Modern metrication affects commerce, not figures of speech. The Australian metrication movement specifically avoided metricating the language of the street, but there was confidence that street language would follow commerce, and from what I could tell on my visit, it did so considerably well. Yet, here in the U.S., we are going to have a tough time with those who want to cling to the old units; we are going to have many Steve Thoburns. So, I propose establishing a special WOMBAT speakeasy, to be called the Museum of Measurement Systems. I'll start compiling it now. It will have the cubit and the omer as well as the league and the furlong, and other units that are clearly not part of the SI. There, the adherents to medieval metrology can live it up without interfering with the march toward metric. I'll even throw in my apothecary scruples and drams from 1974!
-- Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc. www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 Midland TX 79707-2872 USA +1(432)528-7724 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
