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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Your height in metric units
In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height in metric units in the English language. Several English-speaking countries have been officially metric for quite some time, but the old measurements seem to linger around for a long time, so maybe convention is not stabilized yet?
The more I think about it, there could be several conventions at the same time, different conventions by country, different conventions for everyday, official, scientific or technical usage, and different conventions for writing and speaking. So in writing, is it:
1.9 m 1.90 m 190 cm
or something else?
And in speaking, would you say
"one point nine meters" "one meter ninety" "onehundredninety centimeters"
or something else again?
And in what country and in what context?
Oliver Cromm
The more I think about it, there could be several conventions at the same time, different conventions by country, different conventions for everyday, official, scientific or technical usage, and different conventions for writing and speaking. So in writing, is it:
1.9 m 1.90 m 190 cm
or something else?
And in speaking, would you say
"one point nine meters" "one meter ninety" "onehundredninety centimeters"
or something else again?
And in what country and in what context?
Oliver Cromm
Top answer
[nq:1]In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height ... different conventions for writing and speaking. [/nq] The second, if it's my height.
- [nq:1]In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height ...
- different conventions for writing and speaking.
- [/nq] The second, if it's my height.
- The other two in connection with measuring furniture, etc.
- [nq:1]And in speaking, would you say "one point nine meters" "one meter ninety" "onehundredninety centimeters"[/nq] Same as above.
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64 Answers
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[nq:1]In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height ... different conventions for writing and speaking. So in writing, is it: 1.9 m 1.90 m 190 cm or something else?[/nq]
The second, if it's my height. The other two in connection with measuring furniture, etc.
[nq:1]And in speaking, would you say "one point nine meters" "
The second, if it's my height. The other two in connection with measuring furniture, etc.
[nq:1]And in speaking, would you say "one point nine meters" "
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in message ... ...
[nq:1]The more I think about it, there could be several conventions at the same time, different conventions by country, different conventions for everyday, official, scientific or technical usage, and different conventions for writing and speaking..[/nq]
As you say. In the US, I'm aware only of its use in medicine; only specialties that need body surface area calculatio
[nq:1]The more I think about it, there could be several conventions at the same time, different conventions by country, different conventions for everyday, official, scientific or technical usage, and different conventions for writing and speaking..[/nq]
As you say. In the US, I'm aware only of its use in medicine; only specialties that need body surface area calculatio
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[nq:1]"one point nine meters" "one meter ninety" "onehundredninety centimeters" or something else again?[/nq]
What about 'one hundred AND ninety centimetres (or c m)'?
Sebastian.
What about 'one hundred AND ninety centimetres (or c m)'?
Sebastian.
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[nq:2]"one point nine meters" "one meter ninety" "onehundredninety centimeters" or something else again?[/nq]
[nq:1]What about 'one hundred AND ninety centimetres (or c m)'?[/nq]
We've been through that on numerous occasions. As a first approximation, we can say that non-Americans include the 'and' in 'one hundred and ninety centimetres', while Americans omit it.
Or, to put it an
[nq:1]What about 'one hundred AND ninety centimetres (or c m)'?[/nq]
We've been through that on numerous occasions. As a first approximation, we can say that non-Americans include the 'and' in 'one hundred and ninety centimetres', while Americans omit it.
Or, to put it an
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[nq:1]In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height ... in what context? In Australia, "one hundred and ninety centimeters". This is an important statistic when talking about AFL footballers.[/nq]
cf. afl.com.au -- Richard Bollard Canberra, Australia
cf. afl.com.au -- Richard Bollard Canberra, Australia
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[nq:2] What about 'one hundred AND ninety centimetres (or c m)'?[/nq]
[nq:1]We've been through that on numerous occasions. As a first approximation, we can say that non-Americans include the 'and' in ... for centimeters. The American version sounds like one hundred, ninety-centimetre thingies (Simpson's flood preventers perhaps). -- Richard Bollard Canberra, Australia[/nq]
[nq:1]We've been through that on numerous occasions. As a first approximation, we can say that non-Americans include the 'and' in ... for centimeters. The American version sounds like one hundred, ninety-centimetre thingies (Simpson's flood preventers perhaps). -- Richard Bollard Canberra, Australia[/nq]
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[nq:1]In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height ... else? And in speaking, would you say "one point nine meters" "one meter ninety" "onehundredninety centimeters" or something else again?[/nq]
'one ninety', without units, or 'one metre ninety' with, in Dunglish,
Jan
'one ninety', without units, or 'one metre ninety' with, in Dunglish,
Jan
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[nq:1]In another forum the question came up whether there is an established convention for how to give a person's height ... technical usage, and different conventions for writing and speaking. So in writing, is it: 1.9 m 1.90 m 190 cm[/nq]
I'd be surprised to see the first, because for most purposes the precision is 1 cm. But are any of them really "English language"?
[nq:1]or something
I'd be surprised to see the first, because for most purposes the precision is 1 cm. But are any of them really "English language"?
[nq:1]or something
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[nq:2] What about 'one hundred AND ninety centimetres (or c m)'?[/nq]
[nq:1]Or, to put it another way: use the 'and' for centimetres, but not for centimeters.[/nq]
I got confused in Newfoundland when I heard an ad on the telly saying, "This laptop, only nineteen-ninety-nine" which my mind immediatly converted to CA$19.99, so I nearly rushed out to the shops before I realised what had happ
[nq:1]Or, to put it another way: use the 'and' for centimetres, but not for centimeters.[/nq]
I got confused in Newfoundland when I heard an ad on the telly saying, "This laptop, only nineteen-ninety-nine" which my mind immediatly converted to CA$19.99, so I nearly rushed out to the shops before I realised what had happ
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[nq:2]1.9 m 1.90 m 190 cm[/nq]
[nq:1]I'd be surprised to see the first, because for most purposes the precision is 1 cm. But are any of them really "English language"?[/nq]
If you think that any one of them is not English, kindly provide a translation into English to make your point.
-- Stefano "Malfermu salut-frekvencojn, leu`tenanto Uhura!"
[nq:1]I'd be surprised to see the first, because for most purposes the precision is 1 cm. But are any of them really "English language"?[/nq]
If you think that any one of them is not English, kindly provide a translation into English to make your point.
-- Stefano "Malfermu salut-frekvencojn, leu`tenanto Uhura!"
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