I also don't think people realize that there are actually advantages to
the english system. for example, what if you had to find the center of
a window opening that was 32 5/8" you can come up with 16 5/16 in a
flash. try it in metric without a calculator. Also, there is the
issue of precision. at various times, you might need precision within
a 32nd, 16th, 1/8th, and so on. with metric you have mm, cm, and
meters.

It's also not true that the whole world has managed. I have a friend
in Chile who tells me they have converted to metric, but not in
building materials.