Metric

On a CBeebies craft programme recently the presenter mentioned a measurement in feet and inches. 'What's an inch Nana?' my 7-year-old granddaughter asked me. Of course she knows what feet are because she wears shoes.

For cooking I still think in Imperial but can convert old recipes in my head (almost) without thinking - 4 oz = roughly 100g etc.

I still think in Fahrenheit for temperature (but know that e.g. 16C = 61F), weights and heights of people and babies.

Mollygo

Callistemon21
How could you say such a thing?
They're sales people and presumably know what they're doing.
Although I expect there are some Gransnetters who could tell them how to do their jobs better. ???
Not only can, but probably will.

Although both your statements are so very true!???

I'm putting my hand up! I could tell an estate agent how to do their job better.

I have seen the wrong information on the property listed, because no-one has checked for accuracy. I have seen appalling photos on Right Move showing pipes and the inside of cupboards instead of nice views of the property. One place I wanted to buy had no room sizes shown and the estate agent couldn't be bothered to get them for me. So yes, I could definitely do their job better.

I still think in feet and inches, fluid ounces, and miles.

My mental rule of thumb for a mile is from my childhood home to my favourite cycle run venue, and how much effort it takes to peddle there.
Some people don't have visual memories and for them it must be easier to assimilate novel measuring systems.

As rulers have had both metric and imperial on them for as long as I can remember, I do find it mildly irritating when I hear someone moan that they haven't a clue what 30cm looks like.

I had this discussion with my mum recently. Yes, she's old now, but like most of òur population, she wasn' oldt back when metric was brought in, so age isn't really a good excuse any more.

(But I can't picture a baby's size when told its weight in kilos, so I'm a fine one to talk - that said, I do know my own weight in kilos, as our old scales showed both metric and imperial weights).

I learnt both at school and as I live in Germany I only use metric anyway. (So my babies were all born with metric weights and measures.) But I ask for a pound or a half a pound of, say, mincemeat, at the counter, and the assistant will weigh out 500g or 250g, no problem. I'm really not fussed if a recipe is in grams or ounces.

Sorry to be on the fence, when everyone is so divided on this subject. I just get on with it.

Trade with the US is no excuse for clinging on to imperial, though, as their measurements, particularly volume, (pints and gallons) are different from the UK ones.