Nations who have not yet adopted the metric system

Originally Posted By Liberty Belle

>>BTW Liberty Belle,
165.00000 Centimeters = 5.41339 Feet
so you're 5'4". (five feet, four inches)<<

Thanks! Wow, that sounds really, really short. I think I sound taller in centimetres ...

Regarding pounds Bloona, we always get baby weights in pounds too, but I don't know anyone who says their weight in pounds once they're past the age of about ... 6 weeks It is weird that we still use the old system for newborns, but not for weighing adults or even older kids. I'm glad, though. I'm heavy enough WITHOUT more than doubling my weight!

 

Originally Posted By LuLu

I'm gonna make you taller - I get 64.9606 inches, which is 5'5" in my book. (.41339 feet is not the same as 4 inches, since there are 12 inches in a foot, not 10! Let's go metric!!!

 

Originally Posted By Liberty Belle

Phew! THANKS, LuLu!

 

Originally Posted By markymouse

For those who were wondering, the other two countries are Liberia and Myanmar/Burma.

Disneyland is a great example of why the metric system makes so much more sense. You want to know if your kid can go on a ride with a 42" height restriction. You know your kid is 3' 9" tall. How well do you remember your 12s times table? The math is by no means un-doable but it does slow things down standing there in front of the line.

And don't even talk to me about ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons. My eyes glaze over.

 

Originally Posted By markymouse

<For those who were wondering, the other two countries are Liberia and Myanmar/Burma.>

How egocentric was that? I should have said "The three countries are the U.S., Liberia, and Myanmar/Burma." Apologies to all our Liberian and Burmese LPers.

 

Originally Posted By goodgirl

The metric system is really simple as far as the math goes. It's all based on units of 10.

I think the difficulty for most of us Americans is visually understanding what it is. How many of us when we say 5' 4" can visualize how tall a person is. Or when we say "The box was 12 inches across" we can visualize that. But when we say "The rug is one meter by two meters" we freak out because we really aren't sure exactly what a meter looks likes like; we can't visualize it in our head.

 

Originally Posted By Goofyernmost

^^^^And therein lies the reason that there has been so much resistance to changing.

 

Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy

That ain't the only reason. Think about it.

Feet are feet.

Inches are inches.

Yards are yards.

You can't screw up those words. Now who wants to see America torn apart by civil war over whether it's "KIL-o-meter" or "ki-LAH-meter"? Not me.

Stay away, metric. If you cross the border, one ticket to Liberia, please.

 

Originally Posted By Liberty Belle

>>But when we say "The rug is one meter by two meters" we freak out because we really aren't sure exactly what a meter looks likes like; we can't visualize it in our head<<

That's so funny to me because when I was in school we were taught with metre rulers, and I still picture in my heada metre ruler, or two metre rulers, or whatever. I never really thought about whether my parents and their generation had a hard time adjusting to the change - it was just so natural to me!

(Oh, and TDG! I personally say kil-om-etres)

 

Originally Posted By LuLu

And look how they spell it too - meter / metre ??? Way too confusing! ;-)

TDG, you're a riot. Trust me, you'll still be TALL in meters! uh, metres. whatever!!!

 

Originally Posted By DAR

<<Apologies to all our Liberian and Burmese LPers.>>

Do we have Liberian and Burmese LPers?

 

Originally Posted By knightnfrees

<<And look how they spell it too - meter / metre ???>>

I've been spelling *theater* as *theatre* for years. The er / re sitch, not a biggie.

<<You can't screw up those words. Now who wants to see America torn apart by civil war over whether it's "KIL-o-meter" or "ki-LAH-meter"? Not me.>>

Oh, here we go again. It's *Okay* to say it either way, TDG! To-may-to or To-mah-toe...Let's just call the whole thing off, huh?

 

Originally Posted By trekkeruss

Technically, it should be pronounced kiloMEters. Kilo + meters... just like centiMEters, and milliMEters.

 

Originally Posted By Liberty Belle

^^ Yeah, that's true. Most people say kil-om-etres, though, I think because it sounds better. But definitely a tomato / tomayto situation. (Side note, who says po-tar-toe? No one I've ever come across!)

>>I've been spelling *theater* as *theatre* for years. The er / re sitch, not a biggie.<<

I was going to say if you had "metres" over there you'd probably say "meters" because American-English tends to use "er" instead of "re" for most words! Interesting that you say "theatre", Knight.

 

Originally Posted By knightnfrees

<<Interesting that you say "theatre", Knight.>>

Yes, I'd say I'd spell it w/ "re" about 95% of the time. The only time I would use the "er" variation is if the particular business / location actually spells it that way.

 

Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy

<Oh, here we go again. It's *Okay* to say it either way>

No, it's not. I want it my way. That's all I need, is people annoyingly saying it the wrong way. ;-)

And I always thought the rule was:

theater -- a movie theater

theatre -- a venue where theatre is performed

 

Originally Posted By knightnfrees

<<I want it my way.>>

This isn't Burger King, you can't have it your way.

<<And I always thought the rule was:

theater -- a movie theater

theatre -- a venue where theatre is performed>>

Not necessarily...There are some movie *theatre* chains who use the word *theatre*.

 

Originally Posted By Liberty Belle

<<I want it my way.>>

This isn't Burger King, you can't have it your way. <<

Don't you mean "this isn't Hungry Jacks..."?

Is there ANYTHING that doesn't have a different name or spelling between Australia and the US?!

 

Originally Posted By Mr X

Kangaroo?

 

Originally Posted By Liberty Belle

Can't argue with that!