After going metric-only and upsetting a lot of their customers, the Betterware people have reinstated customary units in their catalogues. Admittedly this is still only by way of putting customary units in brackets after metric, but it is still an 'Imperial gain', however modest.

P.S. I am not a Betterware customer; this was reported to me by someone who is and who made a vigorous protest about the metric-only policy

Any chance of argos getting some more customers back?

(although they do use cu ft in their "white goods" and ft/in in the bed and tv stuff)

<<customary units >>

I was under the impression that "Customary Units" were used in the US and "Imperial Units" in the UK - or are Betterware now quoting the volume of bottles in US fluid ounces?

You will notice that he did not capitalise the word "customary".

Thus, it was used as an adjective, and the phrase "customary units" used as such does not constitute a proper noun.

Some years ago, David Attenborough began the practice of using metric measurements in describing the dimensions of plants and animals etc. in his TV series on the natural world - though where ordinary people spoke, they would talk, for example, of an '8-foot shark' not a 2.4-metre one.

The current BBC TV 'Life of Mammals' series has reverted to using Imperial measurements, following a great many protests.

It demonstrates the value of protesting

I note that this is happening quite a lot, recently.

Another example is the fact that the first, otherwise excellent, "Walking with Dinosaurs" series used metric throughout, (other than the fasct that decent measurements like miles were used once or twice). However, the new one I saw at Christmas just gone used imperial exclusively, and it was then possible to properly visualize the true sizes of the wonderful creatures presented.

I have also noticed what you say, Tony, about the David Attenborough programmes. I expect that David, a true national icon, probably had pressure put on him to use metric, but then the faceless ones behind the scenes may have laid off a bit, perhaps in the interests of viewer-numbers.

How DARE the television channels use units of measure that "the people" are familiar and happy with.

WAHAY !!!

NO MORE CONFUSION!

I hate to say this but.....

...bites lip....

...goes a bit red in the face....

WELL DONE BBC!!!!!

It proves what I said in a post that I put all over the place some months back.

Things are changing.

The experiment failed.

Maybe us Brits and those Yanks are stubborn enough to get our way after all!

Maybe they thought contemporary units would be more appropriate for a programme about dinosaurs?

...apart from the fact that kids enjoy shows/documentaries more that adults, its also timed as such to attract the "kid" audience.

Sometimes I wish the metric side would drop this thing about old fashioned, but then I realise that it is their stumbling block.

Make coffee in the old fashioned way and people prefer it, it's taste, the quality, the aroma.

You could also make it the "modern" way - instant coffee - very efficient but tastes like dishwater.

What do most prefer, in every day life?

What are you most likely to get at the office?

Now ask yourself why the first method I mentioned is "old fashioned" - is it old fashioned? Or is that a perception? Did you understand what I meant by "old fashioned" - ie what was the picture you conjured up?


(I don't actually like coffee, btw!)