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Left-Consequence-976@reddit

Usually like this “kilogram….how many pounds is that?”

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Kestrel_Iolani@reddit

You expect the average American to be able to remember that? Your choices are 2 or 2.5. would you rather over estimate or underestimate?

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Tomj_Oad@reddit

2.2 lbs to kilo

1.6 km to mile

28.3 grams to the oz

2.4 cm to inch

4 ratios, that's it.

I'd rather be accurate

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FunTricky903@reddit

If they were trying to be accurate, they wouldn’t say “about”, would they, autist?

[-]

I just go "somewhere between 2 and 2.5 pounds". If it needs to be more accurate than that I'll look it up or use a calculator. But that's close enough for the vast majority of things. If a recipe says 1KG of potatoes I just go 1 potato over 2 pounds and that's gonna be just fine.

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comfy_rope@reddit

That “about” can be dangerous depending on what we’re weighing.

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Nyther53@reddit

It's closer to "About" 2 pounds than it is to 2.5 though and that's even easier to keep in your head.

Just double the number of Kilograms into pounds and you'll be ok, if it's an application where doing napkin math is appropriate.

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NecessaryZucchini69@reddit

2.2 pounds

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Any_Delivery_9158@reddit

This. It's always the full sentence unless a person works with metric regularly. It's the same with kilometers... How many miles is that

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TotientEC@reddit

unless they were in the military, in which case klicks

[-]

cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Yeah -- but actually what I most wanted to know in this thread is actually this, how do people who work with metric regularly refer to kilograms?

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Any_Delivery_9158@reddit

Wha left said “kilogram….how many pounds is that?”

We don't know (collectively as Americans) what a kilogram is so it gets the whole sentence

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rkb70@reddit

2.2 lbs/kilo

I find it funny because the Brits switched to metric years ago, but if you buy a packet of, say, shepherd’s pie mix, it calls on 450 grams of mince, which is one pound. So they’re using uneven metric measurements because the packet still calls on a pound of meat.

It’s not a problem - I just think it’s funny.

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Particular_Bet_5466@reddit

It’s also funny Americans are so proud of the Imperial system (that’s part of why we didn’t change in the 70s) despite it literally being called Imperial from British Imperialism. Nevermind the fact it’s a terrible system.

I still will ask kilogram… how many pounds is that? And I can’t visualize a centimeter. But I still know it’s a better system lol

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QuercusSambucus@reddit

Bout tree fiddy

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famousanonamos@reddit

It's that dang loch ness monster again!

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

bout too tweny

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Traditional_Entry183@reddit

Same. If I ever do say it, its trying to guess how much it weighs in an amount that I can understand and visualize. Meters is easier for me.

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redcoral-s@reddit

I work in vet med, we usually say "kig" for kilogram. Likewise we'll say "mig" for milligrams, so a drug might be dosed in "migs per kig"

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Puzzlehead2563@reddit

Was about to comment the same for laboratory science work. Mg/kg is often mig per kig

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jrc_80@reddit

Kilo or key depending application of the measurement

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No_Parsnip6024@reddit

If any American just needs to quickly wrap their head around the unit conversion, kg to lb is "double and a little".

70kg may sound arbitrary, but "about 150lb" is relatable. Double and a little is plenty close. It's exactly 154.324lb but for eyeballings sake it's about 150lb. Double it and round up.

It's really 2.2lb per kilogram, but people don't like multiplying decimals in their head.

No one says kilo unless they're talking about bricks of drugs.

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Steavee@reddit

A what now?

Son, do you mean pounds and ounces?

kgs are probably one of the lesser-used ‘common’ metric measurements in the U.S. unless you’re in certain fields that commonly use them.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

unless you’re in certain fields that commonly use them.

I am (or might be, not sure), and that's exactly why I wanted to know.

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Arleare13@reddit

Europounds

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Radiant_Incident8284@reddit

Always “kilogram”. I’ve only heard milligrams being shortened to “migs” and milliliter being shortened to “mils”, both of which are the common way to refer to those units of measurement.

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Accomplished-Fun215@reddit

Usually we say the whole word (kilograms), but kilograms are extremely uncommon to discuss in everyday conversation. Are you translating for medical staff? They might have a specific way of saying it. If you're translating for laypeople, would you also be able to convert to pounds?

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Thanks for your input! Yes, I'm generally translating to medical staff, but our ethics standards do not allow us to make any unit conversions.

The situation that comes up the most is patients who don't speak English -- and thus need me in order to go to a doctor's appointment -- will give their weight in kilograms to doctors and nurses.

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Building_a_life@reddit

From these comments, I guess you better say the whole word, especially in a formal medical context. I must be a weird American because I say kilos, hardly ever kilograms.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Yeah I'm getting mixed signals about that. Some people swear "kilos" is alright, others say it's too associated with drugs. But I should have specified in the title rather than the text that the intended audience was healthcare professionals. I think some of the disconnect might be related to people who work with metric saying "kilo" and people who don't associating it with drugs.

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DO_its@reddit

If you’re talking to a nurse or a doctor, either kilograms or kilos would be find. Especially if y’all are talking about a person’s weight. They’re not gonna assume you’re talking about drugs if you say kilos.

Also if medications are dosed for kilograms. So medical staff deal with it pretty often.

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EmmerdoesNOTrepme@reddit

OP, in that case, i'd say "_____ Kilograms" to prevent any confusion.

Because of the connotation "Kilos" has to Drug busts, saying the whole word would probably be better in medical settings. (especially with the anti-immigrant undertones in some regions of the country)

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I've noticed a lot of associations between "kilo" and illegal drugs. That's very good to be aware of.

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rkb70@reddit

Definitely say kilogram in this case.

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Silver_Beat_3157@reddit

In that case, kilograms would be correct.

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cavalier78@reddit

I don’t know that we do that.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

You just say "kilogram"?

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Overall_Occasion_175@reddit

Typically less. I've mostly heard "kilo" in reference to drugs. Never "kg" outloud.

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GetOffMyLawn1729@reddit

Showing my age, but I thought drugs were measured in "keys", not "kilos", as in this song Arlo Guthrie sang at Woodstock:

Coming into Los Angeles Bringing in a couple of keys
Don't touch my bags if you please Mister Customs Man

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Zayknow@reddit

Upvoting for Arlo, but "key" is pretty arcane these days I think.

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Drew707@reddit

Key is short for kilo.

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Overall_Occasion_175@reddit

Not sure if this is an older thing or a west coast thing or both but I've definitely never heard it.

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TotientEC@reddit

yeah I've heard kilo for things (maybe because I work in medicine), but illegal drugs were always keys

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commanderquill@reddit

Honestly, now that you mention it, if I heard someone say "There are X kilos of--" I would immediately think drugs.

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Dave_A480@reddit

And more specifically, the extra spicy sort...

Weed is usually measured in pounds for whatever reason....

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big_sugi@reddit

A pound of weed is a large volume of weed. It’s a lot bigger than a kilo of cocaine or heroin despite weighing less than half as much. And conversely, an individual purchase of weed is probably an eighth of an ounce, which is a lot more weight than a gram of cocaine. So there are both practical and legacy reasons.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Interesting, makes sense. I have heard that some of these were kind of "rounded" to metric in that context so that the units are multiples of one another. Like for instance an eighth being equal to 3.5 g or a pound being 500 g.

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big_sugi@reddit

An eighth nowadays is usually 3.5 grams instead of 3.544 grams (of course, measuring weed to the hundredth or thousandth of a gram is ridiculous anyway).

I haven’t a pound round to 500 grams, though. At that volume, rounding makes a much bigger difference.

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Drew707@reddit

But enforced in ounces turned into grams.

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Drew707@reddit

There's this place in PV that sells al pastor by the kilo, and it definitely feels like you are buying drugs. It's fucking amazing, though.

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Bright_Ices@reddit

I’ve heard kg outloud, but only among people who like being silly with language. Not in a formal context

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cavalier78@reddit

Yes. We basically only use it for scientific measurements.

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imbrickedup_@reddit

As a paramedic all the weight based drugs we use have their doses in kilograms. Makes for some annoying mental conversions

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

This is exactly my use case -- dealing with medical personnel. Do you use any shortened forms or slang? Or do you just say "kilograms"?

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imbrickedup_@reddit

We say “kilos” like 90 percent of the time

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Well you know, I'm getting a lot of mixed signals in this thread. Some say that "kilo" is very associated with illegal drugs, others say people use it in professional contexts where kilograms are used.

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EmmerdoesNOTrepme@reddit

We typically say it with the "s" because typically it's being referred to as a plural (just like we say "Pounds")

But many times we'll spell it Kg/kg.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

We typically say it with the "s" because typically it's being referred to as a plural (just like we say "Pounds")

But many times we'll spell it Kg/kg.

Same usage as here in Brazil -- "quilos" and "kg". Thanks for the info!

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EmmerdoesNOTrepme@reddit

Thank you for doing the work you do, and making sure to do it so well!

I've had friends in that field, and also worked with families who need folks like you--it's SO important, and it really does make a huge difference!💖

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Thank you for the kind words! Oftentimes our work isn't acknowledged, even by the doctors and nurses who are our coworkers! On the other hand there are also many extra-nice medical personnel who more than make up for it!

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SubstantialMouse1105@reddit

Yeah and we pronounce it “kill-o-gram” but if we do use kilo we pronounce it “kee-lo”

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oh_such_rhetoric@reddit

We really don’t measure in kilograms much here, except in very specific situations for certain professions.

Definitely not something that comes up in casual conversation much at all, and if did, I would just say “kilogram.”

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rkb70@reddit

That is the most common. I’ll occasionally say “kilos”, but I don’t think that’s common nor that everyone would know that.

We don’t use kilograms all that much. Unless you find out there’s common parlance in the field you’re working in, you should just say “kilograms” to make sure you’re understood. No one will think it’s weird or pedantic.

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Due-Department-8906@reddit

Yeah, I know that other countries use kilo so it wouldn't confuse me, but we only say kilogram or maybe kg.

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MostAsk855@reddit

I’ve only used the word kilo when referring to cocaine or an old Russian sub. Thats it. Anyone that doesn’t work in your field probably would never use any form of kilogram.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

I'm not sure if the doctors use metric internally or not, but they generally don't even bat an eye when given metric measurements during interpretation sessions.

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depressed_crustacean@reddit

Only in terms of volume and mass and usually in medical context, however if you throw meters or kilometers at them (we also for some reason even spell those different) I highly doubt they'd be comfortable with that without converting. They would know millimeters, and maybe centimeters because those would be used in medical scenarios.

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PuddleCrank@reddit

Doctors, scientists, weightlifters, drug dealers, and comercial kitchens all use kilograms.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

A curious assortment of occupations :)

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External_Reporter106@reddit

American doctors absolutely do use metric. But it’s important to specify because they are use to laypeople using imperial.

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MissFabulina@reddit

In casual parlance, we would use pounds, not kilograms. If it is scientific translation that you are doing, you should probably use kilogram. If it is for some documentation for the general population, you should multiply rhe kilos by 2.2 and denote it in pounds.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

It's actually interpretation -- so, in near-real-time, and we're not allowed to do any unit conversions, hence the question. I'm aware that kilograms are mostly not used, but was curious about which word to use when they are.

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MissFabulina@reddit

If it is medical, I would use kilograms. Sorry, I misunderstood your original statement.

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distracted_x@reddit

I don't refer to kilograms at all and would just be like, what is that in pounds?

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blindtig3r@reddit

They don’t.

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Appreciate1A@reddit

We don’t.

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kmoonster@reddit

I would use the whole word. Casually, any of those should work, but in medical translation you don't want to leave any ambiguity even if the client(s) should 'theoretically' understand the colloqiualisms

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RatonhnhaketonK@reddit

I am in the medical field, so we absolutely use kilograms. We say kilos or kilograms

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Thanks -- a lot of people are saying "kilos" is too associated with illegal drugs, but I take it that's not the case with healthcare workers?

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animepuppyluvr@reddit

"Kilo" is usually in reference to illegal drugs. "Kilograms" is most common in science.

No one else really uses that measurement ever. We use oz and lbs.

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PK808370@reddit

What? It’s quite common to use those measurements in tech and science. Seriously, who wants to do science with lbs mass?

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animepuppyluvr@reddit

I literally said in science its most common to say the full word "kilograms"

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

No one else really uses that measurement ever.

I'm aware! But I work in medicine, specifically translation.

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animepuppyluvr@reddit

Yes, and we write "kg" but its never said out loud as just the letters. In labs and warehouses and such we SAY "kilogram" but we write either "kg/kilogram".

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Anxious-Minx@reddit

Kilograms if spoken, kg if written. Although it depends on the audience--if the intended audience is healthcare workers or healthcare related these are fine. If it is to the general public, perhaps "kilograms (conversion in US pounds)" would be better understood, if possible.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Thanks for chiming in! The intended audience is indeed healthcare workers.

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jf737@reddit

We don’t refer to them at all.

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Euphoric-Bat7582@reddit

If you’re translating just use kilogram.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

It's actually interpretation, so, near-real-time, and spoken language. So I was curious if there's a shortened or slang version, but from what I gather from the thread, "kilo" is associated with illegal drugs so I'll probably just go with "kilograms".

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Euphoric-Bat7582@reddit

Ah ok. Casual by doctor standards or casual by laypeople standards?

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Casual by doctor standards! Because the laypeople I work with will speak my native language, I already know what term is normal there. But I was curious about how people in medicine refer to it.

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AR_lover@reddit

I just say a brick of coke.

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deez_nuts_77@reddit

kilograms are very rarely mentioned in casual conversation, but “kilogram” is what we would say if we saw kg

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Plus_Carpenter_5579@reddit

Americans do not generally refer to kilograms.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Well, I know that already -- I'm specifically asking how the people who do in a professional context say it. Specifically medicine in my case.

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Plus_Carpenter_5579@reddit

The answer to your question is "kilograms".

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ImATurtleOnTheNet@reddit

Kilo is reserved in American for cocaine. All other measurements are in kg.

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Firefly_Magic@reddit

Kilo for drugs.
kg we say kilograms.

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BigDiscEnergy47@reddit

Don't forget ki(key)

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Derpyholic030@reddit

The only time i ever use the term kilogram it's referring to spools of 3d printing filament. Bit i definitely just say the whole word. Like others have said, kilo is for cocaine, kg is for lazily typing.

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Relevant-Site-2010@reddit

In speech everyone I know would use kilos but they’d also be likely talking about drugs

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carisjax@reddit

I think context is most important here. For example I would expect where we would use lbs you would use kg, primarily when using it as the designation of what unit of measure is being used. (eg The patient weighs 100 kg.) As a simple reference, I use and see kilogram. (Hey, how many kilograms of ground beef do we need for the cook out Saturday?) Kilo would be substituted in for kilogram.

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smitheroons@reddit

If it's just something like 5kg, I say "five kilograms" but if it's something like 2 mg/kg that's "two migs per kig". There's definitely some situations where I might say "kilo" but I can't put my finger on what they are.

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aWAGaMuffin@reddit

Kig. As in migs per kig.

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Luchofromvenezuela@reddit

Kilogram - I used to be a spanish medical interpreter.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the input!

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aWAGaMuffin@reddit

Kig. As in migs per kig.

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ComprehensiveBad5548@reddit

I say kilos in the weightlifting world

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momamdhops@reddit

For narcotics we say K (pronounced Kee)

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Snowconetypebanana@reddit

In medical field, we say the entire word.

10mg would be written as 10 mg but pronounced as “ten milligrams”

10mg/kg in dosing would be said as “ten milligrams per kilogram”

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Koolaid_Jef@reddit

I say "spool". The only thing I use KG for is 3d printer filament, 1 spool is 1 kg.

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UnoriginalInnovation@reddit

"kilogram" 95% of the time, otherwise "kg"

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ThePoetsDream@reddit

I've only ever heard "kilo" used to refer to drugs and "kilograms" in science classes. "KG" is a written acronym, but I've never heard someone say "kay-gee"

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xAkMoRRoWiNdx@reddit

Kilo. Maybe KG depending on the sentence. But largely: How much is that in pounds?

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Bastyra2016@reddit

We would say KGs

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Icy-Whale-2253@reddit

kilos or just k

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pikkdogs@reddit

We don’t. Unless we’re in science class or something.

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TankDestroyerSarg@reddit

Kee-lo or kill-a-gram when speaking.

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Iamapartofthisworld@reddit

I think the most likely to use metric weights would be drug dealers, so whatever word they use, and no other group would ever use it in casual parlance

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Ryan1869@reddit

"pounds" is how Americans refer to it.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

not the same thing hehehehe

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Annual-Visual-2605@reddit

But that’s the point. Most Americans don’t use the term much. And when we do, most say the full word. Kilogram. Or kilograms. When writing most use “kg.”

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Well, like I said in the OP, I'm asking about how it's used casually by the people who work with these units -- in my case, medical personnel.

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Ryan1869@reddit

Well, 90% of Americans are going to say, "what the fuck is a kilogram"

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One_Dragonfruit_7556@reddit

Wile shooting our ak47's over a sick guitar rift

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Ryan1869@reddit

And chugging a bottle of jack

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SnooComics8852@reddit

Americans don’t use the metric system ( it’s rough), we use imperial unfortunately. In medicine we use metric however.

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Puzzled-River-5899@reddit

The majority of Americans never say the word kilograms

If you're doing medical interpretation the say kilograms.

"Kilos" as a term is very related to cocaine

Use "kilograms"

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DiscontentDonut@reddit

Usually kilos in non-scientific convo, kilograms in scientific convos.

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r2k398@reddit

In engineering, we just say “kilograms”.

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Worried-Leading-7817@reddit

If you use the word kilo, I'm going to assume you're discussing drugs. Otherwise, I'd expect pounds and ounces.

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Minimalistmacrophage@reddit

All of those.. interchangeably often using more than one in the same sentence.

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big_data_mike@reddit

My dad who is a doctor always said kilos when referring to a patient’s weight or a dose of medicine or whatever. So he’d say, “patient is 50 kilos. Dose is 2 milligrams per kilo.”

I work in an industry that sells industrial biotech products and we say “Kay-gees” so for example, “That product is 14 dollars a Kay-gee and you’d need to use 200 Kay-gees a day”

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domestic_omnom@reddit

If its a professional setting like medical, I would stick with kilograms or abbreviation. If its a personal convo, then kilo is fine. You might get jokes about drugs, cause we measure illicit drugs and ammunition using metric.

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pinniped90@reddit

Americans use metric for some weights, but it's usually grams or milligrams. Heavier things that would need kilograms tend to be referred to in pounds. (Stone is never used.)

So on the rare case we need it, we just say kilograms. Keys or kilos if you're moving a planeload of coke, I suppose.

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OrangeMustangGal@reddit

Kegs

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Burial4TetThomYorke@reddit

Kilograms basically. Kilos only for drugs. I’m sure sometimes we say “Kay-gee” but I can’t think of a use case.. and K only for money (eg. Making 100k a year).

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Doctorspiper@reddit

As someone who uses it on the daily I exclusively use kilo

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Just out of curiosity, what field do you work in? Is it also related to medicine?

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Doctorspiper@reddit

I actually work in a fish hatchery! Everything from fish to feed to chemicals are measured in grams/kilos

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Interesting. From what I gather lots of technical fields use metric.

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Doctorspiper@reddit

I will say the previous hatchery I worked at was the opposite and used imperial for everything, including temp, so I’m not sure what exactly dictates who it uses it lol

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falxfour@reddit

I'm surprised by all the people who claim to only use "kilo" in regards to drugs...

As an engineer who works in metric (in the US), we typically use "kilo." We don't often use kilometers for anything (even if we use meters), but when we do, it also gets shortened to "kilos." The context usually makes it clear.

I will say, this isn't "casual" as much as it is technical jargon because I wouldn't use metric units in a casual context since most people don't have good familiarity with them

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ry-yo@reddit

Typically just kilos, or sometimes kilograms. I work in science too and we say "migs" for milligrams and "mills" for milliliters

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Good to know, this is exactly the kind of stuff I was looking for in this thread. How widespread would you say "migs" and "mills" is?

Are there any slang terms for kilogram other than "kilo"?

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ry-yo@reddit

How widespread would you say "migs" and "mills" is?

Honestly, probably pretty low. I'm only used to it because we use the metric system to measure out things and those nicknames are only common in my industry. I think doctors/nurses say "CC" for dosing medications in milliliters, which stands for cubic centimeter (equivalent to 1 mL).

Are there any slang terms for kilogram other than "kilo"?

not that I routinely use

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WinterRevolutionary6@reddit

I don’t casually refer to kilograms. I’ll use grams because I bake and work in science but if we’re talking about a heavy object, I’d just say pounds

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mrcub1@reddit

We don’t, we try to figure out how many pounds that is.

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TotientEC@reddit

if they know what a kilogram is, usually a kilo or a key

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HelicopterUpbeat5199@reddit

Key, because Miami Vice.

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jbochsler@reddit

4.5 Big Macs.

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ClassicalFuturist@reddit

We don’t.

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Turbulent_Ad_4225@reddit

I use all three. No specific reason why or when.

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merlady94@reddit

I work in the veterinary medical field so we do talk about milligrams per kilogram a lot and we often shorten it to "mg per kg" pronounced like "mig" per "kig" lol

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Suspicious_Wonk2001@reddit

Finally! Discussing weight it’s kilograms and for dosages it’s migs per kig.

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merlady94@reddit

Exactly lol

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BobbyLicari@reddit

“Kilagram? Umm let me look that up in pounds on my phone”…

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SubtleTruncheon@reddit

If I used kilos in casual conversation only immigrants would know what I was talking about… and drug dealers

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broadday_with_the_SK@reddit

In medicine it's kilo or "kig"

Like "that patient weighs 100 kilos"

Or "ketamine dosing is .49 migs per kig" (mgs per kg)

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Hmm, that's interesting to know since I work in medicine. How widespread would say "kig" is?

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Joseph_of_the_North@reddit

They don't.

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karmapolice63@reddit

If you work in a field where you use metric measurements you’ll sometime hear it shortened to “kilo” but most just say kilogram. If you traffic drugs and want to sound cool maybe you say a “key”.

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Born_Establishment14@reddit

https://youtu.be/J1yA1Kq3uvk

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Secure-Ad9780@reddit

We usually say pounds.

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7empestSpiralout@reddit

Kilo

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porkchopespresso@reddit

I honestly don’t think I’ve ever said it out loud. Milligrams, grams yes but kilograms just does not come up.

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Drew707@reddit

You shouldn't be talking about the kilos period. Are you wearing a wire? Narc?

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Accomplished_Mix7827@reddit

Working in a lab, I'm used to calling kilograms "kay-gees", milligrams "migs", milliliters "mills", and microliters "mikes"

[-]

RichInBunlyGoodness@reddit

"Kilo" sounds like a cocaine dealer to my ear, so of these three options I would more commonly say "kilograms." That said, most of the time I assume any American dude I'm talking to would have no idea what a kilogram is, so I just multiply by 2.2 and convert to pounds.

[-]

cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the input! I can't do unit conversions at my job -- we have to translate exactly what was said and leave the conversions to doctors. But I just wanted to know if there were any more casual words than "kilogram". I'm leaning on the side of avoiding "kilos" for the association with illegal drugs many people pointed out.

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SopaDeKaiba@reddit

In addition to what everyone else said, I've heard it called a "key" (which may be spelled "ki" and pronounced as "key", but I've never seen this slang term written.)

Kilo is the my preferred word. Kilogram for clarity or formality.

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Cratertooth_27@reddit

About 9 quarter pounders

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Tomj_Oad@reddit

Kilo

I know it's 2.2 lbs

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TehTJ13@reddit

It’s kilos.

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AstrosRN@reddit

Kilograms

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Universally-Tired@reddit

And we don't use the word parlance either.

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EclipticEclipse@reddit

2.2 lbs

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Old_Ant7118@reddit

I have reason to use it so infrequently that I've never landed on a way to say it.

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IHaveBoxerDogs@reddit

For me, kilo, followed by kilogram.

Kay-gee sounds like you don't know what it stands for.

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hollowbolding@reddit

i say kilos. in the medical field we used x.y k grams

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MaximumOk569@reddit

Usually KG (pronounced Kay Gee) because we don't use it in normal parlance at all, pretty much just scientific documentation

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rkb70@reddit

I’m American and I’ve never heard Kg pronounced out loud that way, ever.

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cavendishfreire@reddit (OP)

I'm aware! But in my field the Portuguese-speaking patients who need interpreters usually give their weight in kilograms, and I'm never sure which term would sound more natural in the translation!

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thtamericandude@reddit

Any would be fine (kay-gee, kilo, kilogram) but Kilogram(s) would be the most "American" way to say it.

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charleschaser@reddit

Kilogram…followed by how many pounds it is lol

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bomber991@reddit

Kilogram, but we pronounce it “kill-oh-gram” where I live, not “key-low-gram”.

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bearsnchairs@reddit

Kilo. Some of the engineers say “kigs” similar to how milligram is shortened to “mig”.

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cookedthoughts730@reddit

Americans don’t usually refer to kilograms. They refer to pounds. I’d say kilos is probably closest - as in 1 kilo is about 2.2 pounds.

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Punkinsmom@reddit

We just say K where I work. We talk in mL, ul, mG. G, etc... lab.

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thewNYC@reddit

Kilos

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AgreeAndSubmit@reddit

As an American Truck driver, who has lived in Europe, and I'm familiar with both systems. I say kilogram, to differentiate from kilometer. Kilo, as an abbreviation is used interchangeably for both. The abbreviation is delineated by the adverb, in my opinion. He weighs 156 kilo, and lives 36 km away. For your purposes, in speech I would use kilometer, and kilogram. And in writing just the proper abbreviation, kg and k m.

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Many-Rub-6151@reddit

The urban crowd calls it a key

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msamor@reddit

I’ve frequently heard “kilos”, and sometimes “kilograms”. But we don’t use it often.

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Fuck_Mark_Robinson@reddit

How do you say how many feet tall you are?

I’m guessing you don’t.

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bearfootin_9@reddit

Kilos

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Bright_Ices@reddit

For a medical context, I’d stick with kilogram.

I actually do hear kilo as an abbreviation, even in medical contexts, and in writing it’s often abbreviated after a first instance, like this “measured in kilograms (kg)” after which they use kg until the next chapter starts. Rinse and repeat.

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Justmeagaindownhere@reddit

I'll use all 3 of those. I think I use kilos the most

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The_Ref17@reddit

I use kilo

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PhatdaddyHo@reddit

Kay...gee

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2pnt0@reddit

Keelo

2.2lbs

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aprendido@reddit

We don’t say any of that because we don’t refer to kilograms.

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Mean_Nun@reddit

We never use kilograms.

Even in medical contexts where someone would use milligrams and grams, but if something was heavy enough to measure in kilograms, we would probably convert it to pounds

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voltairesalias@reddit

The only time they use kilos is to reference cocaine.becauee of the movie "Blow". Very few Americans use Kilograms.

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Account-Manager@reddit

I think about the word maybe once per year. I use the word out loud once every five years.

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Suspicious-Sorbet-32@reddit

Kilogram if it's a normal thing kilo if it's drugs

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SolOberlindes_2564@reddit

Kilogram, unless it’s heroin, then kilo.

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TheOnlyJimEver@reddit

Kilo is generally used to refer to illicit drug trafficking. Mostly, we don't use the metric system outside of the sciences, so casual conversation wouldn't really bring it up, but on the rare occasion that I've used it, I've said kilogram.

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wwhsd@reddit

KayGee is one half of the D.

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koro90@reddit

You mix in a little J B and you’ve got a ROCK SUNDAE, my friend.

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Sad_Win_4105@reddit

Kilos or kilograms

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apealsauce@reddit

The bakery I worked at pronounced it “keys”

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Healthy_Blueberry_59@reddit

Kilos

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dcirrilla@reddit

Kilos

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xxrainmanx@reddit

Kilos or kilograms in science. Kilo/Key if drug dealing. Kg if written.

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HighwaySetara@reddit

I have watched so many crime shows, drug shows, cop shows, etc, and it only occurred to me about a week ago that "key" probably refers to kilograms. 🤦‍♀️

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Savory_Johnson@reddit

Kilo used to even be shortened to "key"; especially in the drug context. See Arlo Guthrie:

Coming into Los Angeles Bringing in a couple of keys But don't touch my bags if you please Mister Customs Man

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pawsplay36@reddit

"Kilo" if it's drugs or in reference to heavy freight, kilograms in most situations. Most Americans can go days at a time without even talking kilograms, so it's rarely shortened except by people who deal with kgs a lot.

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BunchofMums@reddit

Kilos in my experience

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HonorDefend@reddit

A ki pronounced key

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No_Cartographer5955@reddit

Kilograms or kilos. I have never heard anyone say the letters (kay-gee) like that.

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WiseQuarter3250@reddit

we don't really use kilograms outside of scientific fields, even medically we use pounds for weight measurements.

a scientific researcher might use an abbreviation like kilo but for the rest of us we use it so rarely we probably use kilogram as it's such a rare occurrence when we say it.

for instance, this is probably the first time I've used the term in over 20 years.

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Leoliad@reddit

It depends on what you’re writing about.

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krycek1984@reddit

Kilogram I guess? It rarely if ever comes up in day to day life. I'd never say kilo or spell out Kg.

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Mother_Marsupial6745@reddit

I use the term “kilo” but mostly in academia specifically science. I might be used in other areas like drugs and banking

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green2gold2green@reddit

In the medical profession, I would use kilo’s.

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UglyInThMorning@reddit

When I was in EMS, kig would be the prononciation if we we were talking unit conversions and being brief for doses or something (give them x migs per kig of amioderone)

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Crayshack@reddit

I think "2.2 pounds" might actually be more common than "kilogram" and "kilo" combined.

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LaSerenita@reddit

US Americans do not use kilograms. Weight is referred to inp ounds.

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Grizzle_Da_Mahfka@reddit

Keys

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Milehighjoe12@reddit

If you use kilos to an American we are busting out a conversation calculation to pounds 😂

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Lugbor@reddit

"Pounds"

We measure things in pounds.

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RektInTheHed@reddit

Two point two pounds.

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rco8786@reddit

We straight up rawdog it and say kilograms. “Kilo” is definitely euro-coded.

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Prestigious-Web4824@reddit

I use kilo when speaking, and kg when writing.

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HazelEBaumgartner@reddit

"Two and a half pounds".

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Ravenclaw79@reddit

We don’t refer to kilograms in casual parlance. If we’re in a science class or something, “kilograms,” but outside of that, we never talk about kilograms.

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ionmoon@reddit

If someone said "Kaygee" I'd not know what they are talking about unless it was obvious from the context. When I see #kg, I say kilograms.

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Fun_Machine7346@reddit

Kilograms They taught us metric years ago but never adopted it as a nation. So stupid not to align with the rest of the world. Typical.

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expandpong@reddit

What the fuck is a kilogram

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Distinct_Chair3047@reddit

My current and previous job both used metric for temperature and weights.

At work, we'll typically use kg. But occasionally we use Kilo's when in a non-professional conversation.

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Atharen_McDohl@reddit

Usually just "kilogram" but occasionally I hear someone use "kilo" once in a while.

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AnyWays655@reddit

This is my experience. I don't work in something where it's relevant, but if I did I'd probably say kilo for the rest of conversation

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Defiant_Cookies@reddit

In general we don't lol. We don't use metric units so and it's not one of weird instances where we actually do use metric units(like referring to a two liter bottle of soda) so we really don't refer kilograms in a casual way

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LivingGhost371@reddit

Most Americans don't have a reason to refer to kilograms in everyday life. It's "kilograms" in scientific usage. "Kilos" makes it sound like narcotics.

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jazzwormy@reddit

I’m a scientist working with small scale masses and we shorten milligrams to “migs” but I don’t imagine we would shorten kilograms to “kigs.” when working on the kilogram scale I’d say something like “ten hundred grams”

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CaptainHunt@reddit

I’ve heard some less informed people use “kegs” but typically if they know what they’re talking about it’s either “kilos” or “kilograms.” Even so, the vast majority of people only use pounds.

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gwhite81218@reddit

I say kilograms. I don’t know why, but hearing Americans say “kilos” makes me think of drug lords lol. I’d expect that slang from non-Americans though. I’ve never heard an anyone say “kay-gees.”

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George_H_W_Kush@reddit

Brick

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BouncingSphinx@reddit

The use of "kilos" generally colloquially refers to large amounts of drugs, otherwise we would just say kilograms if at all.

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Maybeitsmeraving@reddit

Kilos, but that's basically only ever used in reference to drugs. Otherwise never.

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Appropriate_Copy8285@reddit

Depends on what im referring to. I usually say Kilos or Kees.

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ActuaLogic@reddit

Americans don't refer to kilograms in common parlance, because we use pounds rather than kilograms. But Americans who refer to kilograms are probably likely to use "kilos" rather than "kay-gee."

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crispyrhetoric1@reddit

Kilogram or kilo.

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MaladjustedCarrot@reddit

80% of idiot Americans don’t even know what a kilogram is. Outside of a lab, nobody uses that word. Any of the three versions you suggested will work.

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funklab@reddit

Kilogram. I would never say “Kay gee”.

Casually as a physician I might say “migs per kig” meaning “milligrams per kilogram”, but I would never use that with an interpreter and I would find it weird and unprofessional if an interpreter said that to me.

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gooblat@reddit

I say "a metric ton has a thousand 2.205lbs."

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Fire_Mission@reddit

We don't really use it, so it's not referred to in common parlance very often. When we do, we just say kilogram. Unless you're talking illicit drugs, then kilo.

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