Monday, 11 January 2010

So just how much is that?

Her Majesty keeping an eye on the numbers

Here's an interesting British English/American English difference that if you are a high powered banker could get you into trouble.

British English: Billion = a million million (in US trillion)
American English: Billion = a thousand million
British English: Trillion = a billion billion
American English: Trillion = a thousand billion

So I will be putting my trillion into a British bank, because otherwise it might end up less than it ought to be. ;)



2 comments:

Saved Sinner said...

Did you know that in English English, a thousand million is a milliard?

Sarah said...

It's quite an obscure term isn't it? But at great one at that. Much more entertaining than 'thousand million'.

The term is alive and well in Germany and France at least. I think that Britain is using the American system more and more though.

There ought to be an official statement from the banks! I mean me and my stockbroker could be talking about totally different amounts of money! ;)

I don't really have a stockbroker...