--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nobody in the United States knows what…" description: "\"Nobody in the United States knows what either a \"meter\" or a \"kilogram\" is. The whole reason why we fought the Cold War was so we wouldn't have to lear..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/dave-barry-222_cold_nobody-in-the-united-states-knows-what-e_3104713.png" --- # Nobody in the United States knows what either a "meter" or… ![“Nobody in the United States knows what either a "meter" or a "kilogram" is. The whole reason why we fought the Cold War was so we wouldn't have to learn the metric system.” quote by Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/dave-barry-222_cold_nobody-in-the-united-states-knows-what-e_3104713.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/dave-barry-222_cold_nobody-in-the-united-states-knows-what-e_3104713.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c2/dave-barry-222_cold_nobody-in-the-united-states-knows-what-e_3104713.png) > “Nobody in the United States knows what either a "meter" or a "kilogram" is. The whole reason why we fought the Cold War was so we wouldn't have to learn the metric system.” [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often lack basic metric knowledge, yet the Cold War was not about avoiding it. **In simple terms:** Many Americans don’t know metric units; Cold War wasn’t about that. Key Takeaway Learn metric basics regardless of politics. Themes education culture politics Mood irritated reflective Type humorous critical When to use this quote - school curriculum - science communication - international trade - travel - media literacy Key Concepts measurement historical myth public misunderstanding Questions to Reflect On - Why do we assume lack of metric knowledge is a cultural flaw? - How can education address such gaps? A Different Perspective Metric ignorance is not a cause of geopolitical conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-war/) [Metric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metric/) [Metric system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metric-system/) [Metrics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metrics/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [If god had meant us to use the metric system he would have given us ten finger and ten toes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-stone/if-god-had-meant-us-to-use-the-metric-system-he-would-have-given-us/) [Judith Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-stone/) > [Drugs have taught an entire generation of kids the metric system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/drugs-have-taught-an-entire-generation-of-kids-the-metric-system/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of course Evil's afoot. 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"Evil's afoot." 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It's time to embrace the metric system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-don-t-understand-why-a-40-is-a-quarter-of-beer-when-a-40-is-40/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) ## More by Dave Barry > [This is true; virtually all edible substances, and many automotive products, are now marketed as being low-fat or fat-free. Americans are obsessed with fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-is-true-virtually-all-edible-substances-and-many-automotive/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [The hardest thing about being a guy is that women don't accept that you really are just a simple, pathetic, labrador retriever-like creature. 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He'd be drinking tea and relaxing beforehand. Me? I'd probably be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/of-course-messi-could-handle-a-cold-tuesday-night-in-stoke-he-d-be/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. I have signed two or three Licences every Day \[as a Fairfax…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/this-cold-weather-has-set-all-the-young-folks-to-providing-bedfellows/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [You start playing when it's cold and you want to be playing when it's cold again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimy-williams/you-start-playing-when-it-s-cold-and-you-want-to-be-playing-when-it-s/) Jimy Williams > [It would be a piece of ingenuousness to accuse the man of today of his lack of moral code. The accusation would leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ortega-y-gasset/it-would-be-a-piece-of-ingenuousness-to-accuse-the-man-of-today-of/) [Jose Ortega y Gasset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ortega-y-gasset/) > [I would have touched it like a child But knew my finger could but have touched Cold stone and water. I grew wild, Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/i-would-have-touched-it-like-a-child-but-knew-my-finger-could-but/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [What's to become of the morally sound? Left out in the cold, I suppose. We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When I first started, all the reviews of Cold Chisel would say, 'This singer won't have a voice in six months.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/when-i-first-started-all-the-reviews-of-cold-chisel-would-say-this/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [One of the problems trying to play an instrument outside in the cold is your fingers give up on you and you can't wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-macdonald/one-of-the-problems-trying-to-play-an-instrument-outside-in-the-cold/) [Amy Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-macdonald/) > [God tempers the cold to the shorn sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/god-tempers-the-cold-to-the-shorn-sheep/) Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville > [Those nights lying alone are not discontinuous with this cold hectic dawn. It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) [Browse all 5,381 Cold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Nobody in the United States knows what either a \"meter\" or a \"kilogram\" is. 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