# Explain English Money to Me

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 11, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504 "2019-08-11T15:19:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 8

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504/142 "2020-05-11T19:29:51Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Near as I can tell, Brits use the word “quid” in the same way that Americans use “buck”. An American would never say “three and a half bucks”, but might say “a buck fifty”…

I disagree. I think an American would be as likely to say “three and a half bucks” as “three fifty,” in context.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504/143 "2020-05-11T20:34:11Z")

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At least this thread helps me understand Sherlock Holmes stories a bit better.

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**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504/144 "2020-05-11T21:33:32Z")

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> [@Mark\_Finn](#):
>
> India (and other nearby countries) had (and still have) multipliers:
> 
> Lakh = 100,000 (of the basic currency unit)  
> Crore = 100 Lakh, or 10,000,000 (of the basic currency unit)
> 
> They seem to use “crore” for any large number as below:
> 
> A random Indian news/financial page: [http://newsonair.com/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=387805](http://newsonair.com/Main-News-Details.aspx?id=387805)

Those aren’t denominations of currency. They’re just numbers. Just like “million” can be a number designating how many dollars are under discussion. But “dollar” is the denomination of currency and “million” is a number or amount.

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**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504/145 "2020-05-12T16:18:27Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> I disagree. I think an American would be as likely to say “three and a half bucks” as “three fifty,” in context.

Basically true, but it would be pronounced more like tree-fiddy.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-english-money-to-me/838504/146 "2020-05-12T16:28:02Z")

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> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> At least this thread helps me understand Sherlock Holmes stories a bit better.

You may find this of interest.

> **[In for a Penny, In for a Pound – British Money as Holmes Knew It | The Fourth...](https://fourthgarrideb.com/2019/01/05/in-for-a-penny-in-for-a-pound-british-money-as-holmes-knew-it/)**
>
> “I’d like two shillin’ better” - The Sign of the Four (SIGN) Some Sherlockians are puzzled by references to money in the Sherlock Holmes adventures – “a fifty-guinea watch” in The Sign of Four, a pipe that cost “seven-and sixpence” in “The Yellow...

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