring to SOUTH America.
Confusing, annoying, yes. I wouldn't consider it a hardship or something to fret about, but I will continue to point this out to people as part of my effort to enlighten Americans far and wide.
Like I said before, I usually say "I'm American" but "I'm from the US" just because that seems more normal usage to me (and is equally short), but claiming that saying "I'm from America" to mean what everyone understands it to mean is arrogant seems like you are going out of your way to try and find offense. It's a short form of the name of the country. That people are confused about others using it is because people don't ever say "I am from one of the continents of North and South America" any more than they say "I am Euro-Asian." Indeed, I'd think it was kind of weird if someone said "I'm European" instead of giving the country. Your usage relating to your ancestors is one of the ways in which I think referring to the continent makes sense, but that it was slightly confusing to the people you were talking to (it shouldn't have been, IMO, as it seems clear enough) doesn't make the usage for the country wrong or arrogant or something we need to be educated out of, IMO.
My impression here is that the US is considered arrogant or obnoxious by many in Latin America (and probably Canada) for various reasons, some even reasonable, of course, and thus there is a tendency to read that into or get irritated by this even though it really seems like a ridiculous thing to get bothered by. I think it says more about prior attitudes than really caring that people call themselves by a word that clearly relates to the name of our country.
0 -
I hope you can get everyone to agree with that and make it happen very quickly. I like the metric system.Lourdesong wrote: »
An expense for someone else, though, right? You don't personally want to put up the billions of dollars. If you personally had to pay it, it might seem less "worthwhile." It might even seem impossible.Lourdesong wrote: »
It's very expensive to switch. It's hard enough to force everyone to learn and use, but the costs involved have made it impractical.pinkraynedropjacki wrote: »Why do Yanks still use Imperial as measurement when the rest of the world uses Metric?
As America falls further behind in industry, it will happen.
Is it? It wouldn't happen overnight, of course, but the move to switch over in a serious way would be a worthwhile expense; it seems so to me, anyway.
My husband is an engineer and he complains all the time about the customary measures and how having to mentally switch back and forth between customary and metric is extremely dangerous and always ripe for expensive screw ups on expensive machinery.
For better or worse, the people who would actually have to do the paying have not been as in favor of it as those who won't actually be ponying up the cash.
It cannot be done all at once. People will continue needing quarter-inch bolts until whatever uses them is obsolete. So, the point of adding a new system when the old one must be continued...people have long felt, "What is the point? Just to change systems?"
Millions of things - from the tiniest washer to the largest mold - and all kinds of parts have to be converted. Every drill bit that drills the holes (and all those molds), everything. It's a huge and very, very expensive thing. And the old stuff has to continue to be made to replace parts on the old stuff. Can't very well say, "Sorry that your faucet can't be turned off / car doesn't run / bridge is falling down. We no longer have those parts. We switched systems."
The entire industrial world worked on our system. Machines all over the world were designed for it.
As we fall further behind, industrially, it will change. It's already happening. But it's a long and expensive process, so the people who pay the cash are going about it as cheaply as they can.
I'm in favor of One System and metric is as good as any. It's easier to learn for kids. The whole world could work together, easily. Nobody would have to remember who they were talking to before they used a measurement.
It will be great when it happens. But I'll probably be dead before that time. So, I live with it.
Going metric should ideally mean we as a nation are not going to tolerate the perpetuation of the customary system. If that means that manufacturers have to pay a (ultimately inevitable) price in order to continue to hawk their wares, then so be it.
Much of industry has switched over metric already, and it is my understanding that the switch is profitable for everyone involved. 0 -
While I'm not British, I actually prefer to weigh my stuff in grams if the option is available. It's just easier on my scale to do it in grams.0
-
Malteaster wrote: »In a lot of UK cookery books with metric and imperial measures for ingredients, the accepted equivalent for 4oz is either 100g or 125g depending on the recipe. I have never seen 113.2g used.
And it'll also say to follow either the imperial or metric measurements, not to mix them, because they don't use an exact conversion from one to the other.0 -
Alemurcat12 wrote: »0somuchbetter0 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Anyway, it seems a dumb thing to fret about. And in fact although I say I'm American (based on the country, not the continent), if someone asked me where I was from I'd say "the US" or perhaps "Illinois" or "Chicago." Not "America." So I guess I really don't understand why it's such a hardship that people are confused when you give that answer.
Just answering for myself, here... It's not something I *fret* about but I do find it annoying for personal reasons.
Well, recall that the assertion was that it's terrible or somehow offensive or wrong that Americans say "I'm American," which you yourself have acknowledged that you do, because--as I pointed out--there's no other convenient English way to convey the same thing without it being awkward or requiring more words.My mom is from Ecuador and my dad was French but grew up in Brazil. I've spent a large part of my life in South America, so I have more South American "sensitivities" than most "Unitedstatesians." When I say I'm "American" I mean I'm from the United States, but I never use "America" as a noun to mean this country because it sounds arrogant...like I'm dismissing all the other countries on this American continent as irrelevant. When I'm in South America I refer to myself as "estadounidense," not "americana." Spanish and Portuguese speakers (all 600 million of them!) never refer to this country as America. When they say America they're referring to the whole continent. Many people from the U.S. don't get this. Just the other day we were talking about family history and I mentioned that my ancestors came to America from Spain in the early 16th century. I didn't mean to, but I completely confused my American in-laws because they know I'm first generation "Unitedstatesian" and they didn't realize I was referring to SOUTH America.
Confusing, annoying, yes. I wouldn't consider it a hardship or something to fret about, but I will continue to point this out to people as part of my effort to enlighten Americans far and wide.
Like I said before, I usually say "I'm American" but "I'm from the US" just because that seems more normal usage to me (and is equally short), but claiming that saying "I'm from America" to mean what everyone understands it to mean is arrogant seems like you are going out of your way to try and find offense. It's a short form of the name of the country. That people are confused about others using it is because people don't ever say "I am from one of the continents of North and South America" any more than they say "I am Euro-Asian." Indeed, I'd think it was kind of weird if someone said "I'm European" instead of giving the country. Your usage relating to your ancestors is one of the ways in which I think referring to the continent makes sense, but that it was slightly confusing to the people you were talking to (it shouldn't have been, IMO, as it seems clear enough) doesn't make the usage for the country wrong or arrogant or something we need to be educated out of, IMO.
My impression here is that the US is considered arrogant or obnoxious by many in Latin America (and probably Canada) for various reasons, some even reasonable, of course, and thus there is a tendency to read that into or get irritated by this even though it really seems like a ridiculous thing to get bothered by. I think it says more about prior attitudes than really caring that people call themselves by a word that clearly relates to the name of our country.
Agreed...well said. Honestly what bugged me most about my in-laws' reaction was just their ignorance, but that's not really their fault. So I guess in that case I was the one being arrogant for being annoyed by it. Ha.0 -
0somuchbetter0 wrote: »Alemurcat12 wrote: »0somuchbetter0 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Anyway, it seems a dumb thing to fret about. And in fact although I say I'm American (based on the country, not the continent), if someone asked me where I was from I'd say "the US" or perhaps "Illinois" or "Chicago." Not "America." So I guess I really don't understand why it's such a hardship that people are confused when you give that answer.
Just answering for myself, here... It's not something I *fret* about but I do find it annoying for personal reasons.
Well, recall that the assertion was that it's terrible or somehow offensive or wrong that Americans say "I'm American," which you yourself have acknowledged that you do, because--as I pointed out--there's no other convenient English way to convey the same thing without it being awkward or requiring more words.My mom is from Ecuador and my dad was French but grew up in Brazil. I've spent a large part of my life in South America, so I have more South American "sensitivities" than most "Unitedstatesians." When I say I'm "American" I mean I'm from the United States, but I never use "America" as a noun to mean this country because it sounds arrogant...like I'm dismissing all the other countries on this American continent as irrelevant. When I'm in South America I refer to myself as "estadounidense," not "americana." Spanish and Portuguese speakers (all 600 million of them!) never refer to this country as America. When they say America they're referring to the whole continent. Many people from the U.S. don't get this. Just the other day we were talking about family history and I mentioned that my ancestors came to America from Spain in the early 16th century. I didn't mean to, but I completely confused my American in-laws because they know I'm first generation "Unitedstatesian" and they didn't realize I was referring to SOUTH America.
Confusing, annoying, yes. I wouldn't consider it a hardship or something to fret about, but I will continue to point this out to people as part of my effort to enlighten Americans far and wide.
Like I said before, I usually say "I'm American" but "I'm from the US" just because that seems more normal usage to me (and is equally short), but claiming that saying "I'm from America" to mean what everyone understands it to mean is arrogant seems like you are going out of your way to try and find offense. It's a short form of the name of the country. That people are confused about others using it is because people don't ever say "I am from one of the continents of North and South America" any more than they say "I am Euro-Asian." Indeed, I'd think it was kind of weird if someone said "I'm European" instead of giving the country. Your usage relating to your ancestors is one of the ways in which I think referring to the continent makes sense, but that it was slightly confusing to the people you were talking to (it shouldn't have been, IMO, as it seems clear enough) doesn't make the usage for the country wrong or arrogant or something we need to be educated out of, IMO.
My impression here is that the US is considered arrogant or obnoxious by many in Latin America (and probably Canada) for various reasons, some even reasonable, of course, and thus there is a tendency to read that into or get irritated by this even though it really seems like a ridiculous thing to get bothered by. I think it says more about prior attitudes than really caring that people call themselves by a word that clearly relates to the name of our country.
Agreed...well said. Honestly what bugged me most about my in-laws' reaction was just their ignorance, but that's not really their fault. So I guess in that case I was the one being arrogant for being annoyed by it. Ha.
I just wanna say that your ability to discuss something with an opposing viewpoint but still be sweet about it makes you one of my favorites on here.0 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »0somuchbetter0 wrote: »Alemurcat12 wrote: »0somuchbetter0 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Anyway, it seems a dumb thing to fret about. And in fact although I say I'm American (based on the country, not the continent), if someone asked me where I was from I'd say "the US" or perhaps "Illinois" or "Chicago." Not "America." So I guess I really don't understand why it's such a hardship that people are confused when you give that answer.
Just answering for myself, here... It's not something I *fret* about but I do find it annoying for personal reasons.
Well, recall that the assertion was that it's terrible or somehow offensive or wrong that Americans say "I'm American," which you yourself have acknowledged that you do, because--as I pointed out--there's no other convenient English way to convey the same thing without it being awkward or requiring more words.My mom is from Ecuador and my dad was French but grew up in Brazil. I've spent a large part of my life in South America, so I have more South American "sensitivities" than most "Unitedstatesians." When I say I'm "American" I mean I'm from the United States, but I never use "America" as a noun to mean this country because it sounds arrogant...like I'm dismissing all the other countries on this American continent as irrelevant. When I'm in South America I refer to myself as "estadounidense," not "americana." Spanish and Portuguese speakers (all 600 million of them!) never refer to this country as America. When they say America they're referring to the whole continent. Many people from the U.S. don't get this. Just the other day we were talking about family history and I mentioned that my ancestors came to America from Spain in the early 16th century. I didn't mean to, but I completely confused my American in-laws because they know I'm first generation "Unitedstatesian" and they didn't realize I was referring to SOUTH America.
Confusing, annoying, yes. I wouldn't consider it a hardship or something to fret about, but I will continue to point this out to people as part of my effort to enlighten Americans far and wide.
Like I said before, I usually say "I'm American" but "I'm from the US" just because that seems more normal usage to me (and is equally short), but claiming that saying "I'm from America" to mean what everyone understands it to mean is arrogant seems like you are going out of your way to try and find offense. It's a short form of the name of the country. That people are confused about others using it is because people don't ever say "I am from one of the continents of North and South America" any more than they say "I am Euro-Asian." Indeed, I'd think it was kind of weird if someone said "I'm European" instead of giving the country. Your usage relating to your ancestors is one of the ways in which I think referring to the continent makes sense, but that it was slightly confusing to the people you were talking to (it shouldn't have been, IMO, as it seems clear enough) doesn't make the usage for the country wrong or arrogant or something we need to be educated out of, IMO.
My impression here is that the US is considered arrogant or obnoxious by many in Latin America (and probably Canada) for various reasons, some even reasonable, of course, and thus there is a tendency to read that into or get irritated by this even though it really seems like a ridiculous thing to get bothered by. I think it says more about prior attitudes than really caring that people call themselves by a word that clearly relates to the name of our country.
Agreed...well said. Honestly what bugged me most about my in-laws' reaction was just their ignorance, but that's not really their fault. So I guess in that case I was the one being arrogant for being annoyed by it. Ha.
I just wanna say that your ability to discuss something with an opposing viewpoint but still be sweet about it makes you one of my favorites on here.
Aw shucks, Carlos, thanks. I can be a real b***h when I feel like it, but I've found that it's generally not worth the effort in forums like these. 0 -
It's easier to say a stone than 14 pounds. Plus, we are smart and unique and we do things the right way. It's just what we are brought up with.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.7K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 431 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions