FOOTNOTES for critical readers

FlunkyNoMo · #1 09-29-2003, 01:13 PM

Mark Ferran
Do you always read the footnotes?

Do you always know the definition of a word or phrase by the context in which it is used?

I used the expression "to the nth degree" and got called out as to what that meant. I explained to my Sister, who's not mathematically inclined, raised to the power of {whatever} a really big number. She says "So, if it can be raised by any number, it could be a really small number, Right?"(where's the box you're not thinking in.&Like out of the mouths of babes)and if the number isn't specific and certain it could be a low number.&My weakness being english, spelling, grammer...(typing). I thought I'd look up nth and see what it said. Which brings me to the footnote.....Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary,(c)1972,&by nth,under&numbers I found a table called&"Denominations Above One Million". So, given the National Debt, I thought I'd see what comes after trillion, and quadrillion, and..., and...but wait there's a FOOTNOTE.

2 For convenience in reading large numerals the thousands, millions, etc., are usually separated by commas or by half spaces. Serial numbers (as a social security number or the engine number of a car) are often written with hyphens (583-695-20). [Interesting spacing]
American system& & & & v.& British system& &
 billion=9zeros & & & millard=9zeros
&trillion=12zeros& billion=12zeros
 quadrillion=15zeros& & & trillion=18zeros
(15 more omitted )
& centillion=303zeros & & centillion=600zeros
In the British system, each of the denominations above 1,000 milliards (our "billions") is 1,000,000 times the preceding one (one trillion=1,000,000 biliions; one quadrillion=1,000,000 trillions).
This may be long winded but it was an eye-opener for me and thought it may open the eyes of others. 
& "getting-not-so-FLUNKY"

FlunkyNoMo · #2 09-29-2003, 01:13 PM

Mark Ferran
Do you always read the footnotes?

Do you always know the definition of a word or phrase by the context in which it is used?

I used the expression "to the nth degree" and got called out as to what that meant. I explained to my Sister, who's not mathematically inclined, raised to the power of {whatever} a really big number. She says "So, if it can be raised by any number, it could be a really small number, Right?"(where's the box you're not thinking in.&Like out of the mouths of babes)and if the number isn't specific and certain it could be a low number.&My weakness being english, spelling, grammer...(typing). I thought I'd look up nth and see what it said. Which brings me to the footnote.....Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary,(c)1972,&by nth,under&numbers I found a table called&"Denominations Above One Million". So, given the National Debt, I thought I'd see what comes after trillion, and quadrillion, and..., and...but wait there's a FOOTNOTE.

2 For convenience in reading large numerals the thousands, millions, etc., are usually separated by commas or by half spaces. Serial numbers (as a social security number or the engine number of a car) are often written with hyphens (583-695-20). [Interesting spacing]
American system& & & & v.& British system& &
 billion=9zeros & & & millard=9zeros
&trillion=12zeros& billion=12zeros
 quadrillion=15zeros& & & trillion=18zeros
(15 more omitted )
& centillion=303zeros & & centillion=600zeros
In the British system, each of the denominations above 1,000 milliards (our "billions") is 1,000,000 times the preceding one (one trillion=1,000,000 biliions; one quadrillion=1,000,000 trillions).
This may be long winded but it was an eye-opener for me and thought it may open the eyes of others. 
& "getting-not-so-FLUNKY"