In English-speaking countries we have grown up thinking in terms of
inches and pounds. Converting to millimetres involves a division by 25
to understand metric dimensions. We soon give up and develop a feel
for millimetres. Centimetres are closes enough to inches to lead us to
attempt a rough mental conversion from centimetres to inches. This
approach can last for years.
There is a possibility of confusing centimetres and metres on a
drawing, but there is almost no possibility of confusing millimetres
and metres.
Marcus, and Brasilians in general, do not suffer from the handicap of
thinking in inches and pounds.
