2003-01-21 FFU was not meant as an alternative name for USC or Imperial. It was meant as a catch-all phrase for ALL non-SI units. Even Chinese ones. But, for all practical purposes FFU is taken to mean USC and Imperial because they are the only remaining "systems" still left. Or at least the only ones looking for international acceptance.
John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tom Wade VMS Systems" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, 2003-01-21 08:53 Subject: [USMA:24544] RE: Non Metric Recipe Du Jour > >The commonly-accepted term that is applicable to both U.S. and Imperial > >measures is "inch/pound." Around here, we use some less acceptable terms, > >including FFU (Fred Flintstone Units), for any inch/pound measures, and > >WOMBAT (Way Of Measuring Badly in America Today), for U.S. Customary. An > >alternative interpretation of WOMBAT (Waste Of Money, Brains And Time) could > >be said to apply to inch/pound generally. > > I would recommend the term "British Colonial" which differentiates it from > "British Imperial". It is more factual than FFU or WOMBAT, and is preferable > to "US Customary" as it makes it clear where it originated, and it leaves any > would-be supporter standing on less patriotic ground. Kind of associates the > old measures not so much with George Washington as with Benedict Arnold. > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > Tom Wade, EuroKom | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (all domain mailers). > Dale House | X400: g=tom;s=wade;o=eurokom;p=eurokom;a=eirmail400;c=ie > 30, Dale Road | Tel: +353 (1) 278-7878 > Stillorgan | Fax: +353 (1) 278-7879 > Co Dublin | Disclaimer: This is not a disclaimer > Ireland | Tip: "Friends don't let friends do Unix !" >
