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Boris Johnson to reportedly bring back imperial measurements to mark platinum jubilee
gaurdian ^

Posted on 05/28/2022 9:52:35 PM PDT by algore

Boris Johnson will reportedly announce the return of imperial measurements to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, in an apparent attempt to garner support among Brexiter voters in battleground seats that the Conservatives are in danger of losing.

Britain currently uses a mix of imperial and metric measurements, with speed limits in miles per hour and milk and beer bought in pints.

The prime minister, under increasing pressure after further damaging revelations in the Partygate scandal, is expected to announce next week that British shops will be allowed to sell products in pounds and ounces to coincide with celebrations for the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.

A Cabinet source told the Mirror: “As the British people have been happy to use both imperial and metric measurements in their daily life it is good for the government to reflect that now we are free to change our regulations accordingly.”

Since 1995, goods sold in Europe have had to display metric weights and measurements. And since 2000 when the EU’s weights and measures directive came into force, traders have been legally required to use metric units for the sale by weight or measure of fresh produce, which became a recurring issue for Eurosceptics about Brussels’ supposed interference in British life.

While it is still legal to price goods in pounds and ounces, these have to be displayed alongside the price in grams and kilograms

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Heated Discussion
KEYWORDS: metric
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To: Allegra

“When are they going to stop driving on the wrong side of the road?”

When they start attaching the steering wheel on the correct side.


21 posted on 05/28/2022 11:15:46 PM PDT by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: algore

I weigh 15 stone.

pounds / 14 = stone
210 / 14 = 15
210 pounds = 15 stone


22 posted on 05/28/2022 11:45:20 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
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To: algore
I'm going to go down to the local pub and drink a dram to celebrate - the pub is a mere two rods down the road from my house!

The pub owner - a man weighing in at 12 stone - still owes me a quid from a bet that he lost to me.

(I had bet that I could drink three gills of whiskey while upside down.)

Regards,

23 posted on 05/28/2022 11:52:22 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

Try baking in the UK where they commonly measure all dry ingredients by mass instead of dry volume. The Celsius scale is also poor because it doesn’t work well with temperatures that people commonly experience in day to day life. There is also a reason why base 60 was use for many applications as it can be divided by the first 6 numbers. What is also strange is that the same people who push for the metric system have no problem with hexadecimal or other system used in computing.


24 posted on 05/29/2022 12:26:31 AM PDT by LukeL
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To: RockyTx

They have ‘precise’ equivalents, not ‘exact’.


25 posted on 05/29/2022 2:32:15 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (Capitalism is what happens when you leave people alone.)
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To: nickcarraway

“The metric system was created artificially, with no regard to human perception.”

Canada uses Imperial measure in building houses.

I find “feet” easy, as my shoe is exactly one foot. My “wingspan” is 6 feet, as is my height. (Nose-to-fingertip—half of that—one yard).

The distance from my elbow to fingertip is 18 inches (doubled is a yard). Fully extending thumb to fingertip is 8 inches, so I don’t need a measuring device, as I carry those measurements everywhere I go. ;)

I also know that 25C is sweaty-HOT! One centimeter is close to half-inch.

A near-shore boat rescue is easiest to express in English measure.


26 posted on 05/29/2022 2:48:24 AM PDT by Does so (https//youtu.be/3PxEWB6W8ig ......Uke's Independence Day Parade. Anthem starts at 15:00)
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To: Svartalfiar
"I have no idea how metric users can possibly order their beer."

By the mug. The very precise Germans require that every mug or glass has a line printed on it with the volume in in ml (milliliters) printed at the line. The beer must fill to the line, not including the head.

A liter is just a bit more than a quart, or just a bit more than two pints. You'll get drunk just a bit faster on German 500 ml mugs compared with English pints. A US wine bottle is actually 750 ml, just under a quart.

27 posted on 05/29/2022 2:52:10 AM PDT by norwaypinesavage (Capitalism is what happens when you leave people alone.)
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To: Allegra

haha

love your post!!!


28 posted on 05/29/2022 4:11:18 AM PDT by nevermorelenore ( If My people will pray ....)
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To: algore

I’m encouraged a bit that our drug dealers, carrying a 9mm can accurately manage grams and kilos


29 posted on 05/29/2022 4:31:04 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: markomalley

Pounds, schillings and pence...


30 posted on 05/29/2022 5:25:03 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.q at)
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To: Svartalfiar

“1/3 of a half-meter is...” 6-9/16 inches. For all practical intents and purposes.


31 posted on 05/29/2022 5:54:12 AM PDT by HKMk23 (https://youtu.be/LTseTg48568)
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To: reg45

Have you ever heard of the United States?


32 posted on 05/29/2022 6:01:50 AM PDT by oldbill
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To: LukeL

That also explains why French numbers are so weird:

Soixante = Sixty
Soixante-Dix = Seventy (Sixty and Ten)
Quatre-Vingts = Eighty (Four Twenties)
Quatre-Vingt-Dix = Ninety (Four Twenties and Ten)


33 posted on 05/29/2022 6:11:09 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: algore

Let’s sack Celsius and the standard meter as well as well. The EU can shove it.


34 posted on 05/29/2022 6:42:17 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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To: reg45
with whom will Britain trade

He’s not doing away with the metric system, just allowing it in retail transactions which the EU forbade. If the local fruit vendor wants to sell bananas by the pound, he may.

35 posted on 05/29/2022 8:46:06 AM PDT by BfloGuy ( Even the opponents of Socialism are dominated by socialist ideas)
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To: markomalley

2 Bob, threpny bit, groat, quid, half a crown, it goes on and on.
An American pint is sixteen ounces. A British pint is twenty ounces, must be Johnny Depps mega pint.


36 posted on 05/29/2022 4:00:57 PM PDT by .44 Special (Taimid Buacharch)
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To: algore

Just so long as they leave Whitworth thread on the ash heap of history.


37 posted on 05/29/2022 5:38:47 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: norwaypinesavage
By the mug. The very precise Germans require that every mug or glass has a line printed on it with the volume in in ml (milliliters) printed at the line. The beer must fill to the line, not including the head.

A liter is just a bit more than a quart, or just a bit more than two pints. You'll get drunk just a bit faster on German 500 ml mugs compared with English pints. A US wine bottle is actually 750 ml, just under a quart.


Yes, I know the sizes and I have several glasses with their 330ml or 500ml etchings. My point is how do you actually order those? Do you tell the bartender "Gimme a third-liter of Shiner"? Or do they just call them "short" and "tall"?
38 posted on 05/30/2022 9:03:15 PM PDT by Svartalfiar
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To: HKMk23
“1/3 of a half-meter is...” 6-9/16 inches. For all practical intents and purposes.

And to my point, a useless number. Converting it to regular units doesn't help you actually do the math in metric.

Metric is fine if you want to divide by two or ten (fifths isn't a oft-used divisor), but the very commonly used third or quarter isn't very smooth in metric. But a base-12 system of feet and inches easily handles halves, thirds, quarters, and tenths.
39 posted on 05/30/2022 9:07:25 PM PDT by Svartalfiar
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To: Svartalfiar

Yup. Preachin’ to da choir, here; I made my bread at the drafting table.

In Imperial Units it’s easy to drawing at 1/16, 1/12, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/8 scale; whether to the inch or to the foot. There are many options, all of them readily calculable.

In Metric you get 1/2, or 1/10; rarely 1/5. Other than that its all in multiples of ten.


40 posted on 05/31/2022 1:03:58 PM PDT by HKMk23 (https://youtu.be/LTseTg48568)
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