[EMAIL PROTECTED] (and others) commented:
I prefer ifp...inch foot pound. It's not ... as contrived as WOMBAT.
From: "john mercer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
This message is for Gavin. Gavin FFU is a term we use for imperial measurements whether they be lenth or volume or mass. FFU stands for Fred Flintstone Units.
Some of these things have been stated on this list before. Perhaps it is worthwhile stating some of them again for those who are new to the list.
My personal preference is "Ye Olde English units", indicating the archaic nature as well as the country of origin, mildly deprecatory and also clear to most people who have not been introduced to the FFU, WOMBAT and other clever but obtuse names.
Another that has some value is "non-metric units" or "non-SI units".
Some NOT favored names are ""customary" or "standard" which are bad because we eventually want SI metric to become customary and standard.
(Think about "automatic" vs. "standard" transmission in cars. There is nothing very standard about "standard transmissions" any more. The automatic transmission has become pretty much the standard.)
I don't care for "ifp" (inch-foot-pound) because it leads to some people wanting to call SI the "cmk" system (for centimetre-metre-kilogram) or something similar. "ipf" puts too much emphasis on just length and mass or force, whereas there are many other related units (in SI at least) and it is the relationship with those many other units that makes the SI uniquely superior.
Regards, Bill Hooper Fernandina Beach, Florida, USA
