LL-L "Measure words" 2002.12.05 (04) [D/E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 05.DEC.2002 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Gustaaf Van Moorsel <gvanmoor at cv3.cv.nrao.edu>
Subject: LL-L "Measure words" 2002.12.05 (01) [D/E]

Stan Levinson schrijft:

> Hier is het "metric stelsel" iets
> bijna zo "gevaarlijk" als communismus!  De meeste
> mensen willen niets met Metric (vooral wat gewicht en
> lengte betreft) te doen hebben.

In het verleden zijn er wel halfslachtige pogingen geweest
op het metrieke stelsel over te gaan maar dit is nooit
echt aangeslagen.  Heel af en toe zie je afstandborden
in mijlen *en* kilometers.  Ik weet van een net ten zuiden
van Santa Fe op de I25 die de afstand naar Albuquerque in
beide eenheden aangeeft, maar dat is dan ook het enige voor-
beeld in New Mexico.  Elders heb ik dit alleen sporadisch in
Californie gezien.

De enige metrieke voorbeelden in het dagelijkse leven waar
ik op kan komen zijn: plastic Cola flessen in twee en drie
liter uitvoeringen, wijn in 750ml flessen, en medicijnen in
gram en mg.

Het wordt voor ons metriekelingen helemaal ingewikkeld met
combinaties van eenheden.  Miles/gallon is normaal voor
benzineverbruik, and acre-foot voor irrigatie (populair
hier in de woestijn).

Maar ik houd nu op voor Ron me op de vingers tikt dat ik
wel erg ver ben afgedreven van een Lowlands onderwerp!

Groeten,

Gustaaf

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Measure words" 2002.12.05 (01) [D/E]

Dear Stan and Kevin,

well, I wrote that in Dutch on purpose so as not to insult any Americans,
but you caught me anyway. :-)

Of course I didn't mean to offend; consider it a heartfelt sigh from someone
who lived in the States for eight years and, having three children in
school, had to deal with those obscure measurements on a daily basis. You've
already mentioned feet, inches, ounces and pounds. But there's also degrees
Fahrenheit, fluid versus solid ounces, stones, yards, acres, square feet,
the whole cup/tablespoon/teaspoon thing, bushels, gallons, quarts, several
different kinds of miles... and don't even get me started about that "gaggle
of geese" and "bevy of beauties" thing.

I used to say that the thing that REALLY amazed me ist that Americans
actually measure time in hours, minutes and seconds... it seems to be the
ONLY measurement they have in common with the rest of the world.

You're right, even the voting system seems to fit this pattern!

Cheers,
Gabriele Kahn

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From: R. F. Hahn <admin at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Measure words

Gabriele:

> well, I wrote that in Dutch on purpose so as not to insult any Americans,
> but you caught me anyway. :-)

We caught you preaching to the choir.  It is telling to observe that
Americans who live(d) abroad (like Stan), are widely traveled and/or are
interested in the world outside their own (like Kevin) tend to have no
problem -- philosophical or educational -- with the "metric" system all
countries but theirs now use -- yes, even the "mother country" Britain and
her British Commonwealth offspring.  It needs to be remembered that most
countries at one time or other switched from their own "weird" little
measuring systems (and there used to be many) to the universal one, that all
of them survived it, some with less whining, moaning, temper tantrums, irate
letters to editors and psychological trauma than others.   I happened to
move to Australia when that country "became metric."  What bitching and
moaning!  You have no idea!  People complained and complained.  "How big is
a meter?" they'd ask me expecting an equivalent in feet and inches.
Instead, I'd hold up my hands in about a meter's distance from each other,
or hold up a metric ruler and show them, "This big."  That's all they really
needed to know.  Sure, it was hard to convert, for instance in the building
trade where all sizes had been inch-based.  But, guess, what: people got
over it, joined the world and aren't the worse for wear.  They knew they
*had* to, because Australians have never had any delusions of grandeur.

Britain and the British Commonwealth were the last countries to convert, and
now the US is the odd one out, but few people here seem to care.  And why
should they?  Foreign countries and companies cater to their wishes by
communicating with Americans using the old system, and they supply goods by
this system to suit the (large) American market.  American conversion to the
universal system would happen sooner if the rest of the world refused to
continue doing so ("Sorry, we don't do inches.")

It is also interesting to note that American scientists, including everyone
working in any medical field, use the universal "metric" system internally
(and almost secretly) and translate information to the old system only for
the general public.  Did this happen voluntarily, or was it because their
collaborating colleagues elsewhere refused to play the "Imperial measures"
game to cater to their wishes?  Armed with this knowledge, and being
bothered by the rapid erosion of respect for patients' privacy in the
American health care system, I always provide the metric versions of my
height and weight in doctors' offices and hospitals, and I refuse to give
the "American" equivalents.  At least this way I avoid giving out *some*
personal information to most patients that inevitably are within earshot.
See if I care!

> I used to say that the thing that REALLY amazed me ist that Americans
> actually measure time in hours, minutes and seconds... it seems to be the
> ONLY measurement they have in common with the rest of the world.

Ah, yes!  But why?  Think about it!  It don't need no countin' to *ten*,
babe!

Cheers!
Reinhard/Ron

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