Notice though, the government documents refers to them only as "units", not a system or system of units. USC does not comprise a system. Even if some people think it is a system.
Euric ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Chernack" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, 2004-08-27 19:42 Subject: [USMA:30875] Re: "English" Units (was Re: Re: Arnie) > They are actually referred to as "customary units in use in the U.S." or > U.S. customary. This is the way NIST and most laws refer to them. It > allows for the difference between Imperial and U.S. > > I prefer to call them "non-metric units" or DMA (dumb-ass units) > > Phil > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Bob Price > Sent: Friday, August 27, 2004 7:30 PM > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:30874] Re: "English" Units (was Re: Re: Arnie) > > I prefer to call "English" units U.S. Imperial. > They are the U.S. version of Imperial units, which differ somewhat from > British Imperial. > > > Jim Elwell wrote: > > > At 27 08 04, 04:46 PM, David King wrote: > > > >> May I ask why so many Americans refer to imperial units as "English > >> units"? They did not originate with the English, they are not all the > >> same as the imperial units used in England and as the UK is > >> officially metric I would think that the inch-pound-foot etc. units > >> used in the USA would be better described as US units. They are never > >> referred to as English units in England, only as imperial units, > >> because a lot of them originated with the Roman Empire. > > > > > > I think it is just habit -- we've called them "English units" for so > > long that everyone in America pretty much knows the term, and no one > > is going to call them "American Versions of Imperial Units." > > > > I call them "colloquial" units, which is usually (but not always) > > understood, and is slightly derogatory. > > > > More technical Americans sometimes use "inch-pound units." > > > > Members of this list sometimes use: > > > > WOMBAT -- way of measuring badly all the time > > FFU -- fred flinstone units > > > > I don't use these last two because few people know what they mean. > > > > Jim > > > > > > > > Jim Elwell, CAMS > > Electrical Engineer > > Industrial manufacturing manager > > Salt Lake City, Utah, USA > > www.qsicorp.com > > > > >
