# Shove your litres and kilos up your arse **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2008, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535 "2008-12-17T09:43:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/21 "2008-12-17T13:56:59Z")
> [@Claptree](#): > > It was meant in the lightest possible way of heart. I hoped I wouldn’t need smileys to indicate gentle ribbing. Too late. **Chowder** has already written to the Daily Mail about you. Actually, thinking about it, he might not have done - I think Wednesday is Bingo day so you might be safe 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/22 "2008-12-17T14:06:56Z")
Man, you Brits really are the Quebec of Europe, aren’t you? Half in and half out? ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/23 "2008-12-17T14:10:20Z")
my car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that’s the way i likes it ---
**Author:** ![Claptree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Claptree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claptree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/24 "2008-12-17T14:27:34Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Since it has been mentioned in the Opal Pit thread that some posters think a list should now be made up with 3. Buckeyes or a different word (see the thread) instead of 3. Hi Opal I will point out with this implementation that it is against the rules to harass and defame posters. Please save this for the Pit or better yet don’t do it. You know what, I wasn’t going to say anything, but here goes: you’re right. I have had no interaction with OpalCat whatsoever; this was totally uncalled for snark, and I apologize for it. See, you didn’t even have to put on your little beanie, either. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/25 "2008-12-17T14:51:57Z")
Just do what we did in Canada. Pick and choose the bits you want to keep, and bugger the rest. We adopted liters, but we measure distance in both miles and kilometers – just to make the yanks happy. Secretly, in our heart of hearts, we’re all thinking miles, but we’ll talk kilometers if we think anything less would offend you. However, we measure height in feet an inches, and although we mostly use metric for weights, we’ll still weigh ourselves and order deli by the pound or fraction thereof. The concept of stones however is alien to everyone on this continent, however. We measure liquid volume by the liter but apartment, house or office space by the square foot. So on. Oh, and you yanks – don’t tell me you’ve totally embraced metric. You still dole out gas by the gallon. The _US gallon_ no less, your own particular measurement of a gallon which not even we observed. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/26 "2008-12-17T15:03:57Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > Secretly, in our heart of hearts, we’re all thinking miles, I don’t. 🙂 > [@Mindfield](#): > > …but we’ll talk kilometers if we think anything less would offend you. However, we measure height in feet an inches, and although we mostly use metric for weights, we’ll still weigh ourselves and order deli by the pound or fraction thereof. I order deli in grams, but usually do the height in feet and inches. Weight, too, is usually in pounds, on the scales and in the machines at the gym. (I suspect that last is because most of the machines are from the States…) And don’t forget the weather report! Temperature is in Celsius, wind speed in kilometres per hour, air pressure in kilopascals, rain in millimetres, snow in centimetres, visibility in kilometres. Wind chill is expressed as a ‘feels like’ temperature. They used to express it as direct thermal loss in watts per square meter, but that didn’t last long. The only oddity is cloud ceiling in feet, but that may be related to aviation practice. > [@Mindfield](#): > > The concept of stones however is alien to everyone on this continent, however. We measure liquid volume by the liter but apartment, house or office space by the square foot. So on. Yes. And it’s a bloody mess. Let’s finish converting! ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/27 "2008-12-17T15:26:41Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > Oh, and you yanks – don’t tell me you’ve totally embraced metric. You still dole out gas by the gallon. The _US gallon_ no less, your own particular measurement of a gallon which not even we observed. We’ve got 2-liter bottles of soda. And… 120 Vac power. Don’t forget we were the innovators in decimal currency. Besides, we’re smart. Why switch to metric now, when the writing is on the wall that we’ll all by using binary and powers-of-2 measurements in a generation or two? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/28 "2008-12-17T15:30:53Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > Oh, and you yanks – don’t tell me you’ve totally embraced metric. You still dole out gas by the gallon. The _US gallon_ no less, your own particular measurement of a gallon which not even we observed. Yeah, that’s telling 'em. I’d forgotten about the US gallon ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/29 "2008-12-17T15:51:26Z")
> [@Claptree](#): > > You know what, I wasn’t going to say anything, but here goes: you’re right. I have had no interaction with OpalCat whatsoever; this was totally uncalled for snark, and I apologize for it. > > See, you didn’t even have to put on your little beanie, either. Huh? What beanie? I’m in Canada and my parents do everything in Imperial. At school, I was taught exclusively in metric. I still use feet and inches for height, and pounds for weight. For everything else, I use metric, and can only understand metric. My son was taught exclusively in metric, and uses only metric. My parents are in their early sixties and my son is nearly 14. The 45 years between them mean they can’t understand each other in terms of measurements. Luckily, my husband is American and can translate. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/30 "2008-12-17T15:51:42Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Don’t forget we were the innovators in decimal currency. Russia beat you by 80 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/31 "2008-12-17T15:58:02Z")
A couple of years ago, I was in training classes in Toronto. The trainers were arguing the merits of the metric system to me at dinner one evening. He then proceeded to order a 12 oz steak. Last summer I was in in Quebec and “acreage” was for sale ---
**Author:** ![HumanMonkeyGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c67d28/32.png) [@HumanMonkeyGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HumanMonkeyGod)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/32 "2008-12-17T16:01:27Z")
Decimation is the way forward. I don’t know why people are averse to using fractional terms with metric as they do with imperial. As in “I’d like a quarter-kilo of cheese”. Mmmm… a quarter-kilo of cheeeeeeeese. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/33 "2008-12-17T16:07:11Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > We’ve got 2-liter bottles of soda. And… 120 Vac power. Don’t forget we were the innovators in decimal currency. > > Besides, we’re smart. Why switch to metric now, when the writing is on the wall that we’ll all by using binary and powers-of-2 measurements in a generation or two? 😉 Thank god, I always wanted my wiener to be more than single digit. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/34 "2008-12-17T16:08:14Z")
> [@HumanMonkeyGod](#): > > Decimation is the way forward. I don’t know why people are averse to using fractional terms with metric as they do with imperial. As in “I’d like a quarter-kilo of cheese”. > > Mmmm… a quarter-kilo of cheeeeeeeese. In France they call that a cheese Royale. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/35 "2008-12-17T17:08:38Z")
I happen to know that **Chowder** has a secret deep cellar chock full of garden gnomes dressed as Frenchmen and carrying European wines and cheeses in METRIC amounts. He goes to this "Fortress of Solitude "to gloat in private and then resumes his secret identity in public and on the Dope as the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey hating bloke that we all know and love. Sorry to grass you up mate but I had to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/36 "2008-12-17T17:11:46Z")
> [@HumanMonkeyGod](#): > > Decimation is the way forward. I don’t think that word means what you think it means. Meanwhile. Read [About the Size of it](http://www.amazon.co.uk/About-Size-Common-Approach-Measuring/dp/0330450301) to find out why people don’t take to the metric system. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/37 "2008-12-17T17:21:30Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > I happen to know that **Chowder** has a secret deep cellar chock full of garden gnomes dressed as Frenchmen and carrying European wines and cheeses in METRIC amounts. > > He goes to this "Fortress of Solitude "to gloat in private and then resumes his secret identity in public and on the Dope as the Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey hating bloke that we all know and love. > > Sorry to grass you up mate but I had to do it. Dagnabbit, you were sworn to secrecy. A squad of highly trained Ninja assassins will be with you before Christmas, you might as well send me all your prezzies, you won’t be needing them ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/38 "2008-12-17T17:30:27Z")
> [@garius](#): > > … > and while you’re busy writing outraged letters to the Daily Mail we’ll sneak through some metric legislation without you noticing. People somewhere still _write letters_? They may as well be scribbling heiroglyphics on papyrus. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/39 "2008-12-17T17:42:03Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > People somewhere still _write letters_? They may as well be scribbling heiroglyphics on papyrus. What? A lot of news sites have comment areas. :: d&r :: ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/40 "2008-12-17T17:43:31Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Since it has been mentioned in the Opal Pit thread that some posters think a list should now be made up with 3. Buckeyes or a different word (see the thread) instead of 3. Hi Opal I will point out with this implementation that it is against the rules to harass and defame posters. Please save this for the Pit or better yet don’t do it. I must have missed the announcement about your elevation to Moderator. Please accept my belated congratulations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535.md?page=3)