Some of you here might find this mildly amusing, but most will probably groan. I know I do. In medicine, some doctors like to pronounce the word centimeter as "sont-o-meter" or "sonometer" if spoken quickly. Why? Probably because it sounds French and it gives an impression of using a specialized or esoteric unit unique to the field. Informally, I noticed that the trend towards this pronunciation is among the specialties that use centimeters the least. Internal medicine docs tend to say it that way, while surgeons or obstetricians who use centimeters daily, usually say things correctly.
Speaking of things French: A curiosity in terms of medical measurement is the existence of "French" units. They are exactly 1/3 mm and are used to represent diameters of various catheters (intravenous, bladder) and tubes. Usually abbreviated "Fr" or sometimes "F." So something that's 3 Fr, is 1 mm in diameter.
