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by KineticLensman 1347 days ago
As reported in [0], the UK Government survey asked consumers: “If you had a choice, would you want to purchase items: i) in imperial units ii) in imperial units alongside a metric equivalent.”

There was no option iii) for using metric only (except a freeform entry field). Talk about biased.

I suppose we should be thankful that the recent self-inflicted destruction of the UK Govt's credibility has at least probably saved us from having to learn fortnights, furlongs and firkins again. Silver linings etc etc.

[0] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/sep/18/metric-syst...

1 comments

...not convinced 'fortnight' is actually imperial (as opposed to just old):

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortnight Middle English fourtenight, alteration of fourtene night, from Old English fēowertȳne niht fourteen nights.

(First Known Use of silver lining - 1871, same source) ...and as for etc (Et cetera), may I offer you my contrafibularities.

Yes, I wasn't being totally serious. Pro-metric people sometimes jokingly refer to the 'imperial' 3F system by analogy with the SI system and others.

I think 'Fortnight' is rapidly falling out of use in British English. I would be much more likely to say 'a couple of weeks'