Re: OT: Units (was Re: Numbers in Qthen|gai (and in Tyl Sjok) [long])

Thomas R. Wier wrote:

>From:    Tristan McLeay <conlang@...>
>
>
>>(I approximate 'pound' with 500 g, but I wouldn't say a pound *is* 500g.
>>
>>
>
>In America, a pound is defined as precisely equal to 453.59237g.
>(This convention is actually an international agreement among the United
>States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand,
>all but the first of which having actually gotten rid of the Customary
>system of measurement.)
>
>
I thought Britain (& perhaps Ireland?) still retained Imperial
measurements, or at least that they've had some trouble converting. (Oh,
and we haven't got rid of a customary system, we just changed which
system was customary :)

>>For sufficiently large degrees fahrenheit I divide by two to get sensible
>>temperatures, but it's a pity the conversion is so complicated for
>>everyday temps. Can't Americans at least use 0 fahrenheit to mean the
>>freezing point of water?)
>>
>>
>
>What would be the point?  If we're going to use Fahrenheit at all,
>as opposed to metric with some local color, what use is there in
>changing what we already have?
>
It wasn't a serious suggestion :)

--
Tristan.