> > In North America, the word we use to describe a quantity equivalent to a thousand million is one "billion". In the U.K., I've been told -- i.e. so I've heard -- that a "billion" means something else. It could mean something general, more random and less exact, such as a million million. Similar to the way I might describe an impossibly huge number as "eleventy-thirty bajillion."
> >
> > So is it true that a billion does not mean 1,000,000,000 in Britain?
> > I suppose this might be one reason to explain why there are no British billionaires.
> >
> > Wolf "WWTBAB?" spirit
>
> Technically, yes and no.
>
> In the English counting system:
> 1,000,000 is a million (US million)
> 1,000,000,000 is a milliard (US billion)
> 1,000,000,000,000 is a billion (US trillion)
> 1,000,000,000,000,000 is a billiard (US quadrillion)
> And so on, so a British billion is 1000 times greater than a US billion.
>
> However, for one reason or another, the US system is now used exclusivly and only pedants with nothing better to do with their lives are aware of such pointless trivia.
>
> winter"possessor of pointless trivia"mute

Well, that does it! I'm not going to live in Britain. Just think how much longer I'd have to save to become a billionaire! It just isn't worth it. Harumphf! Bah Humbug! Phooey.
How"ticked"ard