Why are Irish people so resistant to the metric system?

Hannibal

Most people I know mix and match, like if you say to someone i'm 6 feet tall its easy to get a mental picture rather than 1.83 metres the same with stones. I fit bathrooms for a living, and generally I always use the metric system for measurments etc as its much easier and I find more accurate. I remember a couple of years ago working with a carpenter, he was early 60's giving me measurments in inches and quarters and eights thats when I realised how out dated and hard use imperial is. But still even though I use metric in my work I would still give my height in feet and inches and my weight in stones. My car is reasonably new and only has kilometres in it so i'm over the mph part but my dad for example still tries to convert every speed limit into mph as I think people of 40+ cant grasp change as easy as younger people can.

stevejr

Essententially I agree with the OP, metric would make life simpler but, less interesting. We Irish are a peculiar breed in many ways...resistance to change being one of those peculiarities...eg;

-Would do many of us refer to all 4x4 and off-road type vehicles as Jeeps? "Jeep" the actual brand was not sold here until the 1990's yet this vernacular expression has been in common usage since the 70's.

-Similarly why do we call all vacuum cleaners "Hoovers"?

-Why do some of us refer to all crisps as "Taytos"?

-Crockery= "Delph" for a lot of older people....Delph was a relatively (in Ireland) obscure brand of imported dutch crockery in the late 19th century!

I could go on...there are lots more, but in the spirit of the OP's original post which was about an idiosyncrasy I'd thought I'd point out some more.

Great thread OP! Resurrecting intelligent debate in AH!

FISMA

The Irish have always opposed foreign rulers, why should a ruler with the metric system be any different!
:pac:
:pac::pac:
:pac::pac::pac:

Liam Byrne

antodeco wrote: »

There's no other country in the world that uses every measurement possible. Liters, pints, feet, miles, grams, pounds, etc. It's unique!

What's a "liter" ?

stevejr

Dotsey wrote: »

Most people I know mix and match, like if you say to someone i'm 6 feet tall its easy to get a mental picture rather than 1.83 metres the same with stones. I fit bathrooms for a living, and generally I always use the metric system for measurments etc as its much easier and I find more accurate. I remember a couple of years ago working with a carpenter, he was early 60's giving me measurments in inches and quarters and eights thats when I realised how out dated and hard use imperial is. But still even though I use metric in my work I would still give my height in feet and inches and my weight in stones. My car is reasonably new and only has kilometres in it so i'm over the mph part but my dad for example still tries to convert every speed limit into mph as I think people of 40+ cant grasp change as easy as younger people can.

That's interesting. Another post from the plumbing field of an example of someone who is ambidextrous in measurements.

Was wondering does that apply to all the building trades considering they are relatively old disciplines? And is there any change to metric on the horizon?

ejmaztec

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I believe the answer to that is: "it's six twelve inches long but I don't use it as a rule."

Fixed that for you, Stumpy

Killer Pigeon

"Do you like my 22.9 centimeter willóg?"

Nah, it doesn't have the same ring to it as inches.

Pete M.

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

"Do you like my 22.9 centimeter willóg?"

Nah, it doesn't have the same ring to it as inches.

The ring is just the same if it's in inches or mm.

Should be a tight squeeze unless you're lacking in either type of measurement.

cassid

I guess I always use both. When you have a baby the staff tell you both weights so assuming its a very Irish thing. Even shopping we have both, size 10 etc in Dunnes Stores then Benetton size 36, same goes with shoes.

citizen_p

great post op....seriously. some people just post the qustion "why is ....?"

• i still use feet and inches for measuring myself,
• weighing scales is in stone and pounds, so i still use that
• my father says acres and hectares when given estimates on the size of a bit of land
• i still ask for a pound of rashers in the butchers

the only thing that has changed for me is kilometers have slowly worked their way into my vocabulary instead of miles.

Dionysus

Anybody who insists that miles and the like, which contrary to common belief are not an English invention (Latin mīlia), are better than the metric system is misguided.

Metric is the future. People who are hanging on to a system where 14lbs is a 'stone', 12 inches are a 'foot', where an Irish mile is different to an English mile and a Swedish mile, and so forth above a uniform system where 10mm is 1cm, 100cm is 1 metre, 1000 metres is 1km, and so forth is clearly averse to self-improvement.

If we had more political leadership in this ostensibly sovereign state, we would all be talking in metric by now. And it would be a positive thing if the entire "romance" attached to the Irish "pint" were removed and people started drinking portions half the size, as is the case in many other countries elsewhere in Europe.

Pete M.

Dionysus wrote: »

And it would be a positive thing if the entire "romance" attached to the Irish "pint" were removed and people started drinking portions half the size, as is the case in many other countries elsewhere in Europe.

But we could still call it a pint.

ya-ba-da-ba-doo

The only time don't use the metric system for measurements, is when talking about the height of somebody or when talking about the weight of somebody i'd normally use stone..

But with food or the measuring the height of a desk or something i'd always use metric.

stevejr

Dionysus wrote: »

Anybody who insists that miles and the like, which contrary to common belief are not an English invention (Latin mīlia), are better than the metric system is misguided.

Metric is the future. People who are hanging on to a system where 14lbs is a 'stone', 12 inches are a 'foot', where an Irish mile is different to an English mile and a Swedish mile, and so forth above a uniform system where 10mm is 1cm, 100cm is 1 metre, 1000 metres is 1km, and so forth is clearly averse to self-improvement.

If we had more political leadership in this ostensibly sovereign state, we would all be talking in metric by now. And it would be a positive thing if the entire "romance" attached to the Irish "pint" were removed and people started drinking portions half the size, as is the case in many other countries elsewhere in Europe.

Habits are not dictated by politics IMO, otherwise we'd all be degenerate alcos and moneywasters.

gbee

I prefer miles, pints, and miles per gallon.

I hate litres per 100 kilometres. wtf like, wtf like, seriously, like.

I want to know what it costs me to go Youghal, MPG does this, it's SOOOOO simple.

Gallons in particular a problem as it has been identified as a major inflationary tool, as adding a total of 7C to fuel recently, if one was told that 90% of your litre goes to the government, you'd be mad as hell.

But we just don't get it, a penny on the gallon [5L] brought down governments in the past.

Turtyturd

Pete M. wrote: »

But we could still call it a pint.

We would order two half pints.

Dunne.Drift

Im only 19 & i was brought up using the metric system, cm,mm,meters... Im forced to now learn the imperial system, inches, towe, etc because the machines in my job is imperial & metric.

Very very annoying because im used ot the metric & takes some time sometimes to convert it over because of the units im using ect

Dave!

I lol'd throughout this thread, good work

mikemac

Our roadsigns are in Kilometers and you buy fuel by the litre but the mpg talk will be around for decades probably

I can understand the miles part, but who uses gallons? We never sold fuel by gallons and there is an imperial and US gallon so I don't know which is used

Litres per 100 kilometer makes far more sense

mikemac

stevejr wrote: »

-Crockery= "Delph" for a lot of older people....Delph was a relatively (in Ireland) obscure brand of imported dutch crockery in the late 19th century!

I never knew that, a good bit of trivia there, thanks for posting!

Liam Byrne

Dunne.Drift wrote: »

Im only 19 & i was brought up using the metric system, cm,mm,meters

We never used "meters".....that was the yanks.

I can see how "miles per hour" will stick around, because at an average limit of 60mph, and with 60 minutes in an hour, it translates to one mile every minute, which is easy to work with.

mikemac

Just thinking about the horse racing, that's probably the last place in Ireland the metric system will be adapted.

Furlongs, one mile races, that horse is 11/8 with big support in from 5/2.

It's all very traditional and they will be slow to change.
However many bookmaker sites give decimal odds which is useful too, gives people an option.

I don't think I'll see a 5km handicap chase in Ireland in the next few decades though. It works for Horse Racing Ireland I suppose, it's just an obvious example

kowloon

Joey the lips wrote: »

The only industry 100% metric is the Space and Nuclear industry

Femto/Pico/Nano/Micro/Milli/Cent/Meter/KM

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17350-nasa-criticised-for-sticking-to-imperial-units.htm

mikemac

gbee wrote: »

I prefer miles, pints, and miles per gallon.

I hate litres per 100 kilometres. wtf like, wtf like, seriously, like.

I want to know what it costs me to go Youghal, MPG does this, it's SOOOOO simple.

Fair enough, works for you

gbee wrote: »

But we just don't get it, a penny on the gallon [5L] brought down governments in the past.

But here is where the messing starts. You post that a gallon is five litres.
A US gallon is 3.79 litres. Then there is the imperial gallon which isn't realy used anymore but was used in the UK & Ireland and that was 4.55 litres.
And both differ from your post

What a mess, litres per 100 kilmetres is the future!

2 stroke

If the half litre was bigger than the pint, we'd have switched a long ago.

stevejr

Sure aren't we all brought into the world in Pounds and Ounces-Imperial by Nature? Metric by Nurture?

t0mm13b

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

"Do you like my 22.9 centimeter willóg?"

Nah, it doesn't have the same ring to it as inches.

Pete M. wrote: »

The ring is just the same if it's in inches or mm.

Should be a tight squeeze unless you're lacking in either type of measurement.

Is that in excited or calm state? :rolleyes:

If it's in calm state - please use nanometers....

If it's in excited state - please use as you please to massage your ego...

stevejr

feelingstressed wrote: »

Just thinking about the horse racing, that's probably the last place in Ireland the metric system will be adapted.

Furlongs, one mile races, that horse is 11/8 with big support in from 5/2.

It's all very traditional and they will be slow to change.
However many bookmaker sites give decimal odds which is useful too, gives people an option.

I don't think I'll see a 5km handicap chase in Ireland in the next few decades though. It works for Horse Racing Ireland I suppose, it's just an obvious example

Spot on poster it's the bookies' older clientele and thier influence on the younger clientele that exemplifies why these memes persist. We all follow our elders consiously or not, in speech and habit.

Blisterman

The real reason people don't use metric is because it's too cumbersome to say.

Mile - One Syllable
Kilometer - Four Syllables

Inch - One Syllable
Centimetre - Four Syllables

2 stroke

I can't wrap my head around litres per 100 km, yet I often use my own system of € per 100 miles.

dougal-maguire

is time metric,and if not why not?

60 seconds in a minute?why not 100,it's the same as having 12 inches in a foot surely?

more on topic,i use metric mostly in everyday life,but if i was asked what height i was id answer in foot and inches.i can convert from imperial to metric fairly handy but for some reason i cant do the opposite as easy.it will take me a long time to get used to km's rather than miles though.

Liam Byrne

feelingstressed wrote: »

What a mess, litres per 100 kilmetres is the future!

How far into the future, though ?

I mean, surely we should change to a simple base-10 measurement system for time that doesn't involve 1/1000ths, then base 60, then another base 60, then base 24, then a varying base 30/31/28 (and sometimes 29) not to mention a base 365 that changes every 4 measurements to a base 366, and a collective base 1,000 in which we rarely use the first two digits to distinguish which one ?

Not to mention the fact that the Americans display theirs backwards, thereby confusing the bejaysus out of the saner regions of the world who sit wondering what happened on the 9th of November 2001.

2 stroke

The only way to successfully integrate metric into the workplace, is to make millimeters the unit, up until when accuracy of fractions of a meter/kilometer is all that is necessary.
In school I learned centimeters and decimeters, these are an attempt to equate to the imperial system. Measuring in mm works very well, if others have to work to your measurements. Meters and centimeters are cumbersome and lead to mistakes.

DubCul

With a print background I had to cope with 3 forms of measurement.
Ems (approx 6 to an inch)
Imperial
Metric

On continous computer paper (A4) the measurements were 12"x210cms.
Don't know if this still applies, but think inches were used in depth because IBM was American.

Only instance i've ever seen both systems used in the one item.

Run_to_da_hills

Metric is EU bunk,

long live the imperial system of feet and inches.

I'm doing a phD in physics and I obviously use metric for my work which is grand nanometres, picoseconds, metres per second etc but when talking about everyday stuff like distance in the car, speed of the car and my own weight etc it has to be miles, mph and stones etc. Its just easier to visualize the imperial measurements and the devil himself wont stop me, I hate people who dislike my like for miles! I love gallons too what a brilliant quantity, 8 pints is a gallon, remember that when your on the beer!

riffmongous

We should just use 'Unix time'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time

Its 1293678050 seconds since the standard epoch

sure it might look complicated now but in a few hundred years when we replace our computers with brains we'll have to use it, so we all might as well get used to it now

charlemont

A Kilo of hash contains 4 soap bars ( 9 ounce each/called 9 bar ) so its therabouts 36 ounces altogether, hash is sold in ounce blocks and strangely weed is being sold in both ounces and grams ...

Irishoz

The metic system is the tool of the devil!!! (eye twitches)

fontanalis

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Metric is EU bunk,

long live the imperial system of feet and inches.

Damn EU and their ten fingers and thumbs!

TheReverend

The only people I know who refuse to use metric are the older generation, for example by aunt refuses to use it and hates the EU as its apparently its fault we had to change and use something that actually makes sense

fontanalis

TheReverend wrote: »

The only people I know who refuse to use metric are the older generation, for example by aunt refuses to use it and hates the EU as its apparently its fault we had to change and use something that actually makes sense

Does she still use shillings?

enfant terrible

I've always wanted to order a 0.1133980925 kg burger, got a nice ring to it.

TheReverend

fontanalis wrote: »

Does she still use shillings?

If she could she would believe me, hates the way we changed to the Euro too

leeroybrown

Metric is all fine and well but try telling a chick that you've a 0.2032m cock!

mikemac

There's a thread in After Hours on your height

I knew my height as 177cm and so posted it

"We're not in Europe now boy :rolleyes:" was the reply I got back
Says a lot about Ireland........

The last time my height was measured the gym instructor gave me 177cm so that's what I know and what I understand. I know my weight in kg.

Who uses feet and inches, I went to primary school in 1986 and they had the metric system then. I'm certainly not the oldest on boards

Don't get me started on the time I asked for 200 grammes of mince in Supervalu in Galway and was asked " so half a pound?"
It wasn't a strange request from me, sorry

TheReverend

feelingstressed wrote: »

There's a thread in After Hours on your height

I knew my height as 177cm and so posted it

"We're not in Europe now boy :rolleyes:" was the reply I got back
Says a lot about Ireland........

The last time my height was measured the gym instructor gave me 177cm so that's what I know and what I understand. I know my weight in kg.

Who uses feet and inches, I went to primary school in 1986 and they had the metric system then. I'm certainly not the oldest on boards

Don't get me started on the time I asked for 200 grammes of mince in Supervalu in Galway and was asked " so half a pound?"
It wasn't a strange request from me, sorry

Loads of people use feet and inches, mainly as most people use it and understand it.

Liam Byrne

charlemont wrote: »

A Kilo of hash contains 4 soap bars ( 9 ounce each/called 9 bar ) so its therabouts 36 ounces altogether, hash is sold in ounce blocks and strangely weed is being sold in both ounces and grams ...

If it contains 4 soap bars then it's not a kilo of hash - it's a kilo of soap!

fontanalis

Liam Byrne wrote: »

If it contains 4 soap bars then it's not a kilo of hash - it's a kilo of soap!

that's life buoy.

Lorcan78

Why when and where was it changed ? Who decided that it was going to be changed ? Were we the people given a choice on the matter ? If not then why were we not asked if we wanted it to be changed ? Perhaps a vote would have been nice ..