4 Comments
Apr 29Liked by Dominic Frisby

Mr. Frisby: I've enjoyed your work in the recent past. but only today discovered this video. As an American who dislikes the real world impracticality and globalizing agenda of the "French system" I was heartened by your presentation. A couple notes: In my experience Americans don't call it the English system. It's so basic to us that it really has no name; when I must name it, I tend towards "customary." Unfortunately, there has been a recent trend in the U.S. to call it the "Imperial" system, which is of course ridiculous. As is evident in your piece, the U.S. parted ways before the U.K. was an empire. And, the only way our systems vary in major ways is that we use what was the Queen Anne gallon, in use at the time of the Revolution, instead of your larger Imperial Gallon. Liquid/volume measurements. Another of my concerns is the loss of learning fractions, which you touch upon. Metrics may be easy but of course (as with the pie) don't often make sense. I can assure you however they remain in full force in the building trades here. I'm having an addition done to my house presently, and from the plans to the workmen hammering nails, every aspect customary, down to the 16th of an inch. Observation: When I was in GB in the mid 80s, yards were still prevalent. From a visit to Scotland in 2019 and from U.K. television, it would seem you all have simply swapped yard for meter, in spite of the difference -- which of course meets up exactly with some of your conclusions. Thanks again for this neat video.

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Thanks very much. Yes the yard is less prevalent than it was. Such a useful measure.

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I thoroughly enjoyed your measurement presentation. It was both educational and humorous. I myself am a land surveyor, who uses measurements every day in my chosen profession. I’ve also taught measurements (surveying) to civil engineering students at university where I attended.  I did that for approximately 10 years and used a lot of the old measurement information that you presented and this.

I’d really love to ask for the slides that you created. I snapped a picture of some of them but I really would love to have them for my future reference and possible use in other seminars that I teach.

So you know, I have thoroughly enjoyed the articles that you share in the flying frisby here on Substack.

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