Rampent Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 So, how long is a foot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 You didn't have a population of 250 million plus. When metric was invented the population of the USA wasn't even a tenth of that. I'm aware of that but obviously there was no inclination by the US to adopt the metric system for whatever reasons. If anyone had proposed switching over to that system his name is lost to history. I would also hazard a guess that had a serious attempt been made to introduce the system it would not have been met with any enthusiasm by the public at large. When i first arrived in the US there was no evidence of the metric system anywhere. It was only in the late 1970s that packages, bottles and cans began to show ml or grams alongside the standard oz or gals/pints. That was at a time when the population was around 250 million. Now in addition to all that every household product that comes with an instruction book or manual is in three languages, English, Spanish and French. I imagine this all came about as a result of the trade treaty agreeement with Mexico and Canada (where French is also an official language). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 So, how long is a foot? Mine is pretty much in accordance with my height and fits into a size 11 shoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rampent Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Mine is pretty much in accordance with my height and fits into a size 11 shoe I can only fit into a size 10 What is considered a 'foot' in the USA Harley? I'm sure my mates in the States mention 'foots' as measurment. I might have spelt that wrooong, a can of Stealla justs splits over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tradescanthia Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 We should have stuck to our own system. i work for a French company, they cant count [only when they want] and they think we plebs cant either. There's nowt wrong with the metric system, we had to change 'cos calculators couldn't understand 'dozens'. Its the bloody French thats the problem..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 I can only fit into a size 10 What is considered a 'foot' in the USA Harley? I'm sure my mates in the States mention 'foots' as measurment. I might have spelt that wrooong, a can of Stealla justs splits over Obviously a foot is 12 inches as it is in the UK and the foot is still used as standard measurement That said however not all rulers have 12 inches as many a disapppointed queen has found out down through history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 How long is a Smoot though? It's the only example of reverse reciprocating nominative determinism in the universe. Proof that the world, and the USA in particular, is utterly bonkers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harleyman Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 How long is a Smoot though? It's the only example of reverse reciprocating nominative determinism in the universe. Proof that the world, and the USA in particular, is utterly bonkers. I reckon the USA will adopt the metric system around about the same time that Britain changes over to driving on the right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Can anyone tell me why we measure petrol in litres, but buy beer in pints? Why we measure in centimetres, but I'm 5ft 9inches tall? Why we measure some distances in metres, but motorway signs are in miles...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*_ash_* Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Can anyone tell me why we measure petrol in litres, but buy beer in pints? Perhaps to do with container sizes. 8 pints to a gallon. kil=18 gallons, barrel=36 gallons etc. I still think in mpg, but have lost track of the cost of gallons now. I compare prices using litres (which I thought I'd never get used to) Why we measure in centimetres, but I'm 5ft 9inches tall? I think this is in 'changeover'. I still know my height in feet/inches but not sure of metric Why we measure some distances in metres, but motorway signs are in miles...? Probably cost of changing everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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