A question for you Brits
 

I asked this question in the Forum without any luck, even Neil of Oz didn't know.

In GB how is a persons height measured? For example here in the US lets say that a man is 5feet 10inches. How would that be described in GB? The same or ....? Thank you so much.

I think they've gone to bed.

You got answers on your other thread so it wasn't "without any luck."

LoveItaly,

We would say "he's 5 feet 10" - I think it's true to say that most people would drop the word "inches" in conversation.

Jim

Feet and inches. Not metres.

PS Am I the only British person who doesn't like being referred to as a 'Brit'? I know it's never meant offensively, but something about the word just winds me up. 8-)

Sort of like being called a Yank or a Yankee?

That's kind of funny, because I've been told by friends in the UK, that they prefer being referred to as Brits compared to anything else they could think of. I have numerous British friends here in Florida and they all say things like "well, we Brits. . ."

I know it's never meant unkindly....but for some reason I can't even begin to explain it just makes me grimace. Maybe Yank is a good comparison - I feel I'm being a bit rude if I say that. 'Aussies' seems affectionate - Brits and Yanks seem derogatory (To me!)

Oh good heavens RM, my apologies as I obviously offended you with the word Brit..I have had family members from GB and they used the term Brit so I didn't know it wasn't acceptable. Again my apologies.

Dukey, I posted here on the Europe Board as NeilofOz suggested that I do so. Perhaps an answer came onto the Lounge after I posted here?

JJBhoy, thank you! Question answered which I sure appreciate. And my thanks to you also RM.

It's OK LoveItaly - I might well be in a minority of one on this anyway! 8-)

Unless you're Britt Ekland, of course, sweetie darling.

No - She's old enough to be my mother (just!)

How about a poll amongst the UK posters here. How many of you are offended by the term Brit? What would work better? Is RM67 in a minority here?

I like the word Brit. It's nice to have a short nationality word for us, instead of having to say 'I am an English/Scottish/Welsh/n.Irish person', I like being able to say a snappy 'I am a Brit'.

I don't like Brit. 60 million people have 60 million prefernces, so I wouldn't generalise.

Although virtually all Britons talk of "five foot ten", officialese insists on doing in centimetres (not "one metre fifty" but "150 cms")

This is sometimes seeping into the media.

Brit doesn't bother me any. There isn't really another word is there? Limey is a mild insult I suppose, but "Brit" nah.

As well as being said to be five foot ten a bloke would also said the be 14 stone two.

A minority of two.
It doesn't offend me, but I don't like "Brit" either.

Mind you, I hate children being referred to as "kids". It seems disrespectful, but I'm probably in a minority of one on that one.

I'd say five foot ten myself, not feet.

British schoolchildren are now taught metric measurements, not feet and inches, but the old measurements are still generally used to describe someone's height. It'll probably take another generation before feet and inches drop out of use.
I don't like the term "Brit" but it's infinitely better than "Britisher". The correct term is "Briton" but that has out-dated connotations, as in the song "Britannia rule the waves, Britons never never never shall be slaves".

Many people are offended by Brit as it was used by the IRA in Northern Ireland during the troubles. It has some nasty connotations then.
Personally i'm not bothered one way or the other. I often describe myself as a Brit simply because it is easier and sounds less pedantic than Briton. Or I say I am British. Occasionally I say I am English because that means more to some people than British. As someone with Welsh blood flowing through her veins it hurts to say I'm English but hey what's in a name?

I am 5 foot 6 myself though my passport says I am 168cm, and in here in Holland I am 1m 68. And I know my weight in Kgs but have no idea what it is in stones or pounds!

Thanks to you hetismij I know my size in feet, at last! I can't get used to foot and pound system since we don't use them at all in France. Easy to remember! :-)
coco 1m68

In Oz we sometimes refer to the British folk as Poms or Pommie Basta...ds. All very friendly of course. I don't think we use Brits very often.

'Brit"s better than 'Pom' which is the Australian term. [I'm a Pom by birth.]