US Billion vs AUS Billion

[Ray Brown]

Hi all,

I was just wondering about this inconsistency in the name given for this large amount of money - is it possible that large amounts of money have 'dissapeared' because of it?

I think our Billion, 'ten billion dollar budget black hole' 'biliion dollar surplus' etc is One Thousand Million Dollars. In America - it ain't. Its One Hundred Million Dollars.

Has it ever caused any errors?

 

[MarkB]

Hi Ray

I'm referencing wikipedia here but it doesnt appear to be an issue -

10^9 (short scale)

In the late 17th century a change was made in the way of writing large numbers. Numbers had been separated into groups of six digits, but at this time the modern grouping of three digits came into use. As a result, a minority of Italian and French scientists began using the word "billion" to mean 10^9 (one thousand million, or 1 000 000 000), and correspondingly redefined trillion and higher numbers to mean powers of one thousand rather than one million. This is known in French as the échelle courte ("short scale") and is now generally used by most English-speaking countries, as well as Brazil, Turkey and Greece. In Puerto Rico it must be specified.


10^12 (long scale)

The original meaning, established in the 15th century, was "a million of a million" (1,000,000^2, hence the name billion), or 10^12 = 1 000 000 000 000. This system, known in French as the échelle longue ("long scale"), is used in the United Kingdom, though has been officially replaced by the short scale in government documents, and has been largely abandoned in journalism and finance. The long scale remains official in most countries where English is not the primary language. 10^12 is referred to as a trillion in the "short scale" system.


Mark

 

[MichaelW]

Thanks Mark,

That was certainly always my understanding of the definition, i.e. the short scale. Every time you add three zeros you get the new term. I always understood a Billion to be a thousand Million, and a Trillion to be a thousand Billion.

Anyway, it wouldn't have surprised me if America had gone their own way. They seem to do so in almost every other field of endeavour so why should financial nomenclature be any different.

You say Aluminum, I say Aluminium, tomato tomato, potato potato, lets call the whole thing off... if you get where I'm coming from...

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[asy]

What's after Trillion???

How many is a Gazillion?

Just wondering.

asy

 

[MichaelW]

Asy,

The short scale goes like this:

Thousand
Million
Billion
Trillion
Quadrillion
Quintillion

etc.

Bi / Tri / Quad / Quint are the usual latin equivelants for the two / three / four / five suffixes and it continues in that vein.

Here's a link to the full numbering system:

http://www.mazes.com/AmericanNumberingSystem.html

I'm not greedy, I'd like a googolplex dollars please...

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[Jamie]

Hi all,

I was just wondering about this inconsistency in the name given for this large amount of money - is it possible that large amounts of money have 'dissapeared' because of it?

I think our Billion, 'ten billion dollar budget black hole' 'biliion dollar surplus' etc is One Thousand Million Dollars. In America - it ain't. Its One Hundred Million Dollars.

Has it ever caused any errors?

I guess this explains how some Americans can get it wrong

During a cabinet meeting, as they are going around the table with each person reporting on the previous day’s events in their respective departments, Donald Rumsfeld makes the following announcement:

“Three Brazilian soldiers were killed yesterday,” he says.

Immediately, President Bush puts his head in his hands and begins to sob.

“Oh my God,” the President mumbles.

The other cabinet members sit quietly, sneaking quick glances around the table wondering what in the world is going on. Finally, after a few minutes and wiping the tears from his eyes, the President looks up.

“How many is a brazilian?”

http://www.flaregun.org/?p=66

Jamie.

 

[Ray Brown]

He he ha,

Jamie...

It would be funny if it weren't so close to the truth...

George W reminds me of one of those cross-eyed siamese cats, Meouwww?

 

[DCA]

No one ever mass enough fortune to go pass 1000 Billion so why worry about the next number till next few generations

 

[Davidr]

I'm not greedy, I'd like a googolplex dollars please...

Interestingly, Google (the search engine) is based on the word Googol but the owners either couldn't get the copyright / patent / trademark or some such other for Googol...

David.

 

[D.T.]

Hi,

I've always used the american version myself, ie 1,000,000,000 = a billion.

I guess it's fairly rarely used to the point where it doesn't really matter that much.

 

[vandalic]

I hope I have this problem some day.

Hi all,

I was just wondering about this inconsistency in the name given for this large amount of money - is it possible that large amounts of money have 'dissapeared' because of it?

I think our Billion, 'ten billion dollar budget black hole' 'biliion dollar surplus' etc is One Thousand Million Dollars. In America - it ain't. Its One Hundred Million Dollars.

Has it ever caused any errors?

 

[Andrew_A]

No one ever mass enough fortune to go pass 1000 Billion so why worry about the next number till next few generations

I never really though about this too much until Peter Spann mentioned that in the nearish future (not sure of the timeframe) someone would build a fortune to rival that of Rockefeller who had a fortune in todays dollars of around 1.17 Trillion.

Interesting view.

 

[grossreal]

hi all
interesting post I run on the us version myself
and its that uncommon used in asia and they use the US version as currently most neg are in US dollars for me there are still only three types of currency that still are used US, pound stirling,(less this side of the planet) and the local currency.
as for the US all there measurments are either dated or not in line with the planet but thats the US.

 

[redwing]

In one episode of The Simpsons, Homer is offered a kajillion dollars, but he wants more.
Homer: "Two kajillion!"
Marge: "Homer!"
Homer: (to Marge) "But we'll lose the first kajillion to taxes."


In the novel Life, the Universe and Everything, two grillion was used to describe the number of casualties in the war against the Krikkiters that lasted two thousand years.


In the television series Friends, episode 124,


Joey: Hey, Chan, can you help me out here? I promise I'll pay you back.
Chandler: Oh, yeah, right, OK... including the waffles last week, you now owe me... 17 jillion dollars.

In Ludacris's Song "Number One Spot":
Brush my shoulder and I pop my colla
Cause I'm worth a million gazillion fafillion dollas



In the Calvin and Hobbes comics, originally published in newspapers on January 18th, 1995, also in There's Treasure Everywhere on page 138,

Calvin asks Susie what 7 + 6 is.

Susie tells him three hundred billion gazillion.

Sarcastically, Calvin thanks her for the big help.

Susie tells him that is a three, followed by 85 zeroes. Calvin writes it down, saying he knew that