# $100 dollars or just $100? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142 "2005-09-30T02:39:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/1 "2005-09-30T02:39:41Z")
What is the proper way to refer to an amount of currency in writing? Do you write “$100 dollars”, or just “$100”? Obviously, when reading either one, you would say “one-hundred dollars”. And logically, I would think that the latter is correct: we don’t talk about the “100m meter dash”. However, every time I write a currency amount, I use the former. It feels correct, even though I don’t think it is. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/2 "2005-09-30T02:42:06Z")
“$100”, “US$100”, “100 dollars” and “100 US dollars” would all be correct. “$100 dollars” is not. ---
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/3 "2005-09-30T02:43:56Z")
100.00 dollars is repetitive, because means dollars. Same goes with Euro. It’s €5, not €5 euro. That is what the symbols are for- to eleminate the need to write out dollars. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/4 "2005-09-30T02:45:25Z")
If the number starts a sentence you should write it out, as in “One hundred dollars is a lot to pay for a shirt.” If it’s within the sentence, easily written out numbers can be spelled out, more complex ones may be written as numerals. If they are currency, then of course you put the appropriate symbol. Examples: “I bought this shirt for twenty dollars.” “I bought this shirt for $20.” “My grocery bill was $73.50, including tax.” It would be redundant to write “I spent $100 dollars.” ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/5 "2005-09-30T02:57:54Z")
How about “I got $100 dollars out of the ATM machine by using my PIN number?” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/6 "2005-09-30T03:05:04Z")
I’ve seen this: $1 million dollars. Is that not correct? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/7 "2005-09-30T03:06:13Z")
IMHO, no. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/8 "2005-09-30T03:17:45Z")
If you’re going to write the word, you leave off the $. FatBaldGuy was good enough to point out another common redundancy. It’s not PIN Number…just PIN. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/9 "2005-09-30T03:20:07Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I’ve seen this: $1 million dollars. Is that not correct? No. It’s either $1 million or one million dollars (“one” spelled out per Chicago). ---
**Author:** ![jln420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@jln420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jln420)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/10 "2005-09-30T03:52:53Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > If you’re going to write the word, you leave off the $. FatBaldGuy was good enough to point out another common redundancy. It’s not PIN Number…just PIN. And it’s just ATM, not ATM machine. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/11 "2005-09-30T05:14:18Z")
The Associated Press stylebook agrees. > [@](#): > > **dollars** Always lowercase. Use figures and the $ sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure: _The book cost $4. Dad, please give me a dollar. Dollars are flowing overseas._ > > For specified amounts, the word takes a singular verb: _He said $500,000 is what they want._ > > For amounts of more than 1 million, use the and numerals up to two decimal places. Do not link the numerals and the word by a hyphen: _It is worth $4.35 million. It is worth exactly $4,351,242. He proposed a $300 billion budget._ > > The form for amounts less than $1 million: \*$4, $25, $500, $1,000, $650,000. > > See **cents**. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/12 "2005-09-30T08:58:52Z")
- - - Also do note: if you are posting online or creating a document that may be distributed online, it is customary to put some clear indication of the country of currency, such as “$100 US” or “$100 USD”. It is true that some currencies have a unique symbol (such as the British pound, £, [alt+0163 in Windows PC’s] ) but the symbol itself may not be presented correctly on all platforms and conversions of document formats. ~ ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/13 "2005-09-30T11:04:25Z")
Just a note that the £ ISNT a unique symbol. Other countries, eg Egypt have a currency called the Pound and use the same symbol. It was also used in Italy for the Lire before they adopted the Euro. It’s really just an ornate letter L. (And with UK keyboards it’s just shift-3) ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/14 "2005-09-30T14:13:32Z")
I don’t like $100 dollars. I like $100 or 100 dollars or a hundred dollars or one hundred dollars. (Of course, if you’re giving it to me, you can call it cow dung if you want, and I won’t mind.) What about signs that say things like .50¢? Looks like they’re saying it costs half of a cent. ---
**Author:** ![clutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@clutter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clutter)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/15 "2005-09-30T14:41:47Z")
Don’t think that’s right either… not according to my algebra book. I think it’s fine to put 50 cents, 50¢, or .50 . By the way, why is it that the $ sign is placed before the number of dollars, and the ¢ sign is placed after the number of cents? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/16 "2005-09-30T14:46:05Z")
So you all are saying that one one hundred $100 dollar dollars is right out, then. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/17 "2005-09-30T15:22:44Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > If you’re going to write the word, you leave off the $. FatBaldGuy was good enough to point out another common redundancy. It’s not PIN Number…just PIN. While I agree that “$1 million dollars” is incorrect usage, I’m not completely sold on the idea that PIN number is wrong. While it is technically redundant, the word “number” is not immediately evident from the acronym “PIN.” In fact, I would bet a big portion of English speakers don’t even know what the letters stand for. Therefore, I would argue, that it has transformed into its own syntactical unit, and is analyzed by English speakers as such. When I use a phrase like “PIN number,” “PIN” performs the role of an adjective and nobody in their right minds analyzes it as “personal identification number number.” Some people analyze “PIN” as a noun and use it in the technically correct way, as in “enter your PIN at the prompt.” Personally, I simply have no problem with phrases like “PIN number” and “ATM machine.” ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/18 "2005-09-30T15:38:21Z")
> [@DougC](#): > > it is customary to put some clear indication of the country of currency, such as “$100 US” or “$100 USD”. Since the code “USD” means “US Dollars”, I think “$100 USD” is redundant: I’d write it as “USD 100” or “100 USD” – and the same with “GBP 100” or “100 GBP”, leaving off the “£”. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/19 "2005-09-30T15:52:47Z")
- - - Or alternately you can go with the universal amounts “it doesn’t cost hardly sh!t”, “it costs about right” or “it costs way too f\*cking much”… ~ ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142/20 "2005-09-30T15:54:47Z")
> [@rinni](#): > > What about signs that say things like .50¢? Looks like they’re saying it costs half of a cent. That is what they are saying (though rarely what they intend to say). This is a pet peeve of a friend of mine. When he sees a candy bar priced at .79¢, he’s apt to drop a penny on the counter and say “Keep the change.” (The stores rarely find this amusing, and often try to insist that ‘.79¢’ is exactly the same as ‘79¢’). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/100-dollars-or-just-100/324142.md?page=2)