Forum Topic

Merry metrics

The government has ordered a review of the metric system. Does  a pint taste better than 0.568261 litres?

Alexander MacLeod ● 1113d39 Comments

Mr MacLoed'Does  a pint taste better than 0.568261 litres'Cant' say as I have never been in a pub and asked for 0.568261 litres of Youngs Special !

John Hawkes ● 1107d

This Johnsonian love of the retro is a bit scary. I get the feeling that this country was, in some ways, showing its better side during the Second World War. Would a war be retro enough for Johnson? He could go into full-Winston mode.Or perhaps we could try to recreate our Indian Empire - all that loot and nabobs. All for Blighty.

David Ainsworth ● 1107d

No, Sue, it's not compulsory but completely irrelevant to the 21C, and I'd agree with this Tory peer inspite of my usual political alignments and ASDA not being my favourite supermarket …https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61683111

Michael Ixer ● 1107d

Sue, I think the government needs to get a grip.Now is not the time to bring in these changes, particularly as both the imperial and metric systems are widely used.It is just a populist move hoping to improve BoJo's ratings...

Ivonne Holliday ● 1107d

Fgs, it's just an option, it's not bloody compulsory! Get a grip.🙄

Sue Hammond ● 1107d

Of course you did. And somebody bought a glass of wine by the ml.If you shop in the supermarket, for example, you may have noticed that the deli counter sells food by item or by kg/g.  So do the butchers.Loaves of bread are weighed in grams as are fruit and veg, etc.The nonsense of bringing back the imperial measurement system - or making it compulsory, will increase costs sadly, as Stuart Rose said.https://news.sky.com/story/back-to-imperial-government-consultation-to-examine-overbearing-rules-that-force-traders-to-use-metric-measurements-12626597

Ivonne Holliday ● 1107d

walked MILES to the pub to get my 2 PINTS … the UK do have a foot fetish….P

Paul Beer ● 1107d

I wonder what younger voters such as Millennials and Gen Z think about this? Probably think the government should focus on affordable housing and proper jobs instead of needless gimmicks like this?

Michael Ixer ● 1111d

If we wish to make things more complicated and create jobs, perhaps there could be actual borders with guarded fences and customs posts between each county? I suppose the import taxes might be useful.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Customs_Line

David Ainsworth ● 1111d

Just for the record: Government minister Lord Parkinson today failed to answer questions on imperial measurements.Quizzed on Sky News about ounces, pounds and pints, the Conservative peer only gave one correct answer.Lord Parkinson suggested there are 14 ounces in a pound, when there are 16.He also failed to convert a pound of sausages into grams and offered an answer of 250g.One pound is approximately 450g.However, the former aide to ex-PM Theresa May did correctly state that three litres is more than four pints.

Alexander MacLeod ● 1111d

In ancient days (Henry I, England, Charlemagne, Holy Roman Empire) a monarch's foot was a standard measure. Luckily Elizabeth II isn't so disposed, otherwise a 21st century foot would be 8 - 9 inches, or 20.32 - 22.86 cm, max, in Eurospeak.

Alexander MacLeod ● 1112d

That made me laugh out loud: thank you, David!

Richard Carter ● 1112d

I think that all 48 of us here have your measure, Mr Rolink.

David Ainsworth ● 1113d

"Arguing about how we measure things. 24 of you"That will be a metric 12 now 13 :)

Ed Robinson ● 1113d

Arguing about how we measure things. 24 of you today. You have been cooped up too much over the last 2 years or have nothing better to do. Talk about get a life. You look ridiculous.

Paul Rolink ● 1113d

Totally agree!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1113d

Ha ha ha ha!!!!  It takes one to know one!

Ivonne Holliday ● 1113d

Quite a good article in the Mirror regarding this:https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/what-law-actually-says-imperial-27095926A complete non story, purely a distraction by a PM past his use by date ...

Michael Ixer ● 1113d

Fgs who really cares?🙄Since leaving the EU it's no longer compulsory for shops and retailers to display metric weights or measurements and in my opinion it was wrong to enforce it on them in the first place. Personally I never took much notice of it anyway because I was taught the imperial systems and continue to compute in those terms. Just use whatever system suits you best.Ed. Although I don't agree that this is a Brexit stunt (bit late for that) I do agree with you about nationalising our utilities. "the EU never said the crown should be removed from pint glasses. That is just poppycock, but a dangerous one...." 🙀Ivonne. Always sensing a drama out of nothing at all lol.😸

Sue Hammond ● 1113d

William has been Colonel of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards since 2011.  I understand they are receiving the colours this year.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1113d

Just a populist "jingle" that creates so much unnecessary harm.Some people wish to blame the EU for everything.  Decimalization came into force in the UK before joining the EEC in 1973 after Charles de Gaulle resignation in 1969!And, as you say, the EU never said the crown should be removed from pint glasses.  That is just poppycock, but a dangerous one....

Ivonne Holliday ● 1113d

Richard,Thanks for the Daily Mail pic. I agree with everyone that this suggested review is another attempt to distract us.By the way, doesn’t William look a right idiot in that uniform. Shouldn’t he be in pilot’s gear - wasn’t he a helicopter pilot?NickNick

Nicholas Evans ● 1113d

... or the half crown 1 half crown = two shillings and sixpence

Richard Carter ● 1113d

It's even worse than people have been suggesting: the Vile on Sunday today makes the utterly false claim that the EU had ordered us to remove the crown symbol from our pint glasses. The truth is, as the BBC has already reported, that we were required to add the CE quality symbol to glasses as everywhere else, the only requirement being that the symbol should not be covered over by anything else: https://bbc.co.uk/news/59868823 Yet another lying Brexit "success".

Richard Carter ● 1113d

... and you've forgotten the guinea:1 guinea = one pound one shilling.

Richard Carter ● 1113d

A Brexit stunt.Both the main parties could use the real freedom that Brexit gives by nationalising the energy and water industries which has not worked well for decades.The imperial system lives on in language, it doesn't need to be physical:"Not an ounce of decency" etcThat's my two pennies worth!(How long before the same government does away with copper coins?)

Ed Robinson ● 1113d

The government has ordered a review of the Flat Earth theory. "Was the idea of elephants and turtles discarded too early?", asks a government spokesman.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down#/media/File:River_terrapin.jpg

David Ainsworth ● 1113d

"The government has ordered a review of the metric system."Yet people argue that there is no going back on Brexit.

David Ainsworth ● 1113d

Have you noticed? On the Tube in many/most stations, on a staircase you are asked to keep on the left. But if you step onto an escalator you are required to stand on the right. I expect there are a few nutters around who while escalating would like us all to switch. Any takers?

Alexander MacLeod ● 1113d

Brexit BS at its best🥸

Freddie Francis ● 1113d

I do not see what is going to change so drastically.  I am a metric system person but in the UK:Beer in pubs is sold by the pintWine in pubs is sold by the mlWe buy petrol by the litre (I'd hate to think its cost by the gallon)We buy vegetables and fruit by the kilo or in gramsWe buy milk by the pintWe buy fabric by the metre Bunting is sold by the metreBoth systems have been used together very successfully for years.  Why change it now?  And the announcement is expected on Friday during the Jubilee celebrations.  HmmmmWe must not forget that the metric system was introduced by Harold Wilson in 1965 - nothing to do with Brexit.I just see this announcement as a petty distractive measure of the crises we are going through.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1113d

Obviously just another stunt to distract everyone from Partygate and the failing UK economy! Given manufacturing and distribution is geared to the metric system one wonders what the costs would be of modifying all the IT systems for the retail outlets? After Brexit that's all the UK's businesses need. Those in favour please detail the benefits to UK's businesses in a global market mainly using the metric system (some US manufacturing sectors are, I believe, no  metric). And remember the international scientific community use metric measurements. When NASA tried using a mixture of US Imperial and metric measurements they crashed an expensive mission into Mars. (Although I believe some of the large pipes at CERN are in non metric units as they're made by US oil equipment suppliers.)

Michael Ixer ● 1113d

Not so much the money - the measurements.

Judy Allen ● 1113d

They would have to change all calculators. Not pounds shillings and pence again. It was bad enough decimal, I had just got married and had to buy food, all the prices changed.

Barbara Stevens ● 1113d

20 shillings = one pound1 shilling = 12 pence5 shillings = one crown2 shllings = one florinWhat could be simpler than that?

Alexander MacLeod ● 1113d

If retailers have to price and weigh goods in both metric and imperial it will cost more. Bonkers. It will add to inflation. Johnson at his worst. Another dead cat policy.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 1113d

Not to mention medicine.It's just headline nonsense but I'm not sure who it is aimed at and possibly a bad mistake to bring up the past when we have a cost of living crisis.Remember the days when the UK used to own it's utilities?Remember when bread was...

Ed Robinson ● 1113d

Won't it throw some industries into chaos - construction for example? There aren't exact equivalents I don't think.

Judy Allen ● 1113d

Ireland is in the EU.It's been a few years but my understanding is that they still sell pints of Guinness and other beers.One thing is certain a pint in Putney is heading towards ten pounds not ten bob!Will prices be in old money too?https://www.guide-ireland.com/drinks/pint/

Ed Robinson ● 1113d