What is your preferred system of measurement?

[Big Jim P]

I measure everything in "Jims".

How many slim jims in a mile?

918

[Soldati Senza Confini]

Well my dad only uses customary units at his job and he earns more than 100,000 dollars.

Of course, he can also deal with metric measurements when he needs to, but it's not required at what he does. So I'd say there are exceptions, depending on what your "decent paying professional job" threshold is: beginning hire minions to with the office or beginning with a license, a truck with sprinkler parts, and a shovel.

If you get 100 k$, you can hire a minion to translate measurements into metric. With 100 k$, you can hire minions to measure according to Babylonian cubic Gur. You dad GETS 100k for hiring people to do the actual work. Your dad don't EARN 100k.

I see you know about one-man businesses than I do eh?

Tell me, how did you get this wonderful insight that he hires people when I've gone to work with him with a shovel and I know his work better than you?

[Geilinor]

Metric, hands down.

[Salus Maior]

The American system. I think that's Imperial.

[Geilinor]

The American system. I think that's Imperial.

No, that's customary. There are some changes from Imperial.

[Khaz Modan Dwarves]

Roman system.

[Salus Maior]

The American system. I think that's Imperial.

No, that's customary. There are some changes from Imperial.

Oh, well that, then.

[Salus Maior]

Roman system.

What even is the Roman system?

[Khaz Modan Dwarves]

Roman system.

What even is the Roman system?

Length

The basic unit of Roman linear measurement was the pes or Roman foot. Investigation of its relation to the English foot goes back at least to 1647, when John Greaves published his Discourse on the Romane foot. Greaves visited Rome in 1639, and measured, among other things, the foot measure on the tomb of Titus Statilius Aper, that on the statue of Cossutius formerly in the gardens of Angelo Colocci, the congius of Vespasian previously measured by Villalpandus, a number of brass measuring-rods found in the ruins of Rome, the paving-stones of the Pantheon and many other ancient Roman buildings, and the distance between the milestones on the Appian Way. He concluded that the Cossutian foot was the "true" Roman foot, and reported these values compared to the iron standard of the English foot in the Guildhall in London:[1]
Values of the ancient Roman foot determined by Greaves in 1639 Source Reported value in English feet Metric equivalent
Foot on the statue of Cossutius 0.967 294.7 mm
Foot on the monument of Statilius 0.972 296.3 mm
Foot of Villalpandus, derived from Congius of Vespasian 0.986 300.5 mm
Metric equivalents are approximate.

Smith (1851) gives a value of 0.9708 English feet, or about 295.9 mm.[2] An accepted modern value is 296 mm.[3]

The Roman foot was sub-divided either like the Greek pous into 16 digiti or fingers; or into 12 unciae or inches. Frontinus writes in the 1st century AD that the digitus was used in Campania and most parts of Italy.[4] The principal Roman units of length were:
Ancient Roman units of length Roman unit English name Equal to English equivalent Metric equivalent Description
digitus finger 1⁄16 pes 0.0607 ft (0.728 in) 18.5 mm
uncia or pollex inch or thumb 1⁄12 pes 0.0809 ft (0.971 in) 24.6 mm
palmus palm width 1⁄4 pes 0.243 ft 74 mm
palmus major palm length 3⁄4 pes 0.728 ft 222 mm in late times
pes foot 1 pes 0.971 ft 296 mm
palmipes 11⁄4 pedes 1.214 ft 370 mm
cubitus cubit 11⁄2 pedes 1.456 ft 444 mm
gradus or pes sestertius step 21⁄2 pedes 2.427 ft 0.74 m
passus (double) pace 5 pedes 4.854 ft 1.48 m
decempeda or pertica perch 10 pedes 9.708 ft 2.96 m
actus (in length) 120 pedes 116.496 ft 35.5 m
stadium furlong 625 pedes 607.14 ft 185 m
mille passuum or milliarium[5][6][7] mile 5000 pedes 4854 ft (0.919 standard mi) 1.48 km
Gallic leuga league 7500 pedes 7281 ft (1.379 standard mi) 2.22 km
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[2] English and Metric equivalents are approximate, converted at 1 pes = 0.9708 English feet and 296 mm respectively.
Area

The ordinary units of measurement of area were:
Ancient Roman units of area Roman unit English name Equal to Metric equivalent Description
pes quadratus square foot 1 pes² 0.0876 m²
scrupulum or decempeda quadrata 100 pedes² 8.76 m² the square of the standard 10-foot measuring rod
actus simplex 480 pedes² 42.1 m² 4 × 120 pedes[8]
uncia 2400 pedes² 210 m²
clima 3600 pedes² 315 m² 60 × 60 pedes[8]
actus quadratus or acnua 14400 pedes² 1262 m² also called arpennis in Gaul[8]
jugerum 28800 pedes² 2523 m²
heredium 2 jugera 5047 m²
centuria 200 jugera 50.5 ha formerly 100 jugera[8]
saltus 800 jugera 201.9 ha
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[2] Metric equivalents are approximate, converted at 1 pes = 296 mm.

Other units of area described by Columella in his De Re Rustica include the porca of 180 × 30 Roman feet (about 473 m²) used in Hispania Baetica and the Gallic candetum or cadetum of 100 feet in the city or 150 in the country. Columella also gives uncial divisions of the jugerum, tabulated by the anonymous translator of the 1745 Millar edition as follows:
Uncial divisions of the jugerum Roman unit Roman square feet Fraction of jugerum Metric equivalent Description
dimidium scrupulum 50 1⁄576 4.38 m²
scrupulum 100 1⁄288 8.76 m²
duo scrupula 200 1⁄144 17.5 m²
sextula 400 1⁄72 35.0 m²
sicilicus 600 1⁄48 52.6 m²
semiuncia 1200 1⁄24 105 m²
uncia 2400 1⁄12 210 m²
sextans 4800 1⁄6 421 m²
quadrans 7200 1⁄4 631 m²
triens 9600 1⁄3 841 m²
quincunx 12000 5⁄12 1051 m²
semis 14400 1⁄2 1262 m² = actus quadratus[2]
septunx 16800 7⁄12 1472 m²
bes 19200 2⁄3 1682 m²
dodrans 21600 3⁄4 1893 m²
dextans 24000 5⁄6 2103 m²
deunx 26400 11⁄12 2313 m²
jugerum 28800 1 2523 m²
Except where noted, based on Millar (1745).[8] Metric equivalents are approximate, converted at 1 pes = 296 mm.
Volume

Both liquid and dry measures were based on the sextarius. As no two surviving examples are identical, scholarly opinion ranges from 0.53 l[9] to 0.58 l.[10] Cardarelli gives a value 0.54928 l.[11] A 1952 estimate for its value in Pliny the Elder's Natural History estimated it as 500 ml.[12]

Since the Romans themselves defined the sextarius as 1/48th of an amphora quadrantal, and the amphora quadrantal as one cubic foot, assuming a value of 296 mm for the Roman foot yields a theoretical value for the sextarius of about 540.3 ml, which falls comfortably within the accepted range.

The core volume units are:

amphora quadrantal (Roman jar) – one cubic pes (Roman foot)
congius – a half-pes cube (thus 1⁄8 amphora quadrantal)
sextarius – literally 1⁄6, of a congius

Liquid measures
Ancient Roman liquid measures Roman unit Equal to Metric
ligula 1⁄288 congius 11.4 ml
cyathus 1⁄72 congius 45 ml
acetabulum 1⁄48 congius 68 ml
quartarius 1⁄24 congius 136 ml
hemina or cotyla 1⁄12 congius 273 ml
sextarius 1⁄6 congius 546 ml
congius 1 congii 3.27 l
urna 4 congii 13.1 l
amphora quadrantal 8 congii 26.2 l
culeus 160 congii 524 l
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[2]
Metric equivalents are approximate.
Dry measures
Ancient Roman dry measures Roman unit Equal to Metric
ligula 1⁄288 congius 11.4 ml
cyathus 1⁄72 congius 45 ml
acetabulum 1⁄48 congius 68 ml
quartarius 1⁄24 congius 136 ml
hemina or cotyla 1⁄12 congius 273 ml
sextarius 1⁄6 congius 546 ml
semimodius 1 1⁄3 congii 4.36 l
modius 2 2⁄3 congii 8.73 l (or 8.62 l)
modius castrensis 4 congii (12.93 l?)[13]
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[2]
Metric equivalents are approximate.
Weight

The units of weight (in the everyday sense of the word; technically, "mass") were mostly based on factors of 12. Several of the unit names were also the names of coins during the Roman Republic and had the same fractional value of a larger base unit: libra for weight and as for coin. Modern estimates of the libra range from 322 to 329 grams (11.4 to 11.6 oz) with 5076 grains or 328.9 grams (11.60 oz) an accepted figure.[3][10][14]

The uncial divisions of the as or libra were:
Uncial divisions of the libra Roman unit English name Equal to Metric equivalent Description
uncia Roman ounce 1⁄12 libra 27.4 g
sescuncia or sescunx 1⁄8 libra 41.1 g
sextans 1⁄6 libra 54.8 g
quadrans or teruncius 1⁄4 libra 82.2 g
triens 1⁄3 libra 109.6 g
quincunx 5⁄12 libra 137.0 g
semis or semissis 1⁄2 libra 164.5 g
septunx 7⁄12 libra 191.9 g
bes or bessis 2⁄3 libra 219.3 g
dodrans 3⁄4 libra 246.7 g
dextans 5⁄6 libra 274.1 g
deunx 11⁄12 libra 301.5 g
as or libra Roman pound 328.9 g
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[2] Metric equivalents are approximate, converted at 1 libra = 328.9 g .

The subdivisions of the uncia were:
Subdivisions of the uncia Roman unit English name Equal to Metric equivalent Description
siliqua 1⁄144 uncia 0.19 g
obolus 1⁄48 uncia 0.57 g
scrupulum 1⁄24 uncia 1.14 g
semisextula 1⁄12 uncia 2.28 g
sextula 1⁄6 uncia 4.57 g
sicilicius 1⁄4 uncia 6.85 g
duella 1⁄3 uncia 9.14 g
semuncia 1⁄2 uncia 13.7 g
uncia Roman ounce 27.4 g
Except where noted, based on Smith (1851).[2] Metric equivalents are approximate, converted at 1 libra = 328.9 g .
Time
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Years

The complicated Roman calendar was replaced by the Julian calendar in 45 BC. In the Julian calendar, an ordinary year is 365 days long, and a leap year is 366 days long. Between 45 BC and 1 AD, leap years occurred at irregular intervals. Starting in the year 4 AD, leap years occurred regularly every four years. Year numbers were rarely used; rather, the year was specified by naming the Roman consuls for that year. When a year number was required, the Greek Olympiads were used, or the count of years since the founding of Rome, "ab urbe condita" in 753 BC. In the middle ages, the year numbering was changed to the Anno Domini count.

The calendar used in most of the modern world, the Gregorian calendar, differs from the Julian calendar in that it skips three leap years every four centuries to more closely approximate the length of the tropical year.
Weeks

The Romans grouped days into an eight-day cycle called a nundina, with every eighth day being a market day.

Independent of the nundinae, astrologers kept a seven-day cycle called a hebdomada where each day corresponded to one of the seven classical planets, with the first day of the week being Saturn-day, followed by Sun-day, Moon-day, Mars-day, Mercury-day, Jove-day, and lastly Venus-day. Each astrological day was reckoned to begin at sunrise. The Jews also used a seven-day week, which began Saturday evening. The seventh day of the week they called Sabbath; the other days they numbered rather than named, except for Friday, which could be called either the Parasceve or the sixth day. Each Jewish day was reckoned to begin at sunset. Christians followed the Jewish seven-day week, except that they commonly called the first day of the week the Dominica, or the Lord's day. In 321 Constantine the Great gave his subjects every Sunday off in honor of his family's tutelary deity, the Unconquered Sun, thus cementing the seven-day week into Roman civil society.
Hours
Main article: Roman timekeeping

The Romans divided the daytime into twelve horae or hours starting in the morning and ending in the evening. The night was divided into four watches. The duration of these hours varied with seasons; in the winter, when the daylight period was shorter, its 12 hours were correspondingly shorter and its four watches were correspondingly longer.

Astrologers divided the solar day into 24 equal hours, and these astrological hours became the basis for medieval clocks and our modern 24-hour mean solar day.

Although the division of hours into minutes and seconds did not occur until the middle ages, ancient astrologers had a minuta equal to a 60th of a day (24 modern minutes), and a secunda equal to one 3600th of a day (24 modern seconds).
Unicode
Main article: Ancient Symbols (Unicode block)

[Geilinor]

Roman system.

What even is the Roman system?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Roman_units_of_measurement

[Khaz Modan Dwarves]

What even is the Roman system?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Roman_units_of_measurement

Snapy Fish.

[The United Colonies of Earth]

I grew up with the American customary system and I only fully comprehend magnitudes of size in it. I mean, how big is 900 kilometers high? It's big...but how big is it?
Otherwise I prefer SI.

[Geilinor]

I grew up with the American customary system and I only fully comprehend magnitudes of size in it. I mean, how big is 900 kilometers high? It's big...but how big is it?
Otherwise I prefer SI.

About the distance from Sacramento to San Diego.

[Wallenburg]

The SI system by a long shot. Metric units are far simpler and more widely accepted. It's time to surrender a backwards system of measurement in America.
Nevertheless, I still use football fields to imagine intermediate distances. Trying to imagine metric units is really difficult when you grow up on yards and pounds. I have never weighed something in grams except in science classes.

[Khaz Modan Dwarves]

The SI system by a long shot. Metric units are far simpler and more widely accepted. It's time to surrender a backwards system of measurement in America.
Nevertheless, I still use football fields to imagine intermediate distances. Trying to imagine metric units is really difficult when you grow up on yards and pounds. I have never weighed something in grams except in science classes.

SNAPY FISH.

[The brotherhood of the imperial legion]

My nation uses it's own custom system which is recognized outside the empire as imperial but is different than actual imperial mesurements but loosely based off my own personal system one particular unit is based off how much it sucks for example "dis har suck dis har nawt suck can ya dig it?"

[The United Colonies of Earth]

I grew up with the American customary system and I only fully comprehend magnitudes of size in it. I mean, how big is 900 kilometers high? It's big...but how big is it?
Otherwise I prefer SI.

About the distance from Sacramento to San Diego.

Wow! Thanks for clarifying that for me.

[Rhodisia]

I grew up with US Customary, but find Metric to be more efficient. Besides, Metric units that approximate US Customary units can be created (e.g. "metric pound" = 500g, "metric gallon" = 4 L).

[Metapolis]

I use Customary because I live in murika, but would prefer metric, or better yet SI units.

[AiliailiA]

I use Customary because I live in murika, but would prefer metric, or better yet SI units.

I said that too, but thinking about it I don't think I'll ever use Kelvins to measure temperature.

"Wow it's cold today, only two hundred and sixty Kelvin"

[Sarigen]

I freaking hate imperial. I need to know both metric and imperial and be able to convert each without a calculator, and do you think imperial could be consistent and make sense? NOPE. Had to memorize each one individually.

[Risottia]

I use Customary because I live in murika, but would prefer metric, or better yet SI units.

I said that too, but thinking about it I don't think I'll ever use Kelvins to measure temperature.

"Wow it's cold today, only two hundred and sixty Kelvin"

Celsius, while not SI, is accepted in technical and everyday use in an otherwise SI setting. Also because temperature difference in °C is exactly equal to temperature difference in K.

[Risottia]

The SI system by a long shot. Metric units are far simpler and more widely accepted. It's time to surrender a backwards system of measurement in America.
Nevertheless, I still use football fields to imagine intermediate distances. Trying to imagine metric units is really difficult when you grow up on yards and pounds. I have never weighed something in grams except in science classes.

Then again, 1 yard is more or less 1 m, so imagining it isn't that difficult.
I personally have no problems in converting Imperial to SI when reading RPG manuals...

[West Aurelia]

I thought the title of this was "What is your preferred system of government?" Metric, WTF?!

Oh. Right.

[Cetacea]

How many slim jims in a mile?

918

so whats the difference between a Big Jim and a normal Jim?