# What sizes to paint cans come in WRT the Metric system using countries?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920 "2012-09-06T22:54:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920/21 "2012-09-08T04:50:17Z")

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Hopefully not veering too far off topic.

Here in Oz we do get some curious hangovers. For a long time after we went metric milk came in 600ml bottles, and when cartons came in they were also 600ml (which is very close to 570ml - an imperial pint). Now nearly everything has gone to 500ml and 1 litre cartons. Flavoured milk still often comes in 600ml.

Beer however remains just plain silly. Each state has its own regulations and measures. Here in South Oz they doesn’t even make sense. Pubs still sell pints. But they are 425ml, which isn’t even an imperial pint. It is 15 fluid ounces, which is three quarters of an imperial pint. It was a wartime measure to restrict the volume of beer drunk that never went away. All the other states call a 425ml measure a _schooner_. In SA we call a 570ml measure an **imperial** pint. People from other states are rather amused at our short measures. Other beer sizes are 285ml (and in SA _this_ is called a schooner) and 200ml (aka a seven = 7 oz, or in SA a _butcher_). It doesn’t stop here either, but I will.

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**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920/22 "2012-09-08T16:21:48Z")

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**Capt Kirk** & **naita** , thanks. That’s interesting.

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**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920/23 "2012-09-08T16:34:13Z")

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I do find it really odd that the US has not jumped to metric as has the rest of the world, as I grew up learning both conversion is easy for me except for temperature. What does 27c feel like? No idea.

I have a friend in the UK whose gps unit is in Kilometers but changes to yards and feet as she gets close to an exit or turn. Weird

**Francis Vaughan** if I may ask where are you? I can’t tell from the context. I enjoyed the bit about beer, here we buy beer in fluid ounces, wine in ml, and spirits in both.

Thank you all for the info

I would love to hear any more examples of weird mixtures of measuring systems still in use, if anyone wishes to tell

Thanks again  
**Capt**

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**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920/24 "2012-09-08T16:38:09Z")

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Just one more thing ::playing Columbo::

Are there other Countries that do not mostly use the metric system besides the US?

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**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sizes-to-paint-cans-come-in-wrt-the-metric-system-using-countries/633920/25 "2012-09-08T18:04:27Z")

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> [@Capt\_Kirk](#):
>
> Figured as much, of course we foist our outdated measurement system on our nice neighbors to the north and just say “deal with it”. 😃
> 
> **Capt**

Worse, 3.7 litres is one short-changed U.S. gallon, not 4.5 litres for one imperial gallon, as God intended.

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