# I'm American. When I Use The Metric System or Celsius Do I Sound Like A Pretentious Twit? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016 "2019-08-01T18:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/1 "2019-08-01T18:14:46Z")
As an American, I believe the time has come – indeed, it’s been here for two centuries – for the U.S. to convert to the Metric System and Celsius. I’ve been trying to force myself to use those systems in my daily life, because The Buddha said to be the change you want to see. But I’m concerned? Do I sound like a pretentious twit when I say that St. Louis is a 175-kilometer drive? Or when I say it’s about 27 degrees outside when it’s the 1st of August? Or when I say, “the 1st of August” rather than “August 1st”? ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/2 "2019-08-01T18:16:13Z")
Yes ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/3 "2019-08-01T18:20:51Z")
To quote puddleglum. “Yes.” I’m not a “You’re in America, speak American!”. But if you gave me the answers in OP, I’d say, “Tell me that in American terms please.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/4 "2019-08-01T18:24:49Z")
Yes ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/5 "2019-08-01T18:24:54Z")
Hey Homie, don’t blame the metric system. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/6 "2019-08-01T18:29:29Z")
It’s very enlightened of the OP to try to get fluent in other systems. Just use your" inside your own head" voice 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/7 "2019-08-01T18:32:42Z")
Depends on the context. Most scientific contexts it’s fine. I make coffee and bread at home and in those contexts, grams are commonly used. “Two liter” is a standard volume for soda pop across the country. In the Army, “clicks”, aka kilometers, was a standard unit of marching distance as well as navigation. At work we cast metal and use Celsius to measure the temperature of the molten metal. But casually mentioning kilometer distances and Celsius temperatures outside of those contexts by an American, to other Americans who you know don’t use those units regularly, would sound like an odd affectation to my ears. Pretentious? Maybe. It’s a minor sin. I wouldn’t think less of you or anything but I’d think it was odd. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/8 "2019-08-01T18:38:47Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Hey Homie, don’t blame the metric system. 😛 I LOL’d 😃 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/9 "2019-08-01T18:41:05Z")
**DrCube** put it excellently. Context matters. Not-unrelatedly, I have a co-worker who insists on pronouncing _schedule_ as “shedule.” I’d be happy to arrange a meeting. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/10 "2019-08-01T18:54:41Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > **DrCube** put it excellently. Context matters. > > Not-unrelatedly, I have a co-worker who insists on pronouncing _schedule_ as “shedule.” I’d be happy to arrange a meeting. Don’t you mean a ‘rendez-vous’? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/11 "2019-08-01T18:57:33Z")
You sound bad when you say St. Louis is 110 miles, too. The standard driving distance measure is hours. And certain metric measurements are fine in casual context, like centimeter. But going out of your way to do it is weird. And you’ll take Fahrenheit from my cold, dead hands. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/12 "2019-08-01T18:58:17Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Don’t you mean a ‘rendez-vous’? Sorry, I don’t habla espanol. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/13 "2019-08-01T19:02:29Z")
St. Louis is a 175-kilometer drive. _Squints eyes_ Are yew a commie? We don’t take to kindly to commies 'round c’here! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/14 "2019-08-01T19:05:17Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Sorry, I don’t habla espanol. Plebeian. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/15 "2019-08-01T19:05:24Z")
Assuming a non-scientific context, yes. Kind of like dropping a French phrase into your conversation every other sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/16 "2019-08-01T19:08:08Z")
People won’t automatically think you’re a pretentious twit if you use the metric system. They might just assume you’re a drug dealer. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/17 "2019-08-01T19:08:45Z")
> [@Mdcastle](#): > > Assuming a non-scientific context, yes. Kind of like dropping a French phrase into your conversation every other sentence. …Avec fromage! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/18 "2019-08-01T19:09:16Z")
> [@Mdcastle](#): > > Assuming a non-scientific context, yes. Kind of like dropping a French phrase into your conversation every other sentence. Pretentious? Moi? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/19 "2019-08-01T19:16:54Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Plebeian. Gesundheit. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016/20 "2019-08-01T19:22:15Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > You sound bad when you say St. Louis is 110 miles, too. The standard driving distance measure is hours. Both are normal and accurate, depending on context. I wouldn’t bat an eye at either when giving driving instructions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-american-when-i-use-the-metric-system-or-celsius-do-i-sound-like-a-pretentious-twit/838016.md?page=2)