done interior trim and cabinets for a few years when i was in my 20s never used anything but 16ths. you know what they say about putty and paint makes the carpenter what he aint. probably just seeing if the kid even knows what a 32nd of an inch is. we used to get guys all the time call out stuff like " 56 inches and 5 little lines" what? you mean 56 and 5/16 "uhh yeah i guess"
