# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/41 "2008-12-17T17:47:28Z")
We’re keeping our pints too but we’ve already got kilometres, litres etc. for everything else. I’d walk an Irish mile for a litre of a fine English ale. ---
**Author:** ![Kalea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b487fb/32.png) [@Kalea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalea)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/42 "2008-12-17T17:48:34Z")
> [@garius](#): > > Then we’ll announce that we’re remaking _The Good Life_ staring Billie Piper and some ex-boyband bloke, and while you’re busy writing outraged letters to the Daily Mail we’ll sneak through some metric legislation without you noticing. I’m a Damn Yankee Rebel and if you remake _The Good Life_ I will personally fly to the Old Country and make bloody murder. You can measure the crime scene in meters or yards, I don’t care, but don’t be messin’ with Tom & Barbara Good! [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/43 "2008-12-17T17:54:55Z")
If you mess with Felicity Kendall, I’ll open a hogshead of whupass on y’all. ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/44 "2008-12-17T17:57:49Z")
As a Kiwi in the US, I miss the metric system. I reluctantly admit that there might be some valid arguments in favour of some imperial measurements for everyday use (divisibility of 12) but in general, hanging on to the old units is a bit like hanging on to beta video tapes when VHS has clearly won the battle. A few years ago my aging Dad was doing some carpentry in his house. He made the comment “you know … now that I use metric, everything seems to fit better” 🙂 I would pretty much bet that the US is never going change the same probably goes for further changes in the UK and Canada. I’m quite impressed that Canada has changed as much as it has. It must be difficult living so close to their southern neighbours. I noticed that some things in Canada are really imperial with metric labeling. I saw 1.89 L orange juice cartons rather than 2L which is what the real metric world has. ---
**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, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/45 "2008-12-17T18:04:52Z")
> [@tetranz](#): > > I noticed that some things in Canada are really imperial with metric labeling. I saw 1.89 L orange juice cartons rather than 2L which is what the real metric world has. Actually, they’re often relabeled US Customary units rather than Imperial units. A can of paint, for example, is often one US gallon (3.78 litres). ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/46 "2008-12-17T18:33:29Z")
> [@tetranz](#): > > I would pretty much bet that the US is never going change the same probably goes for further changes in the UK and Canada. I’m quite impressed that Canada has changed as much as it has. It must be difficult living so close to their southern neighbours. I noticed that some things in Canada are really imperial with metric labeling. I saw 1.89 L orange juice cartons rather than 2L which is what the real metric world has. This, in my opinion, is why metric never caught on in the U.S. Rather than changing the size of everything to a standard, whole number metric size, they tried to keep the existing sizes and convert them into nonsensical metric numbers, AND rather than leaping in they tried to keep both units of measurement to ease the change. When a gallon of milk is now 3.785 liters of milk, it makes the metric system seem hopelessly complicated. They should have just made the large milk jug 4 liters. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/47 "2008-12-17T18:50:36Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > I must have missed the announcement about your elevation to Moderator. Please accept my belated congratulations. Word. ---
**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, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/48 "2008-12-17T19:05:34Z")
> [@MOIDALIZE](#): > > This, in my opinion, is why metric never caught on in the U.S. Rather than changing the size of everything to a standard, whole number metric size, they tried to keep the existing sizes and convert them into nonsensical metric numbers, AND rather than leaping in they tried to keep both units of measurement to ease the change. When a gallon of milk is now 3.785 liters of milk, it makes the metric system seem hopelessly complicated. They should have just made the large milk jug 4 liters. And we in Canada have a mishmash of things that were partially changed. Take butter, for example. If I buy a whole package of it, it’s 454 grams, not 500, because 454 grams is a pound. But a half-size package is an even 250 grams. Milk is evenly-sized in metric though; 250 mL, 500 mL, 1 L, 2 L, 4 L. Soft-drink cans are 355 mL, but the plastic bottles are 400 mL, 600 mL (often labeled as 591 mL–would it hurt to squeeze in that extra 9 mL?), 1 L, and 2 L. And there’s a wonky 710 mL that they try to push, but it’s just too big. Drinks from cups aren’t labeled as anything more than small, large, gigantic, etc, but I’ve seen references to ‘20 fluid ounces’ on occasion. No idea whether that’s US fluid ounces or Imperial fluid ounces, but I have my suspicions. Everything is labeled in metric, though. It’s just that the ‘soft’ conversions–relabeling of uneven non-metric sizes instead of changing to whole metric sizes–make metric look more complicated. ---
**Author:** ![Incensed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Incensed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incensed)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/49 "2008-12-17T19:14:40Z")
> [@Shecky](#): > > my car gets 40 rods to the hogshead and that’s the way i likes it You get 660 feet per 63-64 gallons? Must be a 'Hemi. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/50 "2008-12-17T19:19:29Z")
> [@chowder](#): > > The European Commision has conceeded that trying to persuade the UK to accept/embrace these poncy Continental units is a lost cause. > > I, along with most of the residents of the UK, could have told them that yonks ago. > > Long live pints and miles:D They did ? Well damn them for being so impatient. I’m sure we would have eventually worn the knee-jerk down. 10, maybe 15 generations of boneheaded insular snobbery down the line, tops. You might even have started driving on the right side of the bloody road ! And then we’d have moved on to the whole “cuisine” concept… 😃 ---
**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:** [December 17, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/51 "2008-12-17T19:23:06Z")
And here I thought we were going to have a thread on the best methods for smuggling alcohol and drugs through airport security. ---
**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, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/52 "2008-12-17T19:25:43Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > They did ? Well damn them for being so impatient. > > I’m sure we would have eventually worn the knee-jerk down. 10, maybe 15 generations of boneheaded insular snobbery down the line, tops. You might even have started driving on the right side of the bloody road ! And then we’d have moved on to the whole “cuisine” concept… 😃 We do drive on the right side of the road The _right_ side being the left if you unnerstand my meaning. Innit? ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/53 "2008-12-17T19:47:48Z")
Hear him, hear him! Huzzahs for stubborn limeys! America doesn’t want any foreign rulers, join the fight against metrics. ---
**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, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/54 "2008-12-17T19:50:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And here I thought we were going to have a thread on the best methods for smuggling alcohol and drugs through airport security. Get the wife to do it. Bing bang bosh job done… ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/55 "2008-12-17T19:58:07Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Actually, they’re often relabeled US Customary units rather than Imperial units. Yeah, I guess that’s what I meant. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/56 "2008-12-17T21:36:34Z")
> [@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. While I appreciate the enthusiasm, please leave the moderating to the Mods. If you see an objectionable post, please just report it and let us handle it. Also, **Claptree** has apologized (much appreciated), so this is for everyone else reading this: while the _Hi, Opal!_ bit has been around for years, it was always properly taken as a joke. This new _buckeyes_ replacement is just a way to take a shot at another poster. Feel free to do so in the Pit, but it’s not appropriate in the other forums. ---
**Author:** ![Claptree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Claptree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claptree)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/57 "2008-12-18T03:11:13Z")
> [@spoike](#): > > Huh? What beanie? Moderators have hats… ---
**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/58 "2008-12-18T04:55:08Z")
> [@Claptree](#): > > Moderators have hats… I understood that part. I just missed the sarcasm. I wondered if you had (understandably) confused **Harmonious Discord** ’s comments with actual moderation, but I understand now that the only confusion was my own. In short, I’m just not all that clever. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/59 "2008-12-18T05:02:49Z")
I have some Canadian National Topographic Service 1:50,000 maps on which the x and y axis are metric but the z axis is imperial, resulting in stupid ratios, such as the gradient of a river being in feet per kilometer. The problem was that when the NTS coverted these maps to metric, all they did was slap on a new grid without re-drawing the contours (which of course would have been a massive undertaking). Whoever made the decision to put out maps that mixed the two systems rather than fully convert one map at a time should be packaged up and shipped somewhere very far away. I can think in feet per mile. I can think in meters per kilometer. I can not think in feet per kilometer. ---
**Author:** ![HumanMonkeyGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c67d28/32.png) [@HumanMonkeyGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HumanMonkeyGod)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535/60 "2008-12-18T14:18:44Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > I don’t think that word means what you think it means. wh…shhh. Don’t question my edumacation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shove-your-litres-and-kilos-up-your-arse/477535.md?page=4)