this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2026
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We're taught both metric and US customary units in school. I prefer metric for most things, to the point I have a metric-only tape measure among other things.

However, I'll die on the hill that Fahrenheit is superior for ambient air temperature. 0 degrees to 100 degrees neatly encompasses the range of average surface temperatures seen throughout the year in the contiguous US.

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[–] Fourth@mander.xyz 7 points 5 days ago

Metric 100% when I'm working with mechanical stuff my mind works in metric but my brain has been poisoned to use imperial in other things and I actually really dislike it.

[–] titanicx@lemmy.zip 7 points 5 days ago

I normally don't talk about this in public. 

But I'm Bimeasurable. I go both ways. Sometimes at the same time. That 7 inch 5mm I got packing is exciting.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 5 points 5 days ago

For F and C, C is better for things like cooking, where what water is doing is useful. F is better for what we feel. Low numbers feel cold, hot temperatures (approaching 100) feel hot. I know people get used to C, if you're using it every day, but I still think F is the better system for it. That doesn't mean we should use it though. I think we should just switch to C and deal with it.

[–] Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk 17 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (4 children)

Be thankful you at least stick to one system.

I'm British so we use some weird mash up of everything.

Weight - imperial when weighing people, fruit and veg (from a market), metric when weighing everything else.

Height - imperial when measuring people, metric with everything else.

Distance - imperial when walking or driving. Metric when running.

Fluids - imperial for milk and beer. Metric for wine and soft drinks. We fill our cars with litres of petrol but calculate fuel economy in miles per gallon.

[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 7 points 6 days ago

This is the way.

I was raised needing a yardstick with inches on one edge and centimeters on the other, and the words "~~'Merika,~~ Great Britain fuck yeah!" scrawled along the center.

(Edit: I crossed out 'Merika, so now you can borrow my yardstick.)

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[–] bassgirl09@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago

Metric - so much easier to understand and work with. I personally hate the imperial system, but I know it because of where I grew up. I would shed no tears if the U.S. switched to metric tomorrow.

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 6 points 5 days ago

I use metric when working on personal projects and cad, I would vote yes if a miracle happened and switching all of the us to metric was on the ballot.

[–] Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The A system is superior to any american shenanigans!

A4 paper size FTW!

[–] bufalo1973@piefed.social 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

2xA5=A4

2xA4=A3

2xA3=A2

2xA2=A1

2xA1=A0 = 1 m²

And the ratio between sides is √2

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago

And they all taste identical.

[–] mosspiglet@discuss.online 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)
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[–] bitchkat@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

I would prefer that we had continued on the path of converting to metric until Reagan killed it.

[–] Paranoidfactoid@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago
[–] itisileclerk@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Metric ARE standard measurments, the others are wierd.

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[–] jtrek@startrek.website 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Imperial system (or whatever the US system is called ) should go away. Let's all just one standard.

Unfortunately, since I'm from the US, I only really know this one, and it's hard to switch when nothing else has switched. I'd put up with the pain of switching though.

[–] gramie@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 days ago

Sadly, the US system is not the same as imperial. As far as I know the main difference is the gallon.

1 gal. Imp. = 1.201 gal. U.S.

I also hate having lb.f. and lb.m (pounds force and pounds mass), which have different units and at sea level are different by a factor of about 32).

[–] BranBucket@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago

Excluding a few examples like frequently used gym weights, common fastener sizes, and short distances, I still have to do rough conversions in my head to have an idea of what a metric measurement is, so I guess I'd say imperial.

But I wouldn't be upset if the US converted to metric.

Metric. All day, every day.

[–] Cheems@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

Metric. I do a lot of woodworking and auto repair and anytime I have to use not metric it's annoying

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 4 points 5 days ago

Raised in imperial land but studied science in college, so I prefer metric for almost everything other than talking about large distances.

[–] mosspiglet@discuss.online 6 points 6 days ago

I prefer metric, it just makes more sense. Also having to add fractions in order to measure something is maddening. 10 1/4" + 4 17/32" vs. 260mm + 115mm

[–] FartsWithAnAccent@fedia.io 8 points 6 days ago

I'm used to Imperial but metric is objectively better and easier to use.

[–] AstroLightz@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago

Metric. Imperial is a fucking mess. At least with Metric, most size measurements are 10 to the power of something.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 6 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Same as you. I agree on Fahrenheit on the same principle, but it's not that big of a deal and °C isn't that hard to adjust to.

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[–] HotsauceHurricane@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Metric seems to be the superior measurement. Problem is , I can visualize 6in and NOT 6cm.

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[–] sturmblast@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

I use both all the time, prefer metric

[–] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 3 points 5 days ago

I hop back and forth.

For temperature, Fahrenheit just makes more sense because a human useful range is basically 0 to 100 instead of 0 to ~30.

For measurements I use a mix. Feet and inches are useful for medium size things, but below a quarter inch I use millimeters because fractions of an inch is just a fucking mess.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

metric, since i was in the stems. people would freak out if you use kelvin.

[–] wolfeh@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Metric. I've had my phone set up to display the temperature in Celsius for the last ~8 years so that I can get a sense of it without doing math all the time.

[–] howler@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago

100% metric

[–] DoubleDongle@lemmy.world 3 points 6 days ago

Fahrenheit is nice for talking about the weather, but metric is just better for everything else.

[–] Sagan_Wept@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 days ago

Metric all the way

[–] sevan@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago (2 children)

As of today, I am completely unable to estimate or visualize metric values with the exception of the meter (because it is roughly the same as a yard). That said, I would prefer to switch to metric and get used to it rather than continue using our current measurements. It would be vastly preferable to me to use mm and cm over fractions of an inch (I hate fractions, I much prefer decimals).

For temperature, I still prefer F over C. As you said, F is much more metric-like with a 100 degree range that roughly spans the typical weather environments we live in. And considering that the boiling point of water is only 100 C at sea level, that fact is no more valuable than remember that water boils at 212 F at sea level. The reality is, I don't actually care what specific temperature water boils or freezes at (at any particular elevation). I happen to know what the values are in both C and F, but it doesn't matter in my life (except for when I was trying to bake when living in Colorado).

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