cgannon64
BOB DYLAN'S ROCKIN OUT!
Damn Brits.
And tell me, if Mean Mr. Mustard has a 10 bob note stuck up his nose, does that mean he's snorting with alot of money or a little?
Blair wants euro in 2007
- Thread starter Stapel
- Start date
Damn Brits.
And tell me, if Mean Mr. Mustard has a 10 bob note stuck up his nose, does that mean he's snorting with alot of money or a little?
Archer 007
Rebirth
Why do you oppose American use of the metric system?
Marla_Singer
United in diversity
The Middle Age system which is used right now in the US is far better because it's been done by every people and not by scientists. Thus, it's democratic. For the same reason, I reject the use of arab figures. Roman figures are well better and were also used during the Middle Age (The oldest it is, the most it's been proven good) :
I - II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII - IX - X
No... more seriously, I understand people resists to such a change. Once you've been raised with one system, the other one means nothing to you. Actually, we needed more than a century in Europe to get used to the new system and elder countrymen in 50's movies are still talking in medieval measures. (By the way, Middle Age system isn't the correct spelling of it in english right ? How do you call it ?)
Archbob
Ancient CFC Guardian
Only if Europe Unites can they hope to compete economically with the USA.
SeleucusNicator
Diadoch
"Imperial System", since it was spread by the British Empire.
I had no idea "Medieval System" was the actual French term for it. I always thought that was just an anti-American slur.
Partially for the reasons Marla stated, which is that I think in imperial units (I once made a New Year's resolution to measure temperature in Kelvins...that lasted about 2 days), and partially because I do not like the idea of the United States changing to suite the rest of the world. It is an unbecoming thing for a superpower to do.
We can survive in the world without changing the units we use. Other nations can't. I believe we should flaunt that.
Chauliodus
Warlord
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2003
- Messages
- 292
Pound > Euro
cgannon:
1 bob=5p, 10 bob=50p, we haven't had 10 bob notes for a long while, sadly we've stopped even 20 bob (=£1) notes for a while, and the smallest we have is 100 bob (=£5) notes.
Even the word 'bob' is archaic nowadays, but you will often find people (me included) using it in a kind of geeky/cool/awkward way, saying things like twenty-three bob instead of £1.15, and so on.
1 bob=5p, 10 bob=50p, we haven't had 10 bob notes for a long while, sadly we've stopped even 20 bob (=£1) notes for a while, and the smallest we have is 100 bob (=£5) notes.
Even the word 'bob' is archaic nowadays, but you will often find people (me included) using it in a kind of geeky/cool/awkward way, saying things like twenty-three bob instead of £1.15, and so on.
MrPresident
Anglo-Saxon Liberal
I see irony has yet to make it across the pond.
The EU is much larger than the US and is only going to get better. Then there is Japan, China and India. America isn't the economic power it used to be.
Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
Huh?
First of all, economy is not about competition between countries or areas. It is about mutual benifit from trade and production.
And it is not like the (western) European economy is backwards to the american (like some Americans want to believe). In some areas, like the cell phone business, Europe is miles and miles and miles ahead.
Furthermore, most European countries have higher taxes and more social security stuff. This works a bit like a brake on economy, but it does bring something in return: social security. One might like this or not (I don't, I hate economical left wing stuff), but for most Europeans it is a welloverthougth choice, to hand in some economical power, to gain more social security.
Stapel
FIAT 850 coupé
Bob is just another word for Shilling?
Marla_Singer
United in diversity
Actually, the pound system had been changed to a decimal system only in the 70's.
In the former system :
£1= 20 shillings
1 shilling = 12 pence
£1= 240 pence
Brits used to be very angry about that change to a decimal system (£1=100 pence) and they weren't used to it for a long time. About bobs... I don't know what that thing is... maybe it were indeed shillings that survived from the former system...
@Stapel, yes, same thing exactly.
edited to add:
Marla, you are also exactly right, it's from pre-decimal, we just kept the idea of a 20th of a pound = shilling = bob, and in the decimal this became five new pence (rather than twelve old pence, as you rightly say it used to be).
edited to add:
Marla, you are also exactly right, it's from pre-decimal, we just kept the idea of a 20th of a pound = shilling = bob, and in the decimal this became five new pence (rather than twelve old pence, as you rightly say it used to be).
thestonesfan
A Client of Ron Kuby
There are definate practical advantages to the old system of measurement.
Scientifically, the metric system works great. It's good for measuring exponential or abstract values, either vastly large or very small. But for something I might encounter in real life, like a photograph, inches are certainly more suitable. I mean, do people in other countries actually measure photos in centimeters?
I personally think the old system is simply better suited for the volumes, areas, and lengths of the things we use in our everyday lives. Centimeters are too small to be that practical, and meters(and kilograms also, now that I think about it) are too big.
The metric system is pretty abstract for common measurements. Ask a chef, carpenter, or carpet layer. I used it in science classes, but that was it. There is simply no reason to abandon what we use in our day to day lives, and I can't imagine why there would be pressure to do so. It was developed according to the scale of the human body, and it shows.
Here's an interesting quote -
"The scientists adopted the decimal system on the basis of the metre as unit. Nothing is more contrary to the organization of the mind, memory and imagination. The new system will be a stumbling block and source of difficulties for generations to come. It is just tormenting the people with trivia."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
Scientifically, the metric system works great. It's good for measuring exponential or abstract values, either vastly large or very small. But for something I might encounter in real life, like a photograph, inches are certainly more suitable. I mean, do people in other countries actually measure photos in centimeters?
I personally think the old system is simply better suited for the volumes, areas, and lengths of the things we use in our everyday lives. Centimeters are too small to be that practical, and meters(and kilograms also, now that I think about it) are too big.
The metric system is pretty abstract for common measurements. Ask a chef, carpenter, or carpet layer. I used it in science classes, but that was it. There is simply no reason to abandon what we use in our day to day lives, and I can't imagine why there would be pressure to do so. It was developed according to the scale of the human body, and it shows.
Here's an interesting quote -
"The scientists adopted the decimal system on the basis of the metre as unit. Nothing is more contrary to the organization of the mind, memory and imagination. The new system will be a stumbling block and source of difficulties for generations to come. It is just tormenting the people with trivia."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
Yago
came undone
Well, Stonesfan, that's about the bottom line of the whole thing. You use what you are used to use. It's quite a fuss to change. And that's alright. Only the average European is pretty at a loss when suddenly confronted with the imperial system. Words like "inch" have no meaning and no practical value when you haven't grown up with them. The metric system does not cause any problems in everyday life, it would be the change causing problems, whatever system is changed.
I pint is easy to learn -> A little more then half a litre. But what the heck should galleon be. No, don't tell, I don't want to hurt my pretty head.
I pint is easy to learn -> A little more then half a litre. But what the heck should galleon be. No, don't tell, I don't want to hurt my pretty head.
thestonesfan
A Client of Ron Kuby
A ship!
Marla_Singer
United in diversity
Stonesfan, you think so merely because you haven't been raised with it. Why do you consider centimeters as too small and kilograms as too big ? Well, personnally, I consider inches as too big and pounds as too small ! You see, it's only a matter on how you've learnt to evaluate measurements.
And about things in common life, they are made according to the system of the country. For example, we have 1L or 2L bottles, you have 1 gallon or 0.5 gallon bottles. You stonesfan, who likes gun, bullets are universally measured in millimeters. Once you're used to a system, you think in that system. When someone using the metric system is moving to the US he has to get used to the imperial system just to buy things in the supermarket. And it would be the opposite for americans.
In an objective view, metric system is more rational and easier to use in everyday life... but only ONCE you're used to it ! The best system is always the one you're used to it.
And about things in common life, they are made according to the system of the country. For example, we have 1L or 2L bottles, you have 1 gallon or 0.5 gallon bottles. You stonesfan, who likes gun, bullets are universally measured in millimeters. Once you're used to a system, you think in that system. When someone using the metric system is moving to the US he has to get used to the imperial system just to buy things in the supermarket. And it would be the opposite for americans.
In an objective view, metric system is more rational and easier to use in everyday life... but only ONCE you're used to it ! The best system is always the one you're used to it.
I don't really get the uncomfortableness people have with the metric system...use whatever you want to use, but I don't have a problem using either...having said that, I'm always going to use miles, feet, inches, pounds and stones in general. I'm six feet tall, I just walked a mile, I weigh 13 stone, and so on. It's more normal. If I was in France though I wouldn't have a problem with 'autour de deux kilometres, quatre-vingt kilogrammes" though.
Yago
came undone
See, how strange the concept is, if your not used to it ? I always wondered why the would weigh things in ships.
thestonesfan
A Client of Ron Kuby
Actually, we use the word gallon.
"Meter" actually has a double meaning, however.
philippe
FYI, I chase trains.
Just do it Britain. It is the best for the world and the commonwealth (and europe)
