For The Last Time

This really grates my cheese.

One billion is 1 000 000 000 000 in the UK and not 1 000 000 000 as in the USA. OK?

In England we have a million million = our billion (ie, 12 zeros or 10 to the power of 12)

In America they have a thousand million = their billion (ie, 9 zeros or 10 to the power of 9)

Why can't the British press understand this? I've even out it into pretty colours for them.



And whilst we're at it, the US trillion is one thousand, thousand million (ie, it has 12 zeros and equals 1,000,000,000,000 or 10 to the power of 12) and so is the equivalent of the UK billion. The UK trillion is one million million million (ie, it has 18 zeros and equals 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 10 to the power of 18)