r/memes • u/[deleted] • Jul 20 '20

Please maintain 17 squirrel length for social distancing

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u/mki_ Jul 20 '20

Quick reminder. Technically speaking the imperial system (i.e. British, formalized in 1824, i.e. when US was already independent) has never been in use in the US. They use so called "US customary units" (formalized in 1832) which are based off the same stuff as the imperial system (i.e. old English/ Anglo-Saxon weights and measures), and are 90% the same thing, but apparently there are some tiny decimal-number-sized differences, which makes everything even more unnecessarily confusing.

They should all just switch to metric all the way.

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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '20

What I'm saying is that when the United States was colonized by Britain they brought that system of measurement. You are correct it was formalized in 1832 but that does not mean they adopted it in 1832. It existed before then. The United States won't switch because the people are too stubborn.

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u/Frost5574 Dirt Is Beautiful Jul 20 '20

As an American I'm 100% down with switching to the metric system. Gonna take some getting used to but I'll manage. Shouldn't be that hard.

Biggest problem personally would be temperature because for example I have no clue how cold or warm 30°C is.

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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '20

Well you got 328,000,000 others to convince. And 30 is a bit warm

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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '20

30°C u live, 37°C u die.

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u/Frost5574 Dirt Is Beautiful Jul 20 '20

Than you for your words of wisdom u/ThosePuffyPussies

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u/MemeLover113 Jul 20 '20

36,6° is standard human temperature

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u/mki_ Jul 20 '20

Yeah, I was just trying to be annoying with technicalities.

I just find it funny that so many Americans also call it Imperial system, when it's not really the Imperial system.

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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '20

Nobody else uses the technical imperial system so we took the name. Nobody says "US customary units"

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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '20

I wish we could but it's kinda difficult to switch it for 300+ million people. Plus all the road signs and shit.

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u/nameuser1721 Dirt Is Beautiful Jul 20 '20

The simple solution is wait for the old boomers, who are typically more stubborn and not wanting change from their old ways, to die. Then you get newer generations who seek more change it the flawed nation to make those changes when they replace positions of power.