Random Question for Canadians

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

I’m a Canuck, pretty sure everyone here knows that. I was born after we converted to the metric system, but I still tend to use imperial measurements. I’m 5’6”, 160lbs not 167cm and 72.5 kg. When I go to the store I say I’m buying a gallon of milk not 4 litres, and I tend to say it’s 3 miles down the road not 5km. Anyone else do this? Or am I a relic raised by old folk? (My parents were well into their 30’s when I was born)

[DiBiase is Good]

I’m not Canadian but it’s a similar situation in the UK. It might even be worse as there’s a bastardisation of old and new. A lot of people describe their weight in Stones and Pounds, yet some (although in my experience, far less) use kilograms. Heights are normally given in feet and inches.
We use Celsius in Weather reports but our speed limits and distance signs are in miles rather than kilometres.
We still have milk and beer by the pint, yet soft drinks are in litres and millilitres. We also sell petrol by the litre.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Jan 13, 2024 16:43:32 GMT -5 The Summer of Muskrat XVII said:

I’m a Canuck, pretty sure everyone here knows that. I was born after we converted to the metric system, but I still tend to use imperial measurements. I’m 5’6”, 160lbs not 167cm and 72.5 kg. When I go to the store I say I’m buying a gallon of milk not 4 litres, and I tend to say it’s 3 miles down the road not 5km. Anyone else do this? Or am I a relic raised by old folk? (My parents were well into their 30’s when I was born)

Why would you say 3 miles down the road? It’s about 5 clicks. Or even more properly, about 8 minutes away.

I’m 5’10 and 165lbs. I go to the store that’s about 8 minutes away to buy milk.

Just switch back forth between metric and imperial and American measurements.

It’s a 5 gallon pail but it’s a litre of milk.

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Jan 13, 2024 16:50:37 GMT -5 DiBiase is Good said:

I’m not Canadian but it’s a similar situation in the UK. It might even be worse as there’s a bastardisation of old and new. A lot of people describe their weight in Stones and Pounds, yet some (although in my experience, far less) use kilograms. Heights are normally given in feet and inches.
We use Celsius in Weather reports but our speed limits and distance signs are in miles rather than kilometres.
We still have milk and beer by the pint, yet soft drinks are in litres and millilitres. We also sell petrol by the litre.

Celsius for temperature is one thing from the metric system that I’ve always used. Other then when I convert it for the sake of my American friends when we discuss weather on this site, I never use Fahrenheit.

All of our signage here is geared towards metric, and everything being sold is measured in metric. Being on the American border, all our vehicles have MPH and KMPH marked on our speedometers, but pretty much everything else is metric. When I was in school, they did teach you how to do conversions but I graduated 20 years ago so I have no idea if they still do

[Magnus the Magnificent]

Eh?


I'm sorry.

[Abadebe]

This may be of assistance.

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

The only time I use the imperial system is for my height and weight. Everything else I use metric.

[schma]

It's a mixed bag. Even my parents acknowledged we never fully transitioned to metric. I'm 40 and I'm 6'2, 320lbs. I only know my height in cm because it's on my license. However, I measure distance in km or time, I measure temperature in Celsius (unless converting for American friends or older relatives). I'll grab a pint of beer but otherwise it's millilitres and litres for beverages (except at fast food places that sell drinks in oz). The picture above is actually fantastic for showing the discrepancies. Most of the time if I cook it's in Farenheit. I remember in middle school learning my height in cm but apart from one kinda weird kid, everyone just went with feet and inches.

Hell, it even happens in professional situations. Buy some plywood and the measurements are inches x inches x mm. At work half our company is owned by an American company. Half our measurements are imperial and half are metric. We have to have two sets of wrenches, two sets of allen keys, etc.

Given how much the US influences us (whether we want to admit it or not), I suspect it will stay this way for another generation or two. That said, I figure each generation will get closer to true metric. However, I could be wrong.