Re: [OT] Languages and the metric system

On 2024-08-28, John Dallman <jgd@cix.co.uk> wrote:

In article <van4uj$3fdl0$1@dont-email.me>,
clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP (Simon Clubley) wrote:
>

For the record, I think it would be nice if the UK finally
completed the transition to purely metric for everything.

>
Our recently ex-government held a consultation on reverting to Imperial
units for some consumer purposes. The response was very negative and the
idea was quietly abandoned.
>

I saw that and it was a very nice thing to see it was so strongly rejected.

With one major exception (see below[*]), long distances are still in
miles, but smaller distances tend to be purely metric. For example, it is
considered _very_ old fashioned by the people I interact with to say
a few yards instead of a few metres.

[*] That major exception are the Ordnance Survey maps. In a remarkable
piece of foresight very uncommon in this country, the OS finished the
conversion of all maps from imperial to metric units decades ago.

All OS maps today are purely metric. The OS coordinate system is also
purely metric and is _very_ nice to work with.

Simon.

--
Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.