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shadowsong42 t1_j92fbc9 wrote

I keep forgetting that a micrometer is a measuring tool, and not a subdivided meter. Add in that I missed the "lived", and the first thing I thought was "how can one 0.1mm be longer than another?"

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Lampshader t1_j93bwfk wrote

If you use English spelling, the terms are distinct:

Micrometre: one millionth of a metre

Micrometer: tool to accurately measure small distances

Americans spell the unit of measurement as "meter" though, presumably as part of their quest to sabotage the metric system (or should that be meteric system?)

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Optimistic__Elephant t1_j93jvp8 wrote

The English language and all it’s bizarre rules is a strange pairing with the metric system.

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Lampshader t1_j94b65m wrote

> it’s bizarre rules

Not sure if deliberate...

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[deleted] t1_j93nues wrote

[deleted]

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Optimistic__Elephant t1_j93uhln wrote

I just meant in general English has lots of weird rules like:

> I before e, except after c Or when sounded as 'a' as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh' Unless the 'c' is part of a 'sh' sound as in 'glacier' Or it appears in comparatives and superlatives like 'fancier' And also except when the vowels are sounded as 'e' as in 'seize' Or 'i' as in 'height' Or also in '-ing' inflections ending in '-e' as in 'cueing' Or in compound words as in 'albeit' Or occasionally in technical words with strong etymological links to their parent languages as in 'cuneiform' Or in other numerous and random exceptions such as 'science', 'forfeit', and 'weird'.

Which is funny because metric system is all about logical and consistent rules. So metric + English language is a funny pairing to me.

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ExHempKnight OP t1_j92o0xk wrote

Depends on how many decimals you go to, and rounding. 0.12mm is longer 0.11mm, yet both round to 0.1mm.

Sorry, couldn't resist lol

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