Re: measuring systems (was: Selenites)

Tom Wier wrote:

> Why would it cause so much confusion? Did the Germans find it confusing tomake "ein Pfund"
> equivalent to 500 grams? I doubt it.
But the German, French, and Italian "pounds" (500 g, 500 g, and 300 g
respectively, IIRC) are only used for informal purposes, because the
metric system was adopted long ago, before exact measures were as
important as they are today.

The U.S. has a vast suite of precision industries based on inches
that are exactly 2.54 cm and pounds that are near enough 453.59 g.
Try fitting an eight inch (20.32 cm) fluorescent light bulb into
an eight "inch" (20 cm) fixture, or loading a truck with 50,000
"pounds" (25 tonnes) when its maximum load is 50,000 pounds
(22.67 tonnes).  Conversions would become even more unbearable
then they are now.

No, the only way is to throw the customary system into the bog
forever.

        "Fourteen inches to the pound, or whatever it was?
        Oh Bog!"
                        -- Manuel Garcia O'Kelly-Davis


--
John Cowan      http://www.ccil.org/~cowan              cowan@ccil.org
        You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
        You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
                Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)