… if someone tells you a distance in kms, do you immediately try to work it into miles? (I do)
Do you try to convert litres into gallons in your head? (I do)
Do you talk of how many kms you get to the litre ■■? (dont think so)
And … why do Brits always talk of the cold weather in degrees C and hot weather in degrees F ■■
What a funny country we live in 
espresso:
… if someone tells you a distance in kms, do you immediately try to work it into miles? (I do)Do you try to convert litres into gallons in your head? (I do)
Do you talk of how many kms you get to the litre ■■? (dont think so)
And … why do Brits always talk of the cold weather in degrees C and hot weather in degrees F ■■
What a funny country we live in
With you on this one espresso 
Same as feet and inches to meters !!!
Maybe we just like to trying to work it in are heads 
I’ve never got my head around degrees F. Being born in the 80’s, I’ve always been metric.
I’m all over the place with metric and imperial. Told somebody the other the day that the trailer was 4m give or take an inch. Quite happy to work in Kms when in Europe and miles when in the UK, even change the settings on my sat nav to take it into account.
And Apparently there is a German joke that the British are going metric inch by inch.
mucker85:
I’ve never got my head around degrees F. Being born in the 80’s, I’ve always been metric.
+1
But with you on the other stuff, km - miles, l/100km - mpg etc… I think it’s the only exercise our brains get these days though.
I also try and work out what km my tacho will be showing when I fuel up based on the number of miles remaining or mile markers etc
The 1970’s were interesting in being the time when the school and industrial training taught both systems together owing to it being a time of changeover and working with metric measurements and machines calibrated in imperial and vice versa was often a part of that. 
Although having said that imperial fractions of an inch used in engineering were usually measured on a decimal 1,000ths and 10,000ths basis anyway which made for very accurate tolerances of products made to imperial measurements.
It’s easy to understand the adavantages of using degrees C measurements for cold weather and degrees F for hot weather because the 0 degrees C freezing point of water is a good guide of cold temperatures whereas the 100 F point makes more sense in the case of measuring hot ones in the case of air temperature levels and their effects.
As for miles and gallons they make more sense in the case of measuring distances and large amounts of liquids because there aren’t as many numbers needed to represent the equivalent amounts.While for fine measurement of weights and measures it’s easier to work in the 16 ounce divisions of a pound and 8 pint divisions of a gallon than the numbers required to represent the equivalent amounts in decimal fractions of litres and kilogrammes.So for me no surprise having grown up in the 1970’s,with the exeption of kilogrammes and metric tonnes for large weight measurements,I still prefer the old imperial meaurements. 
I have the sat nav set for KM’s. All the Euro driving did that to me.
Yep, times by 1.6.
It is very odd that the british tend to use a mixture of metric and imperial. Is there a reason for this? Did we start to change to metric and then decide againest it?
Saaamon:
It is very odd that the british tend to use a mixture of metric and imperial. Is there a reason for this? Did we start to change to metric and then decide againest it?
Basically yes.
The Government of the time(Harold Wilson’s Labour lot of 1964 I believe)decided we would fall into line with Europe because we were attempting to join the Common Market.
There was a huge outcry against the change so they lost their nerve and decided to wait until we joined the CM so that they would get the blame.Then when we did join the CM the Tory Government of the time lost their nerve too and so they negotiated a derogation to allow us to sell beer in pints, and measure roads in miles.
Thus we have ended up with the dog’s breakfast we have now - the worst of both worlds.Incidently at the time of the proposed change German manufacturers(Who were the dominant engineers of the time,just like now)were quite happy to work in either metric, Imperial or American Imperial so it was totally unnecessary anyway. Having said that I think it made sense to change because it is so much easier to work in tens, rather than dozens etc.
I still convert all weights into lbs . I refuse to buy 454g of bacon. I convert my money into £Sd too.
What I don’t get is, that the road signs are in miles but the highway markers are in in kilometres.
I’m totally metric, it just makes more sense in my opinion.
The only KM I work with at the minute are the ones on my moped speedo for some reason the speed is measured in mph but mileage recorded in KM 
Tarrman:
The only KM I work with at the minute are the ones on my moped speedo
It’s the E.U. again. Vehicles built for use in Britain must have speed measured in MPH(with kms. in small numbers inside or a switchable display if its a digital readout) but there is no ruling about the distance readout because they are not legally required.
So when asking for a spanner is it 13mm or half inch 
deandeane1:
So when asking for a spanner is it 13mm or half inch
Either!!
Different sizes, mate
deandeane1:
So when asking for a spanner is it 13mm or half inch
I thought 13 mm is half inch and bit, unless you’ve got a rusty nut then it fits perfect. is’nt 1/4 whitworth 13 mm■■?.
Oh i don’t even know now■■? i’ll get a movable its easier. only jokeing on the movable i hate them.
good luck
John
when i saw the post i thought it was about money 
deandeane1:
espresso:
… if someone tells you a distance in kms, do you immediately try to work it into miles? (I do)Do you try to convert litres into gallons in your head? (I do)
Do you talk of how many kms you get to the litre ■■? (dont think so)
And … why do Brits always talk of the cold weather in degrees C and hot weather in degrees F ■■
What a funny country we live in
With you on this one espresso
Same as feet and inches to meters !!!
Maybe we just like to trying to work it in are heads
Hope you mean metres??