Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish

How tall are you ? What size steak do you want. ?

I use metric when doing odd jobs - measuring timber etc, but the problem with metric is that's totally non-descriptive. My kids all use imperial for height, weight, etc., even though they are both post-imperial.

---

I think thats the thing; these things aren't merely units of measurement for practical purposes, they are also cultural, almost akin to language. Phrases like "In the 90s" for temperature, "extra yard of pace", "strapping 6 ft man", "go for a pint", "pound of flesh" etc..they are all kinda ingrained which is why you shouldn't mess with it all too much, and it's a mistake the EU did make back in the day.

In practice no change of note will come from this, it's probably a small change to a piece of legislation that recognises two systems. It won't lead to much change at all, but recognising it is probably the right thing to do.

In fact there's an argument there that imperial lives on without the system implementation. It's a historical curiosity.

I don't think the future is imperial https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/...mal/18300.jpeg

I think it will give a few traders an opportunity for some sneaky hidden price rises.
If a market trader was selling 500g of apples for £1, they'll now sell 1lb of apples for £1.

As others have said, there's plenty of more pressing issues that politicians should be focusing on.

Didn't Madonna write a song bout it. Imperial girl.

It's about preserving national culture and identity, these things bring a deeper meaning to life.

I've really enjoyed listening to Test Match Special and them referring to the pitch being 20.118 metres long.
Oh well, never mind.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lither_1927

It's about preserving national culture and identity, these things bring a deeper meaning to life.

---

Bollocks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

Bollocks.

---

Why isn't it? It clearly is something that is (a small part) of our identity and it's not going to replace Metric, the review will almost certainly just mean that people can display things in text larger in Imperial if they so wish or give both measurements equal prominence etc without fear of prosecution - it will likely just tidy up the law.

I don't see any reason to object to that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JamesWales

Why isn't it? It clearly is something that is (a small part) of our identity and it's not going to replace Metric, the review will almost certainly just mean that people can display things in text larger in Imperial if they so wish or give both measurements equal prominence etc without fear of prosecution - it will likely just tidy up the law.

I don't see any reason to object to that.

---

Don't the "proposals" allow shops to only display imperial if they want? That would be a backward step, hence objecting to it.
In reality a) it's not going to happen, b) it would only be tedious "metric martyr" types who did that anyway, so I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to type this.
Claiming that using a non-sensical, outdated method of weights and measurements that most of the world shunned years ago is somehow something to do with our national culture and identity really is bollocks though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Don't the "proposals" allow shops to only display imperial if they want? That would be a backward step, hence objecting to it.
In reality a) it's not going to happen, b) it would only be tedious "metric martyr" types who did that anyway, so I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to type this.
Claiming that using a non-sensical, outdated method of weights and measurements that most of the world shunned years ago is somehow something to do with our national culture and identity really is bollocks though.

---

You have no idea what culture and identity are, clearly.

Converted Roubles and Cubic Metres for the EU importation of Russian Gas.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pearcey3

Perhaps we should revert back to pre decimalisation as well. The Tories live in the past and always have done. Allegiance to the monarchy, always banging on about Winston Churchill, the glories of the British Empire and talking about how great things were before we joined the Common Market.

It’s a load of old bollocks but will be lapped up by their elderly core base of voters.

---

You'd have no problem with Reading FC changing their traditional colours, badge, name and songs to suit a new vibrant market in the far East then? Look forward not in the past like those pesky Tories

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Don't the "proposals" allow shops to only display imperial if they want? That would be a backward step, hence objecting to it.
In reality a) it's not going to happen, b) it would only be tedious "metric martyr" types who did that anyway, so I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to type this.
Claiming that using a non-sensical, outdated method of weights and measurements that most of the world shunned years ago is somehow something to do with our national culture and identity really is bollocks though.

---

No. There's a review of it. Obviously that doesn't stop it spreading on twitter.

Basically, when we left the EU we took all their rules with us (sensibly) and overtime we change them if we so wish. As I gather, imperial can be displayed but cannot be more prominent than metric etc. There's no real need for that law/guidance. If someone wants to display the imperial weight in a larger font etc then so be it. We will all survive.

I do think it is part of the country's history and identity, albeit a small part. At the end of the day, it's just a unit of measurement, it doesn't matter. But that goes for people wetting themselves in excitement about this, but also those getting themselves all worked up about it.

Different industries use different systems and as a society we use both for different things, so I think treating them equally legally is not unreasonable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lither_1927

You'd have no problem with Reading FC changing their traditional colours, badge, name and songs to suit a new vibrant market in the far East then? Look forward not in the past like those pesky Tories

---

this might be the worst point ever made on CCMB

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rjk

this might be the worst point ever made on CCMB

---

Cracking point, well made.

Given this subject a good airing. Think it's time to move on

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cyril evans awaydays

Given this subject a good airing. Think it's time to move on

---

Exactly, give people an inch and they’ll take a mile

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lither_1927

You have no idea what culture and identity are, clearly.

---

Wind up merchant. I'm not taking the bait.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BLUETIT

Exactly, give people an inch and they’ll take a mile

---

If you give them 2.54 cm they'll take 1.61km surely?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Wind up merchant. I'm not taking the bait.

---

Not on the wind up at all, but if that's what you need to say as an "out" that's fine.
weights and measurements are a part of a nations culture and identity. Albeit a small part. It should go without saying.

I greatly enjoy explaining to my befuddled American children how there used to be 240 pennies to a pound instead of 100, that 12 pennies equalled a shilling and 20 shillings equalled a pound, and how effortlessly we made those calculations. Those old movies with shops signs stating such mysteries as 2/6 and 1/10 are softly nostalgic. Yes, the decimal system — demanded long ago, you might know, by Plantagenet Palliser — is more efficient and globally uniform, but the flip side of uniformity is conformity.

When I visit a foreign country I hope to encounter foreignness.

On the other hand, convenience is valuable. So count me on the fence.

Surely, though, any movement back to the imperial system would be slow, advancing by the inch rather than the mile.

Do we really want our kids and grandkids to be confused and potentially ripped off when they travel abroad?

I think of height in feet and inches, and weight in stones (get a bit confused with pounds though - a newborn's weight in kilogrammes makes more sense to me). But it wouldn't bother me if future generations dropped them. I'm quite sure I could adapt.

Whilst we're at it, why not bring back black and white TV, C30 cassettes and the Home Service on the wireless? And 45rpm records? Esq. should be added to the name of the gentleman to whom a letter is addressed and women denied the vote unless they are over 30 and homeowners. All children should be taught Latin until 16 and rotten boroughs reintroduced to ensure the likes of Jacob Rees-Moggs offspring have at least one parliamentary seat each. Feet n inches, pounds and ozs. Thin end of the wedge.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lardy

Do we really want our kids and grandkids to be confused and potentially ripped off when they travel abroad?

---

Haha What an argument