[Parallax]

- when people don't really know what one foot or one mile is, how receptive are they going to be to a completely different set of terms?

They should be very receptive in that case. If you can't figure something out, e.g. measurement, you shouldn't care which system it is that you can't comprehend. I don't find the Russian language any more frustrating than Chinese or Japanese. I'm equally ignorant of all of them.

[monochrome]

Completing a 10K feels so much more satisfying than completing a 6.2 Mile.

[THoog]

They should be very receptive in that case. If you can't figure something out, e.g. measurement, you shouldn't care which system it is that you can't comprehend. I don't find the Russian language any more frustrating than Chinese or Japanese. I'm equally ignorant of all of them.

That thought occurred to me, but it goes against human nature, such as I have observed it. They might not really know exactly what a "foot" is, but they kinda-sorta know (or think they know). Trying to switch to something where they don't even know the terms scares them.

Me, I've had to learn both systems; I use whatever works best in a given situation without worrying about it too much. Kinda like how I don't care which way the toilet paper hangs, so long as there IS toilet paper.

PS: Maybe that attitude is not a good thing, if that's how the software for the Mars Climate Orbiter was designed.
PPS: The TP at work is in those big sideways institutional dispensers. It comes out a slot at the bottom; can't tell if I should be upset or not.

[Parallax]

Completing a 10K feels so much more satisfying than completing a 6.2 Mile.

Think how good it would feel to complete a 1,994 rod run.

[THoog]

I walked 24 furlongs yesterday (give or take a few fathoms).

[robtcorl]

Occasionally our old survey plats were in arpents, had to look it up every time.

as a unit of length:
"In North America, 1 arpent = 180 French feet = about 192 English feet = about 58.47 metres"
"In Paris, 1 arpent = 220 French feet = about 234 English feet = about 71.46 metres"

as a unit of area:
"Historically, in North America, 1 (square) arpent (arpent carré), also known as a French acre, was 180 French feet × 180 French feet = 32,400 French square feet = about 3419 square metres = about 0.845 English acres."
source Wiki

[Parallax]

Now my head hurts...

[Ex Finn.]

What's worse is 5:00 PM is "17 heures" ("dix-sept heures") which literally reads "ten-seven hours" !!!

It is seitsemäntoista "seven of the second" in Finnish. (seven of the second ten).

[rod_grant]

Stop it!
My head hurts too.


In Oz, it's mm, cm, m, km for length and sq m, sq km and ha for area (100m x 100m = 1 ha)
EASY!


(Except when we built our last house (1980), we took our kitchen cabinet plans to the joiner, who promptly converted it all back to feet and inches!)

[monochrome]

Think how good it would feel to complete a 1,994 rod run.

I knew a girl who did the Grand Portage (and many others) as a Clearwater camper. I passed on the opportunity. IIRC, that was just about 1994 rods.

As an adult I took 6 Boy Scouts to the Quetico Provincial Park Ontario. By their agreement the adults carried the 88 lb Grumman Trekkers. IIRC my longest portage was 216 rod. Walking. Slowly.

[monochrome]

Occasionally our old survey plats were in arpents, had to look it up every time.

as a unit of length:
"In North America, 1 arpent = 180 French feet = about 192 English feet = about 58.47 metres"
"In Paris, 1 arpent = 220 French feet = about 234 English feet = about 71.46 metres"

as a unit of area:
"Historically, in North America, 1 (square) arpent (arpent carré), also known as a French acre, was 180 French feet × 180 French feet = 32,400 French square feet = about 3419 square metres = about 0.845 English acres."
source Wiki

Where I come from we measure land in sections.

[tim60]

It's similar with the UK - metric system adopted, but roadsigns still show distances and speeds in miles/mph etc.

And the fuel is sold in litres. But love the milk -,comes in a quadruple
beer unit: 2.272 litres.

[tim60]

When I was in grade 5 my teacher was teaching feet and inches. I asked about the MN c on the other side of the ruler. She would not, or could not tell me. Over summer the laws was changed to use metric and it was illegal to sell measuring gear in feet and inches, even as a secondary scale. Finally after 10 of 20 years it became legal to sell imperial measure tools again.

[savoche]

"10 past 4" is okay, but "10 past half 5" for 16:40? One of my friends of Norwegian descent is trying to learn norsk, and telling time gives him quite a bit of trouble.

Oh, but it's perfectly logical

I suppose it's a Nordic thing. We say halvannen, "half second", for one and a half. As mentioned, the Finns have their näljatoista (4 of the second) for 14, the Danes have halvtreds (half of the third) for 50.

Now, was that so hard?

[savoche]

Occasionally our old survey plats were in arpents, had to look it up every time.

as a unit of length:
"In North America, 1 arpent = 180 French feet = about 192 English feet = about 58.47 metres"
"In Paris, 1 arpent = 220 French feet = about 234 English feet = about 71.46 metres"

as a unit of area:
"Historically, in North America, 1 (square) arpent (arpent carré), also known as a French acre, was 180 French feet × 180 French feet = 32,400 French square feet = about 3419 square metres = about 0.845 English acres."
source Wiki

Easy peasy. No wonder you find metric complicated!