this post was submitted on 27 May 2025
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Shit Americans Say
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Americans use metric only to measure drugs and 9mm gun calibers...
We only measure some calibers in metric. Some we measure in decimals of an inch: .380, .357, .223, .308, .50 BMG.
And the really fun ones have both the caliber and powder charge as one name: 45-70, 30-30, etc.
And because fuck you shotguns use gauge. A unit so mindbogglingly archaic it gives me an anurism. And then the British starts with fucking weight for their pieces....
And engines, and alcohol (could be considered drugs though). But if someone asks what size engine a vehicle has 4.0L, as far back as I remember. Like that's my 94' Jeep Cherokee, 4.6L was my 99' Mustang. 600cc was my 2005 Yamaha. Not sure why the don't call those ml instead of cubic centimeters though lol.
Although Americans used to use cubic inches for engines...
Huh, never heard that before. Any examples? Like Chrysler, Ford, GM, used liters. Must be before my time.
America used cubic inches for most of the 20th century. The chevy big block engine line was pretty popular, check out the different sizes it was made in: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_big-block_engine
Ah, late 70s is what I'm finding is when they converted to metric. Guessing that happened right after Ford announced the Metric Conversion Act at the end of 75' https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Conversion_Act
Favorite part about that: "The Metric Board was abolished in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan"
That's my least favorite part. I hate that the US still uses and teaches its archaic and just plain stupid customary units.
Yeah I was being sarcastic about that lol
Now that's not fair.
We also measure our largest bottles of diabetes-causing high fructose corn syrup and water we call soda in liters.
They make metric sound awesome.