Imperial measurements

[wildone]

Originally Posted by zharca

Hi, one of the really important points about the old imperial system was that it had been worked out to do just that. The numbers might appear odd, but they were carefully chosen so that sums like "320 for a pound, how much each*" came out at a coin value.

With pounds, shillings and pence a pound could be divided by 2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12 and multiples of that, like 30 and 80, right up to 960.

Same with lb and oz. If you had an archaic "stone" or "hundredweight" of something it could divide by 2,3,4,6,7,8,10,12,14,16,32 etc.

Strangely, though the measures that gave us the "dozen" have died, stuff still gets packed in 12s. Try this down Tesco: Buns are 12 for 50p. But I only want seven. Change from £1 please? Grandad could have done it in his head.

*three of the little round ones with a wren on

* or one slightly larger one with a ship on and a little one with a wren on.

wildone

[wildone]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

As Keith suggested - I've seldom got past the gallon .... not reached the firkin, ..... or don't remember doing so ...

Paul a firkin is a take home size. Just right for the weekend

[colincurry]

I have only just encountered this thread.

I am an old geezer.

Where I know that Imperial and the other system are available, I always use Imperial. Other than those who say otherwise on this thread, I do not know of anyone who does otherwise - probably all my acquaintances are also old geezers. I am forced into using the other system when buying wine or spirits. I note the point about comparitive prices used in super markets but Imperial would serve equally as well- especially if standard comparisons were used throughout.

In my idealistic younger days, I was all for the Euro and common systems, but it seems to me that we always get shafted and are the only ones who play by the rules - and pay for it. Straying from the subject but going to that on another thread - wind turbines; on a recent coach trip to Italy and back, it seemed to me that we had more wind turbines in Cambridgeshire than the rest of Europe together.

I feel better now

Colin

PS I do not belong to UKIP, etc but am just a grumpy old man

[kshotton45]

For those of us who are still stuck in the days when milk was thrupence a loaf, here's a useful conversion site.

Measurement Units Conversion

I put this on because it refers to 'American system'. And a point not mentioned yet, is the fact that the 'Land of the free' has not gone decimal.
Whilst we go deeper and deeper into Europe, the US of A has gone deeper and deeper into space and is probably going to Mars. If our Astronauts join them they'll probably have to learn about feet and inches again.

Keith.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by colincurry

but it seems to me that we always get shafted and are the only ones who play by the rules - and pay for it.

Hear, hear!

The British are always being singled out as "bad Europeans" because we complain about the latest bunch of daft directives while doing our best to toe the line, whereas most other countries just quietly ignore them. Britain has one of the best records of any European nation for enshrining EU directives in national law - way better than either France or Germany.

Dave P.

(another grumpy old man )

[eeyore]

am i right in assuming that the measurements are called imperial because they were used accros the british empire ? - not old enough to remeber that myself - and if so has europe always been metric or was this introduced at some point ? and if so what was used there before that ?

[demicav]

Originally Posted by kshotton45

For those of us who are still stuck in the days when milk was thrupence a loaf, here's a useful conversion site.

Measurement Units Conversion



Keith.

Useful site, I may need it in the future . Thanks .

[Paul mabbott]

Well the size of a standard bottle of wine (75 cls = cubic millimetres) hasn't changed although now it's quite common to have litre or larger bottles as well.
Your point: if standard comparisons were used is a good one but the shops do not use standard comparisons and therefore we are forced to do the workings in our heads - much easier to shift the decimal point or add/take off zeros than to divide by fourteen, or sixteen or whatever ....

Originally Posted by colincurry

I am forced into using the other system when buying wine or spirits. I note the point about comparitive prices used in super markets but Imperial would serve equally as well- especially if standard comparisons were used throughout.

Colin

PS I do not belong to UKIP, etc but am just a grumpy old man