Here comes the metric system... or does it?

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Here in the UK we're in a bit of a muddle when it comes to measurements. For medical purposes, our heights are measured in metric. Additionally, our temperature readings are taken in metric. And in school, mass as well as distance are all measured in metric.

HOWEVER.

Casual distance measurements, such as you might see on a motorway or road, are measured in imperial. Casually, we measure our heights in feet and inches. And sometimes, we still measure temperature in fahrenheit. It's as if we're trying to advance, but imperial measurements are holding us back.

Thoughts?

 

[amcnj]

Well all I can say is I remember being told in the early 1970’s that we would soon be totally metric here. And I am still waiting. So be patient!

 

[fla4fun]

Here in the UK we're in a bit of a muddle when it comes to measurements. For medical purposes, our heights are measured in metric. Additionally, our temperature readings are taken in metric. And in school, mass as well as distance are all measured in metric.

HOWEVER.

Casual distance measurements, such as you might see on a motorway or road, are measured in imperial. Casually, we measure our heights in feet and inches. And sometimes, we still measure temperature in fahrenheit. It's as if we're trying to advance, but imperial measurements are holding us back.

Thoughts?

We aren’t in a muddle, we just didn’t switch. I remember learning all about inches and ounces in school one year only to be told that was all thrown out and now it was centimeters and liters. Then the next year those were thrown out and it was back to inches and ounces. Talk about confusing! I am one of those people that really doesn’t care which one they choose. Just choose one and go by it all the time. Switching back and forth doesn’t help anyone in my opinion.

At least if all countries pick one or the other and stick with it, then we all know when we need our phones to convert it and when we don’t.

 

[hrhdhd]

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I ignore the imperial system and prefer to use all metric and Centigrade for temps. Since I'm soon moving to Europe, it just made sense to change the mindset.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I prefer the metric system as it’s more accurate especially for baking.
Now it’s less expensive to use it to sew but on the other hand I can measure fabrics visually using the American system but not the other .

I remember Carter saying we were going metric and Reagan gleefully changing back when his turn came and I’m still waiting, LOL.

 

[BrianL]

View attachment 824803

Funny, but we got there by using the metric system. Actually, both were used for different aspects of the program.

 

[_19disnA]

I can't speak to what the UK is currently doing. However, here in the USA we tried to switch to the metric system back in the 70's as I recall and then the whole idea started to fall apart when it became obvious the enormous amount of money required to change all of the freeway signs to metric (as an example) for no real benefit. I don't think switching makes any sense and the cost to re-educate everyone would also be huge. Neither one is any more 'accurate' than another it just depends on the precision of whatever measuring devices you are using. The USA abandoned that idea and as far as I know and have never reconsidered it again.

Much like how languages evolved over the years, I see the system used for measuring the same way. Countries/regions have settled on whatever they currently use and changing would involve huge costs for a benefit that isn't obvious.

Being 'resistant to change' is what someone else tends to accuse you of when you don't agree with what they want to do or have reasons why you don't think it will work.

 

[Babs Johnson]

Well all I can say is I remember being told in the early 1970’s that we would soon be totally metric here. And I am still waiting. So be patient!

I prefer the metric system as it’s more accurate especially for baking.
Now it’s less expensive to use it to sew but on the other hand I can measure fabrics visually using the American system but not the other .

I remember Carter saying we were going metric and Reagan gleefully changing back when his turn came and I’m still waiting, LOL.

The US was supposed to be fully metric by 1984 or so. We started learning it in junior high about 1972 and it was used in science classes.

Some things changed to metric, like liquor and wine bottles, and a handful of others, but
too many Americans were and still are resistant to change and Reagan put an end to it.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

like liquor and wine bottles

Ah, so funny you mention this. What do we call a standard 750 ml bottle of liquor in the US? A Fifth! But what is a fifth?a fifth of what?
For whatever reason, a fifth of an American gallon, 750 mls, 80% of a quart became a standard bootle of bozz. So not all booze is metric. Sorta.

 

[Babs Johnson]

Ah, so funny you mention this. What do we call a standard 750 ml bottle of liquor in the US? A Fifth! But what is a fifth?a fifth of what?
For whatever reason, a fifth of an American gallon, 750 mls, 80% of a quart became a standard bootle of bozz. So not all booze is metric. Sorta.

<<I>> call it a 750ml bottle, or a liter, or a 1.75L bottle. (1.5L for wine.)

When requesting smaller bottles kept behind the counter, I’ll ask for a 200 or 375 ml bottle. Many times the clerk gives me a funny look, as most people would say pint or half pint. Yes, I do it intentionally to see if they react.

A fifth is either 1/5 of a gallon or 4/5 of a quart.
Gallon 128 fluid ounces x 20% = 25.6 ounces
Quart 32 oz. X 80% = 25.6

A 750 ml bottle is 25.36 oz.

Most in the US have no problem saying “2 liter bottle of Coke,” but cannot bring themselves to do the same for booze.

For the most part, beer is still measured in ounces, even foreign imports.

 

[fly girl]

I remember briefly trying to learn metric in elementary school, only for it to be abandoned the next year.


I don't watch much SNL anymore, but this was sent to me and I died laughing! So funny, and absolutely true.

 

[tvguy]

Everything is metric in Canada until you go to the grocery story. Look no further than the grocery store sales flyer. Beef and pork, price in large print lists price per POUND.......fine print lists price in kg. Blueberries by the pint, fine print by the gram.
https://www.safeway.ca/flyer/

 

[Moliphino]

I prefer the metric system as it’s more accurate especially for baking.

It's not that metric that is more accurate for baking, it's the measuring by weight instead of volume.

 

[ronandannette]

Everything is metric in Canada until you go to the grocery story. Look no further than the grocery store sales flyer. Beef and pork, price in large print lists price per POUND.......fine print lists price in kg. Blueberries by the pint, fine print by the gram.
https://www.safeway.ca/flyer/

Yep. It’s a well-understood mishmash of what is official and how we actually think. Nigh on 50 years into the metric system officially, most of us still think in imperial for weights and measures, even young people, because that’s the way most things are practically described. We know exactly what we’re doing but it’s probably nonsense to outsiders.

Ask for directions, you’ll be given the distance in kilometres. Ask how tall someone is, you’ll be told in feet and inches. Food weights are almost always conceptualizer in pounds and ounces but liquid volumes are described in litres. Recipes are mostly in imperial, including cooking temps, and if not, quick conversions are done. Measuring utensils and ovens have metric gages but many never go by them.

The only thing I think is 100% fixed in most people’s minds and is almost never heard described in imperial is (weather) temperature. It’s -26C here today and everybody from coast-to-coast-to-coast knows what that means.

 

[tony67]

Ah, so funny you mention this. What do we call a standard 750 ml bottle of liquor in the US? A Fifth! But what is a fifth?a fifth of what?
For whatever reason, a fifth of an American gallon, 750 mls, 80% of a quart became a standard bootle of bozz. So not all booze is metric. Sorta.

hmm, never ever called it a fifth myself, and I drink quite a few of them, I usually call it a 750 even though I rarely use anything metric.

The large bottle is either a liter or a handle depending on the bottle.

One of the issues I have with the "imperial" system is its not a standard at all. A pint in Ireland and a pint in the US are totally different. Nothing more annoying than ordering a pint of beer and getting a tiny us pint (16 us oz) when you expect a Imperial pint (19.2 us oz). Some places even have Guinness glasses that are smaller to be a US pint- that really grinds my gears First place I eve saw that was Disney and its spreading. So they can all it a pint but it looks wrong and feels wrong. A liter of beer is a liter of beer no matter where you go.

So there are advantages to metric for may things (science, cooking, mixology), but I don't see us changing.

 

[tony67]

It's not that metric that is more accurate for baking, it's the measuring by weight instead of volume.

Well that depends as a 250ml of a liquid is always 250ml of liquid.

Pints in us and uk are different.

The British Imperial fluid ounce is equal to 28.413 milliliters, while the US Customary fluid ounce is 29.573 ml
The British Imperial pint is 568.261 ml (20 fluid ounces), while the US Customary pint is 473.176 ml (16 fl oz)

 

[Moliphino]

Well that depends as a 250ml of a liquid is always 250ml of liquid.

Pints in us and uk are different.

The British Imperial fluid ounce is equal to 28.413 milliliters, while the US Customary fluid ounce is 29.573 ml
The British Imperial pint is 568.261 ml (20 fluid ounces), while the US Customary pint is 473.176 ml (16 fl oz)

Why would you be mixing systems when baking?

 

[NYCgrrl]

It's not that metric that is more accurate for baking, it's the measuring by weight instead of volume.

Definitely measuring by weight is more accurate but grams and kilograms is already built into my scale thus no need to convert and it’s still more accurate than toggling between wet and dry measurements and buying a different set of measuring tools-another disadvantage of the US system.

Like those in the scientific world, commercial bakeries saw and bought into metrics decades back. The only holdouts for baking goods are the home cooks and that is slowly changing as well.

 

[tony67]

Why would you be mixing systems when baking?

Well for one thing I may be using multiple recipes from multiple countries to create something.

I was recently making Sticky Toffee Pudding and had several recipes I was working from trying to get exactly what I wanted. A pint of something in a US recipe and a pint of something in a UK recipe are not the same - lets say a pint of cream. 4oz may be a big difference in that case.

Many bartenders also prefer to stick to metric as 15ml is always 15ml.

Using metric takes any guess work out of these types of things. Yeah in many cases its small, but in some cases those small things may matter.