Re: OT: Writing numbers longhand

[richard lyons <richard@the-place.net>]

On Thursday 06 May 2004 14:43, Paul Johnson wrote:
> I learned how to write numbers long-hand in 1989.  The only time
> "and" comes into play is to separate the integer from the
> fraction.  1,234,567.89 is "one million, two-hundred-thirty-four
> thousand, five-hundred-sixty-seven and eighty-nine one-hundredths."

Oh come on - I never heard anyone pedantic enough to spell out the decimals 
like that.  Everyone says "one million, two hundred (and) thirtyfour 
thousand, five hundred (and) sixtyseven point eight nine" [where the 
bracketted 'and's are british usage omitted by the americans (we call them 
'lazy americans' over here because of that and the omission of u in colour). 
Except that some people say "point eightynine", which is plain wrong.

Interestingly, on cheques (checks across the pond) are written all in one word 
in Italy: €87.654,32 ottantasettemilaseicentocinquantaquattro euro 32/00 
(note reversal of comma and point in european usage (not UK).  And those 
devilish Danes use swedish on cheques and danish for everything else.  (The 
way they count in danish is a bit meiaeval (medieval west of the atlantic), 
so there is some logic to following the rationalized swedish method where 
money is concerned.

Since we are OT anyway...

-- 
richard