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link_ganon t1_ixhyt7i wrote

Reply to comment by WilliamofYellow in TIL: The formal name for the Imperial system's measurements of weight (pounds/ounces) is the Avoirdupois system by NPC8705

The British officially are on the metric system…

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WilliamofYellow t1_ixhznvf wrote

The US is "officially" metric as well, per the Metric Conversion Act of 1975. That doesn't mean people actually use metric units in daily life.

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link_ganon t1_ixi06en wrote

In the UK they use both. Many people in the US think they do not use imperial at all.

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Ameisen t1_ixie4e3 wrote

> Many people in the US think they do not use imperial at all.

Because they don't. The US never adopted Imperial measures, which are adopted in Britain 50 years after the American Revolution.

The United States customary units are similar to Imperial measures, and in many places identical, but only because they are both based upon earlier English units. There are significant differences between the systems.

(unless you mean that people in the US think that the British don't, and that's just untrue - we regularly make fun of them for using 'stone')

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link_ganon t1_ixig70a wrote

Your last paragraph is what I meant. Many Americans are not informed about how and when English people use which measurement systems.

It’s not a big deal. It just is what it is. I’ve never heard of English people being teased for using stones. But that’s purely anecdotal

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snow_michael t1_ixod7d8 wrote

We are 'officially' using a mixture

Pints of beer, litres of milk

Pounds and ounces for babies, kg for food

Barleycorns for shoes, cm for hats

Miles for distance, litres for petrol

Fahrenheit for summer temperatures, Celcius for winter (this is the one likely to die away first)

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link_ganon t1_ixrc18c wrote

> Britain is officially metric, in line with the rest of Europe. However, imperial measures are still in use, especially for road distances, which are measured in miles. Imperial pints and gallons are 20 per cent larger than US measures.

https://www.visitbritain.com/us/en/plan-your-trip/practical-information/weights-and-measures#

You are “officially” on the metrics system. You’re just restating my original point, and arguing semantics for the sake of arguing.

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