Post #1017553

2025-08-10 15:40 UTC

Listen, it’s very simple: In Britain we use the metric system, except for beer and milk, which come in pints. But not plant milk — that comes in litres. Oh, and distances are in miles. But only if they’re too far to walk — if you can walk it it’s in metres. If you’re driving then your fuel efficiency is in miles-per-gallon, but petrol is sold in litres. Oh, and your height is in feet and inches. If you don’t care much about your weight it’s in stone (but not pounds — no-one can remember how many pounds are in a stone and it’s hard to read the little tick marks on analogue scales). If you do care about your weight then your digital scales tell you it in kilograms. Oh, and if there’s a heatwave then tabloids will forecast a “100°F scorcher”. But if it’s cold then it’s an “arctic blast” with “widespread temperatures below 0°C”. I hope this clears things up.

Replies (16)

@EricLawton@kolektiva.social 2025-08-10 15:50

@katemorley@hachyderm.io I know my height in feet and inches because it hasn't changed since Canada went metric, in the 1970s, but my weight in kg because it has changed. I know what it was in stones, because I grew up in England. @Szescstopni@circumstances.run

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@mingistech@toot.community 2025-08-10 15:59

@katemorley@hachyderm.io Haha, how absurd. Great info though.

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@EdwinG@mstdn.moimeme.ca 2025-08-10 16:00

@katemorley@hachyderm.io It reminds me of this flowchart of the Canadian unofficial measurement system: (Sorry for the Reddit link) https://preview.redd.it/dsmht7np3gl31.png?width=681&format=png&auto=webp&s=508db2b18252766b1b1dfe50bcd2eb836e77863e I personally use a variation, where everything’s metric except distance.

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@simonzerafa@infosec.exchange 2025-08-10 16:03

@katemorley@hachyderm.io The NHS uses metric now for weight and height 😉🤷‍♂️

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@BackFromTheDud@mas.to 2025-08-10 16:03

@katemorley@hachyderm.io 14. Pounds to the Stone.

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@wjt@mastodon.me.uk 2025-08-10 16:04

@katemorley@hachyderm.io except plant milk delivered in refillable bottles by the milkman: that's in pints!

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@goldfish@mastodon.green 2025-08-10 16:05

@katemorley@hachyderm.io And most people talk about height and weight in feet, inches and stones, but in a medical setting, it's all in metric. The temperature one bugs me, because I guess I have developed instinctive conversion tables for most things but Fahrenheit is used so rarely, I just have no idea beyond "100F is a very hot day or a mild fever."

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@MW1CFN@mastodon.radio 2025-08-10 16:15

@katemorley@hachyderm.io 😂 Let's not even start on land areas (Wales-equivalents, etc!)

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@d_mayhood@mstdn.ca 2025-08-10 16:17

@katemorley@hachyderm.io Similar in Canada...

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@ptesarik@infosec.exchange 2025-08-10 16:20

@katemorley@hachyderm.io Land of Hope and Glory! How can we extol thee? Cc: @ljs@mastodonapp.uk

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@zillion@freeradical.zone 2025-08-10 16:23

@katemorley@hachyderm.io We should all adopt the furlong-firkin-fortnight system. It will be simpler.

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@Bwacton@mastodon.social 2025-08-10 16:25

@katemorley@hachyderm.io that’s why Canadians feel so much at home in the UK, aside from the silly stones.

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@flipper@mastodonapp.uk 2025-08-10 16:28

@katemorley@hachyderm.io you forgot furlongs, and drams.

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@Sassinake@mastodon.social 2025-08-10 16:35

@katemorley@hachyderm.io Canadian here. can confirm. Also cups, onces and grams.

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@radekcrlik@witter.cz 2025-08-10 16:40

@katemorley@hachyderm.io oh, if you explain it this way, it all amoes sense now :D but seriosly. I've always wondered what the heck is a stone.

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@StarkRG@myside-yourside.net 2025-08-10 16:44

@katemorley@hachyderm.io I know that nominal limber sizes are in inches (four-be-two), but I wonder if planks are sold in lengths of feet or metres.

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