Nah, it is a common habit the world over, no matter what the local official system of measurement happens to be.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2010/may...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unusual_units_of_measur...

I like the one suggested in the book Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, of measuring faith in Alps.