# English speaking Dopers: "Banknotes" or "Bills"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816 "2004-01-30T20:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/1 "2004-01-30T20:11:27Z")
After following the link to the Bank of Canada in [Sunspace’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=237058) post, and reading about their new $100 note, it occured to me that Americans seem to be the only ones who call their paper money “bills” instead of “notes”. If you asked a teller here to pay out a $100 withdrawal in twenty-dollar “notes”, the teller would probably look at you strangely, though s/he would still understand what you meant. And the whole thing is somewhat odd because every bill has the word “Note” right up at the top. At the same time, in other contexts, a “bill” is something you hold that obligates you to pay something out, and a "note is something you hold that obligates someone else to pay you. The word “banknote” certainly exists in American English, but it refers mainly to the obsolete practice of ordinary commercial banks issuing their own notes, which they have not been able to do since 1935. So, Kiwis, Australians, Canadians, South Africans, British Islanders (forgive the expression), and any other Anglophones I might have missed: do you ever hear the word “bill” used to mean a piece of paper money? And to anyone and everyone: if this is just an Americanism, as I suspect it is, does anyone know how it came to be? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/2 "2004-01-30T20:27:08Z")
Here in good old Blighty it’s ‘note’. A bill is what the waiter or plumber or whoever gives you in expectation of payment. For semi-slang, it’s fiver, tenner, twenty, and fifty. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/3 "2004-01-30T23:13:52Z")
‘Notes’ - yes, the word ‘note’ is also used as slang for a pound, particularly in expressions of complaint such as “You want thirty notes for that heap of junk?” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/4 "2004-01-30T23:27:16Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > ‘Notes’ - yes, the word ‘note’ is also used as slang for a pound, particularly in expressions of complaint such as “You want thirty notes for that heap of junk?” Doesn’t ‘note’ in this sense mean £5? ---
**Author:** ![Uncivil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ccd318/32.png) [@Uncivil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncivil)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/5 "2004-01-30T23:48:04Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Doesn’t ‘note’ in this sense mean £5? Its confusing slang. The smallest backnote used to be £1, but this has now been replaced by the £1 coin. So now the smallest banknote is £5. But everyone over here still understands the slang - if someone asked for 30 notes we’d know they meant £30 and not £150. Its not a widely used bit of slang though, we’d usually use “quid” for pound. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/6 "2004-01-30T23:56:41Z")
Here in the US, bill also means an invoice, a statement saying, “I fixed your toilet, so you owe me $75.” When we mean paper money, it’s preceded by the size of the note, “Here’s a twenty dollar bill, kid. You did a good job on the lawn.” A note, short for promissory note, is what you sign when the bank lends you money. I don’t know the origin of the split, but the US parted from the UK long before the credit industry grew to what it is now. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/7 "2004-01-31T00:57:23Z")
Canada here. The Bank of Canada refers to them as “notes” as the official term, but pretty much everyone that I know refers to them as bills. Of course, the one dollar coin is commonly called a “loonie” because the of the depiction of the loon on the coin. When two dollar coins were introduced the “twonie” (with various spellings) quickly came into everyday use. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/8 "2004-01-31T01:33:13Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > When we mean paper money, it’s preceded by the size of the note Not necessarily though. When speaking of an unspecified amount of paper money in one or more bills, or bills of various denominations…well you see what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/9 "2004-01-31T04:17:38Z")
> [@](#): > > When two dollar coins were introduced the “twonie” (with various spellings) quickly came into everyday use. Or a “moonie”. (The Queen, with a bear behind. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/10 "2004-01-31T08:33:57Z")
Don’t forget that here in America, a $100 is often referred to as a “C-note.” So it’s not like we never use the word to mean money. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/11 "2004-01-31T11:00:46Z")
> [@cityboy916](#): > > Don’t forget that here in America, a $100 is often referred to as a “C-note.” So it’s not like we never use the word to mean money. Observant Dopers this side of the pond will also note (pardon the pun) that US currency also has “Federal Reserve Note” printed up top. “Note” as used to refer to currency is also short for “promissory note”- the Federal Reserve (or appropriate issuing institution) at one time promised to pay the bearer the note’s equivalent in gold, remember. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/12 "2004-01-31T11:48:12Z")
In casual discussion I’ll say things like “Man, I wish I had some of those hundred-dollar bills”, and that’s not unusual at all, but in my post I was trying to be clear and precise. 🙂 Likewise, at a restaurant, I’ll say “Cheque, please”, or a bunch of us going out will ask for “separate chaques”, even though what you get at the end of the meal detailing the cost is technically an ‘invoice’, and cheques are usually promises to pay, not requests. Yes, it’s odd and confusing. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/13 "2004-01-31T12:19:07Z")
English notes are also known (in London at least ) as: Lady Godivas; Cock and hens; scores and bullseyes, for £5,£10,£20 and£50 respectively. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/14 "2004-01-31T12:53:41Z")
> [@owlstretchingtime](#): > > English notes are also known (in London at least ) as: Lady Godivas; Cock and hens; scores and bullseyes, for £5,£10,£20 and£50 respectively. Only permissable if you have a strong desire to prove to people that you are an absolute cretin _or_ you are auditioning for a role in Mary Poppins ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/15 "2004-01-31T14:11:20Z")
I just realized that in this part of the woods, we just say “a one, a five a ten” etc. I don’t recall the last time I heard anyone say “note” or “bill.” ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/16 "2004-01-31T14:34:11Z")
> [@PastAllReason](#): > > Canada here. The Bank of Canada refers to them as “notes” as the official term, but pretty much everyone that I know refers to them as bills. Of course, the one dollar coin is commonly called a “loonie” because the of the depiction of the loon on the coin. When two dollar coins were introduced the “twonie” (with various spellings) quickly came into everyday use. Ditto. No point in saying it again, I won’t say it as well - although I no longer live in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![glas\_onion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9dc877/32.png) [@glas\_onion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glas_onion)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/17 "2004-01-31T19:37:34Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > So, Kiwis, Australians, Canadians, South Africans,\*\* British Islanders \*\* (forgive the expression), and any other Anglophones I might have missed: do you ever hear the word “bill” used to mean a piece of paper money? :mad: Irish Doper here…mmmmmmm. 😃 Only joking We call our paper euro’s _Notes_, never Bills. Fiver, tenner, score(sometimes), fifty… Also, as a slight hi-jack, the term Yo-Yo’s is also annoyingly used. _“Twenty four Yo-Yo’s this cost me”_ I hate this use. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/18 "2004-02-01T07:41:44Z")
Australians say _note_. Also, for coins (except the $1 and $2) we often use _piece_ (“I have a ten dollar note, and three twenty cent pieces”). Unlike “note”, “piece” can only be used in conjunction with the denomination. You can say “I like coins better than notes”, never “I like pieces better than notes”. Aside from that, our terminology is very dull. When we decimalised in 1966, we lost all the wonderful slang terms for the different denominations. Occasionally, you’ll hear somebody call a $20 note a _redback_, but that’s about the extent of it. Poms, what’s a _monkey_? Five hundred pounds? I remember Arfur Daley and Terry McCann using the term in _Minder_. Is it out of date now? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/19 "2004-02-01T07:48:01Z")
New Zealand has always followed the British fashion as far as _banknotes_ is concerned. We say notes for short. Prior to decimalisation (1967), you’d hear some coins called “bits” (thrup’ny bit, for example), but now, it’s “piece”, as with Australia. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816/20 "2004-02-01T11:51:05Z")
You are correct that a “monkey” is £500, **TLD**. [Here’s other money slang.](http://www.aldertons.com/money.htm) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-speaking-dopers-banknotes-or-bills/226816.md?page=2)