[Sigia-l] We interrupt our normal programming

[Paola Kathuria]

Hmm, I hadn't intended to look these up on the OED but I
just did. It was a trick question as I'd read the entries
last year and knew that they were all too vague to order.

I say "bah" to uncyclopedia.wikia.com

bazillion, first known use in 1939
"A very large (but indefinite) number or quantity"

gazillion, 1978 (aka kazillion)
"A very large (but indefinite) number or quantity"

gillion, 1961 (blend of giga and million)
"A name sometimes used for 1000 million by writers
 wishing to avoid the ambiguity of 'billion'

jillion, 1942
"Very many, a great many"

squillion, 1943
"Hyperbolically: a very large number of millions; an enormous number"

zillion, 1944
"A very large but indefinite number"


Source: Oxford English Dictionary (2nd and online editions)


Paola, returning to making web pages