Where lettered drill sizes came from

Why do we still use lettered drill sizes (A–Z) alongside fractional and metric? I still reach for an F (.257) when tapping 1/4–20, and I tell apprentices that mastering these odd systems pays off as more shops juggle metric with legacy prints — does anyone know the real origin story behind the letters?

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Letters bridge #1 (.228) to fractions; your “F (.257)” fits that ladder. ANSI kept them: Drill bit sizes - Wikipedia. Keep many?

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