On 23/08/2010 7:47 PM, Darren New wrote:
> I think I figured out the real differences there. It's not the "power of
> ten" stuff. After having to decide between 0.2 liters of beer or 0.3
> liters of beer, I realized it's something different.
>

Yes, It is what you are brought with. :-P

>
> Distance: As big as your finger (inch), your foot (foot), your arms
> (yard), how far you can conveniently walk (mile).
>

It's true then. Americans don't walk much. :-P


> Weight: Again, a little bit almost unnoticeable size of a coin (ounce),
> convenient to carry in one hand (pound), convenient for weighing people
> or animals (stone, which nobody seems to actually use any more), about
> as much as you can reasonably ship someplace (a ton).
>

We use stones for weighing people. For instance I am 12 stones but I 
would like to be 11 and a half. Or 11-7, that is 11 stones 7 pounds or 
73 Kg.


>
> There's nothing lighter than an ounce,
>

What about a dram (not a "wee dram" ;-) ) there are 16 of them in an 
ounce and 437.5 grains in an ounce.

>
>
> In practice (for those of you who are used to metric), in every-day
> usage, imperial weird units don't really cause the sort of problem that
> people seem to think it causes. I no more have to frequently convert
> inches to miles than you frequently need to figure out the number of
> minutes in a year. Once you're talking miles, the number of inches is as
> immaterial as asking how many miles are in an inch when you're measuring
> to construct a chair or something. The worst stuff is measuring your
> room to be 12 3/4 feet, and finding out carpet is sold by the inch or
> something.
>

This is true but I would measure the length to be 12' 9" or 12 foot 9 
(inches is understood).

-- 

Best Regards,
	Stephen

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