The Europhobes in Britain are celebrating the decision by Brussels to give up on attempting to force the UK to adopt the metric system. But is this good news? Not in my book as we are stuck, and will remain stuck in this nightmare halfway world we currently inhabit.
Petrol is sold in litres but distance measured in miles. Fuel economy is still measured in miles per gallon*. People weigh themselves in stone as adults but children are measuring in kilos, as are adults at the doctor's surgery. Draught beer and cider is sold in pints but tins and bottles are generally but not exclusively metric measures. Milk is sold in pints. Wine and spirits are sold in litres or centilitres. People's heights are measured in feet and inches but rental space is in square metres and builders generally use metric. Automotive fittings are exclusively metric except for that handful of American made cars sold here.
In other words it is a bloody mess.
*Note to Americans: Imperial pints and gallons are 25% large than your inferior American varieties! One stone is equal to fourteen pounds and don't even ask me how much a hundredweight it. I just know it isn't one hundred of anything!
Petrol is sold in litres but distance measured in miles. Fuel economy is still measured in miles per gallon*. People weigh themselves in stone as adults but children are measuring in kilos, as are adults at the doctor's surgery. Draught beer and cider is sold in pints but tins and bottles are generally but not exclusively metric measures. Milk is sold in pints. Wine and spirits are sold in litres or centilitres. People's heights are measured in feet and inches but rental space is in square metres and builders generally use metric. Automotive fittings are exclusively metric except for that handful of American made cars sold here.
In other words it is a bloody mess.
*Note to Americans: Imperial pints and gallons are 25% large than your inferior American varieties! One stone is equal to fourteen pounds and don't even ask me how much a hundredweight it. I just know it isn't one hundred of anything!
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