h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

they were just a bit more variable?

Units varied throughout Europe right up to the introduction of the metric system. Even now, Americans use a different number of fluid ounces per pint from the English, and their fluid ounce is a slightly different size as well. This is why the metric system was such a godsend. It wasn't just a different system, it was a standard so that everybody could use the same units.

Or not, as the case may be.
Real life situation:
New student arrived in architect's office. "I only think in Metric I've never experienced the old system."

Architect: "Ah, well we've been using the imperial measurements and tend to work in them and then translate everything at the end."

Student, "As I say I don't know anything about them."

Architect, "Fair enough, but before we start could you tell me a bit about yourself?"

Student, "Sure!"

Architect, "Where were you born? What weight were you at birth? Where do you live now? How far away is that from here? Do you have a car? If so how is the petrol consumption? And lastly how tall are you?

Student, "Well in that order Stratford, 7 pounds 4 ounces, Ealing, About 5 miles, I have a VW Golf, about 30 miles per gallon and I'm 5 feet 10 inches."

Hey gang, it's Radio Free Vestboy!

Keep 'em coming!

~jwf~

Ireland is also in the process of changing over to the metric system, but we've got a little further than you. All road signs are in km, all speed limits will be in km/h from later on this year. All food is weighed in kg in supermarkets. Petrol is sold in litres. Babies are weighed in grams. I know my weight in kg but not in stones and pounds.

Nevertheless, I still think of myself as being 5 foot 11 inchess tall.

Is it still the case that in the UK fuel is sold in litres yet distances are measured in miles?

I tend to work imperial for some things and metric for others.
One thing I have noted is the increasing number of shop assistants who have to ask me to be more specific when I ask for 1/2 ounce of rolling tobacco. Things, it isn't just the kids, its older people as well so it seems to be gaining ground.

I'm pretty much bilingual for many things but human heights and weights I still think imperial. There is a thread somewhere else on H2G2 which looks at other measures we use like the double decker bus, the Wales and the Eiffel Tower. As in describing something big. E.g. It is the size of four double decker buses. Or It's twice as high as the Eiffel tower or the desert is twice the size of Wales.

six7s - yes, still measuring distances in miles over here (UK), but perol sold in litres.



Then there's the McDonald's incident:

"Can I have half a dozen McNuggets please?"
"I'm sorry, we only sell McNuggets in sixes or twelves."
"Really? So you can sell me six McNuggets, but not half a dozen?"
"That's correct."
"Very well, I'll have six McNuggets."



RF

But even in Europe, where metres and centimetres have been in use for several generations, there is still not the naturalness about them.

When speaking English you can comfortably talk of something being 18 inches or a foot or a distance of so many yards, but talking of the size or distance of anything in metric values makes it sound clinical and not natural speech, but something that was measured with a ruler.

In German, for figures of speech the old units are more often used*, and when comparing something in speech, they will refer to parts of the body or everyday objects rather than use centimetres or grammes.

* (Eine Elle / pron eller / means "ell") (Eine Meile / pron my ler / means mile)

And when you do that, you'd be amazed at how many things are the size of a thumb (one inch). I am fond of inches and feet and after 30 years in Germany, have no idea how tall I am in metres and centimetres.

'Nevertheless, I still think of myself as being 5 foot 11 inchess tall.'

[bit late in responding but couldn't resist the thought...]

is an inchess a female inch? how do an inch and inchess reproduce?

do they have inchets and inchettes as offspring? or perhaps sixty-fourths, who progress through the terrible thirty-seconds and sweet sixteenths before asking awkward questions as eighths and giving no quarters. Finally as a delinquent youth, they half-inch mum and dad's car (a mini) and crash it into a cubic foot before being sent down for a long stretch by the ruler.

I'm sorry about that. normal service will be resumed, probably.

rt

TC, except for the usage of thumb or finger, nobody speaks in terms of Elle or Meile in daily life. thing though is the name for Zollstock ( yardstick?)where the measures are given in inches and centimetres , and I have no idea whether there are people measuring in inches.I even have younger colleagues who don't know how much a ( German)pound is, have to tell them that it's 500g, or 1/2 a kilogramme.
And you don't talk about Unzen ( ounces ) but rather say a spoonful, or grammes.

Dutch friends tell me that babies at birth are weighed in pounds (500g) as "kilos are what you weigh fruit in - not humans".

Don't know about the Dutch, my babies have been weighed in grammes at birth, but when you tell people their weight you actually talk about pounds here too, I never knew there was a reason for this,though.

Back to thread. What words are used to describe babies and small children in the UK and other English speaking parts?
Bairns (Scotland), Bens (Newcastle) Nippers, tots for starters.

Don't forget 'weans' in Scotland. I think this is a contraction of 'wee anes'.

Well, Belana, there is "meilenweit" "Die [insert adjective of choice] Meile" "Sieben-Meilen-Stiefel"

Translation: (for miles; the .... mile (meaning an indefined stretch, e.g. of shops); Seven League Boots.

"Elle" is used in one or two expressions, for example, "ellenlang" - long and tedious, longer than necessary.

I always ask for fruit and meat by the pound, and ham etc by the quarter or half pound. Everyone else does. No one has ever asked me what that is in grammes or kilos. A pound is 500 g to the German housewife, 250 g a half pound, etc.

It's like "Mr" and "Mrs". You write one, but say the other.

kids, sprogs, littl'uns, offspring, bairns, little darlings, little horrors.......

Childer, ankle biters, rugrats

>> [...couldn't resist the thought...] <<


Neither could I. Resistance is futile.
Funny stuff. I'm glad you decided to share.

~jwf~

"Give a man an inch and he thinks he's a ruler." - Anon.