posted
SI == Système Internationale d'unités == international system of units == metric system
And I got those numbers because that's just the way it works out. Obviousy, that's not what they were thinking when they made the words up. "Million", of course, did come from the word for a thousand w/ a suffix added to it. And "billion" was created from the word "million", but using "bi-" meaning "two". After that "two" got in there, it just got extended using "tri-", "quad-", "quint-", "sex-", and so on.
Of course, the British system is basically the same, except that each increase in the suffix means you're multiplying by another million, rather than another thousand.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by TSN: SI == Système Internationale d'unités == international system of units == metric system
Ah ha! Cheers!
quote:Originally posted by TSN: Of course, the British system is basically the same, except that each increase in the suffix means you're multiplying by another million, rather than another thousand.
Ah, you spotted that too huh?
-------------------- If you cant convince them, confuse them.
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
I will point out that in the UK we've pretty much fallen to American dominance on the matter of "Billion". Nine times out of ten we take it to mean 1000 million.
We give you this. But just try and take away our "cheques", and there will be blood.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
We swedes say "miljard" for 1,000,000,000,000 and biljon for the million miljards, but I don't have a problem with listening to you limeys and yanks blabbering on in your obviously crooked fashions. I believe it's called 'tolerance'.
-------------------- "I'm nigh-invulnerable when I'm blasting!" Mel Gibson, X-Men
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
"No, TSN, but almost as bad, we got our asses saved by the French"
Almost as bad? We got beaten up by the dirty smelly lad in school that no-one likes. You on the other hand invited him to your party. Which is much worse. Dirty smelly lad lover.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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