Over the past few months, I decided to refer to non-metric measurement units also as traditional measurement units, but no longer as U.S. Customary units. Although we like to point to the U.S. as the only country without a metrication plan, calling the currently widely-used units in the U.S. "U.S. customary" gives ammunition to those who would attempt to tie the use of these units to the historical success of the country. The units of which we speak were inherited by the United States and used in other countries until the late 20th century, and just because the U.S. is the last country to use them routinely should not make them seem to be an American creature. They are merely traditionally-used units, or perhaps, inch-pound units, or, as Pat Naughtin calls them, pre-metric units.
Also, I bristle when I hear the comparison "metric vs. standard" units. Yikes! The SI is the only measurement standard. Paul T.
