# Beyond metric
**URL:** https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736
**Category:** Pub
**Created:** [March 27, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736 "2019-03-27T14:00:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/1 "2019-03-27T14:00:00Z")
Apparently we no longer use the metric system as a unit of measurement, for really big things anyway.
The new system is much easier to comprehend
Components of the new system are
A grapefruit
An MCG
An Olympic swimming pool
The Sydney Harbour
The Rialto Tower
I am yet to understand how many Olympic swimming pools make up one Sydney Harbour
Have I missed any?
This system has crept up on me
---
### Author:  [@PiledHigher](https://fixed.org.au/u/PiledHigher)
#### Post date: [March 27, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/2 "2019-03-27T14:54:12Z")
> [@swuzzlebubble](#):
>
> Apparently we no longer use the metric system as a unit of measurement, for really big things anyway.
>
> The new system is much easier to comprehend
> Components of the new system are
>
> A grapefruit
> An MCG
> An Olympic swimming pool
> The Sydney Harbour
> The Rialto Tower
>
> I am yet to understand how many Olympic swimming pools make up one Sydney Harbour
> Have I missed any?
> This system has crept up on me
Blue whales and
Rhode Islands (for international measurements)
> **[List of unusual units of measurement](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_units_of_measurement)**
>
> An unusual unit of measurement is a unit of measurement that does not form part of a coherent system of measurement, especially because its exact quantity may not be well known or because it may be an inconvenient multiple or fraction of a base unit.
> Many of the unusual units of measurements listed here are colloquial measurements, units devised to compare a measurement to common and familiar objects.
> Horizontal pitch (HP) is a unit of length defined by the Eurocard printed circuit board stan...
---
### Author:  [@heavymetal](https://fixed.org.au/u/heavymetal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/3 "2019-03-28T00:17:27Z")
Americans use football fields as a pretty standard measure.
---
### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 1:30am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/4 "2019-03-28T01:30:47Z")
> [@PiledHigher](#):
>
> Blue whales
And for smaller things there is ‘an elephant’ or even ‘a small elephant’ for preciseness.
Is this system called “media-splaining”?
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### Author:  [@heavymetal](https://fixed.org.au/u/heavymetal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 1:45am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/5 "2019-03-28T01:45:49Z")
Hail the size of golf balls.
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### Author:  [@Cafe\_de\_Keirin](https://fixed.org.au/u/Cafe_de_Keirin)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/6 "2019-03-28T03:04:59Z")
Been looking for a house recently, and m\*\*2 is not cutting it for land area. Can someone recommend a more appropriate unit? Grapefruits are volumetric, I’m just looking for a 2d unit.
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### Author:  [@droz](https://fixed.org.au/u/droz)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/7 "2019-03-28T03:16:43Z")
^“Squares” - hands down worst unit of measurement.
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### Author:  [@Bigadz](https://fixed.org.au/u/Bigadz)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:18am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/8 "2019-03-28T03:18:21Z")
> [@heavymetal](#):
>
> Hail the size of golf balls.
> **[Report: Hail Not Worth Talking About Unless It's "Golf-Ball-Sized"](https://www.betootaadvocate.com/headlines/report-hail-not-worth-talking-about-unless-its-golf-ball-sized/)**
>
> "That's when the media takes notice, that's what gets the people talking. That's the real hail"
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### Author:  [@swuzzlebubble](https://fixed.org.au/u/swuzzlebubble)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:29am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/9 "2019-03-28T03:29:09Z")
> [@Cafe\_de\_Keirin](#):
>
> Been looking for a house recently, and m\*\*2 is not cutting it for land area. Can someone recommend a more appropriate unit? Grapefruits are volumetric, I’m just looking for a 2d unit.
You should be looking for a quarter acre.
But the length and width would be in cricket pitches
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### Author:  [@familyguy](https://fixed.org.au/u/familyguy)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:33am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/10 "2019-03-28T03:33:44Z")
The 747 was always a good international unit of measure.
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### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:45am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/11 "2019-03-28T03:45:31Z")
> [@swuzzlebubble](#):
>
> But the length and width would be in cricket pitches
The length of a cricket pitch is one chain, I believe.
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### Author:  [@heavymetal](https://fixed.org.au/u/heavymetal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/12 "2019-03-28T03:52:18Z")
> [@P\_N20](#):
>
> The length of a cricket pitch is one chain, I believe.
So 2 cricket pitches equals
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### Author:  [@familyguy](https://fixed.org.au/u/familyguy)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/13 "2019-03-28T04:35:42Z")
That might make cricket more interesting for the US market…
“Hits it for 4 Chainz”
“Taken a Chain, coming back for 2 Chainz now…good chaining”
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### Author:  [@HeavyMetalCyclist](https://fixed.org.au/u/HeavyMetalCyclist)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 4:54am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/14 "2019-03-28T04:54:38Z")
im not clear on the problem here.
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### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/15 "2019-03-28T04:58:11Z")
> [@swuzzlebubble](#):
>
> The Rialto Tower
Which one?
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### Author:  [@heavymetal](https://fixed.org.au/u/heavymetal)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 5:37am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/16 "2019-03-28T05:37:11Z")
> [@HeavyMetalCyclist](#):
>
> im not clear on the problem here.
You’re the first person to say there’s a problem. Do you have a problem Jamesy?
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### Author:  [@HeavyMetalCyclist](https://fixed.org.au/u/HeavyMetalCyclist)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 11:09am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/17 "2019-03-28T11:09:35Z")
I do now m8
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### Author:  [@diddy](https://fixed.org.au/u/diddy)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 5:47am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/18 "2019-03-28T05:47:33Z")
> [@Cafe\_de\_Keirin](#):
>
> Been looking for a house recently, and m\*\*2 is not cutting it for land area. Can someone recommend a more appropriate unit? Grapefruits are volumetric, I’m just looking for a 2d unit.
Are we talking inner-urban or outer suburban?
You might use, in descending order: football field (and 1/2 field), tennis court (and 1/2 court), table tennis table, pool table, pinball machine.
Sporting measurements are recommended. But you might also adopt a double car garage, single car garage, double bed, single bed.
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### Author:  [@JP1](https://fixed.org.au/u/JP1)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 5:55am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/19 "2019-03-28T05:55:01Z")
I tried to write a media release once, expressing average annual household energy use in “hours of field lighting at the MCG”. It didn’t get up. I thought it was good.
Also, I thought this was going to be about metric shocks. Making progress there.
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### Author:  [@P\_N20](https://fixed.org.au/u/P_N20)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2019, 6:01am UTC](https://fixed.org.au/t/beyond-metric/157736/20 "2019-03-28T06:01:27Z")
^ MCG is a good one. Usually in relation to population numbers.
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