Decimalisation
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2020 8:22 pm
Decimalisation
(By Alan McCosker December 2020)
“ In come the dollars, in come the cents
out go the pounds, the shillings and the pence “.
So the the jingle went, when Dollar Bill was singing
back in sixty six, a big change was in the making.
One cent replaced a penny and ten cents replaced a shilling
but did not a shilling have twelve pence, how about explaining.
A dollar is one hundred cents and replaced the ten bob note
I reckon that’s twenty pennies short, I’m sure that’s a rort.
Early in the seventies, more changes were to come
out went feet and inches, miles per hour were also gone.
Acres, pounds and ounces and gallons got the dump
and along came kilometres and litres at the pump.
All of these are multiples of, or divisible by tens
compared to old Imperial, it made a lot more sense.
As the number twelve progressed, in Imperial calculations
it oft would leave me non-plussed, in con-fused agitation.
But I’ve longtime come to terms, with decimalisation of the currency
I rarely have enough to spend anyhow, it never is a worry.
But I’ve not quite come to terms, with metric weights and measure
too many years of feet and inches, centimetres make me shiver.
I can envision how far an inch is and a foot is somewhat easier
but I oft can’t make distinction, ‘tween millimetre and centimetre.
I thank the stars for rulers, that have both systems on their markings
’specially made for dummies like me, to save embarrassment for asking.
In short I’m more than happy, with the decimalisation of our country
having grown up with Imperial, I now reckon we’re really lucky
I only have a problem now, when they start talking bytes and nanos
I can’t keep up with the pace of change, so reckon I’ll go retro.
(By Alan McCosker December 2020)
“ In come the dollars, in come the cents
out go the pounds, the shillings and the pence “.
So the the jingle went, when Dollar Bill was singing
back in sixty six, a big change was in the making.
One cent replaced a penny and ten cents replaced a shilling
but did not a shilling have twelve pence, how about explaining.
A dollar is one hundred cents and replaced the ten bob note
I reckon that’s twenty pennies short, I’m sure that’s a rort.
Early in the seventies, more changes were to come
out went feet and inches, miles per hour were also gone.
Acres, pounds and ounces and gallons got the dump
and along came kilometres and litres at the pump.
All of these are multiples of, or divisible by tens
compared to old Imperial, it made a lot more sense.
As the number twelve progressed, in Imperial calculations
it oft would leave me non-plussed, in con-fused agitation.
But I’ve longtime come to terms, with decimalisation of the currency
I rarely have enough to spend anyhow, it never is a worry.
But I’ve not quite come to terms, with metric weights and measure
too many years of feet and inches, centimetres make me shiver.
I can envision how far an inch is and a foot is somewhat easier
but I oft can’t make distinction, ‘tween millimetre and centimetre.
I thank the stars for rulers, that have both systems on their markings
’specially made for dummies like me, to save embarrassment for asking.
In short I’m more than happy, with the decimalisation of our country
having grown up with Imperial, I now reckon we’re really lucky
I only have a problem now, when they start talking bytes and nanos
I can’t keep up with the pace of change, so reckon I’ll go retro.
