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NUMERICAL PHRASES
David Singmaster
Copyright ©2003 Professor David Singmaster
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INTRODUCTION
For some years, I have been accumulating these numerical phrases, like 26 L o t A , and my list of them had reached 35 pages when I received the following history from Mike Sklar. It comes from the Usenet newsgroup rec.puzzles, under language/english/meaning/equations.s , with Will Shortz's first 24 examples under language/english/meaning/equations.p . Incorporating these extended this list to 47 pages. Adding material from William Hartston's Book of Numbers extended this to 54 pages. Adding other material, mostly from an email from Hartston extended this to 62pp. The present version is 84 pages long, with 66 pages of examples.
CONTENTS
Introduction. Morgan Worthy's material 1
Sources 3
Main List 5
Appendices 71
The Almanac of Cards 71
The Evangelists Rhyme 71
A German Counting Rhyme 72
The Magpie Rhyme 73
The Months Rhyme 73
A Sneeze Rhyme 74
Cumulative Number Games/Songs 75
Miscellany 79
Alphabets 80
Will Shortz's original examples 81
Unsolved and Unclear Examples 82
Unsolved 82
Unclear 83
MORGAN WORTHY'S MATERIAL
Morgan Worthy () originated the puzzle form now called "linguistic equations." The first ones were published in his 1975 book, Aha: A Puzzle Approach to Creative Thinking; Nelson Hall, Chicago, 1975 - now out of print.
Here are his comments on how he thought of the idea in the first place, and why they have become such perennial favorites.
I got the idea for linguistic equations from graffiti someone had written in the form of an obscene formula on a restroom wall at the University of Florida. When the answer suddenly came to me, I realized the format was a good one for eliciting the "aha effect". After that I used such items as exercise material when teaching workshops on creative thinking.
My guess is that one reason a person enjoys linguistic equations is that the answer hits him or her all at once rather than being solved in an incremental fashion. It is similar to what happens when we suddenly see an embedded figure pop into focus; the satisfaction is visceral rather than just intellectual. My experience was that people often had the answer to an item come to them when they were not consciously thinking about the puzzles, but relaxed, such as in the shower or about to fall asleep.
Another factor is that with well-written items, success does not hinge on obscure information. Ideally, a person should never have to feel, "I could never have gotten that one no matter how long I worked on it." There is something ego enhancing about knowing you have the answer inside and just need to find it.
Morgan Worthy
Following are some of the original linguistic equations from this book. [I have spaced them out a bit.]
(1) 8D. - 24H. = 1W.
(2) 4J. + 4Q. + 4K. = all the F.C.
(3) T. = L.S.State
(4) 23Y. - 3Y. = 2D.
(5) C. + 6D. = N.Y.E.
(6) S.R. of N. = 3
(7) 1 + 6Z. = 1M.
(8) B. or G. - F. - M. = O.
(9) " R. = R. = R."
(10) Y. + 2D. = T.
This puzzle form reappeared as 24 "equations" by Will Shortz, printed in the May-June 1981 issue of Games magazine, with an acknowledgement to Morgan Worthy [at the end of the answers]. Games ran several followups in subsequent issues, and reported that people kept resubmitting the puzzle to them, sometimes as original work! Many people have now added to the list of equations. The 24 original ones are starred (*) below. [One * is omitted, on 64 S o a C. I have indicated these by S1 in my listing.]
A few more comments are needed about the esthetics of this type of puzzle in addition to those of Morgan Worthy above. A good letter equation emphasizes the uniqueness of the number on the left-hand side of the equation, and is not merely one in a long series of equations. For example, the equation 8 = AN of O = Atomic Number of Oxygen is excluded from the following collection, along with equations involving atomic weights, levels on some scale, years in which well-known events occurred, etc. Also, the left-hand side must be an exact integer, thus 18.5 = ME from the WT = Minutes Erased from the Watergate Tapes is excluded, along with fundamental constants, non-integral conversion factors between units of measure, well-known dimensions, etc.
Finally, we finish with one matter of convention. If a number occurs on the right-hand side of the equation, it is spelled out (as in 1 = B in the HWT in the B = Bird in the Hand Worth Two in the Bush).
There follow 9 pages of examples. I have now incorporated them into my list below. The format used in the Usenet list is shown in the examples given already and in
1 = D at a T = Day at a Time
but I find this awkward as the = signs cannot be read as 'equals', and so I have converted them all into my format which is:
1 D a a T Day at a Time.
In Feb 2000, I acquired a copy of the Handy Books, edited by Lynn Rohrbough for Cooperative Recreation Service, Delaware, Ohio. This contain 20 booklets, called Kits. In Kit E: Mental Games Brain Teasers, Testers, Puzzles and Word Games; 1927, pp. 15-16 is Numerical Nut Test which has 100 numerical phrases to be completed. E.g., no. 1 is The (3) Musketeers. You can produce a version with the (3) replaced by a blank space and then distribute copies as a party puzzle or read them aloud for people to state or write the answer. Though not of our type, I found this a useful source of examples.
I have compiled my list from a number of different lists and I have extensively extended it by looking in various appropriate reference books. In particular, I have included almost all forms like 3 F i a Y (Feet in a Yard) that I have come across. Different sources provide these in somewhat different formats _ I have generally standardised them. Morgan Worthy and the rec.puzzles list editor have made pertinent comments about the aesthetics of these phrases, but many setters have made examples which do not follow the rules and a number of the items in the rec.puzzles list seem to violate the rules. So I have included everything which occurs in any list that I have seen and anything similar that I have come across. NOTE that several of the measures used in the past varied depending on locale and on what was being measured _ e.g. a firkin or a hogshead was quite different depending on what was being measured or where it was being measured _ and some were never standarised and have varied with time, so that some entries contradict one another! For examples, a hogshead of wine had seven sizes, varying from 30 to 93 gallons, depending on the kind of wine! However, Chapman gives hundreds of obscure units, so I have decided against trying to include all of them.
Thanks to Richard Armitage, Laurie Brokenshire, Jack Caunter, James Dalgety, Simon Dickerson, Harriet Hall, Tom Henley, Eric Korn, Simon Nightingale, Tim Rowett, Mike Sklar and Andrew Turnbull for lists. William Hartston has given me some answers for previously unsolved examples and has proposed the name 'ditloid', deriving from the example 1 D i t L o I D, qv. Thanks to David Beamish for solving a number of intractable examples.
The last pages contains unsolved examples _ the original formats are retained for unsolved cases. I would be grateful for solutions to the unsolved examples and for other lists or entries.
In Aug 2003, I thought to use Google, etc. to get information about a number of examples whose solutions were unclear to me. This clarified about 60 entries and they are now amended. I have indicated entries where Google gave no useful information by 'Nothing on Google'. In some cases, Google only directed me to one of the lists of such phrases and I have indicated this by 'Google goes in circles'. This searching also led to several websites which seem to be related to U, one of which I have now entered as U2. Another is where xx is the number desired, e.g. 01. After about 20, the entries are combined. There are very few numbers over 100. These pages do not show up on the site's contents page.
SOURCES
Christine Andrews (St Peter & St Paul R. C. Primary School, St Pauls Wood Hill, Orpington, Kent, BR5 2SR). Unheaded Easter holiday quiz, 2pp, 51 examples. Supplied by Tom Henley.
Richard Q. Armitage. Message posted to NOBNET on 7 Jan 1999. 23 unsolved examples from a set of 150 which I've asked him to send. 23 solutions given in a posting on 27 Jan.
Colin R. Chapman. How Heavy, How Much and How Long? Weights, Money and Other Measures Used by Our Ancestors. Lochin Publishing, Dursley, Gloucestershire, (1995), slightly revised, 1996.
Chester World Scout Jamboree Fund-Raising Committee. 1994? 100 examples. I have requested the answers.
Amy Daw. Numbers Quiz. To raise money for her trip to Iceland. 100 examples. Closing date 1 May 1999. From James Dalgety.
Heather Dickson, ed. The Bumper Compendium of Mind-Bending Puzzles. Lagoon, 1998, chapter 8 (unpaginated). 19 examples with answers.
Clive Doig. Brainbox Puzzle Book 2. Numbers and letters, nos. 31-47, pp. 18-19.
Equations. Anonymous sheet with 21 examples.
GR. Games Readers. Equation analysis tests. Repeats S1 and gives a new set of 24. Answers on p. 126. However, my source, Tim Rowett, did not have the answers and the copy provided does not indicate the issue and only shows p. 64 on it.
General Knowledge Quiz to sponsor a walk in 1999 by Verity Spencer from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea in Aid of the Foundation for the Study into Infant Deaths. 1998. 50 examples. From Simon Nightingale via Tim Rowett. Solutions from Verity Spencer.
H. William Hartston. The Book of Numbers. Richard Cohen Books, London, 1997, 218pp. This is full of numerical information and trivia. Though not presented as numerical phrases, many entries can easily be made into numerical phrases and I recognise a number of examples used in other recent sources as being derived from this. I will cite this as H _ since the entries are in numerical order, there's no need to cite the page. I won't cite him for every item he mentions as he mentions about a third to a half of what I have. Generally I cite him when a new entry is based on him and I sometimes cite him when he gives further details or confirms an unusual fact.
H2. William Hartston. Email message of 18 May 1999 with 296 examples (but 4 were repeated), many used in his Independent column. These are in simple form, like: 1 Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and I have adapted them to my form. I will cite these as H2 with new examples cited as H2-new. 150 examples were new!
[William Hartston?]. Numbers. The Independent (2 Dec 1994).
How Long Will This Test Take You? Anonymous sheet with 23 examples.
KK. Keith Kay's Word Riddles. Sheet with 22 examples, provided by Tim Rowett, Dec 1999. Most of these are common, so I will only cite this for unusual examples. He often precedes his examples with 'There are', but I have not considered this. He gives the number of letters in the word after the initial, but several are incorrectly counted.
"Lemon, Don" [pseud. of Sheldon, Eli Lemon]. Everybody's Scrap Book of Curious Facts. A Book for Odd Moments. Saxon & Co., London, 1890. Pp. 12-13 is a section on Bible Statistics, which he says were compiled by the Prince of Granada, heir to the Spanish throne, who was imprisoned for 33 years with no companion but his Bible. P. 48 is a section on Ancient Alphabets. Pp. 213-215 is on Magic of Numbers.
NQ. Numbers Quiz. From Tim Rowett, Mar 2001. 100 examples with answers, some amended by Rowett. These sometimes have awkward grammar. The answers are labelled Quiz Sheet 468.
P. Graham Perry. The Numbers Game. Warner, 1993. This has 226 examples which I have entered here. Perry presents them as. e.g. 24 = h. in a d. Pxx will denote items in Perry on p. xx and Pxx-new will denote new items from Perry.
Leighton Rees. On Darts. Atheneum, NY, 1980. On pp. 18-22, he gives darts vocabulary which includes many numerical phrases similar to bingo calls.
R. Lynn Rohrbough, ed. Handy Books, Cooperative Recreation Service, Delaware, Ohio: Kit E: Mental Games Brain Teasers, Testers, Puzzles and Word Games; 1927; Numerical Nut Test, pp. 15-16. 100 numerical phrases to be completed.
S1. Will Shortz. Equation analysis test. Games 5:3 (No. 23) (May-June 1981) 25. 24 examples, marked S1 in the list below. I've gathered them in their original format at the end of the Appendix.
S1,S2. Will Shortz. Equation Analysis Test # 1 and # 2. IN: Will Shortz's Best Brain Busters; Times Books (Random House), 1991, pp. 34, 86, 118, 125. Two sets of 24 examples, the first set being the set just mentioned, marked S1 below. The second set will be marked S2 below. I also have this on a photocopy with another set of 48 typed out, almost all taken from the Shortz examples, dated 1984 _ this came from Jerry Slocum, via James Dalgety.
S3. Will Shortz. Equation Analysis Test. From the New York Times. No other details, but has a date of 6 May 2000 on it; sent as an email on 31 May to Eric Korn who kindly gave me a copy. 22 examples, no solutions, but we have found 21 which seem correct.
Teasers. Unidentified sheet with 57 examples, with hints sheet, but no answers. All examples are standard, but sometimes slightly different than what I had before.
Templewood School. c1993? 100 examples. I have the answers. Provided by Tim Rowett.
The Ultimate Test (Revisited). Anonymous sheet, with ref: Ib/6.Ut date: 01 12 90 at the bottom. 39 examples.
U. Usenet newsgroup rec.puzzles. An 11 page document (when reformatted like the present) with about 534 examples. I will denote these by U at the end of the solution. Examples which are new will be denoted U-new.
U2. website: . A 5 page document (when reformatted like the present) with about 245 examples in the form of U and mostly included in U. 35 of these are either new or variations of the U entry. I will enter these 35 and denote them by U2. I found this in Aug 2003, but it seems old.
MAIN LIST
T R F's The Roaring Forties
H 'n' O D Hundred 'n' One Dalmatians
00 n I D C f n A new International Dialling Code from next April
007 J B James Bond
H a L i B t 0 Half a Loaf is Better than None
I G P o 0 I Got Plenty o' Nothing (Gershwin). H.
M A a 0 Much Ado about Nothing (Shakespeare)
0 B i a E T Bones in an Elephant's Trunk
0 B L S B Business Like Show Business. U-new.
0 C i a G o W Calories in a Glass of Water
0 D C a w W F Degrees Centigrade at which Water Freezes
0 D o L a G Degrees of Longitude at Greenwich
0 i L i T is Love in Tennis
0 H Zero Hour. H2-new.
0 M Zero Mostel (the actor). U-new.
0 M A a (W S) Much Ado about Nothing (William Shakespeare). U-new. M A a 0 is better.
0 O f M B No Orchids for Miss Blandish (detective(?) novel). U-new.
0 P L H No Place Like Home. H2-new.
0 P o a B T Pockets on a Billiards Table
0 S B i a S Swim Bladders in a Shark. U-new.
0 S C i H Snowball's Chance in Hell. U-new. (Not really a numerical phrase.)
0 S L S Nothing Succeeds Like Success. H2-new.
0 W o m W Wheels on my Wagon (Line from Three Wheels on my Wagon, qv.)
H B ½ His Better Half. R46-new.
B t S 1 Back to Square 1
H i 1 Hole in 1
T O M H P 1 This Old Man, He Play One, ...
T W 1 The Wild One (film title)
1, 2, B M S Buckle My Shoe
1, 2, 3, 4, J a t C D Jenny at the Cottage Door. [Robert Ford; Children's Rhymes Children's Games Children's Songs Children's Stories. A Book for Bairns and Big Folk; Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 2nd ed, nd [1904[1903] _ BL], p. 53.]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, A G C G t H
All Good Children Go to Heaven. [Robert Ford; Children's Rhymes Children's Games Children's Songs Children's Stories. A Book for Bairns and Big Folk; Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 2nd ed, nd [1904[1903] _ BL], p. 53.]
B I W 1 a 20 But I Was 1 and 20 (A Shropshire Lad)
1 a a T at a Time
1 A B Armed Bandit. H2.
1 A i A F D April is April Fool's Day. U-new. H2.
1 A N o H Atomic Number of Hydrogen. H2-new.
1 a P 2 a P H C B 1 a Penny, 2 a Penny, Hot Cross Buns (If you have no daughter, Give them to your sons, If you have none Of these little elves, Why then you must eat them All by yourselves)
1 A W o H Atomic Weight of Hydrogen
T G 1 B To Go 1 Better
1 B B i t L Bonus Ball in the Lottery. H2-new.
1 B i t H W T i t B Bird in the Hand Worth Two in the Bush. U-new. (I think it is usually: A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush.)
1 B o a A Breast on an Amazon
1 C 2 i D 3 i C S a C 1's Company, 2 is Dreary, 3 is Company, Safe and Cheery (Stephen Sondheim: Company)
1 C A i M Carbon Atom in Methane. U-new.
M f D b n 1 C f T Millions for Defense, but not One Cent for Tribute. R97-new. (Said by some American leader when the Barbary pirates demanded tribute money, c1820.)
1 C i an A Cell in an Amoeba. U-new.
1 D a a T Day at a Time. S2. U.
1 D i t L o I D Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch. [By Solzhenitsyn.] P44-new. (H & H2 have Denisovich.)
1 E D i a L Y Extra Day in a Leap Year. H2-new.
1 E J Eyed Jack(s) (One Eyed Jacks was a film by Brando.)
I t K o t B t 1 E M i K In the Kingdom of the Blind the 1 Eyed Man is King (H. G. Wells)
1 E M i K i t C o t B Eyed Man is King in the Country of the Blind. H2-new.
1 E 1 H F P P E One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater (pop song, c1950s)
1 E o a C Eye on a Cyclops. P50. U.
1 E o a M S Edge on a Möbius Strip
1 E o C Eye on Cyclops
1 E O H F P P E One Eyed One Horned Flying Purple People Eater (pop song, c1950s). U-new.
1 f A a A f 1 1 for All and All for 1
1 F b 1 H Z i a G Followed by 1 Hundred Zeroes is a Googol
1 F b 100 0s i a G Followed by 100 0s is a Googol
1 F b 100 Z i a G Followed by 100 Zeroes is a Googol
1 F b O H Z i a G Followed by One Hundred Zeroes is a Googol. U-new.
1 F D Fine Day (translation of Un bel' di, in Madame Butterfly)
1 F i t G Foot in the Grave. U. H2.
1 F o t C N One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. (novel by Ken Kesey). U. H2.
1 f S for Sorrow (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
OR Fell Swoop
1 f t M 2 f t S 1 for the Money, 2 for the Show
1 f t R for the Road
T A S f 1 G The Ace Stands for 1 God. (The Card Almanac _ see Appendix.)
1 G L f M Giant Leap for Mankind. U-new.
1 G T D A Good Turn Deserves Another. U. H2.
1 H o a D Hump on a Dromedary
1 H o a U Horn on a Unicorn. U. H2.
T W 1 H S The Wonderful One Horse Shay. R25-new. (Poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes(?).)
1 H T Horse Town. H2.
1 i a L N One is a Lonely Number (1972 drama based on a story by Rebecca Morris). H
1 i b L a 2 i b S 1 if by Land and 2 if by Sea (Paul Revere's Ride). P38, U give the two parts separately.
1 i 1 a A A is 1 and All Alone (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
1 i 1 a A A a E S B I S is 1 and All Alone and Evermore Shall Be It So (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
1 i O a A A is One and All Alone. H2-new. (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix.)
1 i O a A A a E S B I S is One and All Alone and Evermore Shall Be It So (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
1 i t L N One is The Loneliest Number. P19-new. U. (Opening line of One, by Nillson.)
1 K E (B) Kelly's Eye (Bingo). U-new. (Rees gives it as darts slang.)
1 K K o t E S B King Kong on the Empire State Building. P7-new. U. (Not really a numerical phrase!)
1 L f t R, A f t P Law for the Rich, Another for the Poor. H2.
1 L i a M Lens in a Monocle
1 L o a C P Length of a Cricket Pitch (in Chains)
1 L t L Life to Live. S3-new.
1 M 1 V 1 Man, 1 Vote
1 M a h D Man and his Dog
1 M a h D W t M a M Man and his Dog Went to Mow a Meadow. H2-new.
1 M B Man Band. H2.
1 M i a S D J Mile is a Sabbath Day's Journey. Chapman, p. 24, citing Acts 1:12.
1 M L o t C F Maple Leaf on the Canadian Flag. (There is a use of this on Google.)
OR ?? More Lap on the Chequered Flag. Nothing on Google, though 'One more lap' is common.
1 M M i A M P Man's Meat is Another Man's Poison. H2-new.
1 M o t E Moon of the Earth
1 M R t C More River to Cross
1 M W t M Man Went to Mow. NQ89.
1 M W t M a M Man Went to Mow a Meadow
1 M W t M W H D Man Went to Mow With His Dog. U-new.
I H 1 N It Happened One Night (film title)
1 N S Night Stand
1 N u G Nation, under God (part of US Pledge of Allegiance)
1 O t E Over the Eight. U-new.
1 o O A i M One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1941 film). H.
1 P = 1 KW 1 Picture equals 1 Thousand Words
(1 Kiloword = 1000 Words)
G i 1 P C I a 99 P C P Genius is 1 Per Cent Inspiration and 99 Per Cent Perspiration (Thomas Edison)
1 P i a P T Partridge in a Pear Tree. H2.
1 P o E Pair of Eyes
1 P W A Paper Wedding Anniversary (Brewer says this is the second anniversary.)
1 Q B i a H Queen Bee in a Hive
1 R A in E B Rotten Apple in Every Barrel GR-new. Solution from mike.jacqueline website.
F 1 R C Formula 1 Racing Car
1 R i a F M Referee in a Football Match
1 R i a M Referee in a Match. (The above version is better.)
1 S C i D P Single Calorie in Diet Pepsi
1 S D M a S Swallow Doesn't Make a Summer. U-new.
1 S d n M a S Swallow does not Make a Summer
1 S F 2 S B 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back
1 S o a M S Side on a Möbius Strip. U.
1 S S Singular Sensation. P15-new. U. (Song from A Chorus Line)
OR Stop Shopping. From mike.jacqueline website.
1 S S f a M Small Step for a Man (Neil Armstrong, on the Moon). U. H2.
1 S t a M S Side to a Möbius Strip
1 S t K T B Stone to Kill Two Birds. H2-new.
1 S U P i a B Stroke Under Par is a Birdie. U-new.
1 T a A Thing after Another. H2-new.
1 T B m S Two, Buckle my Shoe. H2-new.
1 i t L N One is The Loneliest Number. P19-new. U. (Opening line of One, by Nillson.)
1 T M Track Mind
1 T o a M Track on a Monorail
1 T O K Time Opportunity Knocks. P12-new.
1 T R p Y Tree Ring per Year. U.
OR Tax Return per Year
1 T t O K Time that Opportunity Knocks. U-new.
1 t W a 1 t P 1 to Watch and 1 to Pray (Thomas Ady, 1655. See Appendix.)
1 U P f a B a G Under Par for a Birdie at Golf. H2-new.
1 W o a U Wheel on a Unicycle. S1. P cover, i, 14. U. H2. NQ85.
1 W o a W B Wheel on a Wheel Barrow
1 W o m W Wheel on my Wagon (Line from Three Wheels on my Wagon, qv.)
1 W S Way Street
1 W T Way Ticket. H2.
1/T Once upon a Time
1 Z i a G o S Z in a Game of Scrabble. NQ99-new.
A B B f 2 A Bicycle Built for 2
M Y B f 2 Make Your Bed for 2 (Translation of Greek song title from Zorba the Greek.)
T f 2 Tea for 2. R75. (Also a song title.)
T f 2 a 2 f T Tea for 2 and 2 for Tea
2 a 2 o a F 2 and 2 of all Flesh (Genesis 7:15)
P 2 a 2 T Put 2 and 2 Together
T W i 2 a 2 u N i t A There Went in 2 and 2 unto Noah into the Ark (Genesis 7:9)
2 A-B P i a B M All-Beef Patties in a Big Mac. U-new.
2 A i a P Angels in a Pound (Chapman, p. 64, says this value was from 1550. Old English money.)
A H i t M i W 2 a N An Hour in the Morning is Worth 2 at Night (proverb)
2 a P H C B 2 a Penny, Hot Cross Buns
2 a t F, 2 a t H Two at the feet, two at the head (Prayer to the Evangelists, see Appendix.)
A S 2 B At Swim Two Birds (novel by Flann O'Brien)
B w 2 B Beast with 2 Backs
2 b 2 2 by 2
T A C o 2 b 2 The Animals Came on 2 by 2
2 B a t C Bites at the Cherry
2 B G Brothers Grimm. P48-new. U.
2 B i a H Barrels in a Hogshead. Cf 2 B i a P.
2 B i a M Bottles in a Magnum (of champagne). H2.
2 B i a P Barrels in a Puncheon. Cf 2 B i a H.
2 B i a Q Bits in a Quarter
2 B i a T Butts in a Tun
2 B o a C W Bails on a Cricket Wicket
2 B o a P o S Blades on a Pair of Scissors
2 B S f a D F a T Bad Serves for a Double Fault at Tennis. H2-new.
K 2 B w 1 S Kill 2 Birds with 1 Stone. R84.
A T o 2 C A Tale of Two Cities (by Charles Dickens). R71.
2's C, 3's a C 2's Company, 3's a Crowd
2's C, 3's N 2's Company, 3's None
2 C A i E Carbon Atoms in Ethane. U-new.
2 C b a B a O Can be as Bad as One. P19-new. U. Line in One, by Nillson _ cf 1 i t L N.
2 C G Car Garage
2 C i a M Crotchets in a Minim (musical measure). H2-new.
2 C i a P Cups in a Pint
2 C i a S (W W) Cloves in a Stone (Wool Weight)
2 C i a Y Cubits in a Yard
2 C i t T b C D Cities in the Tale by Charles Dickens. P27-new. U. H2.
2 C o a T Cyclists on a Tandem. H2-new.
2 C o B C (R a W) Colours of Blood Corpuscles (Red and White). U-new.
2 C o B C (R & W) Colours of Blood Cells (Red & White)
2 C P a t G Can Play at that Game
2 D a 1 B W N A 2 Dogs and 1 Bone Will Never Agree (proverb, but this comes from an Australian book)
2 D i B Digits in Binary
2 D i a T Dessertspoons in a Tablespoon (UK). Cf 2 T i a D.
2 E A i a I T Equal Angles in an Isosceles Triangle
2 E K o A o N A Each Kind of Animal on Noah's Ark. P5-new. ['Of Each' would be better.]
2 E o a P o S Ends of a Piece of String
2 E o E Elizabeths of England. P37-new. U.
2 E Q N E English Queens Named Elizabeth. H2-new.
A K f 2 F A Kid for 2 Farthings (Matthew 10:29)
S o O O 2 F Stand on One's Own 2 Feet
U 2 F Under 2 Flags. R76-new. (Novel by Ouida, made into a film.)
2 F F (R a J) Feuding Families (Romeo and Juliet). U-new.
2 F i a K Firkins in a Kilderkin (beer measure)
2 F i a P o S Feet in a Pair of Shoes. H2-new.
2 F i a R G Fingers in a Rude Gesture. H2-new.
2 F i a S Fins in a Sawbuck. U-new.
Y C H 2 F i t S D You Can't Have 2 Forenoons in the Same Day
2 f J for Joy (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
2 f M for Mirth (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
2 F o J Faces of Janus. U-new.
2 F P C i a P Fifty Pence Coins in a Pound
2 F P P M a P Fifty Pence Pieces Make in a Pound. H2-new.
2 f T (a T f T) for Tea (and Tea for Two). H2-new.
2 f t P o 1 for the Price of One
2 f t R Two for the Road (film title, from a story by Frederic Raphael). H.
2 f t S Two for the Seesaw (film (and play?) title). H.
2 G f E B (S C) Girls for Every Boy (Surf City). U-new. (Jan and Dean, 1963)
2 G i a P Gallons in a Peck. U. (dry measure)
2 G o a R Goalies on a Rink. U-new.
OR: Two Grooves on a Record (One on each side!)
2 G o V Two Gentlemen of Verona. (Shakespeare). U. H2. GR.
2 G P o a E (Y) Gestation Period of an Elephant (Years)
2 G P o a H P Goal Posts on a Hockey Pitch. NQ79-new.
2 H a B T O Heads are Better Than One. U. H2.
OR 2 H a B T 1
2 H i a B Hogsheads in a Butt (beer measure)
2 H i a C Hounds in a Couple
2 H i a F M Halves in a Football Match. H2-new.
2 H i a P Hogsheads in a Pipe (wine measure)
2 H i a W Halves in a Whole. U-new.
2 H o a A R Horns on an African Rhinoceros (Asian species have one or two horns.)
2 H o a B C Humps on a Bactrian Camel. U.
2 H o a C Hands on a Clock (Often, but not always.)
OR Hulls on a Catamaran
OR Humps on a Camel (This should really be a
Bactrian Camel, see above.)
2 H o C Houses of Congress. P40-new. U. [USA.]
2 H o P Houses of Parliament.
2 H o P i E Houses of Parliament in England. P52-new.
2 H T B A O Hearts That Beat As One.
I Y R a 2 H Y W C N If You Run after 2 Horses, You Will Catch Neither (proverb)2 i b S if by Sea (Paul Revere's Ride) _ see 1 I b L .... P38, U give the two parts separately.
2 i C, 3's a C 2 is Company, 3's a Crowd. R37-new.
2 I i a C M Innings in a Cricket Match
A B i t H i W 2 i t B A Bird in the Hand is Worth 2 in the Bush
2 J i a P Jokers in a Pack. NQ39-new. (I have seen examples with just one an with three jokers.)
2 K i a B Kilderkins in a Barrel
2 L B E Two Lovely Black Eyes (song title). H2.
2 L B (f) Two Lane Blacktop (film)
2 L B (R H) Two Little Boys (Rolf Harris)
2 L D B Little Dickie Birds. U-new.
2 L i a P o S Lenses in a Pair of Spectacles. H2.
OR Legs in a Pair of Shorts
OR Laces in a Pair of Shoes
2 L i a P o T Legs in a Pair of Trousers
2 L i t H B Lungs in the Human Body. P51-new. U.
2 L o a B Legs on a Biped. H2 has 'of'.
2 L o a D C Lanes on a Dual Carriageway
2 L o t A H 90 D R S Letters of the Alphabet Have 90 Degree Rotational Symmetry (OX)
2 2 L W B C A i G O 2, 2 Little White Boys, Clothed All in Green Oh (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
N M C S 2 M No Man Can Serve 2 Masters (Luke 16; Matthew 6:24.)
2 M a a W Two Men and a Wardrobe (film by Roman Polanski). H dates it as 1985, but 1955 is more likely?
2 M C S t B [Too] Many Cooks Spoil the Broth. H2-new.
2 M f S S Two Mules for Sister Sarah. U-new. H gives Sara. (Film title.)
2 M i a W N Minims in a Whole Note. U-new. (Whole Note = Semibreve.)
2 M o M Moons of Mars
2 N i a D Nickels in a Dime. P9-new. U.
2 N i a M Nobles in a Mark (Old English money, a noble was 1/3 of a pound _ Chapman, p. 64, says this held from 1344. However, there never was a mark coin. Both were obsolete before the 19C.)
2 o a T Two on a Tower (by Thomas Hardy)
2 o E A o N A of Each Animal on Noah's Ark. U-new.
2 o E S S T B i t A of Every Sort Shalt Thou Bring into the Ark (Genesis 6:19). However, Genesis 7:2-3 says to take seven of every clean beast and fowl and two of every unclean beast.
2 O E P M ??
2 O i a D P Outs in a Double Play. P57-new. U. [American baseball.]
2 O i a Y Oxen in a Yoke
P P a 2 P C Penny Plain and 2 Pence Coloured (Old advertising phrase for Pollock's toy theatres.)
2 P i a A C ??
2 P i a B Pheasants in a Brace
OR Pieces in a Bikini. P13-new. U.
2 P i a D Parts in a Duet. U-new. (or Players)
2 P i a F Pins in a Firkin
2 P i a G Pottles in a Gallon (dry measure)
2 P i a P Peas in a Pod. P34-new. U. (The following is better.)
A A a 2 P i a P As Alike as 2 Peas in a Pod.
2 P i a Q Pints in a Quart. P45. U.
2 P i a S S Pancakes in a Short Stack
2 P i a T Pipes in a Tun (wine measure)
2 P J P Pope John Pauls. P41-new. U. [Popes John Paul ??]
2 P o a B M Poles on a Bar Magnet
2 P S S Piece Swim Suit
2 P t a B Pieces (or Parts) to a Bikini
2 Q i a C Quavers in a Crotchet
2 Q i a H-D Quarters in a Half-Dollar. P9-new. U.
2 Q i a P Quarts in a Pottle (dry measure)
2 Q t a C Quavers to a Crotchet
2 R (b a C) Ronnies (Barker and Corbett). H2-new.
2 R i a B Reams in a Bundle (of paper)
2 R i t W H Roosevelts in the White House. P26-new.
2 S Sexes
F B 2 S Fall Between 2 Stools
K o t 2 S Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies
2 S a a A (S t B o W) 2 Sticks and an Apple (Say the Bells of Whitechapel)
2 S i a C Spans in a Cubit
2 S i a F Shillings in a Florin (Old English money.)
2 S i a Q Stones in a Quarter
2 S i a T (W W) Stones in a Tod (Wool Weight)
2 S o a L T Shakes of a Lamb's Tail. P24. U.
T a 2 S P Thick as 2 Short Planks
2 S P i a S Six Pences in a Shilling (Old English money.)
2 S P i t N Ships Passing in the Night. U-new.
2 S t E A Sides to Every Argument. H2-new.
2 S t E Q Sides to Every Question. S3-new?
T a 2 S t E Q There are 2 Sides to Every Question. H attributes this to Protagoras, -5C.
2 S t E S Sides to Every Story. U-new.
2 S t h B Strings to his Bow
2 S U P f a E a G Shots Under Par for an Eagle at Golf. H2-new.
2 S U P i a E Strokes Under Par is an Eagle. U-new.
A 2 t B m S A And 2 to Bear my Soul Away (Thomas Ady, 1655. See Appendix.)
2 T D (a a P i a P T) Turtle Doves (and a Partridge in a Pear Tree). S2. U.
2 T i a D Teaspoons in a Dessertspoon (UK). H notes that a US teaspoon is a third of a tablespoon while a UK teaspoon is a fourth of a tablespoon, with both tablespoons being 14.5 ml.
2 T i a P Tierces in a Puncheon
2 T i t W T C Towers in the World Trade Center (New York). P11-new. U.
2 T L W B C A i G O 2, Two Little White Boys, Clothed All in Green Oh (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
I T 2 t M a Q It Takes 2 to Make a Quarrel
2 T T Ton Tessie
OR Twice Told Tales. R26-new. By Nathaniel
Hawthorne.
I T 2 t T It Takes 2 to Tango
2 T t P A R Times the Postman Always Rings. P42-new. U.
2 U o a M B Utilities on a Monopoly Board
2 U S o C Ugly Sisters of Cinderella. H2-new.
2 V i a D Vowels in a Diphthong. NQ30-new.
2 V S P Voyager Space Probes
N 2 W a I No 2 Ways about It
2 W D M a R Wrongs Don't Make a Right. U. H2.
2 W i a F Weeks in a Fortnight. P46-new. H2.
2 W i a S (W W) Weys in a Sack (Wool Weight)
2 W o a B Wings on a Bird
OR Wheels on a Bicycle. H2.
OR Wings on a Biplane
2 W o a M Wheels on a Motorcycle. U-new.
2 W o m W Wheels on my Wagon (Line from Three Wheels on my Wagon, qv.)
2 W o t W H Wings on the White House. P55-new. [USA.]
2 W S in C Wicked Stepsisters in Cinderella. P11-new. U.
2 W T D M a R Wrongs That Don't Make a Right. P22-new.
2 W W World Wars. P34-new.
2 Y B t M Two Years Before the Mast (by Richard Henry Dana). R64. U2.
2 Y i a F Yards in a Fathom
2.4 N o C i a A F Number of Children in an Average Family
A H C f h F 3 And He Called for his Fiddlers 3
B L C i 3 Bad Luck Comes in 3s
G T C i 3 Good Things Come in 3s
R o 3 Rule of 3 (common name for the use of proportion in mathematics, until early 20C)
3, 4, K a t D Knock at the Door
3, 4, O t D Open the Door
3, 4, S t D Shut the Door
G a t 3 B Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. R51 just has T 3 B.
3 B C i a I Barley Corns in an Inch. Cf 3 B i a I.
3 B F Bags Full
3 B F t B S H Bags Full the Black Sheep Had. H2-new.
3 B G G Billy Goats Gruff. U.
3 B i a B Barrels in a Butt
3 B i a B i W T Beats in a Bar in Waltz Time
3 B i a I Barleycorns in an Inch. Cf 3 B C i a I.
3 B i a S (o C) Bushels in a Sack (of Coal)
3 B i B Balls in Billiards
3 B i G Bears in Goldilocks. P29-new.
3 B i L o t R Books in Lord of the Rings (by Tolkien). P4-new. U.
3 B i t G F Bears in the Goldilocks Fairytale. U-new.
3 B i t H E Bones in the Human Ear. P19-new. U. [Hammer, Anvil and Stirrup.]
3 B M Blind Mice. P47. NQ81.
3 B M, 3 B M 3 Blind Mice, 3 Blind Mice
3 B M (S H T R!) Blind Mice (See How They Run!). S1. H2.
3 B M S H T R! Blind Mice, See How They Run! U. R55.
3 B o a P B S Balls on a Pawn Broker's Sign (or Shop)
3 B o P G A Bowls of Porridge Goldilocks Ate. H2-new.
3 B o t U S G Branches of the US Government. P40-new. U.
3 B S (C, E, A) Brontë Sisters (Charlotte, Emily, Anne). U-new.
3 B t t B i W T Beats to the Bar in Waltz Time. H2-new.
3 C Cheers. R4-new.
3 C A i P Carbon Atoms in Propane. U-new.
3 C B i S Coffee Beans in Sambucca
3 C G (F H a C) Christian Graces (Faith, Hope and Charity)
3 C H Cornered Hat
3 C (H H H) Cheers (Hip, Hip, Hooray). H2-new.
3 C i a F Coins in a Fountain. U. (Should be as next entry.)
3 C i t F Three Coins in the Fountain (1954 movie and song title). P52. H. H2.
3 C o t F F Colours on the French Flag
3 C o T L Colours of Traffic Lights (red, amber, green). H2-new.
3 C R o T S Cube Root of Twenty Seven
3 C T Card Trick
G L F B t S A 3 D Guests, Like Fish, Begin to Smell After 3 Days (Benjamin Franklin?)
3 D E Day Event
3 D f J i t B o t W Days for Jonah in the Belly of the Whale. P53-new. U.
O t 3 D H R A On the 3rd Day He Rose Again
3 D i a R Darts in a Round (Check)
3 D N Dog Night
3 D o C b P Denials of Christ by Peter
3 D o t C Three Days of the Condor. U-new. H. (1975 film title, based on the novel Six Days of the Condor, qv.
3 E o t R (L S, L T & C) Estates of the Realm (Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal & Commons)
3 E S (B) Eroica Symphony (Beethoven). U.
3 F Fates (Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos). R19.
3 f a W for a Wedding (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
3 F H French Hens
3 F H M T L G t M French Hens My True Love Gave to Me. H2-new.
3 F i a Y Feet in a Yard. P18. U. H2.
3 F o E Three Faces of Eve (1957 film title). P43. U. H.
3 F O K C C f Fiddlers Old King Cole Called for. H2-new.
3 G Graces (Aglaia, Thalia, Euphrosyne)
OR Goons (Milligan, Sellers & Secombe)
3 G A o t S (D A) Golden Apples of the Sun (Defeated Atalanta)
3 G i a H T Goals in a Hat Trick. U-new. (Ice hockey.)
3 G (M, S & E) Gorgons (Medusa, Stheno & Euryale). U (with and instead of &).
3 G (M, S & S) Goons (Milligan, Sellers & Secombe)
3 G S b F i t W C F Goals Scored by France in the World Cup Final. H2-new.
T 3 H The Three Hostages by John Buchan. Jonathan Always; Puzzles for Puzzlers; Tandem, 1971, prob. 8(h). Also in a children's puzzle book.
3 H o a C C H Humps on a Camel Called Humphrey (English children's story??) Nothing on Google.
3 H o a T Horns on a Triceratops
OR Hulls on a Trimaran
3 I i a P Inches in a Palm
I M L 3 i C a 2 N In Married Life 3 is Company and 2 None (Oscar Wilde)
3 I o t R S Inscriptions on the Rosetta Stone. U. (They are actually the same text in three languages.)
3 i 1 O Three in One Oil. R30-new.
T 3 i 1, t 1 i 3 The Three in One, the One in Three
3 I 2 W G Three Into Two Won't Go (1969 film title). H.
3 K i a H Kilderkins in a Hogshead
3 K L D (R, G a C) King Lear's Daughters (Regan, Goneril and Cordelia). U-new.
T a 3 K o L There are 3 Kinds of Lies (Lies, damned lies and statistics)
W 3 K o O a We 3 Kings of Orient are
3 L D M a R Lefts Do Make a Right
3 L F i a I B P Little Fishes in an Itty Bitty Pool. U-new.
3 L i "W W t B a M" Lifelines in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". S3-new.
3 L K, T L T M Little Kittens, They Lost Their Mittens. U & GR without the comma.
3 L M a R Lefts Make a Right
3 L M f S Little Maids from School (The Mikado). H2-new.
3 L M f S A W Little Maids from School Are We (The Mikado)
3 L o M Legs of Man (The symbol of the Isle of Man is three legs from a centre.)
3 L o a S Leaves on a Shamrock
3 L o a T Legs on a tripod. P55. U. H2. NQ84.
N 3 L o M Newton's 3 Laws of Motion
3 L P Little Pigs. P47. U.
3 L P a t B B W Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf. H2-new.
3 L R Legged Race
(T) 3 M (The) Three Musketeers. P26. R1. (Novel by Alexandre Dumas.) NQ35 has March with Musketeers written in. Perhaps the idea is that March is the third month??
W S W 3 M A When Shall We 3 Meet Again (Macbeth)
3 M a a B Three Men and a Baby. P13-new. U. (Film title)
3 M b A D (The) Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. H2-new.
T 3 M B, G H a C The 3 Marx Brothers, Groucho Harpo and Chico
3 M E Minute Egg. U-new.
3 M f a O F Medals for an Olympic Final (Gold, Silver, Bronze). H2-new.
3 M I Mile Island
3 M i a B Three Men in a Boat. H2-new.
3 M i a B (J K J) Three Men in a Boat (Jerome K. Jerome). U-new.
3 M i a B T S N o t D Three Men in a Boat To Say Nothing of the Dog (book by Jerome K. Jerome)
3 M i a L Miles in a League
3 M i a R Minutes in a Round
3 M i a T Men in a Tub
OR Men in a Triumvirate
3 M i a T R a D D Men in a Tub Rub a Dub Dub. U-new.
3 M I (N P S) Mile Island (Nuclear Power Station). U-new.
3 M K a S I 2 o T a D 3 May Keep a Secret, If 2 of Them are Dead (B. Franklin)
3 M R (B) Minute Rounds (Boxing)
3 M T o R (M, I & S) Main Types of Rock (Metamorphic, Igneous & Sedimentary)
3 N i a A C (U S) Numbers in an Area Code (United States). U-new. (For telephones.)
3 N i a P Nobles in a Pound (Old English money _ the noble was obsolete before the 19C.)
T L f 3 O The Love for 3 Oranges (Prokofiev)
3 o 4 B K 3 or 4 Brothers Karamazov. P25-new.
3 o a M On a Match. P31-new. U.
3 O E C i a D o C One Eyed Cards in a Deck of Cards (KD, JS, JH)
3 O K C F Old King Cole's Fiddlers. P28-new. U.
A G i D i 3 P All Gaul is Divided into 3 Parts (Julius Caesar)
E H 3 P B M a E Everything Has 3 Parts, Beginning, Middle and End
3 P C Primary Colours. P54. U.
OR Phase Current
3 P f a D G i R F Points for a Dropped Goal in Rugby Football
3 P f a F G i F Points for a Field Goal in Football. S2. (American)
3 P f a W, 1 f a D 3 Points for a Win, 1 for a Draw
3 P f a W i S H P Points for a Win in Shove Ha'Penny
3 P f a W i t F L Points for a Win in the Football League. H2-new.
3 P f P t G i S Points for Potting the Green in Snooker. H2-new.
3 P H Part Harmony
3 P i a B S Pieces in a Business Suit. P12-new. U.
3 P i a H G Periods in a Hockey Game. (Ice hockey.) P4-new. U.
3 P i a I H M Periods in an Ice Hockey Match
3 P i a S Pancakes in a Stack
3 P i a T Panels in a Triptych
OR Persons in a Triumvirate
OR Puncheons in a Tun
3 P i N E Three Places in New England (by Charles Ives)
3 P i t H T Persons in the Holy Trinity
3 P i w A G w D Parts into which All Gaul was Divided. U-new. GR.
3 P O Three Penny Opera (by John Gay)
3 P o a I Parts of an Insect. P49-new. U.
3 P P Pipe Problem (Sherlock Holmes)
3 P S Piece Suit (or Suite)
3 P T Point Turn
3 Q i a F E Quarters in a Flemish Ell (cloth measure)
T 3 R The 3 R's (Readin', 'ritin' 'n' 'rithmetic.) R33.
3 R C Ring Circus
3 R i a C Rings in a Circus. P32-new. U2.
3 R i a T R C Rings in a Three Ring Circus. U-new.
3 R R W i t G N Red Rum's Wins in the Grand National
3 S a O Strikes and Out. R22-new.
3 S a Y O Strikes and You're Out. P30. U. [American baseball.]
3 S a Y O a t O B G Strikes and You're Out at the Old Ball Game
T 3 S b A C The 3 Sisters, by Anton Chekhov
3 S (C) Three Sisters (Chekhov). U-new.
I S 3 S C S b I Saw 3 Ships Come Sailing by
I S 3 S C S i I Saw 3 Ships Come Sailing in
3 S G Synoptic Gospels
3 S i a C W Stumps in a Cricket Wicket. H2-new.
3 S i a D Scruples in a Dram. U. (Should be Drachm, which is in apothecaries' measure, while Dram is in avoirdupois measure, though this distinction is not always made.)
3 S i a T Sides in a Triangle. P48-new. U.
3 S i C F V Ships in Columbus's First Voyage. P41-new.
3 S i C P Sisters in Chekhov's Play. P48-new.
3 S i O B Stars in Orion's Belt
3 S i t W Sheets in the Wind
3 S (L, M, a C) Stooges (Larry, Moe and Curly). U-new.
3 S M a D Square Meals a Day
3 S o a T Sides of a Triangle. H2.
3 S o t B o a I Segments on the Body of an Insect
3 S o C C Ships of Christopher Columbus. U-new.
3 S o C F V Ships on Columbus's First Voyage. U2-new.
3 S R o N Square Root of Nine
3 S t H (S) Three Steps to Heaven (pop song by Showaddywaddy). U.
3 S t t W Sheets to the Wind. P24-new. U.
3 S U P i a A Strokes Under Par is an Albatross (at golf). H.
3 S Y O a t O B G Strikes You're Out at the Old Ball Game. U-new. GR. (Should be 3 S a Y O ...)
3 T (J C P D a L P) Tenors (Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti). H2-new.
3 T a L (L R) Times a Lady (Lionel Richie). U-new. (Song title)
3 T i a B Tierces in a Butt
3 T i a P Tierces in a Pipe
3 T i a T Teaspoons in a Tablespoon (US). Cf 2 T i a D.
3 T i a Y Terms in a Year (Often, but not always.)
W I T Y 3 T i T What I Tell You 3 Times is True (Lewis Carroll: The Hunting of the Snark)
3rd T L 3rd Time Lucky
3 3 t R 3, 3, the Rivals (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
3 T t R 3, Three, the Rivals (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
3 T V M a A F TV Movies about Amy Fisher. P53-new. (In 1991, the Long Island teenager Amy Fisher shot her lover's wife and became a cause celebre.)
3 V o a T Valves on a Trumpet (or most other brass instruments).
U.
OR Vertices on a Triangle
3 V o C C Voyages of Captain Cook
3 W Weeks. R69-new. (Presumably the Three Weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem.)
A L t 3 W A Letter to Three Wives (film title). H.
3 W i a H T Wickets in a Hat Trick. (Cricket.)
3 W i M Witches in Macbeth. P5-new. U. H2.
3 W i M (WS) Witches in Macbeth (William Shakespeare). NQ5-new.
3 W M Wise Men. R63.
3 W M a B Wise Men at Bethlehem. P14-new. U.
3 W o a R R Wheels on a Reliant Robin
3 W o a T Wheels on a Tricycle. P14. U. H2.
OR Wings on a Triplane
3 W o m W Three Wheels on my Wagon. U-new. (Song by New Christy Minstrels.)
3 Y a a C o D Yards and a Cloud of Dust. U-new. (Coined by Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes to describe his ground attack, c1968.)
3.26 L Y i a P Light Years in a Parsec
C a 4 Coach and 4
G o 4 Gang of 4
T S o 4 The Sign of Four (Conan Doyle story)
4 A i a M o D Atoms in a Molecule of Deuterium
A 4 A O And four angels overspread (Prayer to the Evangelists, see Appendix.)
4 a T B B (B i a π) 4 and Twenty Black Birds (Baked in a Pie)
4 a 20 B B i a P 4 and 20 Blackbirds Baked in a Pie. R43-new.
4 A t m B 4 A r m H 4 Angels to my Bed, 4 Angels round my Head (Thomas Ady, 1655. See Appendix.)
4 B i a B i M T Beats in a Bar in March Time
4 B i a C S Balls in a Croquet Set. H.
OR: Bishops in a Chess Set. NQ27.
4 B i a J Bottles in a Jeroboam (of champagne)
4 B i a (32 B) W Bytes in a (32 Bit) Word
4 B i a W Balls in a Walk. P30-new. U. [American baseball]
4 B i t G C Bases in the Genetic Code. (Adenosine, cytosine, guanine, thymine.)
4 B (J P G a R) Beatles (John, Paul, George and Ringo). H2-new.
T 4 B o A (b A P) The Four Books of Architecture (by Andrea Palladio). (16C)
4 B o a R P ?? Bases on a Rounders Pitch ??
4 C A i B Carbon Atoms in Butane. U-new.
4 C B Colly Birds. Sometimes Calling Birds.
T 4 C C i n t 4 C T The 4 Colour Conjecture is now the 4 Colour Theorem
4 C i a Q Cups in a Quart. U-new.
4 C i a S Corners in a Square. U-new.
OR Crotchets in a Semibreve. U-new.
4 C i a T L S ??
4 C i t F F Children in the Famous Five. U-new. (Stories by Enid Blyton; the fifth was the dog.)
4 C i t H H Chambers in the Human Heart. P33-new. U.
4 C o a S Corners of a Square. H2-new.
4 C o E Corners of (the) Earth. NQ13.
4 C o Q E 2 Children of Queen Elizabeth II
4 C o t E Corners of the Earth
4 C o t G Corners of the Globe. R67-new.
4 C o t W Corners of the World
T a 4 C t m B There are 4 Corners to my Bed (Prayer to the Evangelists, see Appendix.)
W i D a 4 D C Water is Densest at 4 Degrees Celsius
4 D t t N S (i L Y) Distance to the Nearest Star (in Light Years)
T 4 E The 4-th Estate
4 E E A F a W 4 Elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water (Greek philosophy)
4 E M M L a J Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
4 E o t P U Elements of the Physical Universe. P52-new.
Cf 4 E E A F a W.
4 E o t R Estates of the Realm
4 F Flusher. R31-new.
T 4 F The Four Feathers. (Jonathan Always; Puzzles for Puzzlers; Tandem, 1971, prob. 8(a). Novel by A. E. W. Mason, 1902, filmed 7 times.)
OR The Four Freedoms
4 f a B for a Birth (or Boy) (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
4 F i a B Firkins in a Barrel
4 F i a G (U S) Fluidounces in a Gill (United States). U-new. Should be Fluid Ounces ??
4 F i a O P Farthings in an Old Penny. H2. (Old English money.)
4 F o a Q Feet on a Quadruped
4 F O i a G Fluid Ounces in a Gill. (US.)
4 F O i a G (U S) Fluid Ounces in a Gill (United States)
4 F o M M H Fingers on Mickey Mouse's Hands. H.
4 F o M R Faces on Mount Rushmore. U-new. (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, T. Roosevelt.)
4 f t G M for the Gospel Makers (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
4 G Gospels
4 G i a C C ?? Misprint for Quadrants in a Complete Circle ??
4 G i a P Gills in a Pint. U.
4 G i C Gang in China. P38-new. [G o 4 is better.]
4 G i t B Gospels in the Bible
4 G i t N T Gospels in the New Testament
4 G M i C Gang Members in China. U-new. [G o 4 is better.]
4 G (M M L a J) Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). H2-new.
4 G t W t W S Games to Win the World Series. P57-new. [American baseball.]
4 H a J G F [For] He's a Jolly Good Fellow. H2-new.
4 H i a T Hogsheads in a Tun
4 H o N D Horsemen of Notre Dame. U-new. [Reference to a famous football team with four great runners.]
4 H o t A Horsemen of the Apocalypse. S2. P36. U. H2. R39. (Revelation 6:2-8 only describes the first three and says the fourth is Death. From the descriptions, one could call the first three: Conquest, War or Slaughter, Famine. I seem to recall the names: War, Famine, Pestilence and Death.)
4 i H In Hand. R3-new. This is a kind of carriage??
4 I i a H Inches in a Hand. U.
4 I i a S Q Instruments in a String Quartet. P33-new.
4 I i M I's in Mississippi. P13-new. U, with Is.
4 I o C Inns of Court. (London legal training institutions.)
T 4 (M) I o J The 4 (Main) Islands of Japan
4 J A I D July, American Independence Day. H2-new.
T 4 J M (b E W) The Four Just Men (by Edgar Wallace). H2 omits 'The'.
4 K i a P Kilderkins in a Puncheon
4 L a N C Lions around Nelson's Column
4 L C Leaf Clover. H2.
4 L C t I L O Leaf Clover that I'm Looking Over. U-new.
4 L G 2 L B 4 Legs Good, 2 Legs Bad (Animal Farm, by George Orwell, 1945)
4 L i a B Lines in a Barleycorn
4 L i a D W Letters in a Dirty Word. P31-new. U.
4 L i a R R Legs in a Relay Race. H2-new.
4 L i a R W Letters in a Rude Word. H2-new.
4 L o a L C Leaves on a Lucky Clover. U-new.
4 L o t A H H a V S Letters of the Alphabet Have Horizontal and Vertical Symmetry (HIOX)
4 L S Law Sittings (Hilary, Easter, Trinity, Michaelmas)
4 L W Letter Word
4 M H C Mozart Horn Concertoes
4 M i a Q Musicians in a Quartet
4 M i a S Movements in a Symphony. P32-new. U. NQ16. [Not always!]
T 4 M M Minute Mile
4 M M B b R B Minute Mile Broken by Roger Bannister. H2-new.
4 M o t B Members of the Beatles. P47-new. U.
4 M w T D Months with Thirty Days. U-new.
4 N i a Q Nails in a Quarter (medieval cloth measure, still given in 19C books!)
4 N T G New Testament Gospels
4 o C t O'Clock Tea. R8-new.
4 O i T R o t N Operas in The Ring of the Nibelungs. [By Wagner] P35-new, omitting second 'the'.
4 O in a M Q P* (*B C) Ounces in a MacDonald's Quarter-Pounder* (*Before Cooking) S3-new.
T G 4 o J The Glorious 4th of July
T 4 o J The 4th of July. R24-new.
T 4 o J i I D i A The 4th of July is Independence Day in America
4 O t F Overtures to Fidelio. (By Beethoven. The first three are called Leonora Overtures, 1, 2, 3.)
4 P B Poster Bed
4 P f a T Points for a Try
4 P i a B Pecks in a Bushel. U. (Dry measure)
4 P i a F Players in a Foursome
4 P i a G Pennies in a Groat (Old English money.)
4 P i a P Pints in a Pottle
4 P i a D T M Players in a Doubles Tennis Match. NQ94-new.
4 P o a P T Players on a Polo Team. H.
4 P o t C Points of the Compass. H2-new. NQ14.
4 P o t M Phases of the Moon
4 Q (b T S E) Quartets (by T. S. Eliot)
4 Q D Quarter Days (Christmas, Lady Day, Midsummer, Michaelmas)
4 Q i a C Quadrants in a Circumference (or Circle)
4 Q i a F G Quarters in a Football Game (US). P3-new. U.
4 Q i a G Quarts in a Gallon. S1. P cover, 45. U. H2.
4 Q i a H Quarters in a Hundredweight
4 Q i a Y Quarters in a Yard (medieval cloth measure, still given in 19C books!)
4 Q o t M Quarters of the Moon
T B 4 R The Big 4 Railroads. R62-new. (I assumed this referred to 1920s USA, but Robert Reid believes it is British and hence would be The Big 4 Railways, and this is confirmed in W. H. Mason; The Gilbert Harding Question Book; Benn, 1956, pp. 78 & 122, which says the term applied until nationalization in 1948. The railways were: LMS (London, Midland & Scottish) LGNER (London & North-Eastern Railway), GWR (Great Western Railway (sometimes called God's Wonderful Railway)), SR (Southern Railway))
4 R f a B Runs for a Boundary
4 R f a B i C Runs for a Boundary in Cricket. H2-new.
4 R i a A Roods in an Acre
4 R i a C Rods in a Chain
4 R i a R R Runners in a Relay Race
4 R o a M B Railways on a Monopoly Board. U. (In the US.)
4 R o H Rivers of Hell (Dante: Inferno 14 lists: Acheron, Styx, Phlegethon, Cocytus. Lethe is also often listed, giving 5 R o H, qv, but Dante says it is in Paradise. Cf 7 R o H, 9 R o H.)
4 R o P Rivers of Paradise
4 R S o t M B Railway Stations on the Monopoly Board. H2-new.
4 S Seasons
A Y h 4 S A Year has 4 Seasons. KK-new.
4 S a 7 Y A 4 Score and 7 Years Ago
4 S a S Y A Score and Seven Years Ago. U-new.
4 S a 7 Y A Score and Seven Years Ago. R100-new.
4 S b V Seasons by Vivaldi. H2-new.
4 S i a B Q Singers in a Barbershop Quartet. P33-new.
4 S i a D o C Suits in a Deck of Cards. P11. U.
4 S i a F o B Stones in a Firkin of Butter
4 S i a R Sides in a Rectangle. P49-new. U.
4 S i a S Sides in a Square. P49-new. U.
4 S i a Y Seasons in a Year. U-new.
4 S i M S's in Mississippi. P13-new. U, with Ss.
4 S i 3 A 4 Saints in 3 Acts (Opera by Virgil Thomson, words by Gertrude Stein.)
4 S M a D Square Meals a Day
4 S o a M B Stations on a Monopoly Board (In England. In the US, they are railways. I don't know about other countries.)
4 S o a Q Sides on (of) a Quadrilateral. H2-new.
4 S o a S Sides on (of) a Square
4 S o a V Strings on a violin. U. H2. GR. (or viola, cello, double bass, banjo, etc.)
4 S o t Y Seasons of the Year. P23. NQ36.
4 S Q i a C Semi Quavers in a Crotchet
4 S (S S A W) Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall), Winter)
4 S t a S Sides to a Square
4 S W Four Strong Winds (song title by Ian Tyson)
4 S W T B L Four Strong Winds That Blow Lonely (opening line of the song)
4 T F D R E P Terms FDR Elected President. P37-new. U. ['was elected' would be better.]
4 T o a C Teats on a Cow
4 T o a F Tines on a Fork (usually).
4 T o a R F o a C Toes on a Rear Foot of a Cat
4 U S P o M R U. S. Presidents on Mount Rushmore. P35-new.
4 U S S w t W N U. S. States with the Word New. P52-new.
4 W Winds. H.
4 W a a F Four Weddings and a Funeral (film title). H2.
4 W B Wheel Brakes. R52-new.
4 W D Wheel Drive
B 4 W m B H Beneath four wings my body hide (Prayer to the Evangelists, see Appendix.)
4 W o a C Wheels on a Car. P7-new. U.
4 Y B L Y Years Between Leap Years
4 Y B O G Years between Olympic Games
4 Y B P E Years between Presidential Elections etc.
4 Y i a O Years in an Olympiad. P46-new. U.
4 Y i O P T Years in One Presidential Term. U-new.
4 + 20 B B i a P 4 and 20 Blackbirds Baked in a Pie. GR-new.
H W W T, M R a 5 He Who Would Thrive, Must Rise at 5 [Proverb] Cf H W H T. M L t 7
G M 5 Give Me 5
H M B M 5 How Many Beans Make Five? Jonathan Always; Puzzles for Puzzlers; Tandem, 1971, prob. 8(b). (Early 17C English proverb, given in Brewer, who says it refers to use of beans on a counting board (i.e. an abacus). Often used in versions of Jack and the Beanstalk, where the answer is "Two in each hand and one in your mouth".
C N 5 Chanel No. 5
S 5 Slaughterhouse Five (by Kurt Vonnegut). H.
T 5 Take 5
T F 5 The Famous 5 (Enid Blyton characters)
5, 6, P u S Pick up Sticks
5, 6, P u t S Pick up the Sticks
5 a a H Y i a R P o P 5 and a Half Yards in a Rod, Pole or Perch
5 A o a S Arms on a starfish (Usually)
N Y 5 A S New York's 5th Avenue Shops. R85-new.
5 B G Barred Gate
5 B i a B Bundles in a Bale (of paper)
5 B i t T Books in the Torah. P27-new. U.
5 B o M Books of Moses (= the Pentateuch)
5 C A i P Carbon Atoms in Pentane. U-new.
5 C H R i E Classic Horse Races in England
5 C i a N Cents in a Nickel
5 C i B H R Classics in British Horse Racing
5 C i C A Countries in Central America. U-new.
5 C P Cinque Ports. U-new. (A group of originally five ports along the SE coast of England.)
5 C R M Camptown Racetrack Miles. U-new.
5 C S Card Stud
5 D i a W W Days in a Working Week. H2-new.
5 D i a Z C Digits in a Zip Code. S1. U.
5 D i Y Dice in Yahtzee. U-new.
5 D Q Dione Quintuplets
5 E i a P Events in a Pentathlon
5 E P Five Easy Pieces. U-new. S3. (1970 film title.)
5 f a C for a Christening (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
5 F E Finger Exercise
5 F i a G (UK) Fluidounces in a Gill (United Kingdom). U-new. (Should be Fluid Ounces ...)
5 F i a P Feet in a Pace
5 F o a H Fingers on a Hand. P54. U. H2.
5 F o t H Fingers on the Hand. S2.
5 F O i a G Fluid Ounces in a Gill. (UK. The a was omitted in the version posed.)
5 F o N P Fields of Nobel Prizes
5 F 2 E o B Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue. U-new. (Song title.)
5 f t C a Y D for the Cymbals at Your Door (Green Grow the Rushes Oh _ see Appendix. Both Cymbals and Symbols occur several times on Google.)
5 F T E o B Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue. U-new. (Song title.)
5 f t S a Y D for the Symbols at Your Door (Green Grow the Rushes Oh _ see Appendix. Both Cymbals and Symbols occur several times on Google. John Timpson [Timpson's England; Jarrold, 1987, pp. 7 & 100] says this may derive from five marks at the entrance to Benthall Hall and other 16C houses that indicated Catholic sympathies and sanctuary for priests.)
5 F T T O Z Four Three Two One Zero. H2-new.
5 f t R For the Rich (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
5 F V Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:2, cf 5 W V)
Y O M 5 F S t B o S M You Owe Me 5 Farthings, Say the Bells of St. Martin's
T 5 G L The 5 Great Lakes. P10. U. (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario.)
5 G L o N A Great Lakes of North America. H2-new.
5 G N M Guys Named Mo
5 G R Gold Rings
5 G R M T L G t M Gold Rings My True Love Gave To Me. H2-new.
5 H o t W o B Husbands of the Wife of Bath (Chaucer)
I S t F 5 i G I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold (Painting by Charles Demuth, 1928, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. Apparently inspired by a William Carlos Williams poem??)
V D 5 i R N V Denotes 5 in Roman Numerals
T S H 5 L The Sheep Has Five Legs (1954 French film). H.
5 L a 2 F 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes (Matthew 14:17, etc.)
5 L i a L Lines in a Limerick
5 L i a M S Lines in a Musical Stave
5 L P ?? Little Piggies
OR Little Peppers _ see next entry. R59.
5 L P a H T G Five Little Peppers (and How They Grew) (Title of a popular US children's book from a story by Margaret Sidney). H.
T A o t 5 M The Arrest of the Five Members (attempted by Charles I on 4 Jan 1641 in the House of Commons against five protesting MPs - the event that started the Civil War)
5 M B i J a t B Magic Beans in Jack and the Beanstalk. P8-new. U.
5 M i a C R Miles in a Camptown Racetrack. U2-new.
5 M i C R Miles in Camptown Racetrack. P32-new. 5 M i t C R would be better.
C R 5 M L Camptown Racetrack 5 Miles Long [Do-dah].
G M 5 M M Give Me 5 Minutes More (Song title and line, by Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn, 1946.)
5 M o t C Members of the Cabal
5 M S ?? Main Senses
5 N (G F N) November (Guy Fawkes Night). H2-new.
5 N i t P S Notes in the Pentatonic Scale
5 N o t I Nations of the Iroquois (Indian tribes in New York state.)
5 N P i a O S New Pence in an Old Shilling. H2-new.
H 5 0 Hawaii Five-O (American TV series). I'm not sure if the
OR H 5 O O is supposed to be a 0, though it's pronounced 'oh'.
5 O'C i Q T O'Clock is Quitting Time. U-new.
R R t 5 o N Remember, Remember, the 5th of November (Popular rhyme for Guy Fawkes Night.)
5 O o M i E S Ounces of Milk in Every Slice (Kraft cheese slogan)
5 O o t W Oceans of the World
T 5 O P The Five Orange Pips (Sherlock Holmes story.)
5 O R Olympic Rings
OR O'clock Rush(hour)
5 O S O'clock Shadow
5 O o W Oceans of (the) World [sic!]. NQ64.
5 P f a T i R U Points for a Try in Rugby Union
5 P i a B T Players in a Basketball Team
5 P i a N Pennies in a Nickel. P9-new. U. (US money)
5 P N Pound Note. H2-new.
W u i a 5 P n Wrapped up in a 5 Pound Note. (The Owl and the Pussycat.)
5 P o a D P Pads on a Dog's Paw
5 P o a P Points on a Pentangle
5 P o a S i B Players on a Side in Basketball
5 P o a T R Petals on a Tudor Rose
5 P o t F i I Pillars of the Faith in Islam (Belief in one God; prayer five times a day toward Mecca; giving of alms; observance of Ramadan; making the Hadj.)
T 5 P S Platonic Solids
5 Q i a L Quarters in a Load
5 Q i a E Quarters in an Ell (medieval cloth measure, still given in 19C books!)
5 Q i a E E Quarters in an English Ell (cloth measure)
5 R f D Reasons for Drinking (Henry Aldrich, 17C)
5 R i t O S Rings in the Olympic Symbol
5 R o H Rivers of Hell (or Hades). (Brewer says five: Acheron, Cocytus, Styx, Phlegethon, Lethe, but Dante says Lethe is in Paradise _ cf 4 R o H. Cf 7 R o H; 9 R o H.)
5 R o t O F Rings on the Olympic Flag. U-new. NQ5.
5 R P (C A E W a H) Royal Princes (Charles, Andrew, Edward, William and Harry). H2-new.
5 R W S D Reasons We Should Drink (Henry Aldrich, cf above)
T a 5 R W S D There are 5 Reasons We Should Drink (Henry Aldrich, cf above)
5 S G Star General
5 S i a C Shillings in a Crown (Old English money.)
5 S i a P Sides in a Pentagon. P41-new. U. ['of' or 'on' might be better.]
5 S i t S C Stars in the Southern Cross
5 S o a P Sides on a Pentagon
5 S t a P Sides to a Pentagon. KK-new.
A N 5 S S f 2 F Are Not 5 Sparrows Sold for 2 Farthings (Luke 12). U-new.
A o t 5 T Anna of the Five Towns (Arnold Bennett novel)
F F 5 T F L Full Fathom 5 Thy Father Lies (The Tempest)
5 T i t P Towns in the Potteries (Stoke, Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Longton, used in Arnold Bennett's novels.)
5 T on a C (including the S in the T)
?? Toes on a Chicken (including the Spur in the Toes) ?? GR-new. Nothing on Google.
5 T o a F Toes on a Foot. F54-new. H2. NQ96.
5 T o a H F Toes on a Human Foot. U-new.
5 T S (2 H, E, M & E) Tudor Sovereigns (2 Henrys, Edward, Mary & Elizabeth)
5 V i R N V in Roman Numerals. H2-new.
5 V i t A Vowels in the Alphabet. NQ98.
5 V i t A (E Y) Vowels in the Alphabet (Excluding Y). H2-new.
5 V i t E A (S Y a W) Vowels in the English Alphabet (Sometimes Y and W). U-new.
5 V O i t H B Vital Organs in the Human Body. P45-new. U2.
A U a a 5 W As Useless as a Fifth Wheel. R35-new.
5 W i t A Words in the Answer. U-new.
5 W o O L Wounds of Our Lord
5 W o t R Wounds of the Redeemer
5 W V Wise Virgins (Matthew 25:2, cf 5 F V)
5 Y P Year Plan
H f 6 Hit for 6 (In cricket, this is a maximum score.)
N W a 6 Now We are 6 (A. A. Milne)
P 6 5 T Pennsylvania 6 5-Thousand (Glenn Miller song title, using the telephone number of the Statler (or Pennsylvania) Hotel in New York where his band was playing.)
B n I a 6 a C a C But now I am 6 and Clever as Clever (A. A. Milne)
6 A o R Articles of Religion. (Apparently there were 6 before there were 39 (cf 39 A o R); Bishop Hugh Latimer was unable to accept the Six Articles and resigned in 1539.
6 A o t A Avenue of the Americas. U2-new. P14, omitting 'the'.
A 6s a 7s At Sixes and Sevens
E i a 6s a 7s Everything is at Sixes and Sevens. R87-new.
6 B C Brandenburg Concertos. P32-new. U. [By Bach]
6 B i a O Balls in an Over. H2-new.
6 B i a O (i C) Balls in an Over (in Cricket). U.
6 B i a R Bottles in a Rehoboam (of champagne)
6 B t a O Balls to an Over. NQ54.
6 C A i H Carbon Atoms in Hexane. U-new.
6 C B i S Coloured Balls in Snooker
6 C Chopsticks. (Cockney rhyming slang.)
6 C i S o a A Six Characters in Search of an Author (play or book title). H2.
6 C o U Counties of Ulster (Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Tyrone, which comprise Northern Ireland. Actually Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan are historically also part of Ulster, but became part of the Irish Republic in 1921, and later Irish nationalism has concentrated on the 'missing' six counties.
T E W M i 6 D The Earth Was Made in 6 Days. R70-new.
6 D a 7 N 6 Days and 7 Nights (of Creation)
6 D i t 7 D W Days in the 7 Day War.
6 D i t G F o L Deaths in the Great Fire of London (1666). H.
6 D i t S-D W Days in the Seven-Day War. P38-new.
6 D o C Days of Creation. P41. U.
6 D o t C Days of the Condor. U-new. (Novel by James Grady, 1974, made into a movie as Three Days of the Condor, 1975.)
6 D S T L Days Shalt Thou Labour (Book of Common Prayer). H2.
6 D W Day War
6 E i a I Ems in an Inch. (Printers' measure.) Chapman, p. 22.
6 E i H a D Eggs in Half a Dozen
6 f a D for a Dearth (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
I T I b 6 f E a E I Think I'll be 6 for Ever and Ever (A. A. Milne)
6 F i a F Feet in a Fathom. U. H2.
6 F i a H Firkins in a Hogshead
6 F o a I Feet on an Insect
6 F o T Flags over Texas. U-new. (Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, USA, CSA.)
6 F o t C Faces of the Cube
6 f t P For the Poor (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
6 f t S P W for the Six Proud Walkers (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
6 F U Feet Underground. U-new. OR just Under.
6 G A Geese A-laying. U-new.
6 G a L Geese a-Laying
6 G f a S a T Games for a Set at Tennis
6 G t W a S i T Games to Win a Set in Tennis. H2-new.
6 H a D Half a Dozen
6 H D o O f R C Holy Days of Obligation for Roman Catholics. P17-new. U.
6 i H a D is Half a Dozen
6 I T B B (L C) Impossible Things Before Breakfast (Lewis Carroll). U-new.
W S I B a M a 6 I T B B Why, Sometimes I've Believed as Many as 6 Impossible Things Before Breakfast (Through the Looking-Glass)
6 i t F P N is the First Perfect Number
6 i t M M i F S is the Maximum Mark in Figure Skating
6 K i a B Kilderkins in a Butt
6 L o a I Legs on an Insect. U. H2 has 'of'.
6 M G ?? Mitford Girls
6 M G t W a T S ?? Minimum Games to Win a Tennis Set
6 N i a M Noughts in a Million
6 o O a a H D o t O of One and a Half Dozen of the Other. U-new.
6 o O a H a D o t O of One and Half a Dozen of the Other
6 o O a ½ D o t O of One and a Half Dozen of the Other. R44-new.
6 o O H a D o t O of One, Half a Dozen of the Other i. H2-new.
6 o t B of the Best. H2.
S a S o 6 P Sing a Song of 6 Pence
6 P f a T D i A F Points for a Touch Down in American Football
6 P f P t P i S Points for Potting the Pink in Snooker.
6 P i a P Pigs in a Poke. U-new. (I don't know this phrase and Google only gives it with two or three ??)
6 P i a P T Pockets in a Pool Table. P56-new.
6 P i t G T S Pips in the Greenwich Time Signal. H2-new.
6 P o a I H T Players on an Ice Hockey Team
6 P o a P T Pockets on a Pool Table. U-new. GR.
6 P o a S T Pockets on a Snooker Table. H2.
6 P o a V B T Players on a Volley Ball Team
6 P W Proud Walkers (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
6 Q i a F E Quarters in a French Ell (cloth measure)
6 S Shooter. R50.
OR Sixth Sense. R53-new.
6 S i a H Sides in a Hexagon. P50-new. U.
6 S i C Suspects in Cluedo
6 S i F S M Sharps in F Sharp Major. NQ34-new.
6 S o a C Sides on (of) a Cube. U-new.
6 S o a D Sides on a Dice. KK-new. This is really incorrect and the following is correct.
6 S o a D Sides on (of) a Die. U-new.
6 S o a G Strings on a Guitar. H2.
6 S o a H Sides of a Hexagon. H2. (or Hexahedron).
6 S o H Sides of a Hexagon [sic!]. NQ56
6 T i a T Tierces in a Tun
6 T o a P H Toes on a Panda's Hand [not quite true, the 'sixth' toe is a kind of a spur.]
6 T Z i t U S Time Zones in the United States. U-new.
6 V i t E L Vowels in the English Language. U-new. (This must be including Y.)
6 W i t U S S Women in the U. S. Senate. P16-new.
6 W o H E Wives of Henry Eight. NQ70 has 'Henry Eighth'.
OR 6 W o H VIII " P22. U2.
6 W o H t 8 Wives of Henry the Eighth
OR 6 W o H t E " S2. U. H2.
6 Z i a M Zeroes in a Million. H2-new.
D 0 7 (J B) 007 (James Bond)
H W H T. M L t 7 He Who Hath Thriven, May Lie til 7 [Proverb] Cf H W W T, M R a 5
S 7 Shed Seven (a Leeds band)
T M 7 The Magnificent Seven (Hollywood film based on Kurosawa's Seven Samurai)
T S 7 The Secret 7 (Enid Blyton characters)
7, 8, L T S Lay Them Straight. R88.
7 A o a M [sic!] Ages of Man. NQ2.
7 A o M Acts of Mercy _ see 7 W o M
7 A o M Ages of Man (As You Like It). P26. U. H2. [The Greeks had 3, 4 or 7 ages of man!]
7 a T b A Seven Against Thebes, by Aeschylus
7 a t R T Seven and the Ragged Tiger (Record title by Duran Duran)
7 B f 7 B Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954 musical film)
7 B f S B Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. P58-new. U. H2. NQ92.
7 B i t A Bones in the Ankle
7 C i (o) a M Candles in (on) a Menorah. H. P34-new says 8 and my Jewish neighbours have shown me an example which has 8, but there is an extra candle used for lighting the others.
7 C i a R Colors in a Rainbow. P54-new. U. Cf 7 C o t R.
7 C i t S Colours in the Spectrum. Cf 7 C o t R.
7 C i t W Continents in the World
7 C o A Churches of Asia (Revelation 1:11)
7 C o C Champions of Christendom (George, James, Anthony, Denys, David, Patrick, Andrew)
7 C o R Churches of Rome. (S. Giovanni Laterano, S. Pietro, S. Paolo fuori le Mura, S. Lorenzo, Sta. Maria Maggiore, Sta. Croce in Gerusalemme, S. Sebastiano.)
7 C o t E Continents on the Earth. U-new.
7 C o t R Coins of the Realm (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 p (UK), but the new £2 has changed this.)
7 C o t R Colours of the Rainbow. H says it is thought that Newton invented indigo in order to get seven colours and another source says this was in analogy with the seven notes of the musical scale. This source says Virgil stated the rainbow had a thousand colours. H2.
7 C o t S Colours of the Spectrum
7 C 11 7 Come 11 (exhortation to dice in craps). R60-new.
7 C V Cardinal Virtues (Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice, Fortitude, Prudence, Temperance _ the first 3 are sometimes called the Christian virtues or graces, the latter four being the Cardinal or natural virtues.)
S W a t 7 D Snow White and the 7 Dwarves
7 D Dials (London intersection)
S W h 7 D Snow White had 7 Dwarves. KK-new.7 D A 7th Day Adventists
7 D A Seventh Day Adventist. R65-new.
R b 7 D b 11 Rain before 7, Dry by 11. R83-new.
O t 7 D H R On the 7th Day He Rested
7 D i a T N (US) Digits in a Telephone Number (US). U-new.
7 D i a W Days in a Week. H2.
7 D (i S W) Dwarves (in Snow White). U.
7 D o M M Devils of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2)
7 D O N o J B Double O Number of James Bond. H2-new.
7 D o S W Dwarves of Snow White. P22, with 'in'.
7 D o t W Days of the Week
7 D S (P, W, E, L, G, A, S) Deadly Sins (Pride, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Avarice, Sloth). P35. U. H2. NQ51,
7 D W Day War.
A 7 D W A 7 Day's Wonder. R32-new.
7 D w S W Dwarves with Snow White. H2-new. GR.
7 f a B For a Bitch (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
R a 7 F a 11 Rain at 7, Fair at 11 (proverb)
R b 7 F b 11 Rain before 7, Fine by 11
7 F L a R B M Family Lamentations at Ridyah Bar Mitzvah. U-new.
7 f t S S i t S for the Seven Stars in the Sky (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
7 F Y a 7 L Y 7 Fat Years and 7 Lean Years
T H o t 7 G The House of the 7 Gables (by Nathaniel Hawthorne). R6 has T H o 7 G.
7 G i t W S Games in the World Series [American baseball]
7 G o L Gods of Luck (In Japanese mythology, these are called Shichi Fukujin (Seven Happiness Beings).)
7 G o t H G Gifts of the Holy Ghost _ see below.
7 G o t S Gifts of the Spirit (Wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, righteousness, fear of the Lord)
I 7 H In 7th Heaven (H says there are seven heavens in Islamic belief and names them. Another source says 7th heaven is silver.) R48-new has 7 H.
7 H a 10 H 7 Heads and 10 Horns (on the Beast of the Apocalypse)
7 H a N Y G i a a P t R Hours a Night, You Get it at a Price that's Right (Ad for off-peak electricity)
7 H o R Hills of Rome. S2. P22. U. H2. NQ10. (Palatine, Capitoline, Aventine, Cælian, Esquiline, Viminal, Quirinal.)
7 i a H is a Heaven (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
7 I A S Seventh Inning, All Stretch [American baseball.] R21-new.
7 I S 7th Inning Stretch [American baseball]
7 i t p H o W is the pH of Water. H.
7 K o F i H P Kinds of Fruit in Hawaiian Punch. U-new. (An American fruit drink.)
7 K t B Seven Keys to Baldpate. R68-new. (Novel by Earl Derr Biggers, 1913, made into a successful play, 1913.)
7 L a 5 F 7 Loaves and 5 Fishes. (This is not correct, but occurs several times on Google. Matthew 14:17, etc. gives 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes. Mark 8:20 describes another miraculous feeding: "And when the seven among four thousand, ...", but there is no mention of fishes here and this is the only gospel to describe this feeding. Other sources refer to this as 7 loaves and a few fishes.)
7 L A Liberal Arts. The trivium (grammar, rhetoric, dialectic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music).
7 L B League Boots. R80.
7 L G S i t B S Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat. U-new. (Song title and line, by Paul Evans and the Curls, 1959.)
T 7 L o A The Seven Lamps of Architecture (John Ruskin)
7 L o H Levels of Hell (Dante)
7 L o t A H 180 D R S Letters of the Alphabet Have 180 Degree Rotational Symmetry (HINOSXZ)
7 L o t T Lamps of the Tabernacle
7 L W o C o t C Last Words of Christ on the Cross (Matthew 27: 46; Luke 23: 24, 43, 46; John 19: 26, 28, 30.)
7 M Seven Men (by Max Beerbohm)
7 M C B Seven Men Came Back (by Warwick Deeping)
7 M i a P C Minutes in a Polo Chukkah. H.
7 M o M Men of Moidart (W. H. Mason; The Gilbert Harding Question Book; Benn, 1956, pp. 90 & 127. They were the seven who accompanied Bonnie Prince Charlie in the 1745 uprising.)
7 M S S M i t M O G Mark Spitz's Swimming Medals in the Munich Olympic Games
I 7 M w 7 m S i f H a Y If 7 Maids with 7 Mops Swept it for Half a Year (Through the Looking Glass)
7 O W b S i L Oscars Won by Shakespeare in Love. H2-new.
W h B h H S h H o h 7 P Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars. (Proverbs 9:1) In the middle ages, this was held to refer to the seven liberal arts, see 7 L A.
7 P (D of A) Pleiades (Daughters of Atlas). U.
7 P f a T D Points for a Touch Down. U-new. (Unless the rules have changed or this is not referring to American football, this is incorrect. A touchdown scores 6 points, but it gives an opportunity to score an extra point which is usually made.)
7 P f B i S Points for Black in Snooker. U-new.
7 P i a C Pounds in a Clove (wool weight)
7 P i a N T Players in a Netball Team. H also says 11.
7 P i a W P T Players in a Water Polo Team. U-new.
7 P o a S a W P Players on a Side at Water Polo
7 P o E Plagues of Egypt. P21-new. U2. Cf 10 P o E _ ??
7 P o t O S of a D Points on the Opposite Sides of a Die
T 7 P o W Pillars of Wisdom (Proverbs 9:1: "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars", = Gifts of the Spirit; also the name of a geographic formation in Wadi Rum and the title of a book by T. E. Lawrence.) P26. U. H2 & NQ62 omit 'The'.
7 R o H Rivers of Hell. ?? But cf 4 R o H; 5 R o H; 9 R o H.
T 7 S The Seven Samurai (film by Kurosawa)
OR The 7 Seas. R17.
OR The 7 Sisters (in the Pleiades or in North London
or cliffs in Sussex.)
OR The Seventh Seal (in Revelations or the title of a
Bergmann film)
OR The 7 Sleepers. Cf 7 S o E.
7 S a S Swans a-Swimming
7 S i a H Skeins in a Hank. H.
7 S i t B D Stars in the Big Dipper. S3-new.
7 S i t P Stars in the Plough
OR Sisters in the Pleiades (sometimes counted as 6)
7 S i t S Stars in the Sky (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
7 S o a 50 o 20 P C Sides on a 50 or 20 Pence Coin
7 S o a 20 P P Sides on a 20 Pence Piece
7 S o a 50 P P Sides on a 50 Pence Piece
7 S o a F P C Sides on a Fifty Pence Coin. H2-new.
7 S o a F P P Sides on a Fifty Pence Piece. U.
7 S o a S S 7th Son of a Seventh Son
7 S o E Sleepers of Ephesus
7 S o G Spirits of God (Revelations 4:5.)
7 S o R (Q) Seven Seas of Rhye (Queen). U. (Song title and line from a song by Queen. Sometimes incorrectly spelled Rye.)
7 S o S t S Seas of Sinbad the Sailor. P12-new. U2.
7 S o t C Sacraments of the Church.
7 S o t W Seas of the World
7 S S t F Shepherds Spoil the Flock (proverb, but this comes from an Australian book)
J M 7 T A J Joshua Marched 7 Times Around Jericho (Joshua 6:4.)
7 T (b t G D B) Seven Tears (by the Goombay Dance Band)
7 T S P ?? The Seven Pleiades OR The Seven Planets (of the ancients: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn) ??
7 U Up (soda pop)
7 V Virtues _ see 7 C V
D o t 7 V Dance of the 7 Veils
7 V i S D Veils in Salome's Dance. H2-new.
7 V o S Voyages of Sinbad
OR Veils of Salome
I M a M w 7 W I Met a Man with 7 Wives. U-new.
A I W G t S I I M a M w 7 W As I Was Going to St. Ives, I Met a Man with 7 Wives. R92-new.
7 W o M Works of Mercy (Tending the sick, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, harbouring the stranger, ministering to prisoners, burying the dead. Matthew 25: 35-45.)
7 W o t A W Wonders of the Ancient World. S1. P37. U.
7 W o t W Wonders of the World (Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, Olympian Zeus, Temple of Artemis, Mausoleum, Colossus of Rhodes, Pharos of Alexandria.) R82. NQ55,
7 Y B L Years Bad Luck
7 Y i a I R P o P Yards in a Irish Rod, Pole or Perch
7 Y o B L f B a M Years of Bad Luck for Breaking a Mirror. U-new. GR.
A J S 7 Y f R And Jacob Served 7 Years for Rachel (Genesis 29:20)
T 7 Y I The Seven Year Itch (play by George Axelrod, then a 1955 film). H. _2 omits 'The'.
7 Y o P 7 Y o F 7 Years of Plenty, 7 Years of Famine
P o 8 Pieces of 8. R10.
8 (and a bit) = S by S Symphonies by Schubert (8 completed and 1 Unfinished)
8 a a H 8 ½ (Fellini movie title, 1963). H. H2.
8 A N of O Atomic Number of Oxygen
8 A o a O Arms on an Octopus. U.
8 A R April Rainers (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
8 B Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) (However, one source says there are 9.)
B t 8 B Behind the 8 Ball
8 B i a A O Balls in an Australian Over. NQ100-new.
8 B i a B Bits in a Byte. U.
OR Bits in a Buck. U-new.
8 B i a D Bits in a Dollar
8 B i a M Bottles in a Methusaleh (of champagne)
8 B i a Q Bushels in a Quarter (dry measure)
8 B i a W Bells in a Watch
8 B i t S o t M Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-11). H.
8 B i t W Bones in the Wrist
W 8 B T Where Eight Bells Toll (Alastair MacLean thriller). H.
8 C A i O Carbon Atoms in Octane. H.
8 C (b L M A) Eight Cousins (by Louisa May Alcott)
8 C H Canonical Hours (Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline)
8 C i a G o P Chukkas in a Game of Polo
8 C i (o) a M Candles in (on) a Menorah. P34-new. U2, with 'in'. H says 7, but my Jewish neighbours have shown me an example which has 8, though there is an extra candle used for lighting the others.
8 C o t R Coins of the Realm (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 p (UK).)
8 C T V B Council Tax Valuation Bands
8 D a W Eight Days a Week. U. (Beatles' song title)
8 D a W (i t B S) Eight Days a Week (in the Beatles' Song). GR-new.
8 D i a O Drams in an Ounce. U. (Should be Drachms _ cf 3 S i a D.) (Apothecaries weight.)
8 D i H Days in Hanukkah. P34-new.
8 D o H Days of Hanukkah. U-new.
8 E K C H English Kings Called Henry. U.
8 E K N H English Kings Named Henry. H2.
8 f a W for a Witch (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
8 F i a F Fluidrams in a Fluidounce. U-new. (Should be Fluid Drachms in a Fluid Ounce ?? Cf 3 C i a D.)
8 F i a M Furlongs in a Mile. H2.
8 F i a P Firkins in a Puncheon
8 F o a O Faces on an Octahedron
T 8 F P o E The 8 Fold Path of Enlightenment (in Buddhism). H, listing the 8 parts.
8 f t A R for the April Rainers (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
8 G i a B Gallons in a Bushel
8 G T i t I B C Great Tomatoes in that Itty Bitty Can. U-new. (Ad for Contadina tomato paste, 1956, suggested by Stan Freeberg.)
8 H D Hour Day
E t 8 I a 'Enery the 8th I am _ cf I H 8 O M C E
8 i a H is a Hell (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
8 i E is Enough (American TV show, 1980s)
8 K H o E King Henrys of England. P23-new. U.
A S h 8 L A Spider has 8 Legs. KK-new.
8 L o a O Legs of an Octopus. H2-new. U2. (They aren't commonly called legs _ limbs would be better. Cf 8 T o a O.)
8 L o a S Legs on (of) a Spider. P49. U. H2.
8 M a a S, 4 S a a P 8 Men are a Squad, 4 Squads are a Platoon
8 M a M Maids a-Milking
8 M i a O Musicians in an Octet. NQ8-new.
8 M i a R C Men in a Rowing Crew
8 N i a O Notes in an Octave (really should be 7)
8 N o a O Notes of an Octave (really should be 7). NQ8-new.
8 O i a R C Oarsmen in a Rowing Crew. H2-new.
I H 8 O M C E I'm Her 8th Old Man Called 'Enery _ cf E t 8 I a
8 P i a G Pints in a Gallon. H2.
8 P o B i a A A Pints of Blood in an Average Adult. (Some say 9, H says 12.)
8 P o B i a H B Pints of Blood in a Human Body. (Some say 9, H says 12.)
8 P o S i t E L Parts of Speech in the English Language. S2. U. [Noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection.]
8 P o t A Persons on the Ark
8 Q i a P Quarts in a Peck. U. (dry measure)
8 Q i a W N Quavers in a Whole Note. U-new.
8 R o C S Reindeer of Santa Claus (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen). H.
8 R P Righteous Persons (on the Ark: Noah, his three sons and their wives)
8 S F A C W Spurs' F.A. Cup Wins
8 S i a H Stones in a Hundredweight
8 S i a O Sides in an Octagon. P50-new. U.
8 S o a S S Sides on a Stop Sign. S1. U. (In the US.)
8 S R Santa's Reindeer. P28-new. U.
8 S R o S F Square Root of Sixty Four
8 T o A Territories of Australia
8 T o a O Tentacles on a Octopus. U. H2 has 'of'.
8 T t E T h b M Times that Elizabeth Taylor has been Married. S3-new.
8 W o a P o S Wheels on a Pair of Skates
8 W P i a C S White Pawns in a Chess Set. H2-new.
A H S W N 9 And Her Shoes Were Number 9
A S i T S 9 A Stitch in Time Saves 9
D t t 9s Dressed to the 9s
O C 9 On Cloud 9
9, 10, B F H Big Fat Hen
9, 10, a G F H A Good Fat Hen
9 B Beatitudes (according to one source, but see 8 B)
9 B S Bright Shiners (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
9 C i a G o F Calories in a Gram of Fat. U-new.
9 C L Cat's Lives
9 C o H i t D C Circles of Hell in the Divine Comedy. P 59-new. U. [Dante. Cf 9 L o H.]
L J G w Q f 9 D Lady Jane Grey was Queen for 9 Days. H has 14.
9 D D Drummers Drumming
9 D F Doctor's Favourite. (Darts slang.)
9 D i a Z C w t S C (US) Digits in a Zip Code with the Street Code (US). U-new.
9 D L J G W Q Days Lady Jane Grey Was Queen. H2-new.
9 D O Days Old
9 D Q Days Queen (Lady Jane Grey, 10 - 19 Jul 1553.)
9 D T F Days They Fell (Paradise Lost, II, 645.)
9 D W Days' Wonder. H2. NQ60. Lemon, p. 215.
9 E Earths (in medieval cosmogony). Lemon, p. 215.
9 f a B for a Burying (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
9 f t N B S for the Nine Bright Shiners (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
B t 9 G H S By the 9 Gods He Swore (Lays of Ancient Rome, by Macaulay). H lists the Gods.
9 G i a F Gallons in a Firkin (beer measure)
9 G M Greek Muses. P48-new. U.
9 H Heavens. Lemon, p. 215.
9 H o H Heads of Hydra
9 I i a B G Innings in a Baseball Game. S2. P3. U. [American baseball]
9 I i a S Inches in a Span
9 i t H C i a Y is the Highest Card in a Yarborough (at Whist or Bridge)
9 i t D h A S is the Devil his Ain Sel' (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
9 J o t S C Justices on (of) the Supreme Court. GR.
9 J o t S C (US) Justices of the Supreme Court (US). U-new.
9 J o t U S S C Justices on the US Supreme Court. P39-new. U2.
A C h 9 L A Cat has 9 Lives. R23. Lemon, p. 215.
9 L a C Lessons and Carols
9 L C b O S Lepers Cleansed by Our Saviour (There were ten, but nine never returned God thanks. Luke 17.)
9 L o a C Lives of a Cat. P10. H2.
9 L o C Lives of (a) Cat. NQ67.
9 L o H Levels of Hell (Dante) Cf 9 C o H.
9 L o t A H H S Letters of the Alphabet Have Horizontal Symmetry (BCDEHIKOX)
9 M Muses. R18-new.
9 M i a H B G P Months in a Human Baby's Gestation Period. P44-new. U2.
9 M i a H G P Months in a Human's Gestation Period. U-new.
9 M i G M Muses in Greek Mythology. H lists them.
9 M M Men's Morris
T 9 M M i F w M The 9 Men's Morris is Filled with Mud (Midsummer Night's Dream)
9 M o P Muses of Parnassus
I t 9 M t h a B It takes 9 Months to have a Baby. KK-new.
9 O C N 9 O'Clock News
T 9 o D i t C o S The 9 of Diamonds is the Curse of Scotland
N t 9 O N Not the 9 O'clock News
9 O o A Orders of Angels. Lemon, p. 215.
9 P B Pin Bowling
9 P i a S G Points in a Squash Game
9 P i t S S Planets in the Solar System. S1. P3. U. H2. NQ76.
9 P o a B T Players on a Baseball Team [American baseball]
9 P o a R T Players on a Rounders Team. [Jonathan Always; Puzzles for Puzzlers; Tandem, 1971, prob. 24.]
9 P o t L Points of the Law. H quotes these from Brewer.
P i 9 P o t L Possession is 9 Points of the Law. R36.
9 R o H i G M Rivers of Hell in Greek Mythology. Lemon, p. 215 gives this, but cf 4 R o H; 5 R o H; 7 R o H.
9 S b a S i T Saved by a Stitch in Time
9 S b B Symphonies by Beethoven. P31-new. U. (Or Bruckner.)
9 S b J D S Stories by J. D. Salinger. P58-new.
9 S F i a S Y Square Feet in a Square Yard. H2.
9 S i B F i S 9 September is Black Friday in Scotland (day of the Battle of Flodden Field)
9 S i T-T-T Squares in Tic-Tac-Toe. U-new. GR.
9 S o a N a C B Squares on a Noughts and Crosses Board.
9 S o B Symphonies of Beethoven (or Bruckner).
9 S S b a S i T Stitches Saved by a Stitch in Time. H2-new.
9 S W b B Symphonies written by Beethoven. S3-new.
C o 9 T Cat of 9 Tails. R66 is Cat o' 9 Tails.
T 9 T The 9 Tailors (by Dorothy L. Sayers)
9 T M a M Tailors Make a Man. (This is explained in the Sayers book. A 'tailor' is a particular ring on church bells and nine of them are used to announce the death of a man.) Lemon, p. 215.
9 T o o 10 Times out of Ten. H2.
10 A i a S C Acres in a Square Chain. H. WRONG, there are 10 square chains in an acre.
10 A i t B o R Amendments in the Bill of Rights. S2. P5. U. (In the US Constitution.)
10 A o a S Arms on a Squid. (The a was omitted in the version posed.)
10 B B Big Ben. (Darts slang.)
10 C Commandments. U. H2. R72. (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
T 10 C The 10 Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17.)
T B 10 C The Big 10 Conference (of US college football teams). R90-new.
10 C a H Cock and Hen. (Cockney rhyming slang.)
10 C G t M Commandments Given to Moses. P21-new. U2.
10 C i a F Chains in a Furlong
10 C i a M Centuries in a Millennium. H2.
10 C L i a N M Cable Lengths in a Nautical Mile. (I have also seen 7 1/3, corresponding to a cable of 240 ft. Chapman, p. 21, says this is an International Nautical Mile.)
W a F a S 10 D Walk a Flight and Save 10 Dollars. R45-new. ?? Nothing on Google.
10 D f R H to Y K Days from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur
10 D i a C Decades in a century. H2-new.
10 D i a R o Q Dollars in a Roll of Quarters. U-new. (US coins.)
10 D i a T N (i t A C) Digits in a Telephone Number (including the Area Code). GR-new. S3.
10 D o a T Digits on a Telephone (Dial) ??
10 D S Downing Street
T P M l a 10 D S The Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street. KK-new.
10 D S (P M R) Downing Street (Prime Minister's Residence). U.
10 D T S t W Ten Days That Shook the World (by John Reed, later an Eisenstein film). P58. H.
10 E i a D Events in a Decathlon. U. H lists them. H2.
10 E i t D Events in the Decathlon
10 f a D For a Dance (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
10 F i a P Florins in a Pound (Old English money.)
10 F i B Frames in Bowling. P3-new. U.
10 F i H o a B R Feet in Height of a Basketball Rim. P55-new.
10 F P Foot Pole
I W T I w a 10 F P I Wouldn't Touch It with a 10 Foot Pole
10 f t T C for the Ten Commandments (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
10 F w D M a B D 10, Film with Dudley Moore and Bo Derek. H2-new.
10 G B Green Bottles
10 G B H o a W Green Bottles Hanging on a Wall
10 G B (H o a W) Green Bottles (Hanging on a Wall)
10 G B H o t W Green Bottles Hanging on the Wall. H2-new. NQ61.
10 G H Gallon Hat
10 G i a A Gallons in an Anker (wine measure)
10 H i a H R Hurdles in a Hurdle Race
10 I I ?? GR-new.
T W 10 i t B a t L 1 S R O There Were 10 in the Bed and the Little 1 Said 'Roll Over'
10 L I Ten Little Indians (film title for Agatha Christie play)
10 L I B Little Indian Boys
10 L N Ten Little Niggers (play by Agatha Christie)
10 L N B Little Nigger Boys
10 L T o I Lost Tribes of Israel
10 L W o C Landing Wheels on Concorde
10 M f a M Men (or Males) for a Minyan (Jewish prayer ceremony)
10 N i a B R Ten Nights in a Bar-Room (film title). H. R15.
A D a D a 10 O S A Diller, a Dollar, a 10 O'clock Scholar
A G o W W 10 P A Gallon of Water Weighs 10 Pounds (UK)
10 P a G o W w Pounds a Gallon of Water Weighs. H2-new.
10 P B Pin Bowling. H2.
10 P i a S i B Pins in a Strike in Bowling. U-new.
10 P i (o) C Provinces in (of) Canada. P18-new. U. (There are 10 provinces and 2 (recently expanded to 3) territories. Cf 12 P o C.)
10 P o E Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12). U. H lists them. Cf 7 P o E _ ??
10 P o M S o H Points on Moh's Scale of Hardness. H lists the standard substances for these points.
10 P P Pipers Piping
10 R i a F Rounds in a Fight
10 R P Rillington Place. U. (Site of a notorious murder case in London and then a movie. The street name has been changed.)
10 S C in a A Square Chains in an Acre
10 S i a C Seconds in a Countdown. U-new.
10 T N o t P Top Notch on the Parallels. U-new. (Apparently the highest score in this gymnastic event.)
10 T o a S Tentacles on a Squid. U. (Or other decapod)
10 T o B F Toes on Both Feet. H2.
10 U B Uncle Ben. (Darts slang.)
10 W i a I o C Wickets in an Inning of Cricket. U-new.
10 W o 1 G of W (p) Weight of 1 Gallon of Water (pounds)
10 W o O G of W (p) Weight of One Gallon of Water (pounds)
10 Y i a D Years in a Decade. P8. U. H2.
L 11 Legs 11. (Bingo call and darts slang.)
11, 12, B i W Bake it Well
11, 12, D a D Dig and Delve
G U B O 11 D Give Us Back Our 11 Days (See below.)
11 D L i 1752 Days Lost in 1752
11 D S (W t C o t E L) Downing Street (Where the Chancellor of the Exchequer Lives). H2-new.
11 f E for England (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
11 F i a C Fathoms in a Chain. P6-new. U. H has 10??
11 f t E W W t H for the Eleven Who Went to Heaven (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
A t 11 H At the 11th Hour (See: Matthew 20.) R54.
11 H a S i K F C Herbs and Spices in Kentucky Fried Chicken. U-new.
11 I M a 14 E M 11 Irish Miles are 14 English Miles.
11 L Legs. U. (as in Legs 11, qv).
11 L D Ladies Dancing
11 L o t A H V S Letters of the Alphabet Have Vertical Symmetry (AHIMOTUVWXY)
11 M o a S a S Men on a Side at Stoolball
11 N i A D 11 November is Armistice Day
11 N R D November Remembrance Day. H2-new.
11 O W b T Oscars Won by Titanic. H2-new.
11 P Eleven Plus (An old English exam for children at age 11+.)
11 P i a C T Players in a Cricket Team
11 P i a F T Players in a Football Team (American football or Association football = Soccer)
11 P i a H T Players in a Hockey Team
11 P o a C T Players on a Cricket Team. U-new.
11 P o a F B T Players on a Foot Ball Team. (I think the following is more correct.)
11 P o a F T Players on a Football Team. S1. U. H2. (American football or Association football = Soccer)
11 P o a F H T Players on a Field Hockey Team
11 S i t C States in the Confederacy. P39-new. U. [US Civil War.]
11 S o a C D C Sides on a Canadian Dollar Coin
R o t 11 T Ruyton of the 11 Towns (A village in Shropshire, between Shrewsbury and Oswestry.)
A 11 w t F S o t M Apollo 11 was the First Spaceship on the Moon
11 W W t H Who Went to Heaven (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
11 Y C of S S Year Cycle of Sun Spots
11 Y W Years War (1641-1652, apparently the Irish version of the war between Charles I and Parliament)
12 A Apostles [This is a matter of dispute _ some say they were 12 Disciples and 14 Apostles, counting Matthias (the replacement of Judas) and Paul. But I have also seen 70 disciples asserted.] (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
12 A a t L S Apostles at the Last Supper. P20-new or H2-new. U.
12 A M Twelve Angry Men. (film title, 1957). P43. H. H2.
12 A M (f) Twelve Angry Men (film).
B 12 a 2 Y S W t D W D Between 12 and 2, You'll See What the Day Will Do (proverb)
12 B i a S Bottles in a Salmanazar (of champagne)
12 B o C Bens of Connemara (Bens are hills; I have seen it spelled Pins.)
12 B o a T Buttons on a Telephone. U-new.
12 C Caesars (described by Suetonius). P36 has 'of Ancient Rome'.
12 C at M ?? Chimes at Midnight ?? Nothing on Google.
12 C C i a D Court Cards in a Deck
12 C o A R Caesars of Ancient Rome. U-new.
12 D Dozen
OR Disciples. R77.
12 D i a G Dozens in a Gross. P45-new. H2.
12 D o C Days of Christmas. P19. U. H2. NQ72.
OR: Disciples of Christ
12 D o J Disciples of Jesus. U-new. (Cf 12 A.)
12 D o t B S Degrees on the Beaufort Scale (of wind speeds). H calls them points and says this was on the original scale. Actually I think mariners call them forces.
12 D P ?? Possibly intended to be Draughts per Player. mike.jacqueline website.
12 E i a D Eggs in a Dozen
12 E o a C Edges on a Cube. U. H2 has 'of'.
12 f F for France (Magpie rhyme, see Appendix.)
12 F i a B Firkins in a Butt
12 F o a D Faces on a Dodecahedron
12 f t T A for the Twelve Apostles (Green Grow the Rushes 0h _ see Appendix)
12 G M a T Good Men and True. R14.
12 G t t C Gates to the City
12 H B i a P Hairs Breadths in a Poppyseed. Chapman, p. 18.
12 H i C Hoops in Croquet. H.
12 i a D in (is) a Dozen. H2-new.
12 I i a F Inches in a Foot. U. H2.
12 i t F A N is the first Abundant Number (i.e. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 6 > 12)
12 J o a J Jurors on a Jury. U-new.
12 K o t R T Knights of the Round Table
12 L a L Lords a-Leaping
12 L i a I Lines in an Inch
12 L i t H A Letters in the Hawaiian Alphabet. [A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, 0, P, U, W.] H.
12 L o H Labours of Hercules. P46. U. H lists them.
12 M H S F o t M 12 Men Have Set Foot on the Moon. H.
12 M i t Y Months in the Year
12 M o a J Men on (of) a Jury. NQ3 uses Members of a Jury.
12 M o a S i D Men on a Side in Draughts
12 M o J Moons of Jupiter ([Sholl, p. 93] and a later entry say there are 16. In Jul 2000, the 17th moon of Jupiter was announced.)
12 M o t Y Months of the Year. P23. H2.
12 M (o W) i a J Men (or Women) in a Jury. U-new.
12 N 12th Night. R49.
12 N i a O Notes in an Octave
12 N o a C Numbers on a Clock. U-new.
12 N o a C F Numbers on a Clock Face. H2-new.
A 12 N t N S a N F W i D At 12 Noon, the Natives Swoon, and No Further Work is Done (Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Noel Coward). H.
12 o F i L B 12th of February is Lincoln's Birthday
12 O i a P T W Ounces in a Pound, Troy Weight
12 o O i C D 12th of October is Columbus Day
12 O P i a S Old Pence in a Shilling. H2. (Old English money.)
12 P c P Popes called Pius. U.
T 12 P L The 12 Pound Look (by James Barrie)
12 P o a L T Players on a Lacrosse Team. [Jonathan Always; Puzzles for Puzzlers; Tandem, 1971, prob. 24.]
12 P o a M C Points on a Maltese Cross
12 P o a J People on a Jury. H2-new.
12 P o C Provinces of Canada. ?? _ cf 10 P o C. (There are 10 provinces and 2 (recently expanded to 3) territories.)
OR Pins of Connemara, cf 12 B o C.
12 P o R i t HB Pairs of Ribs in the Human Body. U-new.
12 S i a 300 G Strikes in a 300 Game. U-new. (A perfect game in bowling.)
12 S i a C (o C) Sacks in a Chaldron (of Coal)
12 S i a L (W W) Sacks in a Last (Wool Weight)
12 S o a D Sides on a Dodecagon
12 S o a T P P (or B) Sides on a Three Penny Piece (or Bit) (Old English money.)
12 S o t Z Signs of the Zodiac. S1. P51. U.
12 T f a L S a B Tricks for a Little Slam at Bridge
12 T o I Tribes of Israel. P25. U. [Sons of Leah: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun; sons of Rachel: Joseph (or Ephraim & Manasseh), Benjamin; sons of Bilhah: Dan, Naphtali; sons of Zilpah: Gad, Asher.]
12 T S Tone Scale
12 U i a D Units in a Dozen. P16-new.
12 W B t a C Wine Bottles to a Case
12 Z S Zodiac Signs. H2-new.
F t 13 Friday the 13th. R11. (American film title, 1980s.)
N L i a H N 13 Never Live in a House Numbered 13
T C W S 13 The Clocks Were Striking 13 (Opening of Orwell's 1984)
13, 14, M a-C Maids a-Courting
13 A B Apprentice Boys (who locked the gates of (London)Derry against James II in 1688-1689)
13 a B D a Baker's Dozen. P47-new.
13 a D i B L at Dinner is Bad Luck
13 a t L S at the Last Supper. H2.
13 B D Baker's Dozen. U. NQ77.
T 13 C The 13 Colonies. R73-new.
13 C i a S Cards in a Suit. S2. U.
13 i a B D in a Baker's Dozen. H2. Cf 14 i a B D.
13 L i a B D Loaves in a Baker's Dozen
13 L i a R Lines in a Rondeau. H.
13 L M i a Y Lunar Months in a Year. NQ91. [Actually 13.37, but who's counting?]
13 L M i Y Lunar Months in Year [Actually 13.37, but who's counting?]
13 O C Original Colonies. P21-new. U. (Of the USA.)
13 P C i a S Playing Cards in a Suit. H2-new.
13 P f t Q o S i H Points for the Queen of Spades in Hearts. U-new.
13 P i a R L T Players in a Rugby League Team. U-new.
13 P o a R L T Players on a Rugby League Team
13 S i a W (W W) Stones in a Wey (Wool Weight)
13 S o t A F Stripes on the American Flag. S1. P cover, 17. U. H2.
13 S o t S a S Stripes on the Stars and Stripes
13 T f a G S a B Tricks for a Grand Slam at Bridge. H2.
13 T o G Tribes of Galway
13 U D t F o a F Unlucky Day to Fall on a Friday. H2-new.
13 U f S Unlucky for Some. H2.
13 W i a C Witches in a Coven
13 W i a S Weeks in a Season
J W 13 Y O Juliet Was 13 Years Old
14 B i t A Books in the Apocrypha. [The Catholic Bible includes 11 of these.]
14 B i t F o 1 H Bones in the Fingers of 1 Hand
14 B i t T o 1 F Bones in the Toes of 1 Foot
14 C t a S i a T D Cards to a Suit in a Tarot Deck
14 D i a F Days in a Fortnight. U. H2.
14 D o t B S Degrees on the Beaufort Scale (of wind speeds)
L t 14 F Louis the 14th Furniture. R79-new.
14 F S V D February Saint Valentine's Day. H2-new.
C S t O B i 14 H a 92 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue in 14 Hundred and 92. R93-new.
14 i a B D in a Baker's Dozen. [Eric Partridge; Words, Words, Words; Methuen, 1933, p. 127. Cf 13 in a B D.
F 14 i S V D February 14 is St. Valentine's Day
14 J B D i f July Bastille Day in France. H2-new.
14 L i a S Lines in a Sonnet. P31. U. H2. S3. NQ22.
OR Lbs in a Stone. Eric Korn _ new. NQ22.
14 L o A P Lines of Acupuncture Points
B D i t 14 o J Bastille Day is the 14th of July
W 14 P Wilson's 14 Points. R74-new. [After World War I.]
14 P i a S Pounds in a Stone. H2.
14 P i W P Points in Wilson's Plan. P39-new. [After World War I.]
14 P i W W P Points in Woodrow Wilson's Plan. U-new. [After World War I.]
14 S o t C Stations of the Cross. U.
H t t M o B 15 Here's to the Maiden of Bashful 15 (The Rivals, by Sheridan). H.
15, 16, M a-K Maid a-Kissing
15, 16, M i t K Maids in the Kitchen
T 15 D B o t W The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World (by Edward S. Creasy, 1851). H lists them.
15 F P i a G o T First Point in a Game of Tennis. NQ41-new.
15 i t C o a 3 b 3 M S 15 is the Constant of a 3 by 3 Magic Square
15 L A O P i T Love After One Point in Tennis. H2-new.
E W b F f 15 M Everyone Will be Famous for 15 Minutes (Andy Warhol)
15 M E W b F (A t A W) Minutes Everybody Will Be Famous (According to Andy Warhol). H2-new.
15 M i a Q o a H Minutes in a Quarter of an Hour. H2-new.
15 M o a D M C Men on a Dead Man's Chest. U. GR. R38. NQ44.
See 15 M o T D M C.
15 M o a D M C (Y H H a a B o R)
Men on a Dead Man's Chest (Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum). [From Serhiy Grabarchuk.]
15 M o a S i B Men on a Side in Backgammon. H.
15 M o F p P (A W) Minutes of Fame per Person (Andy Warhol). U-new.
15 M o F p P A t A W Minutes of Fame per Person According to Andy Warhol. P10-new. U2.
15 M o T D M C Men on The Dead Man's Chest (Treasure Island; Stevenson got the name 'The Dead Man's Chest' from Kingsley's At Last of 1871 where it is the name of a Virgin Island.) P27. H. H2.
15 M o t L o M Mysteries of the Life of Mary. H notes this leads to 15 sets of beads on a Rosary, each comprising 11 small beads and one large bead, but at 165, he says there are 10 small beads in a set which seems more likely.
15 N B o a P T Numbered Balls on a Pool Table. S3-new.
15 O o G a S Operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan
15 O P T P T P F P F One Plus Two Plus Three Plus Four Plus Five. H2-new.
15 P b 1 a 50 15 Primes between 1 and 50
15 P i a H T Players in a Hurling Team
15 P i a R T Players in a Rugby Team. NQ47-new.
15 P i a R U T Players in a Rugby Union Team. H2-new.
15 P o a R U T Players on a Rugby Union Team
15 P W a V G Points Win a Volleyball Game
15 Q i F Quinze in French. H2-new.
15 R B i S Red Balls in Snooker. H2.
15 R W T i L Rail Way Termini in London
15 R i a C F Rounds in a Championship Fight
S L 16 Sweet Little Sixteen (song title by Chuck Berry). H.
16 A i a R Annas in a Rupee (now changed). H.
16 a n b K and never been Kissed
S 16 a N B K Sweet 16 and Never Been Kissed. H2. R40.
16 A o C Age of Consent. H2-new.
16 B i a B Bottles in a Balthazar (of champagne)
16 C Candles (American film title, 1980s.)
16 D i a O Drams in an Ounce (Avoirdupois)
I a 16 g o 17 I am 16, going on 17
16 i t A o C is the Age of Consent
16 L o a C Legs on a Caterpillar (typically)
16 M o J Moons of Jupiter (An earlier entry says there are 12. In Jul 2000, the 17th moon of Jupiter was announced and this mentions that the 16th moon was discovered in 1974.)
16 N i a Y Nails in a Yard. (Medieval cloth measure, still given in 19C books! Chapman, p. 17, notes that a nail came to be used for a sixteenth of other units as well.)
16 O b G a S Operettas by Gilbert and Sullivan
16 O i a P Ounces in a Pound. S2. U. H2.
OR Ounces in a Pint. U. (In US.)
16 O i t P Ounces in the Pound
16 O o M Orders of Mammals. P50-new. U. H.
16 P i a C S Pawns in a Chess Set. H2-new.
16 P o a C B Pawns on a Chess Board
16 P o a S i C Pieces on a side in Chess
16 Q i a B Quavers in a Breve
16 R i t U S S R Republics in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (formerly!)
16 S a N B K Sweet 16 and Never Been Kissed. U-new. (I don't think this is correctly stated _ see S 16 a n b K.)
16 S i a S Semiquavers in a Semibreve
16 S J String Jack (notorious 18C highwayman). H.
16 S S S a S Standing Sarsen Stones at Stonehenge. H, at 30.
16 T a W D Y G? Tons and What Do You Get? U-new. (Song line.)
16 T i a C Tablespoons in a Cup
16 T i E J Teeth in Each Jaw
16 W M i a C S White Men in a Chess Set. H2-new.
17, 18, M a-W Maids a-Waiting
17, 18, M i W Maids in Waiting
S 17 a n b K Sweet 17 and never been Kissed
M i n 17 B S i T a S Maud is not 17 But She is Tall and Stately (Maud, by Tennyson). H.
I 17 C S I'm 17 Come Sunday
17 M i S P D March is St. Patrick's Day
17 M o J Moons of Jupiter [Announced in Jul 2000. The 16th moon was found in 1974. Earlier sources say 12 M o J.]
17 M S P D March St. Patrick's Day. H2-new.
17 P B N a S V Parallel Between North and South Vietnam. U-new. H.
17 P t D N a S V Parallel that Divides North and South Vietnam. U2-new.
17 S i a H Syllables in a Haiku. U.
17 S i a P Shillings in a Pistole (Old English money, except the pistole was not a English coin. Problems with pistoles occur in 18C books and possibly into the 19C.)
17 Y f a P D L Years for a Provisional Driving Licence
18 F K C L French Kings Called Louis. H2-new.
18 G i a K Gallons in a Kilderkin
18 G i a R Gallons in a Rundlet (or Runlet) (wine measure)
18 H o a G C Holes on (of) a Golf Course. S1. P cover, 28. U. H2. NQ69.
18 I i a C Inches in a Cubit. P7-new. U.
18 i V A is Voting Age
T t 18 o A 75 'Twas the 18th of April 75 (Beginning of Paul Revere's Ride by Longfellow.) R89-new.
18 P L Poets Laureate (to 1995)
18 P o a S i A F Players on a side in Australian Football
18 Q i a P Quarts in a Pin
I H 18 S W I T T t R I've Had 18 Straight Whiskies _ I Think That's the Record (supposed last words of Dylan Thomas, 1953). H.
18 V A Voting Age. NQ52-new.
18 V A i t U S Voting Age in the U S. P36-new.
18 W o a J Wheels on a Juggernaut
18 W o a T T T Wheels on a Tractor Trailer Truck. U-new.
18 Y O t V (U S) Years Old to Vote (United States). U-new.
18½ M E from the W T ?? GR-new.
19, 20, M P E My Plate's Empty!
19, 20, M S E My Stomach's Empty!
T 19 A G S t W The 19th Amendment Gave Suffrage to Women (USA). R99-new.
19 E F b G O Eighty Four by George Orwell
19 E F (G O) Eighty Four (George Orwell). H2-new.
19 G o H Guardians of Hell. H.
19 G o P Grades of Pencil (from 9H to 9B). H.
19 G S f t V P Gun Salute for the Vice President. U. (In the USA.)
19 H (o a G C) 19th Hole (on a Golf Course)
19 H R o L Hungarian Rhapsodies of Liszt. H.
19 K i a S (i t H P B) Knuts in a Sickle (in the Harry Potter Books)
19 N B 19th Nervous Breakdown (song by the Rolling Stones, 1966)
19 N o C D Novels of Charles Dickens
19 P p t C 2 19 Propositions put to Charles II (by Parliament in 1642, leading to the Civil War.)
T 19 t t D Talk 19 to the Dozen. H2 omits 'Talk'.
19 U S i C Unobtainable Score in Cribbage. (Presumably the lowest unobtainable score.)
20 a 30 a 40 Y o 20, and 30, and 40 Years on (Verse 4 of the Harrow football song - cf at 40)
20 B i a N Bottles in a Nebuchadnezzar (of champagne)
20 C B i a N Champagne Bottles in a Nebuchadnezzar. U-new.
20 C i a P Cigarettes in a Pack. U-new. GR.
T 20 C L The 20th Century Limited (US train). R2-new.
20 D o n a M Digits on a Man
20 F i a R Feet in a Rope
20 F o a I Faces on an Icosahedron
20 F O i a P Fluid Ounces in a Pint. H2.
20 G i a S Grains in a Scruple. U. (Apothecaries weight)
20 H i a T Hundredweight in a Ton. U.
20 H N o a D B Highest Number on a Darts Board. H2-new.
20 i a S is (in) a Score. H2-new.
20 I i a S Items in a Score
20 L i t I A Letters in the Italian Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
20 M P i a H G Minute Periods in a Hockey Game. U-new. (Ice hockey.)
20 M T Mule Team (brand of borax in the US and a film title). H.
20 N i S Number in a Score
20 N o a D B Numbers on a Dart Board. H. H2.
20 P f a M S T i B Points for a Minor Suit Trick in Bridge. H.
20 P i a O Pennyweight in an Ounce. U-new. (Troy weight.)
20 P i a T O Pennyweights in a Troy Ounce
20 P o O i A ?? Percentage of Oxygen in the Air
J w S f 20 P o S Joseph was Sold for 20 Pieces of Silver (Genesis 37:28)
20 Q Twenty Questions
20 Q A, V, o M Questions Animal, Vegetable or Mineral. U-new.
20 Q (A, V, o M) Questions (Animal, Vegetable or Mineral). GR-new.
20 Q i a P g Questions in a Panel Game. H2-new.
20 Q i a R Quires in a Ream
20 S i a F Sous in a Franc
20 S i a P Shillings in a Pound. H2. (Old English money.)
20 S i a S o F Stones in a Sack of Flour
20 S o a D B Sectors on a Darts Board
20 T i a H C Teeth in a Human Child
20 T i t C P Teams in the Carling Premiership. H2-new.
20 20 V 20/20 Vision
20 W N C A Will Not Come Again (A Shropshire Lad)
20 Y A Twenty Years After (Dumas' sequel to The Three Musketeers). R47.
T C K M S a 20 Y a S W N E Then Come Kiss Me, Sweet and Twenty, Youth's a Stuff Will Not Endure (Twelfth Night). H.
20 Y i a S Years in a Score. U-new.
20 Y S b R V W Years Slept by Rip Van Winkle. U-new.
20 Y t R V W S Years that Rip Van Winkle Slept. S2.
21 B J Black Jack
21 C i a S Chaldrons in a Score (coal measure)
21 C I O L S ?? Characters In Old Latin Script _ cf 21 L i t O L A
21 C i t A Consonants in the Alphabet
21 D Twenty-one Days (by John Galsworthy)
21 D o a D Dots on a Die. NQ25 has 'on a Dice'.
21 G S Gun Salute. U. H2.
21 G S f t P Gun Salute for the President. U2-new.
21 i t A o M Is the Age of Majority
21 J S Jump Street. U-new. Title of a US TV program, c1990.
21 K o t D Key of the Door. U. H2. (Darts slang. Also a bingo call??)
21 K t t D Key to the Door. (Darts slang. Also a bingo call??) mike.jacqueline website.
21 L i t O L A Letters in the Old Latin Alphabet (I and J were the same, U, V, W were the same, Y, Z were not used until contact with Greece)
21 P i a G o P P Points in a Game of Ping Pong
21 P i a G o T T Points in a Game of Table Tennis
21 P of W Princes of Wales. (According to Debrett's website. There are also 3 unofficial Princes.)
21 P t W a G o T T Points to Win a Game of Table Tennis. H2-new.
21 R i t C I S Republics in the Confederation of Independent States (at present). H.
21 S i a G Shillings in a Guinea. U. NQ82. Old English money. Chapman, p. 84, says this held from 1718, and was fixed by Newton, who was Master of the Mint.
21 S o a D Spots on a Die. U.
C 22 Catch 22 (by Joseph Heller)
22 B i a S G Balls in a Snooker Game. H2-new.
22 B o a S T Balls on a Snooker Table. NQ68.
22 C Catch. U-new. (I prefer C 22.)
22 C i t G A o a T D Cards in the Greater Arcana of a Tarot Deck. Cf 22 M T .... H confuses this with the numbers of cards in the pack. Cf 56, 78.
22 D D Dinky Doo. (Darts slang. Adrian Room gives "Dinky doo. All the Twos." as the bingo call for 22.)
22 F F Fried Fish. (Darts slang.)
22 F S Fish Shop. (Darts slang.)
22 J H C Joseph Heller's Catch. P58-new.
G C W 22 K G Gold Coins Were 22 Karat Gold (At least in Britain.)
22 L i t L A Letters in the Latin Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
22 L o t H A Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet
W t T o t 22 M F U With the Tramp of the 22 Men, Follow Up! (Forty Years On, the Harrow school song.)
22 M o C ?? H says Isidore of Seville (7C) counted 22 things made by God in the six days of creation. So could these be Marvels of Creation ?? Nothing on Google.
22 M T i a T P Major Trumps in a Tarot Pack, Cf 22 C i t ....
22 N o J H C Number of Joseph Heller's Catch. H2-new.
22 o F i W B 22nd of February is Washington's Birthday
22 P i a C M Players in a Cricket Match. H2-new.
22 P o a F P Players on a Football Pitch
22 S o t L Swans on the Lake. (Darts slang.)
22 T L D Two Little Ducks (UK bingo call). This had the hint "Bingo Call (or Dreadful Pun)".
22 Y b t W i C Yards between the Wickets in Cricket. H2-new.
22 Y b W o a C P Yards between Wickets on a Cricket Pitch
22 Y i a C Yards in a Chain. H2.
22 Y (L o a C P) Yards (Length of a Cricket Pitch)
S W M C C a 23 She Was Married, Charming, Chaste and 23 (Don Juan, by Byron). H.
H M w W i 23 D Handel's Messiah was Written in 23 Days
23 L i t F A Letters in the French Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
23 N T New Towns (in the UK)
23 P o a G J People on a Grand Jury. U-new. (In the US, an indictment for a major offense has to be approved by a grand jury.)
23 P o C i a H C Pairs of Chromosomes in a Human Cell. U-new.
23 P (T L i m S) Psalm (The Lord is my Shepherd)
23 S Skidoo. R58.
24 B B B i a P Black Birds Baked in a Pie.
24 B B i a P Black Birds in a Pie
OR Blackbirds Baked in a Pie. P29-new. U. H2.
24 B B t a C Beer Bottles to a Case. U-new.
24 B i a P Blackbirds in a Pie. U-new. NQ95.
24 B i t I (H) Books in the Iliad (Homer). U-new.
24 C M G Carats Means Gold. (Technically this is incorrect _ a carat is a measure of weight for gems; a karat is a measure of pureness of gold, with 24K being pure gold.)
24 C o a F C S (p) Cost of a First Class Stamp (pence). Some years ago!!
24 D f M I Dollars for Manhattan Island (in 1626)
24 D i A Days in Advent
24 D P t t I f M I Dollars Paid to the Indians for Manhattan Island. P56-new. U.
24 F i a L Furlongs in a League
24 F p S i M Frames per Second in Movies
24 G i a P Grains in a Pennyweight. U.
24 H f T Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa. H2. (song title, Gene Pitney, 1964)
24 H i a D Hours in a Day. S1. P cover, vii, 21. U. H2.
24 H o a 9 M M B Holes on a 9 Men's Morris Board
24 K G Karat Gold (Not carat _ carats are a measure of weight used for gems)
24 K i P G Karats is (or in) Pure Gold. S3-new.
24 L i t A A A Letters in the Ancient Arabic Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48, saying four have been added to make the modern Arabic alphabet.
24 L i t G A Letters in the Greek Alphabet. U.
24 M o t O o M Members of the Order of Merit
24 O i a G P Ounces in a Great Pound (sometimes used to measure silk)
24 O M o t A Old Men of the Apocalypse
24 R i a H Ribs in a Human. (Some sources say 26,)
24 S i a O Scruples in an Ounce
24 S i a Q Sheets in a Quire
24 S Q o M String Quartets of Mozart. H.
24 S Z o I T Standard Zones of International Time. P17-new. U2.
24 T D Two Dozen. H2-new.
24 T Z o E Time Zones on Earth
25 C i a Q Cents in a Quarter
25 F p S i T Frames per Second in Television
25 L i a P Links in a Pole
25 L i t F A Letters in the French Alphabet
25 o D i C D 25th of December is Christmas Day
25 P f a O B a D Points for an Outer Bull at Darts. H2-new.
25 P i a P Pounds in a Pony (i.e. £25)
25 P i a Q Pennies in a Quarter. U-new. (US money.)
25 P o a F C S ??
25 T O o W i a Q Troy Ounces of Wheat in a Quart
25 Y f a S W A Years for a Silver Wedding Anniversary
25 Y M f a S W Years' Marriage for a Silver Wedding. H2-new.
25 Y o M f a S A Years of Marriage for a Silver Anniversary
26 A t t C Amendments to the Constitution (US). P5-new.
26 B i t V C Bones in the Vertebral Column. U-new. H. But cf 33 V i a H.
26 C h n C Countries have no Coastline
26 C i E Counties in Eire. H lists them.
OR Countries in Europe (?? The number is changeable.)
26 C i t M S o M S Cards in the Major Suits or Minor Suits
26 C o E C i a D Cards of Each Color in a Deck. U-new.
26 C o I Counties of Ireland. H lists them.
26 D o P Dialogues of Plato
26 H a C Half a Crown. (Darts slang, deriving from 2s 6d, pronounced 'two and six' being a half-crown in old English money.)
26 L o A Letters of (the) Alphabet [sic!]. NQ57.
26 L o t A Letters of the Alphabet. S1. U. See the appendix on Alphabets.
26 L o t R A Letters of the Roman Alphabet. P23-new. (Actually the Romans had only 24 or 23?)
26 M i a M Miles in a Marathon (approx.)
26 P f a F C S Pence for a First Class Stamp. H2-new.
26 V i t H B Vertebrae in the Human Body. H. But cf 33 V i a H.
27 A t t C Amendments to the Constitution. (US.) S3-new.
27 A t t U S C Amendments to the United States Constitution. U-new.
27 B i N T Books in (the) New Testament. NQ50. Lemon, p. 12.
27 B i t N T Books in the New Testament
27 C F i a C Y Cubic Feet in a Cubic Yard. U. H2.
27 C i a R C Cube(let)s in a Rubik Cube
27 D W W b G G Different Wigs Worn by Gregory Giggs. U-new. (Should be Griggs. A nursery rhyme. Google has one entry with 47.)
27 E T T T T T Equals Three Times Three Times Three. H2-new.
27 F (W o a S T C) Feet (Width of a Singles Tennis Court)
27 L i t S A Letters in the Spanish Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
27 L P C o M Last Piano Concerto of Mozart. H says only 21 are by Mozart, with many early works being transcriptions of other's works.
27 S i a G (i t H P B) Sickles in a Galleon (in the Harry Potter Books)
27 S i a M Shillings in a Moidore (Old English money, except the moidore was not a English coin. Problems with moidores occur in 18C books and possibly into the 19C.)
28 D i a C Digits in a Cubit
28 D i a H M C Days in a Human Menstrual Cycle
28 D i a S Dominoes in a Set
28 D i F Days in February. U-new. H2.
28 D i F E i L Y Days in February except in Leap Years. P15, as D i F.
28 i t 2 P N is the 2nd Perfect Number
28 L i t A A Letters in the Arabic Alphabet. H. Lemon, p. 48 _ but cf 24 L i t A A A
28 L i t W "A" Letters in the Welsh "Alphabet". My solution _ but Eric Korn says the current Welsh primers omit 'rh' leaving 27 letters. S3-new.
OR Letters in the Word "Antidisestablishmentarianism". Eric Korn's solution, which seems better. S3-new.
28 L o a R U B (i C) Length of a Rugby Union Ball (in Centimetres)
28 P i a D S Pieces in a Domino Set
28 P i a Q Pounds in a Quarter
28 P i a T Pounds in a Todd (wool weight)
28 P o a M B Properties on a Monopoly Board. H.
29 B i t H S Bones in the Human Skull. H says some sources exclude the six bones of the ear and the hyoid bone to get 22.
29 D i (o) F i a L Y Days in (of) February in a Leap Year. S1. P16. U. H2.
29 D i L F Days in Leap February. H.
29 F C O E F Y 29 February Comes Once Every Four Years
29 P i a P C H Points in a Perfect Cribbage Hand. U-new. (If I remember correctly this has four 5s and the J of the turned suit.)
29 P i C C T Pilgrims in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. This excludes Chaucer.
T S o t 30 The Sect of the Thirty (by Jorge Luis Borges).
B 30 H I H D By Thirty Hills I Hurry Down (The Brook by Tennyson, first line of second verse.)
30 B i t H A Bones in the Human Arm (including the hand: 14 in the fingers, 5 in the palm, 8 in the wrist, 3 armbones). H says some count 32, presumably counting two shoulder bones.
30 C i a F (a) Centimetres in a Foot (approximately)
30 D h S Days hath September. R27-new. U2.
30 D h S A J a N Days has September, April, June and November. U. P29 ends at September. H says this is due to William Harrison, 1577. See Appendix for some versions of the whole rhyme and other attributions.
30 D H S A J a N Days Hath September, April, June and November. S2.
30 D H S (A J a N) Days Hath September (April, June and November). H2-new.
30 D i a S o Z Degrees in a Sign of the Zodiac
30 D i J Days in June. P9. U2.
30 D i O Days in October. U2-new.
30 M i H a H Minutes in Half an Hour
30 (N o) T o a S o T (Number of) Toes on a Set of Triplets
30 P f a T i a M S o N T A t F i B
Points for a Trick in a Major Suit or No Trump, After the First, in Bridge. H.
30 P i C C T Pilgrims in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. This counts Chaucer himself.
30 P o S Pieces of Silver (Matthew 26:15) NQ97.
30 P o S G t J Pieces of Silver Given to Judas. U-new. H2. (Matthew 26:15.)
30 P W A Pearl Wedding Anniversary. NQ32.
30 S Something (UK TV series)
30 S f F J Seconds for Final Jeopardy. U-new. (Novel, movie and TV program.)
30 S o T Thirty Seconds over Tokyo. U-new. GR. (Book? and 1944 movie title.)
30 S S a S Sarsen Stones at Stonehenge (16 are still standing). H.
30 S R o N H Square Root of Nine Hundred
30 V i B G V Variations in Bach's Goldberg Variations. H.
30 Y W Year's War (1618-1648)
A t R H 31 All the Rest Have 31
31 B i t H L Bones in the Human Leg. H. (Another source gives 30: 14 in the toes, 5 in the ball of the foot, 7 in the ankle, three leg bones and the kneecap. Counting the hip bone would make 31.)
31 D i t M o O Days in the Month of October. KK-new.
31 F o B R I C Flavors of Baskin Robins Ice Cream. U-new.
31 f T i a G o C For Two in a Game of Cribbage
31 I C F a B-R Ice Cream Flavours at Baskin-Robbins. S2.
31 L i t C A Letters in the Cyrillic Alphabet. But cf 32 L .... [Sholl says there were originally 43 but modern Russian has 30.]
31 L o t C T i M Length of the Channel Tunnel, in miles. H.
32 D F a W F P Degrees Fahrenheit at Water's Freezing Point. P36-new.
32 D F a w I M Degrees Fahrenheit at which Ice Melts
32 D F a w W F Degrees Fahrenheit at which Water Freezes. S1. P cover, i - new. U. H2. NQ75, garbled.
32 D F (F P o W) Degrees Fahrenheit (Freezing Point of Water)
32 F o a B B Faces on a Bucky Ball (A truncated icosahedron.)
32 F o a F Faces on a Football (= soccer ball, which is a truncated icosahedron.)
32 L i t M R C A Letters in the Modern Russian Cyrillic Alphabet. H. (33 are generally listed, but _ is sometimes not counted as a separate letter. [Sholl, p. 50] says 30. Perhaps some of the symbols commonly listed are not counted as letters.)
32 O F i t B A o S L (T) Odile's Fouettes(unclear) in the Black Act of Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky). U.
32 P o a C B Pieces on a Chess Board, NQ20.
32 P o a M C Points on a Mariner's Compass
32 P t a C Points to a Compass
32 P T i a A Permanent Teeth in an Adult
32 Q i a B Quarts in a Bushel
32 T c W T Teeth counting Wisdom Teeth. U-new.
32 T in a F A S Teeth in a Full Adult Set
32 T i a A H Teeth in an Adult Human
32 T i a N A H J Teeth in a Normal Adult Human Jaw
32 T i t M Teeth in the Mouth. NQ19-new.
32 W S o a C B White Squares on a Chess Board. H2-new.
33 C Q f t I F H Cars Qualify for the Indianapolis Five Hundred. U-new. (Famous US car race.)
33 C o S Counties of Scotland (until 1975, when they were amalgamated into 9 regions until 1996 when they were devolved into 32 authorities). H.
33 F Feathers. (Rees says this comes from 33,000 F o a T T.)
33 G L Gertie Lee. (Cockney rhyming slang.)
33 H o a S B Holes on a Solitaire Board. (The French board has 37.)
33 L i t T A Letters in the Turkish Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
33 V i a H Vertebrae in a Human. But cf 26 B i t V C.
33 V i t S Vertebrae in the Spine
33 Y o C L Years of Christ's Life
33 Y o D R Years of David's Reign. H.
34 i t M C o a F b F M S is the Magic Constant of a Four by Four Magic Square
34 S o t U F i t A C W Stars on the Union Flag in the American Civil War. U-new.
34 S P Shakespeare Plays?? (37 is the usual number, of which 36 appeared in the First Folio). H gives 37.
35 M A o a U S P Minimum Age of the United States President. U-new.
35 M M F Millimetre Film
35 Y o M f t C A Years of Marriage for the Coral Anniversary
A P 36 A Perfect 36. R5-new. (This is the highest score on the ACT (American College Test).)
36 B C i a I Barley Corns in an Inch
36 B i a C Bushels in a Chaldron (of coals)
36 B K o a P Black Keys on a Piano. KK-new.
36 F (W o a D T C) Feet (Width of a Doubles Tennis Court)
36 G i a B Gallons in a Barrel
36 I i a Y Inches in a Yard. S2. H2.
36 I o a Y S Inches on a Yard Stick. U-new.
36 J M Just Men (In the Talmud, there is a story that at any time, there are exactly 36 ethically just men in the world, for whose sake God desists from destroying the world.)
36 L i t A A Letters in the Armenian Alphabet (devised by St. Mesrob Mashtots in 405)
36 N o a R W Numbers on a Roulette Wheel. U-new. (There are actually 36 or 37 when the zeroes are counted.)
36 P o W S Plays of William Shakespeare
36 R M Righteous Men. U-new. (Probably the 36 J M.)
36 S M i a T Square Miles in a Township
36 S P i t F F Shakespeare Plays in the First Folio
37 H o a F S B Holes on a French Solitaire Board
37 N B T (i D C) Normal Body Temperature (in Degrees Centigrade or Celsius)
37 N o a R W (i E) Numbers on a Roulette Wheel (in Europe)
37 P o W S Plays of William Shakespeare. NQ74. Cf next entry.
37 S P Shakespeare Plays (37 is the usual number, of which 36 appeared in the First Folio). H gives 37. But cf 34 S P; 36 P o W S, 36 S P i t F F.
38 i t C o t o M H Is the Constant of the only Magic Hexagon
38 N o a R W Numbers on a Roulette Wheel. U-new.
38 N o a R W (i A) Numbers on a Roulette Wheel (in America)
38 P b N K a S K 38th Parallel between North Korea and South Korea
38 P K ?? probably a misprint of 88 P K, qv
39 A N o Y Atomic Number of Yttrium
39 A o R (i t B o C P) Articles of Religion (in the Book of Common Prayer). H states these were set out in 1563 and approved by Parliament in 1571.
39 A o t D o t C o E Articles of the Doctrine of the Church of England W. H. Mason; The Gilbert Harding Question Book; Benn, 1956, pp. 90 & 127)
39 B o (i) t O T Books of (in) the Old Testament (46 in the Catholic version (or 50 according to another source). Lemon gives 39 + 11 = 50.)
39 C o E Counties of England
39 J B's A Jack Benny's Age. U-new. (The American comedian was always 39.)
39 L i M L Lashes in Moses's Law. U2-new. Cf 40 L i M L; 40 S S 1.
39 L i t R A Letters in the Russian Alphabet (as of 1890). Lemon, p. 48.
T 39 S The Thirty-Nine Steps (by John Buchan)
39 S (i t A H F) (The) Thirty-Nine Steps (in the Alfred Hitchcock Film). S3-new.
39 S (J B) (The) Thirty-Nine Steps (John Buchan)
39 S o J B (The) Thirty-Nine Steps of John Buchan. H2-new.
F F a 40 Fair, Fat and 40. R20-new.
L B a 40 Life Begins at 40
T 40 Top 40
T R 40s The Roaring 40s. R13.
40 A a w L B Age at which Life Begins. H2-new.
40 A f D a T All for Deuce at Tennis. H2-new.
40 C F i a L o R T Cubic Feet in a Load of Rough Timber (cf 50 C F ...)
40 C F i a S T (US) Cubic Feet in a Shipping Ton (US) (cf 42 C F ...)
40 C o a M B Cells on a Monopoly Board
A t R w u t E 40 D and 40 N And the Rain was upon the Earth 40 Days and 40 Nights. R94-new.
40 D a 40 N J F i t W 40 Days and 40 Nights Jesus Fasted in the Wilderness (Matthew 4:2)
40 D a N o t G F Days and Nights of the Great Flood. S1. P cover, i. U.
40 D i L Days in Lent. P25-new. U. H2.
40 D i t W f J C Days in the Wilderness for Jesus Christ. P53-new. Cf 40 D a 40 N J F i t W.
40 D M S o M S Days Moses Spent on Mt. Sinai
40 D o L Days of Lent.
40 H i a W W Hours in a Work Week. U-new. (Or Working.)
40 H W Hour Week
40 I o t F A Immortals of the French Academy
40 L i M L Lashes in Moses' Law. U-new. (Deuteronomy 25: 3. Cf 40 S S 1; 39 L i M L.)
40 M i t F Muscles in the Face
I P a G R t E i 40 M I'll Put a Girdle Round the Earth in 40 Minutes (Midsummer Night's Dream)
40 P i a F Poles (or Perches) in a Furlong. U.
40 P i a R Perches (or Perches) in a Rood
40 P f t F T i N T i B Points for the First Trick in No Trumps in Bridge. H.
40 R i a F Rods in a Furlong
40 R W A Ruby Wedding Anniversary
40 S o a M B Squares on a Monopoly Board
40 S R i a R Square Rods in a Rood
40 S S 1 Forty Stripes Save One. (II Corinthians 11: 24. Cf 40 L i M L; 39 L i M L.)
A B a t 40 T Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. R86.
40 T in a A B ?? Misprint for 40 Thieves in Ali Baba ??
40 T w A B Thieves with Ali Baba. H2-new.
40 T (w A B) Thieves (with Ali Baba). S2.
40 W Winks. U. R34.
L B T a A a G h M 40 W Lizzie Borden Took an Axe and Gave her Mother 40 Whacks (see at 41 for two continuations)
40 W L B G H M Whacks Lizzie Borden Gave Her Mother. U-new.
40 Y f a R W A Years for a Ruby Wedding Anniversary
40 Y i t D f I Years in the Desert for Israelites. U-new.
40 Y i t D f t I Years in the Desert for the Israelites. P42-new.
40 Y o G O a O Years on, Growing Older and Older (Beginning of the Harrow Football Song, by Edward Ernest Bowen)
A W t J W N D S G H F 41 And When the Job was Neatly Done, She Gave Her Father 41 (She = Lizzie Borden, see at 40). This is the form I recall from my youth. H gives the following.
W S S W S H D S G H F 41 When She Saw What She Had Done She Gave Her Father 41 (She = Lizzie Borden, see at 40)
41 M i t S S Moons in the Solar System (Earth has 1 moon; Mars, 2; Jupiter, 16; Saturn, 14; Uranus, 5; Neptune, 2; Pluto, 1). But H says Saturn has 18 known satellites. It is likely that these numbers may increase further.
41 S o M Symphonies of Mozart. H notes that not all the numbered symphonies are by Mozart, not all of them are really symphonies and some of his other works deserve to be called symphonies.
41 S o W A M Symphonies of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. U-new.
41 W L B G H F Whacks Lizzie Borden Gave Her Father. U-new.
R 42 A P M T a M H t L t C Rule 42: All Persons More Than a Mile High to Leave the Court (Alice in Wonderland). H.
42 A t O Assistants to Osiris. U-new. (In Egyptian mythology, there are 42 demons who assist Osiris in judging the dead.)
42 A t t U Q (D A) Answer to the Ultimate Question (Douglas Adams). U-new.
H H 42 B A C P He Had 42 boxes, All Carefully Packed (The Hunting of the Snark). H.
42 C F i a S T (UK) Cubic Feet in a Shipping Ton (UK) (cf 40 C F ...)
I a F w 42 D I L b T I am Familiar with 42 Different Impressions Left by Tyres (Sherlock Holmes, The Adventure of the Priory School). Thanks to H for the story title.
42 E i a D o C Eyes in a Deck of Cards. H. The one-eyed cards are the KD, JS, JH.
42 G i a T Gallons in a Tierce (wine measure)
42 L o t B W i K Length of the Berlin Wall in Kilometres. H.
42 L t U a E Life, the Universe and Everything
42 M o P o t B o t A Months of Power of the Beast of the Apocalypse
42 O M o t L o N Original Members of the League of Nations (in 1918). U-new. H.
T 42 P The 42nd Parallel (by John Dos Passos)
42 S 42nd Street
OR B a 42 S Broadway and (at) 42nd Street
42 W Y G I Y M S B N (D A) What You Get If You Multiply Six By Nine (Douglas Adams). U-new.
43 B i E C o N Beans in Each Cup of Nescafe. U-new. H. (Presumably a US ad slogan.)
S M V W P f 43 i t D w a L b H
She May Very Well Pass for 43 in the Dusk with a Light behind Her (Trial by Jury)
43 L i t O C A Letters in the Old Cyrillic Alphabet (As formulated by Cyril and Methodius in the 9C, but it has been reduced to 30, 31 or 32, depending on who's counting.) Cf 39.
43 P o a T in A F Players on a Team in American Football (Only 11 can play at a time.)
44 D i t C o E Dioceses in the Church of England.
44 H C Hanukkah Candles. U-new.
44 I D C f B International Dialling Code for Britain
44 I D C f t U K International Dialling Code for the United Kingdom
44 L o B C i F Length of Badminton Court in Feet. U-new.
B B T 44 S t S 12 Big Ben Takes 44 Seconds to Strike 12
44 W o S P A i Y Width of Soccer Penalty Area in Yards. U-new.
C 45 Colt .45. H.
T 45 The 45 (The Jacobite Rebellion of 1745.)
45 B o'N Bag o'Nuts. (Darts slang.)
45 D i a O Degrees in an Octant. U-new.
45 G Forty-five Guardsmen. (Novel by Dumas. Jonathan Always; Puzzles for Puzzlers; Tandem, 1971, prob. 18.)
45 I i a E Inches in an Ell
45 R P M Revolutions Per Minute. U-new. (7" record speed.)
46 C i a H C Chromosomes in a Human Cell. P20. U.
46 C o E Counties of England
46 G i a H Gallons in a Hogshead (of claret). Cf 52.5.
46 H C Human Chromosomes. S3-new.
E I 47 i t T o P Euclid I:47 is the Theorem of Pythagoras.
47 P P i E E Pythagorean Propositions in Euclid's Elements. U-new. (This is confused. What is intended is that Euclid I:47 is the Theorem of Pythagoras _ see above.)
47 S o a H Strings on a Harp. H.
48 C i a P D Cards in a Pinochle Deck. U-new. H. (If I remember correctly, these are A, K, ..., 9 of two decks.)
48 H i a W Hours in a Weekend. H2-new.
48 H t t I Hairsbreadths to the Inch
48 M i a P B G Minutes in a Professional Basketball Game. P57-new. [USA.]
48 P a F i B W T C Preludes and Fugues in Bach's Well Tempered Clavier
49 B i a N L D Balls in a National Lottery Draw. H2-new.
49 B i t N L Balls in the National Lottery
49 B i t N L (U K) Balls in the National Lottery (United Kingdom). U-new.
49 C i E a W Cathedrals in England and Wales (43 & 6)
49 I D C f G International Dialling Code for Germany
49 N o a L T Numbers on a Lottery Ticket
49 P b t U S a C 49th Parallel between the United States and Canada
49 R A i a R Reasons All in a Row. P15-new. U, from a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song.
50 A o P C Age of Prince Charles (in 1998)
50 B a 50 G B b t Q o S 50 Boys and 50 Girls Brought by the Queen of Sheba (to Solomon. They were dressed alike and Solomon was challenged to distinguish them.)
50 C F i a L o S T Cubic Feet in a Load of Squared Timber (cf 40 C F ...)
50 C i a H D Cents in a Half Dollar. S2.
50 C p S i E S i E Cycles per Second in Electricity Supply in Europe
P i 50 D a P Pentecost is 50 Days after Passover
50 F o M E (H) Frequency of Mains Electricity (Household) (In Europe)
T 50 M H The 50 Minute Hour (Book title)
50 D f E t P Days from Easter to Pentecost.
50 N o D E t P Number of Days Easter to Pentecost. (50 D f E t P is better.)
50 P f a B i D Points for a Bullseye in Darts. H2-new.
50 P f a I B i D Points for an Inner Bull's-Eye in Darts
50 P R o M i M Pounds Rent on Mayfair in Monopoly. H2-new.
50 S i A States in America
50 S i C W Stories in Canary Wharf
50 S i t U States in the Union (i.e. USA). P18-new. U. H states that Hawaii was the 50th state, in 1959.
50 S o A States of America. H2.
50 S o O G Stars on Old Glory
50 S o t A F Stars on the American Flag. P16-new.
50 S o t U S F Stars on the United States Flag. NQ88-new.
50 W t L Y L Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon song, 1976). P7. H2. U2.
50 W t L Y L (P S) Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon). U-new.
50 Y i a J Years in a Jubilee. U-new.
50 Y M f a G W Years' Marriage for a Golden Wedding. H2-new.
50 Y o M f t G A Years of Marriage for the Golden Anniversary. U-new.
51 A i w t R I O Area in which the Roswell Incident Occurred. U-new. (A UFO/alien sighting.)
51 O M o t U N Original Members of the United Nations (in 1945). H.
51 S N i t B C Sovereign Nations in the British Commonwealth. U-new.
52 C i a D Cards in a Deck. U.
52 C i a P Cards in a Pack
52 C i t D Cards in the Deck
52 C i t P Cards in the Pack
52 F P E i M 'Fundamental Playing Errors' in Monopoly (Parker Brothers report in 1934). H.
52 P C i a D Playing Cards in a Deck. P8-new.
52 P C i a P Playing Cards in a Pack
52 P o t W a W Percent of the World are Women
52 W i a Y Weeks in a Year. U.
52.5 I G i a H Imperial Gallons in a Hogshead. See also: 46, 54, 63.
53 O S o t D o I Original Signers of the Declaration of Independence. U-new. (In the USA.) (But see 56 S o t D of I; 57 S o t D o I.)
53 S o O G ?? misprint of 50 S on O G ?? Or perhaps the 53 is a misprint of 13??
54 40 o F or Fight (American nationalist slogan of 1840s, demanding the US extend north of Oregon to 54o40'. The border was settled at 49o.) R9.
54 C i a D (w J) Cards in a Deck (with Jokers)
54 C i a D w t J Cards in a Deck with the Jokers. U-new.
54 C i a D (w t Js) Cards in a Deck (with the Jokers). S1.
54 C i a P (I t Js) Cards in a Pack (Including the Jokers). H2-new.
54 C i a P (w t Js) Cards in a Pack (with the Jokers)
54 C i t D (w t Js) Cards in the Deck (with the Jokers)
54 C i t P (w t Js) Cards in the Pack (with the Jokers)
54 F o a R C Face(let)s on a Rubik Cube
54 F or F Forty or Fight. U-new.
54 G i a H (o B) Gallons in a Hogshead (of Beer) Cf 52.5.
54 S o a R C Squares on a Rubik's Cube. U-new.
55 B o a R Beads on a Rosary
55 D a P Fifty-Five Days at Peking (1963 film title). H.
55 D i a D 9 S Dominoes in a Double 9 Set
55 G D Gallon Drum (standard drum for oil and the source of steel drum bands). H.
55 S o F T N N Sum of the First Ten Natural Numbers
55 S o t N f O t T Sum of the Numbers from One to Ten. H2-new.
55 Y o M f t E A Years of Marriage for the Emerald Anniversary. U-new.
56 C i t H o S T Curls in the Hair of Shirley Temple. U-new. (Google gives an entry with 52.)
56 C i t L A o a T D Cards in the Lesser Arcana of a Tarot Deck
56 P i a F o B Pounds in a Firkin of Butter
56 S i C W Storeys in Canary Wharf. H.
56 S o t D o I Signers of the Declaration of Independence. S2. [USA]. (But see 53 O S o t D o I; 57 S o t D o I.)
57 A t V All the Varieties (bingo call?)
57 H T M Heinz Trade Mark
57 H V Heinz Varieties. S1. U. H notes there were already over 60 when the phrase was adopted. H2. NQ86.
57 S o t D o I Signers of the Declaration of Independence. U-new. (But see 53 O S o t D o I; 56 S o t D o I.)
57 V Varieties. R29-new.
H h 57 V Heinz have 57 Varieties. KK-new.
57 V o H Varieties of Heinz. P10-new.
58 F i B C o E C D Facets in Brilliant Cut or Emerald Cut Diamonds. U-new. H.
58 L i L Letters in
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
59 L o V C i F Length of Volleyball Court in Feet . U-new.
60 B o B M Base of Babylonian Mathematics. U-new.
60 C A i B Carbon Atoms in Buckminsterfullerene. U-new.
60 C p S i E S i A Cycles per Second in Electricity Supply in America
60 D A i a E t Degree Angles in an Equilateral Triangle. H2-new.
60 D i E A o a E T Degrees in Each Angle of an Equilateral Triangle. U-new.
60 G i a D Grains in a Drachm
60 M i a D Minutes in a Degree. U.
60 M i a F Minims in a Fluidram. U-new. (Should be Fluid Drachm ?? Cf 3 C i a D.)
60 M i a H Minutes in an Hour. U. H2.
60 N M i 1 D o L a t E Nautical Miles in 1 Degree of Longitude at the Equator. (Chapman, p. 21, says a Geographical Mile is defined as 1/60 of the mean degree of latitude and is 2025.6 yd = 6076.8 ft, while the British Nautical Mile is 6080 ft. He also says the International Nautical Mile was supposed to be 1/60 of a degree of longitude at the equator, which is actually 2023.23 yd = 6069.69 ft, but 6000 ft was used in practice.)
60 P i E Phonemes in English
60 S i a M Seconds in a Minute. S2. P20. U. H2.
60 T i a S Thirds in a Second (of time or angle)
60 V o a B B Vertices on a Bucky Ball (A truncated icosahedron.)
60 V o a F Vertices on a Football (= soccer ball, which is a truncated icosahedron.)
60 Y o M f t D A Years of Marriage for the Diamond Anniversary. U-new.
61 G f A t J Generations from Adam to Jesus
61 H R H b R M i O S Home Runs Hit by Roger Maris in One Season. P55-new. U. [American baseball.]
62 S P b R Self Portraits by Rembrandt. H.
62 T i t V o t K a L Tombs in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor. H.
62 W W S (A o W a G) West Wallaby Street (Address of Wallace and Grommit). U-new.
63 A i t M C Articles in the Magna Carta. H.
63 G i a H (o W) Gallons in a Hogshead (of Wine). Cf 52.5
63 O W G i a H Old Wine Gallons in a Hogshead. Cf 52.5.
63 P C i B Possible Characters in Braille (it uses six positions, so there are 26 - 1 possible non-blank combinations). H.
63 S o t T Sections of the Talmud. H, noting that the sections are also called tractates..
W I 64 When I'm 64 (Beatles song, 1967)
W Y S N M W Y S F M W I 64 Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, When I'm 64 (from above song). H.
64 A o L i t K S Arts of Loving in the Kama Sutra. H.
64 C o D N A Codons on DNA
64 D Q Dollar Question
64 G i a Q Gallons in a Quarter
64 H o t I C Hexagrams of the I Ching
64 L o Q V R (y) Length of Queen Victoria's Reign (years). U. H says 63.
64 P i a B Pints in a Bushel
64 S o a C Squares on (or of) a Chessboard (or Checkerboard). S1. H, with of. P cover, i gives Checkerboard. U2. Cf 204 S o a C.
64 S o a C B Squares on a Chess Board. U. (Or Checker Board or Chequer Board).
64 Y o Q V R Years of Queen Victoria's Reign
64 Y O W I H Y W S N M Years Old When I Hope You Will Still Need Me (Beatles song). P11-new. U.
64 Y Q V R Years Queen Victoria Reigned
G y K o R 66 Get your Kicks on Route 66 (US pop song by Bob Troup, 1946). H.
66 B i t (P) B Books in the (Protestant) Bible
66 B i t K J B Books in the King James Bible. P5-new. U.
66 B o t B (i t K J V) Books of the Bible (in the King James Version). GR-new.
66 C C Clickety Click. (Bingo call.)
66 F i a C Feet in a Chain. H2.
66 F (L o a C P) Feet (Length of a Cricket Pitch)
66 W i t L P Words in the Lord's Prayer
67 N b A C Novels by Agatha Christie. H, noting she wrote another 16 books of short stories and 16 plays.
69 A o W D C i S M Area of Washington, DC, in Square Miles. H. Cf 179.
69 W o C T L Ways of Constructing Tribal Lays (Barrack-Room Ballads, Kipling). H.
70 C i a B o W Centilitres in a Bottle of Whiskey. NQ58-new.
70 D o C Disciples of Christ. U. (In some traditions, cf Luke 10:1)
70 L o t B T (m) Length of the Bayeaux Tapestry (meters)
70 H R H b M M i O S Home Runs Hit by Mike McGwire in One Season. U-new. (American baseball.)
70 M S o a B M Maximum Speed on a British Motorway
70 M t B Miles to Babylon. NQ80-new. (From the nursery rhyme: How Many Miles to Babylon?.)
70 S o G Sons of Gideon (Judges 8:30.)
70 T i t F L Teams in the Football League
70 T S Y a T Three Score Years and Ten. H2. NQ49. (Human lifespan, Book of Common Prayer: The days of our age are threescore years and ten.)
71 H o a C S i C Height of a Cricket Stump in Centimetres. U-new.
72 B p M i N P R Beats per Minute is Normal Pulse Rate
72 G i a P Gallons in a Puncheon (Beer measure)
72 H i t O G C Holes in the Open Golf Championship. U-new. H notes 72 holes is the number for most golf tournaments.
72 M t F, 14 to S 72 Muscles to Frown, 14 to Smile. (But I have seen 43 & 17 and 43 & 15 given.)
72 P i a I Points in an Inch. U-new. H. (Printing measure.)
72 Y L E f M i E Years Life Expectancy for Men in England
72 Y o L 14 R Years of Louis XIV's Reign
73 P b e e c 73 Poems by e e cummings. U-new.
74 M o S o a C D Minutes of Sound on a CD. H.
T E S M 75 D To Every Several Man, 75 Drachmas (Julius Caesar)
S S 75 K A t E S Space Starts 75 Kilometres Above the earth's Surface. H.
75 S D a T M P H (i F) Stopping Distance at Thirty Miles Per Hour (in Feet)
75 Y i t P o H C Years is the Period of Halley's Comet (approx. _ cf 76 Y i t P o H C)
75 Y o M f t D A Years of Marriage for the Diamond Anniversary. U-new.
S o 76 Spirit of '76 (American patriotic phrase.) R7 has T S o 76.
76 T i t B P Trombones in the Big Parade. NQ71. (The following is correct.)
76 T L t B P Trombones Led the Big Parade. H2-new. U2. (From The Music Man.)
76 T L t B P (M M) Trombones Led the Big Parade (Music Man)
76 T t L t B P Trombones that Led the Big Parade. GR-new.
76 Y i t P o H C Years is the Period of Halley's Comet (approx). H gives the period as 76 years and 37 days, but effects of the planets can change this by several years. Another source gives 75 years.
77 S S Sunset Strip. U. H2. NQ17.
77 U Umbrellas. (Darts slang.)
78 C i a T D Cards in a Tarot Deck. U-new.
78 C i t T P Cards in the Tarot Pack
78 F (L o a T C) Feet (Length of a Tennis Court)
78 R P M O R S RPM, Old Record Speed. [Record speeds used to vary between 74 and 82 rpm, so 78 was chosen as standard. Since synchronous motors turn at 60 rps = 3600 rpm, the actual speed was produced by a 46 to 1 reduction gear, giving 3600/46 = 78.26087 rpm.]
78 Y L E f W i E Years Life Expectancy for Women in England
80 A N o M Atomic Number of Mercury
80 C i a M Chains in a Mile. P6, C.
A t W i 80 D Around the World in Eighty Days (Jules Verne). R16.
80 D a t W Days around the World. U.
80 D a t W i J V N Days around the World in Jules Verne's Novel. H2-new.
80 D t G a t W Days to Go around the World. P24-new. U2, with Around.
80 P i a N Pence in a Noble (Old English money. The noble was obsolete before the 19C.)
80 S C o a D D B Seating Capacity of a Double Decker Bus
81 C i t T T C Chapters in the Tao Te Ching. U-new.
81 S E Stable Elements. H says they are numbers 1 - 83, except 43 and 61.
81 S o a S B Squares on a Shogi Board (Shogi is the Japanese form of Chess). H.
82 S o a D Segments on a Dartboard (Each number has four segments and there are the bull and double bull in the centre.)
84 C C R 84 Charing Cross Road. U. H2. (By Helen Hanff.)
84 G i a P Gallons in a Puncheon (wine measure)
84 L C i L Livery Companies in London. H.
85 D of the B of B ?? _ Days of the Battle of Britain. (From Simon Dickerson.)
87 F S a S Y Four Score and Seven Years. U2-new.
87 F S a S Y A Four Score and Seven Years Ago (Opening of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address). P29 omits 'ago'. H2.
87 U N i C Unlucky Number in Cricket
88 C i t S Constellations in the Sky. U-new.
88 C R Connaught Rangers. (Darts slang.)
88 F p M i 1 M p H Feet per Minute is 1 Mile per Hour. H.
88 G G Golden Gates. (Darts slang.)
88 K o a P Keys on a Piano. H2 has 'pianoforte'.
88 P K Piano Keys. S1. U. (52 white & 36 black.)
88 T F L Two Fat Ladies (Bingo slang). U-new.
88 T F L i B Two Fat Ladies in Bingo. H2-new.
89 C i t F G Chapters in the Four Gospels. U-new.
T G 90s The Gay 90s. R56-new.
M t o 90 a 9 J P More than over 90 and 9 Just Persons (Luke 15:7)
T w 90 a 9 T S L i t S o t F There were 90 and 9 That Lay Safely in the Shelter of the Fold. R96-new.
90 D A a t C o a R Degree Angles at the Corners of a Rectangle. H2-new.
90 D i a R A Degrees in a Right Angle. S1. P cover, i, 43. U. H2. NQ53.
90 E o a B B Edges on a Bucky Ball (a truncated icosahedron)
90 E o a C (d) East on a Compass (degrees)
90 E o a F Edges on a Football (= soccer ball, which is a truncated icosahedron)
90 F B B i B Feet Between Bases in Baseball. H.
90 M i a F G Minutes in a Football Game (UK). H.
90 P o E i H 90 Percent of Everything is Hydrogen (in the universe as a whole)
90 P o E i R 90 Percent of Everything is Rubbish (Sturgeon's Law _ due to Theodore Sturgeon.)
91 D i a D 12 S Dominoes in a Double 12 Set
92 i t A N o U Is the Atomic Number of Uranium
93 M M t t S Million Miles to the Sun. NQ31-new.
94 L i F o a P B C Length in Feet of a Professional Basketball Court. U-new.
94 S S b H Surprise Symphony by Haydn. U-new.
W 95 Windows 95 (by Microsoft). H.
95 M L T Martin Luther's Theses. P42-new. U.
95 T o M L Theses of Martin Luther (1517)
96 D i a P Drachms in a Pound (Troy)
96 D o F Départements of France. H. These are numbered 1 - 95, with 20 (Corsica) divided into 2A and 2B. There are also 6 overseas départements, numbered 97-1 to 97-6.
96 T b ? Ninety Six Tears by ?. U-new. (By Question Mark and the Mysterians, 1966.)
97 L o t H o L (f) Length of the House of Lords (feet). U-new.
I W a 97 P W I Was a 97 Pound Weakling. (Ad phrase for Charles Atlas' body building course.)
97 P W Pound Weakling. U-new. Cf above.
98 T i S Tiles in Scrabble. But cf 100 T i a S G.
98 Y o t K G R Year of the Klondike Gold Rush.
99 a 44 H P P 99 and 44 Hundredths Percent Pure (Ivory soap slogan.) R28 has 99 and 94 100 P C P.
99 A o A W H w C Age of Abraham When He was Circumcised (Genesis 17:24). H.
99 B o B o t W Bottles of Beer on the Wall. P15-new. U. S3.
W G 99 C 99 C (A C w a W L) What Goes 99 Clomp, 99 Clomp? (A Centipede with a Wooden Leg.)
99 C i D D C Cantos in Dante's Divine Comedy (Actually there is also an introductory Canto)
99 F Flake (a bar of flaky chocolate inserted into ice cream cones in England)
99 I C C w a C F Ice Cream Cornet (or Cone) with a Chocolate Flake (see above)
99 i T o t H i B is Top of the House in Bingo
99 N o G Names of God (Moslem)
99 P C P 99 Per Cent Perspiration (Thomas Edison _ cf G i 1 P C I a 99 P C P). H.
99 T o o a H Times out of a Hundred. H2.
99 Y L Year Lease
H has several pages of currencies in which there are 100 A in a B. I won't give all of
them here.
O 100 Old Hundredth (favourite hymn tune)
T S o t C 100s The Stewardship of the Chiltern 100s (British office whose holder is not eligible to be an MP, hence used as a way for an MP to resign)
100s a 1000s Hundreds and Thousands. (Small bits of candy for sprinkling on cakes, ice cream, etc. UK)
100 A i a H Acres in a Hide
100 A o Q M Age of Queen Mother. NQ63-new.
100 A W (W t P) Aker Wood (Winnie the Pooh). U-new.
100 B H Bill Harvey. (American darts slang.)
Y 100 B T Your 100 Best Tunes
I H S H i t W-F o a 100 C C I Have Seen Him in the Watch-Fires of a 100 Circling Camps (The Battle Hymn of the Republic)
100 C F i a T (f S) Cubic Feet in a Ton (for Ships)
100 C i a D Cents in a Dollar. P40. U.
100 C i a M Centimetres in a Meter
100 C i R N C in Roman Numerals. H2-new.
100 D M One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding (novel title)
100 D (o N R) Days (of Napoleon's Return)
100 D o S b t M d S 100 Days of Sodom by the Marquis de Sade. H.
100 E o A Eyes of Argus
L 100 F B Let 100 Flowers Bloom (Chinese slogan, summer 1957.)
100 G i a Q Grades in a Quadrant. Chapman, p. 24. The grade was an attempt to metricate angle measure and is used in some engineering situations, so that most scientific calculators have it.
T L o 100 i 2 The Logarithm of 100 is 2 (to base 10)
100 I i a T Items in a Ton. Usually money or miles per hour.
100 L i a C Links in a Chain
100 L o a C Legs on a Centipede (centipedes usually have several dozen legs)
A 100 P C A A 100 Per Cent American. R12-new.
100 P i a D Pennies in a Dollar. P Cover - new. (US money.)
100 P i a H Pounds in a Hundredweight. U-new. (In the US.)
100 P i a P Pence in a Pound
100 P i a T Pounds in a Ton (i.e. £100)
100 P i t P Pence in the Pound
100 R i a C Runs in a Century (in Cricket)
100 T a W W B (i C) Temperature at Which Water Boils (in Centigrade or Celsius)
100 T i a S G Tiles in a Scrabble Game. H says 98.
100 T i t D o B Tales in the Decameron of Boccaccio
N N a 100 T N S t C C h L No, No, a 100 Times No, Said the Centipede, Crossing her Legs
100 T i t G o S Tiles in the Game of Scrabble
100 U S S United States Senators. U-new.
T F 100 Y A t H The First 100 Years Are the Hardest. R42-new.
100 Y D Yard Dash
100 Y i a C Years in a Century. P8. NQ21.
100 Y i a A F F Yards in an American Football Field. U-new.
100 Y i a F F Yards in a Football Field (US). P4-new.
100 Y o S One Hundred Years of Solitude. [By Gabriel García Márquez.] P51-new.
100 Y S B S Years Sleeping Beauty Slept. H. H2.
100 Y W Years' War (1337-1453)
T 100 Y W L 116 y The Hundred Years' War Lasted 116 Years
100.40 F o J F M Frequency of Jazz F M (apparently at Chester!)
101 a S M L a Silly Millimeter Longer. U-new. (Ad for Chesterfield cigarettes, poking fun at Benson & Hedges 100mm ad.)
101 D 101 Dalmatians. S2. P33. H2. (Book and movie title).
101 D i t D M Dalmatians in the Disney Movie. U-new.
101 D (W D) 101 Dalmatians (Walt Disney). NQ33.
102 F i t E S B Floors in the Empire State Building. P57-new. U.
102 K o a P C K B Keys on a PC Key Board (The is a common value, but not all key boards are the same.)
102 S i t E S B Stories in the Empire State Building. S3.
103 E i t P T Elements in the Periodic Table (as of 1961)
104 M i t M L o a E o t M Minutes is the Maximum Length of an Eclipse of the Moon
105 P o t M Pilgrims on the Mayflower (in 1620). H.
104 S o H Symphonies of Haydn (or perhaps 107??)
105 E i t P T Elements in the Periodic Table (though 106 and 107 have been claimed.) P44 gives 106. H says the Russians and the Americans claim its first production and want to call it Nielsbohrium and Hahnium respectively. Cf 109.
105 N P i a G New Pence in a Guinea
108 B i a B R Beads in a Buddhist 'Rosary'
108 G i a B Gallons in a Butt (of Sherry). Cf 126. H says in a butt of ale _ cf 54 G i a H
108 U i t T U C Unions in the Trades Union Congress
109 E i t P T Elements in the Periodic Table. Cf 105.
109 J K P T B John Kennedy's PT Boat. U-new.
110 C C B Cornets Came Behind. U-new. (Cf 76 T L t B P.)
110 F i t W T C Floors in the World Trade Center (New York). U-new.
110 M H Metres Hurdles. H2-new.
110 S i t S T i C Stories in the Sears Tower in Chicago
110 Y i a C F F Yards in a Continental Football Field. U-new. (Presumably a soccer pitch.)
111 A i t U N C Articles in the United Nations Charter. H.
111 L N Lord Nelson. (Darts slang.)
112 P i a H Pounds in a Hundredweight (in the UK)
112 P i a L H Pounds in a Long Hundredweight. U-new.
114 C i t K Chapters in the Koran
115 L o H W i M Length of Hadrian's Wall in Miles. H.
116 Y i t 100 Y W Years in the 100 Years' War.
116 Y i t H Y W Years in the Hundred Year's War. P37-new. U with Years. [Years' ?? Above version is better?]
117 V i S i A Volts is Standard in America
120 i a L H is a Long Hundred
120 I i a L H Items in a Long Hundred
120 Y i a F F Yards in a Football Field. (The field proper is only 100 yards, but there are 10 yard end zones at each end.) S3-new.
121 C o a H B Cells on a Hex Board (11 x 11, but there are also 12 x 12 versions)
122 M o t M T F Miles of the M25. (The M25 is the motorway around London.)
T T o P 123 The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974 film title). H.
123 A o A Age of Aaron. H.
125 H S T High Speed Train
125 I T Intercity Train
Y H D S b 125 Y Yet His Days Shall be 125 Years (Genesis 6:3)
126 C S b W G G i F C C Centuries Scored by W. G. Grace in First Class Cricket. H.
126 G i a B Gallons in a Butt (of wine). Cf 108.
126 G i a P Gallons in a Pipe (Wine measure). See above.
127 A o S Age of Sarah (Genesis 23:1)
128 C F i a C Cubic Feet in a Cord (firewood measure). H. Chapman, p. 36, says it was sometimes 120 cubic feet.
128 C F i a C o W Cubic Feet in a Cord of Wood
131 S i N Y Skyscrapers in New York. H _ presumably this has already changed.
132 H i a 100 132 Herring in a Hundred
132 I o H Islands of Hawaii. H.
132 R i t W H Rooms in the White House. H.
133 C C o t C o t C o L Common Councilmen of the Corporation of the City of London. H.
133 i t O N of B G F is the Opus Number of Beethoven's Grosse Fugue
136 T i a M J S Tiles in a Mah Jong Set. H.
140 S i a B Skeins in a Bundle. H.
140 T o T A t S H C R Types of Tobacco Ash that Sherlock Holmes Could Recognize (The Sign of Four)
144 D i a G G Dozen in a Great Gross
144 G Gross. U-new.
144 i a G in (is) a Gross
144 I i a G Items in a Gross
144 S I i a S F Square Inches in a Square Foot
144 T i a M J S Tiles in a Mah Jong Set
144 U i a G Units in a Gross. U2-new.
146 B i t B H o C Britons in the Black Hole of Calcutta. H.
147 H B i S Highest Break in Snooker. H2.
147 i t M B in S is the Maximum Break in Snooker [This can be exceeded if the one player makes a foul shot leaving the other with a free ball before any balls have been potted. I'm not quite sure what the maximum can be in this case _ one source says 155.]
147 M B a S Maximum Break at Snooker
147 M B i S Maximum Break in Snooker. U-new.
148 M L b B Y t U Mormons Led by Brigham Young to Utah (1847). H.
150 D t W o t G F P Days the Waters of the Great Flood Prevailed (Genesis 7:24: And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days). H.
150 K o t R T Knights of the Round Table
150 P i t B Psalms in the Bible. P46-new. U. NQ65. Lemon, p. 13, says Psalm 151 is cited several places in the Bible _ cf 151.
150 P i t B o P Psalms in the Book of Psalms
151 P i t R O B Psalms In the Russian Orthodox Bible. U-new. H says Psalm 151 is in the Greek Orthodox Bible.
153 F C b S P Fish Caught by Simon Peter (John 21:11)
154 S b W S Sonnets by William Shakespeare (though the last two are doubtful). H. (Another source says 150.)
156 F T b H C A Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson. H.
156 I i a L G Items in a Long Gross [= 12 Baker's Dozens!]
156 N o T a C S i a D Number of Times a Clock Strikes in a Day
159 L i a B o O Litres in a Barrel of Oil. H.
160 S R i a A Square Rods in an Acre
163 i t S I S w 3 D is the Smallest Impossible Score with 3 Darts
165 B o a R Beads on a Rosary. H. (But under 15 M o t L o M, he implies 180.)
165 H of N F in F Height of Niagara Falls in Feet
166 M o t D E Members of the Dail Eireann (the Irish Parliament). H.
168 H i a W Hours in a Week
168 S on a S of D (D-6) Spots on a Set of Dominoes (Double-6)
170 L o t S C i K Length of the Suez Canal in Kilometres. H gives 169 and 171, so I've taken 170.
175 A o A Age of Abraham. H.
A L 175 Y Abraham Lived 175 Years
176 V i t L P Verses in the Longest Psalm (No. 119). U-new.
179 A o W D C i S K Area of Washington, DC, in Square Kilometres. H. Cf 69.
179 H o t L T o P (i F) Height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa (in Feet)
179 W i t T C Words in the Ten Commandments
180 D b F a B Degrees between Freezing and Boiling [in Fahrenheit]
180 D i a T Degrees in a Triangle. U-new.
180 D i t S o t A o a T Degrees is the Sum of the Angles of a Triangle
180 D t R D Degrees to Reverse Direction. U-new.
180 H S i D Highest Score in Darts
180 i t H P S w 3 D is the Highest Possible Score with 3 Darts
180 M S a D Maximum Score at Darts
180 T a G V Train à Grande Vitesse (speed in miles per hour)
180 T G V Train à Grande Vitesse. (Speed in miles per hour. The standard abbreviation is TGV.)
180 T S i D Top Score in Darts.
180 T S w T D Top Score with Three Darts. H2-new.
182 P i a W Pounds in a Wey (wool weight)
183 C i t A Chapters in the Apocrypha (of 14 books). Lemon, p. 12.
185 M o t U N Members of the United Nations. H, so presumably c1997.
187 D o t A Defenders of the Alamo (in 1836). H.
189 L i a B o A Litres in a Barrel of Alcohol. H.
192 D E Directory Enquires (= telephone information in the UK)
192 I C i t W Independent Countries in the World (as of 1995). H.
193 L S o M a A Living Species of Monkeys and Apes (The Naked Ape, 1967, by Desmond Morris). H.
193 L o L I N Y i K Length of Long Island, New York, in Kilometres. H.
200 D f P G i M Dollars for Passing "Go" in Monopoly. S1. P56. U. (US)
200 M i a C Milligrams in a Carat. P18-new. U.
200 P f P G i M Pounds for Passing Go in Monopoly (UK). H2.
200 P t P G i M Pounds to Pass Go in Monopoly (UK)
204 S o a C Squares on (or of) a Chessboard (or Checkerboard) (when you count squares of all sizes, so there are: 64 unit squares, 49 2x2 squares, 36 3x3 squares, ..., 1 8x8 square.
206 B i t H B Bones in the Human Body (A baby has over 300 (or about 350), but many fuse with age _ though this can be more or less complete, so many adults have more or fewer than 206 bones. Cf 213.) P4. U.
210 L o R T i M Length of River Thames in Miles (from Thames Head to the Nore)
210 W o A 4 P i M Width of A4 Paper in Millimetres. H.
212 B P o W (i D F) Boiling Point of Water (in Degrees Fahrenheit). H2-new.
212 B P o W (i F) Boiling Point of Water (in Fahrenheit)
212 D a w W B Degrees at Which Water Boils. S2.
212 D F a W B P Degrees Fahrenheit at Water's Boiling Point. P35-new.
213 B i t H B Bones in the Human Body (Usually stated as 206, qv.)
220 S o a D o C Spots on a Deck of Cards
(= 4 x (1 + ... + 10), which ignores the small corner spots and the Joker. Cf 324, 364.)
220 Y i a F Yards in a Furlong
221 B B S 221 B Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes's address)
221 B B S A o S H B Baker Street Address of Sherlock Holmes. U-new.
225 S o a S B Squares on a Scrabble Board
226 P i t B Puzzles in this Book. P59-new.
P 231 b A H Pacific 231 by Arthur Honegger (a symphonic movement, 1923). H.
231 C I i a W G Cubic Inches in a Wine Gallon
235 I o U i t A B Isotope of Uranium in the Atomic Bomb. U-new.
235 o 238 i t A W o U 235 or 238 is the Atomic Weight of Uranium
240 C i a L Chains in a League
240 O P i a P Old Pence in a Pound
240 P i a P Pennyweight in a Pound. U-new.
240 P i a P Pounds in a Pack (wool weight)
240 P i a P (O M) Pence in a Pound (Old Money) (Old English money.)
240 V i D P S Volts in Domestic Power Supply
240 Y i a C Yards in a Cable (This corresponds to 7 1/3 cables per mi and is not consistent with other data.)
244 L o t M D L i M Length of the Mason-Dixon Line in Miles (between Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1763). H.
245 B R L (A o t E) Blackfriars Road, London (Address of the Express). H2-new (Hartston is now with the Express).
249 L o t N Y S S i M Length of the New York Subway System, in Miles. H.
251 L o t L U S i M Length of the London Underground System, in Miles. H.
256 A i a H Acres in a Hide (a medieval land measure, used in the Domesday Book, etc.). H.
256 D i a P Drams in a Pound (Avoirdupois)
256 N V o M C Nominal Value of Middle C. H. This is used in scientific or just pitch, in which A is 426.67. Cf 264.
264 F o M C (C P) Frequency of Middle C (Concert Pitch). Not quite right _ if A is 440 (qv), then middle C is 261.63, and if middle C is 264, then A is 444.0. A = 435 is also used, which gives C = 258.65.
264 P t D Popes to Date (This is the official count _ there is considerable confusion in the counting.)
266 S o t L U Stations on the London Underground. H. My Dec 1998 Tube Map lists 315 stations. 18 of these are only on the Silverlink Metro (the old North London Line); 24 are only on the Docklands Light Railway; 2 more are only on both of these; 2 are only on British Rail and 1 is only on Thameslink, which leaves 268.
267 D o H P Days of Human Pregnancy (Tradition gives 280; another source claims 273 (10 sidereal months).)
268 C I i a W G Cubic Inches in a Winchester Gallon
268 W i L G A Words in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. H.
270 C i t N T Chapters in the New Testament. Lemon, p. 12.
270 E V N t W a P E Electoral Votes Needed to win a Presidential Election. (US). S3-new.
M 273 D C i A Z Minus 273 Degrees Celsius is Absolute Zero
273 i t F P o W i D K Is the Freezing Point of Water in Degrees Kelvin
273 i t L o J C Z Is the Length of John Cage's Zero. (This composition consists entirely of silence.) H calls it 4 min 33 sec and another source gives 4 minutes 33 seconds.
273 (M) A Z (Minus) Absolute Zero
277 C I i a I G Cubic Inches in an Imperial Gallon
280 D o H P Days of Human Pregnancy (by tradition, cf 267.)
280 H o t G P (i C) Height of the Great Pyramid (in Cubits) [More or less _ this is a middling value.]
286 W i t G A Words in the Gettysburg Address
288 G i a C Gallons in a Chaldron. H.
288 i T G t M is Too Gross to Mention.
297 L o A 4 P i M Length of A4 Paper in Millimetres. H.
300 B i t T o C Bees in the Tomb of Childeric. U-new. H says they were golden bees and Childeric was an 8C Merovingian king. [John Timbs; Things Not Generally Known, Familiarly Explained. A Book for Old and Young (spine says First Series and a note by a bookdealer on the flyleaf says 2 vol.); Kent & Co., London, (1857?), 8th ed., 1859, p.193] describes this. The tomb of Childeric, father of Clovis, was opened at Tournay in 1653 and there were found more than 300 models of what the French heralds took to be bees, of gold with wings inlaid with a red stone. They were sent to Louis XIV and placed on a green cloth at Versailles. Napoleon later adopted these bees, on a green ground, as an imperial symbol and they are sprinkled on the Imperial robes. However, it is now generally believed that they were decorative 'fleurons' attached to the war horse interred with Childeric. So the number 300 is not very exact.
300 C o S Concubines of Solomon (I Kings 11:3. But a source gives 900.)
300 C W t L o t A Cubits Was the Length of the Ark (Genesis 6:15)
300 M G i B Maximum Game in Bowling (ten pin)
300 P G i B Perfect Game in Bowling
301 P i a G o D Points in a Game of Darts
300 P i a P G o B Points in a Perfect Game at Bowling. S3-new.
1 O o 312 A i a B 1 Out of 312 Americans is a bore (John Updike). H.
320 R i a M Rods in a Mile
324 S o a D o C Spots on a Deck of Cards
(= 4 x (1 + ... + 10) + 104, which counts the small corner spots, but ignores the Joker. Cf 220, 364.)
330 V o S D C Velocity of Sound, Dry Conditions. (Or Velocity of Sound, Dry, CO2-free. The value is actually about 331 m/sec.)
336 D o a G B Dimples on a Golf Ball
336 H i a F Hours in a Fortnight
340 H o M W b H Hours of Music Written by Haydn (the most prolific of major composers). H.
340 T V o a D o C i C Total Value of a Deck of Cards in Cribbage. (All the face cards count as 10, so the total value is given by 4 x (1 + 2 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10). Cf 364.
354 D i a M Y Days in a Moslem Year
360 D i a C Degrees in a Circle. P43. H2.
360 D i a S Degrees in a Square. KK-new.
360 D o C Degrees of Compass. NQ18-new.
361 P o a G B Positions on a Go Board
364 P from M T L Presents from My True Love. U-new. H. In the Twelve Days of Christmas, = 1x12 + 2x11 + ... + 12x1. A student of mine once worked out the cost of all these!
364 S o a D o C Spots on a Deck of Cards (= 4 x (1 + ... + 13). I saw 365 cited, which must count one spot on one joker, but the values of 11, 12, 13 are unfair as there are only two corner spots on the J, Q, K. Other versions call this the total value of the deck, though some games count the face cards as 10, which reduces the total value to 340. Cf 220, 324, 340.)
365 A o E Age of Enoch. H.
365 D i a Y Days in a Year. P24. U.
365 H o S P i F Height of St. Paul's in Feet
366 D i a L Y Days in a Leap Year. P25. U
366 D o t Y i a L Y Days of the Year in a Leap Year
370 D C i F Different Cheeses in France (cited by de Gaulle when complaining about the difficulty of governing France). H.
375 R S b B L Runs Scored by Brian Lara (in 1993-94, the highest single innings score in a test match). H.
N Y 400 New York's 400 (people worth knowing, c1900). R61-new.
T 400 B The 400 Blows (film by Truffaut, 1959). H.
404 H o S C i f Height of Salisbury Cathedral, in Feet (Tallest spire in England).
432 P i a H Pints in a Hogshead. U. H. (Of beer, but cf 54 G i a H (o B); 52.5 I G i a H;
434 T W T b K D Test Wickets Taken by Kapil Dev (the most by any bowler in cricket). H.
435 M o t H o R Members of the House of Representatives. S2. [USA]
435 M o t H o R (US) Members of the House of Representatives (US). U-new.
435 S i t H o R Seats in the House of Representatives. P40-new. U2. [USA]
440 C A Concert A. H says this was set by International agreement in 1939. But my reference says this is US pitch and that International pitch has A = 435. Cf 256, 264.
F 451 (b R B) Fahrenheit 451 (by Ray Bradbury). Cf below.
451 D F a w B B Degrees Fahrenheit at which Books Burn. U-new.
454 G P P Grams Per Pound
P J P i t F N-I P i 456 Y Pope John Paul is the First Non-Italian Pope in 456 Years
469 S o t N Y S Stations on the New York Subway. H.
480 G i a O Grains in an Ounce (Troy)
480 o 500 S i a R 480 or 500 Sheets in a Ream ([Chapman] says 480 sheets to a ream of writing paper, 516 (sometimes 500) sheets to a ream of printing paper. This is probably to allow for misfeeds, etc.)
484 S Y i a S C Square Yards in a Square Chain
495 S on a S of D (D-9) Spots on a Set of Dominoes (Double-9)
500 F C Fortune Companies. P42. U. [The US magazine Fortune lists the 500 biggest companies each year.]
500 H o B C Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins (Dr. Seuss). P28-new.
500 M (f m H) Miles (from my Home) (American folk song.)
500 M i t I F H Miles in the Indianapolis Five Hundred. U2-new.
500 M R a I Mile Race at Indianapolis. U.
500 P i a M Pounds in a Monkey (i.e. £500)
500 S i a R Sheets in a Ream. U-new. (Sometimes 480 or 516, qv.)
500 S o P i a R Sheets of Paper in a Ream. (Sometimes 480 or 516, qv.) S3.
501 L J Levi Jeans
501 L-S J Levi-Strauss Jeans. U-new.
501 S f a L a D Score for a Leg at Darts. H.
516 S in a R Sheets in a Ream. (Cf 480, 500)
516 S of P in a P R Sheets of Paper in a Printer's Ream (Cf 480, 500)
540 D i a P Degrees in a Pentagon.
550 F P p S i 1 H P Foot Pounds per Second is 1 Horse Power
568 M i a P Millilitres in a Pint (UK, approx. The actual number is 568.25 ml.) A US pint is 473.17 ml.)
576 H i a F Hairsbreadths in a Foot
A i t V o D R t 600 All in the Valley of Death / Rode the 600. (Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade, I:3-4.
A T W L o T L o t 600 All That Was Left of Them, / Left of the 600. (Ibid, V:10-11.)
H t L B N 600 Honour the Light Brigade, / Noble 600. (Ibid, V:5-6.)
I t J o D I t M o H R t 600 Into the Jaws of Death, / Into the Mouth of Hell / Rode the 600. (Ibid, III:7-9.)
I t M o H R t 600 Into the Mouth of Hell / Rode the 600. (Ibid, III:8-9.)
I t V o D R t 600 Into the Valley of Death / Rode the 600. (Ibid, I:7-8 = II:8-9.) R41-new.
T T R B b n N t 600 Then They Rode Back, but not / Not the 600. (Ibid, IV:11-12.)
600 C i t L B Charged in the Light Brigade. U-new. H says there were actually 673, qv.
600 C o t L B Charge of the Light Brigade (poem title).
600 F i a C Feet in a Cable. (This is not consistent with there being 10 cables in a nautical mile of 6080 ft, because 10 cables (= 6000 ft) is an International Nautical Mile, while the British Nautical Mile is 6080 ft. Chapman, p. 21.)
600 M i a R C Men in a Roman Cohort
600 W t M L A t t M d S Ways to Make Love, According to the Marquis de Sade. H.
N w 600 Y O a t T o t G F Noah was 600 Years Old at the Time of the Great Flood (Genesis 7:11)
613 C i t O T Commandments in the Old Testament (This counts all commandments from God, e.g. the dietary laws.)
622 H o M Hegira of Mohammed
625 L o a T S Lines on a Television Screen
625 L o a T V S Lines on a T V Screen
625 L o T S Lines on a Tele Vision Set [sic!]. NQ24.
626 K, M R, h L W 626 K, Mozart's Requiem, his Last Work
627 S u S P Steps up St. Paul's
639 M in the H B Muscles in the Human Body. H says named muscles.
640 A i a S M Acres in a Square Mile. U.
A 650 M i t H B About 650 Muscles in the Human Body
650 M o t H o C Members of the House of Commons. H says 659.
O 666 Officer 666. R78-new. (Broadway play by Augustin MacHugh, 1912.)
666 N o t B i t A Number of the Beast in the Apocalypse (Revelation 13:18. 666 = DCLXVI in Roman Numerals, apparently a common way to write an indefinite large number. Another source claims it derives from the reverse of the 'chi-rho' symbol which could be interpreted as 600 + 10 + 6 = 616 which was the first form of the number.)
666 N o t B i t B o R Number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation. U-new.
673 M i t L B Men in the Light Brigade. H. Cf 600.
675 P o M W b M Pieces of Music Written by Mozart. H.
688 F t 13 E 400 Y Friday the 13ths Every 400 Years (the 13th falls more often on a Friday than any other weekday). H.
700 W o S Wives of Solomon (I Kings 11: 3, but other sources give 600, 999 and 3000.)
707 Y o C Year of Confusion. U2-new. (This is the Roman year of 46 BC, when Julius Caesar reformed the calendar, giving this year 445 (or 460) days. Some sources say this was 'the last year of confusion'. The Roman year numbers are not too dependable as the date of foundation of Rome is variously given as 751, 752, 753 or 754 BC.)
714 B N o S J F Badge Number of Sgt Joe Friday. U-new. (1950s American TV series, Dragnet, featured Friday.)
720 D i a H Degrees in a hexagon
732 S o t T Survivors of the Titanic (in 1912). H.
738 S o S i M p H Speed of Sound in Miles per Hour.
744 H i M Hours in March (or any other 31-day month)
746 W i a H P Watts in a Horse Power
747 B J J Boeing Jumbo Jet. H2-new.
747 J J Jumbo Jet
750 H i a C Herrings in a Cran (approx). H.
755 H R H b H A Home runs Hit by Hank Aaron. P39-new. U2. [American Baseball.]
760 A P i M o M Atmospheric Pressure in Millimetres of Mercury
777 A o L Age of Lamech
800 H S o t SAT Highest Score on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test [now Scholastic Assessment Test]) [The SAT has two parts, mathematical and verbal, and each has a maximum score of 800.]
800 T O o W i a B Troy Ounces of Wheat in a Bushel
800 W i V Warriors in Valhalla. U-new. H. (The edda says there are 540 doors in Valhalla and 800 warriors will issue from each door, making 432,000 warriors, qv.)
818 S S o a B i M p H Supposed Speed of a Botfly in Miles per Hour
871 C M b W G G Catches Made by W. G. Grace. H.
880 N o M S o O F Number of Magic Squares of Order Four. U2-new.
888 C S Ceefax Subtitles (on UK TV)
900 D i a H Degrees in a Heptagon.
M L 900 Y Methusaleh Lived 900 Years (Line in It Ain't Necessarily So, in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. CHECK
911 E S i t U S Emergency Services in the U S. H.
929 C i t O T Chapters in the Old Testament. Lemon, p. 12.
930 A o A Age of Adam. H. (Genesis 5:3-5)
A L 930 Y Adam Lived 930 Years
930 Y A L 930 Years Adam Lived. H2-new.
950 A o N Age of Noah. H. (Genesis 9:29)
960 R i a L Rods in a League
962 A o J Age of Jared. H.
969 A o M Age of Methusaleh (Genesis 5:27)
999 E S i t U K Emergency Services in the United Kingdom
999 E T N Emergency Telephone Number (UK)
999 Y L Year Lease. Lemon, p. 215, says these are obsolete.
T 1000 a 1 T o t A N The 1000 and 1 Tales of the Arabian Nights. R98-new.
A 1000 C A Thousand Clowns (film title, 1965). H.
1000 C in a M ?? Possibly a misprint for 100 C i a M, qv.
1000 D o A B M Days of Anne Boleyn's Marriage
T 1000 D of J F K P The 1000 Days of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's Presidency
T N h a 1000 E The Night has a Thousand Eyes (film title, 1948)
T N H a 1000 E A t D B 1 The Night has a Thousand Eyes, And the Day but One. (Opening lines of Light by Francis William Bourdillon.)
T N h a 1000 E t D b 1 The Night has a Thousand Eyes, the Day but One. (??song line. R91-new, giving it in quotes, but see above.)
1000 E h t N Eyes has the Night. U-new. See above.
T 1000 E o D M The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (film by Fritz Lang, 1960). H.
M o a 1000 F Man of a Thousand Faces (film biography of Lon Chaney Jr, 1957). H.
1000 G a N Guineas at Newmarket (English horse race)
1000 G i a K Grams in a Kilogram
1000 I Islands (in the St. Lawrence River on the US-Canadian border). R57 has T 1000 I.
1000 I D Island Dressing (said to have been developed at a hotel in Alexandria Bay, NY, on the St. Lawrence). H2.
1000 I i N Y Islands in New York. U-new.
1000 K i a M T Kilograms in a Metric Ton
1000 M i a K Metres in a Kilometre. U.
1000 P i a M Paces in a Mile
1000 P o L Points of Light. P30-new, P. (Phrase used by George Bush in his inaugural address in 1988, which has become a TV show and a foundation, etc.)
T F t L a 1000 S The Face that Launched a 1000 Ships
A 1000 S F a T S a 10,000 a T R H
A 1000 Shall Fall at Thy Side and 10,000 at Thy Right Hand. (Psalm 91). R95-new.
1000 S L b H o T's F Ships Launched by Helen of Troy's Father
1000 S L b t F o H o T Ships Launched by the Face of Helen of Troy. P27-new. U.
1000 T i a M Thousands in a Million
N N a 1000 T N No, No, a 1000 Times No
1000 W i a K Watts in a Kilowatt. P20-new.
1000 W t a P i W Words that a Picture is Worth. S1. U.
1000 Y i a M Years in a Millennium. P12-new. U.
T 1000 Y R The 1000 Year Reich
1001 A N Arabian Nights. S1. P30. U. H2. R98 has T 1000 a 1 T o t A N.
1001 C a B B C Cleans a Big Big Carpet. U-new. (Slogan for a UK carpet cleaner.) H continues it as 'for less than half-a-crown'.
1003 D G M i S Don Giovanni's Mistresses in Spain
1040 U S I T F US Income Tax Form
1052 H o t E T (i F) Height of the Eiffel Tower (in Feet)
1066 A A T And All That
1066 B o H Battle of Hastings
1080 D i a O Degrees in an Octagon
1080 R o t M (i M) Radius of the Moon (in Miles)
1087 S o S i F p S Speed of Sound in Feet per Second.
1092 S on a S of D (D-12) Spots on a Set of Dominoes (Double-12)
1093 P b T A E Patents by Thomas Alva Edison. H.
1189 C i t B Chapters in the Bible. H. Lemon, p. 12, says 1199.
1215 D o M C Date of Magna Carta. NQ12-new.
1260 D i a N Degrees in a Nonagon.
1293 F B S L (T D S) Feet Below Sea Level (The Dead Sea)
1296 S I i a S Y Square Inches in a Square Yard. U-new.
1342 M (H o B N) Meters (Height of Ben Nevis) (Highest mountain in Scotland and Britain). Cf 4406.
1440 D i a d Degrees in a Decagon
1440 M i a D Minutes in a Day. P53-new. U.
1453 F o C Fall of Constantinople
1472 H o E S B (i F) Height of Empire State Building (in Feet)
1478 D of C D in a B of M Duke of Clarence Drowned in a Butt of Malmsey
1482 H o t P T K L i F Height of the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, in Feet (the world's tallest habitable building). H.
C S t O B i 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue in 14 hundred and 92. R93-new.
1492 C C D t W I Christopher Columbus Discovered the West Indies
1492 C D t N W Columbus Discovers the New World
I 1492 C S t O B In 1492, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
1513 D W t T S Died When the Titanic Sank (in 1912). H.
1521 D o W Diet of Worms
1545 T M R S The Mary Rose Sank
1558 Q E t F C t T Queen Elizabeth the First Came to Throne
1588 D o S A Defeat of Spanish Armada. NQ66-new.
1588 S A Spanish Armada
F W C 1589 First Water Closet (Several dates are given for this: Harrington's first publication was 1597 and most sources say he invented it in 1596, but [Sholl] gives 1589.)
1600 H T S o t SAT Highest Total Score on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) [The SAT has two parts, mathematical and verbal, and each has a maximum score of 800.]
1600 P A i t A o T W H Pennsylvania Avenue is the Address of The White House
1600 P A t W H Pennsylvania Avenue the White House. U-new. Above version is better. H erroneously has 160.
1610 K J B King James' Bible (completed)
1620 D o S o M Date of Sailing of Mayflower. NQ7-new. the Mayflower sounds better.
1652 S i t E T Steps in the Eiffel Tower Cf 1665.
1658 L o t F R B i M Length of the Forth Rail Bridge in Metres. H.
1665 G P o L Great Plague of London
1665 S u t E T Steps up the Eiffel Tower - from an Eiffel Tower website, but other sites give 1652, 1671, 1710, 1789, 1792 ??
1666 G F o L Great Fire of London
1671 S u t E T Steps up the Eiffel Tower. Cf 1665.
1710 S u t E T Steps up the Eiffel Tower. Cf 1665.
1728 i a G G is a Great Gross
1728 C I i a C F Cubic Inches in a Cubic Foot. U.
1729 i t S N E a t S o 2 C i 2 D W
is the Smallest Number Expressible as the Sum of 2 Cubes in 2 Different Ways (= 13 + 123 = 93 + 103; the great Indian mathematician responded with this when he was visited by Hardy who had arrived in a cab numbered 1729. H.
1760 Y i a M Yards in a Mile. P6. U. H2.
1766 L o t D i M Length of the Danube in Miles. H.
1776 A D o I American Declaration of Independence. NQ29-new.
1780 F E D First Epsom (or English) Derby
1789 F o t B Fall of the Bastille. NQ42-new.
1789 S u t E T Steps up the Eiffel Tower. Cf 1665.
1789 Y o t F R Year of the French Revolution
1792 n o S i E T Number of Steps in Eiffel Tower
1792 S u t E T Steps up the Eiffel Tower Cf 1652.
1800 D i a D Degrees in a Dodecagon
1805 B o T Battle of Trafalgar
1806 E o t H R E End of the Holy Roman Empire
1807 A o S T Abolition of Slave Trade. NQ73.
W o 1812 War of 1812 (US name)
1812 O (b T) 1812 Overture (by Tchaikovsky)
1812 O (T) 1812 Overture (Tchaikovsky)
1815 B o W Battle of Waterloo
1821 H o t C N T i T Height of the CN Tower in Toronto (the tallest self-supporting construction). H.
1843 P o A C C (C D) Publication of A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
1851 T G E The Great Exhibition
1869 S C O Suez Canal Opened
1872 R V W w B Ralph Vaughan Williams was Born
1883 K E Krakatoa Erupted
1887 P T I Pneumatic Tyre Invented (The idea was already patented by Robert William Thomson in 1845, but John Boyd Dunlop developed it into a commercial product in 1887-1888.)
1896 F M O G First Modern Olympic Games
1901 F N P A First Nobel Prizes Awarded
1901 Y o D o Q V Year of Death of Queen Victoria
1912 T S Titanic Sank
1914 T Y t L W O A O E The Year the Lamps Went Out All Over Europe
1926 Y Q E B Year Queen Elizabeth Born
1936 F S H F First Successful Helicopter Flight
1943 F E C B First Electronic Computer Built (Very uncertain. This may refer to the ASCC or Harvard Mark I, which was really a programmable calculator of relays and cams without conditionals, completed in 1943, or to ENIAC being started or to the COLOSSUS. Most people think the Manchester Baby of 1948 is the first modern computer to run.)
1945 E o W W T End of World War Two
1947 F S F First Supersonic Flight
1953 C Y Coronation Year. NQ87-new.
1953 E II C Elizabeth II Crowned
1954 T Y o L S W O ??
1961 F M i S First Man in Space
1963 P K A President Kennedy Assassinated
1966 E W W C England Won World Cup
1968 P S Prague Spring
OR Paris Strike
(Profumo Scandal _ check??)
1969 M F L o t M Man First Landed on the Moon
1974 F H o P First Hallmark on Platinum
1977 F S W F First Star Wars Film.
1982 H C Halley's Comet (most recent appearance)
1984 b G O Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
1991 J M R John McCarthy (or Jacky Mann) Released
2000 P i a T Pounds in a Ton. U. GR. (US or short ton.)
2000 P i a T T B ??
2000 Y i a N M Yards in a Nautical Mile. NQ93. (This is an International Nautical Mile. A British Nautical Mile is 6080 ft. Chapman, p. 21.)
2000 Y O M 2,000 Year Old Man (comedy character by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, made into a cartoon film, 1982). H.
2001 A S O 2001: A Space Odyssey. U. H. NQ48. (Film by Arthur C. Clarke & Stanley Kubrick, 1968).
2001 S O Space Odyssey _ see above
2240 P i a (L) T Pounds in a (Long) Ton. U, H, without the ().
2400 L o t G W o C (k) Length of the Great Wall of China (kilometres)
2468 W D W A Who Do We Appreciate
2876 W T b W G G Wickets Taken by W. G. Grace. H.
3210 H o S i F Height of Scafell in Feet (highest mountain in England)
3212 H o A F V i F Height of Angel Falls, Venezuela, in Feet (world's highest waterfall). H.
3560 H o S i F Height of Snowdon in Feet (Highest mountain in Wales)
3600 S i a H Seconds in an Hour
3640 N on a R W ?? Someone said there was a mistyping here and I think it is meant to be 36 N on a R W, qv.
3780 H o M F (m) Height of Mount Fujiyama (meters)
3901 L i H Lines in Hamlet
4000 R o t E (i M) Radius of the Earth (in Miles). The exact value is 3963.34 mi at the equator and 3949.99 mi at the poles.
4145 L o t R N i M Length of the River Nile in Miles. H.
4406 H o B N i F Height of Ben Nevis in Feet (Highest mountain in Scotland and Britain). Cf 1342.
4616 L o t H B i F Length of the Humber Bridge in Feet (the world's longest suspension bridge, though this may have changed by now). H.
4711 E d C Eau de Cologne
4840 S Y i a A Square Yards in an Acre
5000 S D o t G G Sat Down on the Green Grass (Mark 6:39-44)
5280 F i a M Feet in a Mile. P6. U. Cf 5920, 6720.
5760 G i a P (T) Grains in a Pound (Troy). U, without the (T).
5920 F i a S M Feet in a Scottish Mile. Chapman, p. 20.
6000 F i a I N M Feet in an International Nautical Mile. Chapman, p. 21. This was supposed to be 1/60 of a degree of longitude at the equator, which is 6069.69 ft, but 6000 was used in practice. A Geographical Mile is 1/60 of a mean degree of latitude and is 6076.8 ft.
6000 M i a R L Men in a Roman Legion
6080 F i a A M Feet in an Admiralty Mile. U-new.
6080 F i a N M Feet in a Nautical Mile. (Technically this is 1/360 x 1/60 of the earth's circumference which would be 6066.72 ft. Actually this depends on which circumference you take _ cf 6000. This is a British Nautical Mile.)
6448 L o t A R (k) Length of the Amazon River (kilometres)
6720 F i a I M Feet in an Irish Mile. Chapman, p. 20.
7000 G i a P A Grains in a Pound (Avoirdupois)
7926 M i t E D Miles in the Earth's Diameter. P44-new.
7927 D o E i M Diameter of Earth in Miles
7967 V i t N T Verses in the New Testament. Lemon, p. 12.
8081 T N o t S C The Number of the Speaking Clock
9000 S Y i a F P Square Yards in a Football Pitch
10,000 D o Y M Duke of York's Men. U-new.
L o 10000 L Land of 10000 Lakes. (Minnesota, though it has over 12000. Also Finland?)
T G O D o Y h h 10,000 M The Grand Old Duke of York, he had 10000 Men. (English children's song.)
10,080 M i a W Minutes in a Week
11,000 V o S U Virgins of St. Ursula
15,081 V i t A Verses in the Apocrypha (of 14 books). Lemon, p. 12.
20,000 L U t S 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. S2. P51. U. H2. (By Jules Verne). R81 has 40 L U t S _ some mistake, surely. NQ38 has 'under'.
20,000 V o t B P (P) Value of the Booker Prize (Pounds)
23,214 V i t O T Verses in the Old Testament. Lemon, p. 12.24,902 C o E Circumference of Earth (in miles). NQ9-new.
25,000 C o t E (i M) Circumference of the Earth (in Miles). (24,900 is better.)
29,028 H o E Height of Everest (in feet). NQ78-new. Cf next entry.
29,141 H o M E i F Height of Mount Everest in Feet. H gives 29,022; NQ78 gives 29,028. I have also seen 29,003.
31,181 V i t B Verses in the Bible (of 66 books) Lemon, p. 12 gives this, but another source gives 31,173.
33,000 F o a T T Feathers on a Thrush's Throat. (Rees cites an 'old cockney saying about "firty-free fousand fevvers on a frush's froat"'. ?? I have seen this with 30,000 and 40,000 and described as being a tongue twister.)
33,000 F P p M i 1 H P Foot-Pounds per Minute is 1 Horse Power
35,797 D o t M T i F Depth of the Marianas Trench in Feet (the deepest point in the ocean). H.
40,000 F o a T T Feathers on a Thrush's Throat. Cf 33,000 ??
42,195 M i a M Metres in a Marathon
43,560 S F i a A Square Feet in an Acre. U-new.
46,656 C I i a C Y Cubic Inches in a Cubic Yard. U-new.
54,896 R M b W G G Runs Made by W. G. Grace. H.
63,240 A U i a L Y Astronomical Units in a Light Year
63,360 I i a M Inches in a Mile. H2. (1/63,360 was a common map scale.)
64,000 D Q Dollar Question
68,578 D i t G P o L (O F) Deaths in the Great Plague of London (Official Figures). H. These may have been as low as half or even a third of the actual deaths.
86,400 S i a D Seconds in a Day
100,000 O i a P Pounds in a Plum. (I.e. £100,000. Said to derive from the story of Sir John (= Jack) Horner.)
102,400 S R i a S M Square Rods in a Square Mile. U-new.
132,253 W i t N T Words in the New Testament. Lemon, p. 12.
153,185 W i t A Words in the Apocrypha (14 books). Lemon, p. 12.
186,000 S o L (i M p S) Speed of Light (in Miles per Second) (Now 186,282.3971.. mi/sec
414,825 E i t 1933 O E D Entries in the 1933 Oxford English Dictionary. H.
432,000 Y i a K Y Years in a Kali Yuga.
432,000 W i V Warriors in Valhalla. (The edda says there are 540 doors in Valhalla and 800 warriors will issue from each door, making 432,000 warriors. Cf 800 W i V.)
450,000 V o N A i C C Volume of Noah's Ark in Cubic Cubits (it was 300 long by 50 wide by 30 high _ Genesis 6:15). H.
525,600 M i a Y Minutes in a Year (365 days)
527,040 M i a L Y Minutes in a Leap Year (366 days)
593,493 W i t O T Words in the Old Testament. Lemon, p. 12, gives 592,439.
603,550 C o I Children of Israel (Numbers 1:1, 1:46)
604,800 S i a W Seconds in a Week. H2-new.
724,692 W i t B Words in the Bible (of 66 books). Lemon, p. 12, gives this, but cf the next two entries.
744,792 W i t B Words in the Bible.
773,696 W i t B Words in the Bible. H-new.
(Another source gives 810,697.)
860,000 D o t S (i M) Diameter of the Sun (in Miles)
933,380 L i t N T Letters in the New Testament. Lemon, p. 12.
H t S a 1,000,000 How to Steal a Million (1966 film title). H.
1,000,000 C C i a C M Cubic Centimetres in a Cubic Metre
O Y 1,000,000 D B Oh, You Million Dollar Baby (song title, 1934; Million Dollar Baby was a 1941 film with Ronald Reagan). H.
1,000,000s f D b n 1 C f T Millions for Defense, but not One Cent for Tribute. R97-new. (Said by some American leader when the Barbary pirates demanded tribute money, c1820.)
1,000,000 P i a M Pounds in a Marigold (i.e. £1,000,000). Chapman, p. 93.
T 1,000,000 P N The Million Pound Note (by Mark Twain)
2,738,100 L i t O T Letters in the Old Testament. Lemon, p. 12.
3,671,480 L i t B Letters in the Bible (of 66 books). Lemon, p. 12, gives this, but H gives 3,586,489 and another source gives 3,566,480.
31,536,000 S i a Y Seconds in a Year (365 days)
31,556,926 S i a M S Y Seconds in a Mean Solar Year
(365 days 5 hr 48 min 46 sec)
31,622,400 S i a L Y Seconds in a Leap Year (366 days)
50,000,000 F c b W Frenchmen can't be Wrong. H says there is a Cole Porter musical called Fifty Million Frenchman.
93,000,000 D t t S (i M) Distance to the Sun (in Miles)
93,000,000 M i a A U Miles in an Astronomical Unit. P17-new.
133,306,668 A F w L Angels Fell with Lucifer
133,306,668 F A Fallen Angels
298,000,000 S o L (i M P S) Speed of Light (in Metres Per Second) [Currently defined as 299,792,458 so 300,000,000 is a better value.]
399,920,004 A i t U Angels in the Universe (9 choirs of 6666 legions of 6666 angels, according to medieval theologians; one third of these, 133,306,668 fell with Lucifer). H.
1,000,000,000 D B Billion Dollar Brain (Len Deighton story and 1967 film). H.
T 9,000,000,000 N o G (b A C C) The Nine Billion Names of God (by Arthur C. Clarke)
9,192,631,770 C p S i t F o C 133
Cycles per Second is the Frequency of Caesium 133 (Actually of the oscillation between the hyperfine levels of the ground state.)
149,600,000,000 A U Astronomical Unit (= Distance from the Sun to the Earth in metres)
5,878,625,373,000 M i a L Y Miles in a Light Year
25,000,000,000,000 D t t N S (i M)
Distance to the Nearest Star (in Miles)
60,000,000,000,000 C i t H B Cells in the Human Body (approx.)
9,460,528,412,464,108 M i a L Y
Metres in a Light Year. [This is exact if we use the defined value of the speed of light and the mean solar year.]
APPENDICES
THE ALMANAC OF CARDS
[Bill Severn; Packs of Fun 101 Unusual Things to Do with Playing Cards and To Know about Them; David McKay, NY, 1967, pp. 80-81] says this dates back to the 17C. He gives a version from the 18C The Perpetual Almanack of Gentleman-Soldier's Prayer Book.
A soldier is arrested for playing cards in church. He explained that the cards were his almanac, Bible and prayer book.
The Ace stands for one God, the Two for the Father and Son, the Three for the Trinity, the Four for the evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Five was for the Five Virgins, the Six for the number of days in which the world was made, the Seven for the day of rest, the Eight for the number of good people saved from the Flood, the Nine for the nine cleansed lepers of the Bible, and the Ten for the Ten Commandments. The Queen was the Queen of Sheba and the King was the King of All. When asked about the Jack, he said "That was the Knave, the sergeant who arrested me, for I wasn't playing cards in church. I was saying my prayers."
We also have: 52 cards and weeks of the year; 4 suits and seasons; 13 ranks and weeks in a season; 12 court cards and months in a year; red for day and black for night; the total of all the values, counting one for the Joker, is 365.
THE EVANGELISTS RHYME
[Dennis Ball; Lancashire Pastimes; published by the author, 1987, p. 16] gives the following prayer to the Evangelists.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Bless the bed that I lie on
There are four corners to my bed
And four angels overspread
Two at the feet, two at the head
If any ill thing me betide
Beneath four wings my body hide
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Bless the bed that I lie on
[Adrian Room; The Guinness Book of Numbers; Guinness Books, Enfield, 1989, p. 105] gives the following from Thomas Ady, A Candle in the Dark, 1655.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
The bed be blest that I lie on.
Four angels to my bed,
Four angels round my head,
One to watch, and one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.
[James T. R. Ritchie; The Singing Street Scottish Children's Games, Rhymes and Sayings; (O&B, 1964); Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 2000, p. 57] says a few children say the following.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Bless the bed that I lie on:
Four corners to my bed,
Five little angels there be spread:
Two at my head, two at my feet.
One at my heart my soul to keep.
[Robert Ford; Children's Rhymes Children's Games Children's Songs Children's Stories. A Book for Bairns and Big Folk; Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 2nd ed, nd [1904[1903] _ BL], pp. 31-32] gives several forms.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on;
Four posties to my bed,
Six angels are outspread:
Two to bottom, two to head.
One to watch me while I pray,
One to bear my soul away.
Ford says it sometimes goes:
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on;
Four corners to my bed,
Four angels round my head;
One to read and one to write,
Two to guard my bed at night.
Ford says the last two lines often are:
One to watch and two to pray,
One to keep all fears away.
He cites a MS by Aubrey in the BM and Ody's Candle in the Dark (1636).
A GERMAN COUNTING RHYME
[Walt Kelly; The Pogo Papers; Simon & Schuster, 1953, p. 146] gives the following up to ten (zehn) and I wasn't quite sure if it was authentic. But it also occurs in [Robert Ford; Children's Rhymes Children's Games Children's Songs Children's Stories. A Book for Bairns and Big Folk; Alexander Gardner, Paisley, 2nd ed, nd [1904[1903] _ BL], p. 42] up to twenty (zwanzig). Kelly spells out the numbers, but Ford only gives the numerals, but I have spelled out the numbers. Kelly breaks each of the following lines into two, but I have used Ford's layout to save space.
Eins, zwei, Polizei,
Drei, vier, Offizier,
Funf, sechs, Alte Hex,
Sieben, acht, Gute Nacht,
Neun, zehn, Auf Wiedersehn,
Elf, zwölf, Junge Wölf,
Dreizehn, vierzehn, Blaue Schürzen,
Fünfzehn, sechszehn, Alte Hexen,
Siebzehn, achtzehn, Mädle Wachsen,
Neunzehn, zwanzig, Gott Verdanzig.
THE MAGPIE RHYME
The Magpie Rhyme is given in [John Dunn & Colin Martin; John Dunn's Answers Please; (BBC, 1994); revised and expanded, Penguin, 1995, p. 125] as follows.
One for sorrow,
Two for mirth,
Three for a wedding,
Four for a birth,
Five for a christening,
Six for a dearth,
Seven is a heaven,
Eight is a hell,
Nine is the devil his ain sel'.
I learned this with Two for joy and Four for a boy.
[Dennis Ball; Lancashire Pastimes; published by the author, 1987, p. 62] gives the following version.
One for sorrow
Two for joy
Three for a wedding
Four for a birth
Five for the rich
Six for the poor
Seven for a bitch
Eight for a witch
Nine for a burying
Ten for a dance
Eleven for England
Twelve for France
THE MONTHS RHYME
A version of the months rhyme. [J. E. Thompson; Arithmetic in a Nutshell; A. Wheaton & Co., Exeter, 1957, p. 29].
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
February hath twenty-eight alone
All the rest have thirty-one,
Except in leap year, one in four,
February's days are one day more.
The version I recall, had lines 1, 2, 4 and then
Except when leap year doth assign
February twenty-nine.
[Commissioners of National Education in Ireland; First Book of Arithmetic for the Use of Schools; Revised and Corrected; Alexander Thom, Dublin, 1868, p. 11] has lines 1, 2, 4, then
February twenty-eight alone,
But in Leap-Year twenty-nine.
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations has two entries, under Richard Grafton ( -1572) and under Nursery Rhymes [Stevins MS, c1555]. The Grafton version is the first four lines of the above, but with September and November interchanged and variant punctuation and is dated 1570. The second has lines 1, 2, 4, then
Excepting February alone,
And that has twenty-eight days clear
And twenty-nine in each leap year.
H says this is due to William Harrison, 1577.
John Hind [The Principles and Practice of Arithmetic, 6th ed., 1849, p. xix] has:
Thirty days have September,
April, June and November:
February twenty-eight alone:
And all the rest have thirty-one:
Except in Leap-year, and then is the time,
When February's days are twenty-nine.
Carolyn Wells, ed. A Whimsey Anthology; Scribner's, 1906; Dover, 1963, has the following. This is also given in Games and Sports for Young Boys; Routledge, nd [1859 - BLC], p. 71, with slightly varying punctuation, notably omitting the dash in line 5.
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November,
February has twenty-eight alone;
All the rest have thirty-one,
Excepting leap-year, - that's the time,
When February's days are twenty-nine.
Joseph Guy [Guy's Tutor's Assistant; or. Complete Arithmetic, 10th ed., 1836, p. 207] has:
Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
February hath twenty-eight alone,
And all the rest have thirty-one,
Except in Leap-year; at which time,
February's days are twenty-nine.
Michael Walsh [A New System of Mercantile Arithmetic Adapted to the Commerce of the United States ..., 3rd ed., 1804, p. 22] gives just the first four lines as in Guy, followed by a prose explanation of the case for leap year.
A SNEEZE RHYME
A sneeze rhyme given me by Sasha Lubetkin Gillett, which she says comes from Gloucestershire. I have since heard it from a lady named Marie who learned it as a girl in Belfast, but her version omitted all the 'for's.
Once for a wish
Twice for a kiss
Three times for a letter
Four times for something better
CUMULATIVE NUMBER GAMES
These are party games where the next person has to remember the next line and recite or sing the whole set of lines back down to one, as in The Twelve Days of Christmas or Green Grow the Rushes-O (= I'll Sing You One-O). There are many non-numerical versions like This is the House that Jack Built or Old Macdonald had a Farm, but here I am only looking at numerical examples. I imagine there are quite a number of these, e.g. in the works of the Opies, but I am just recording examples as I come across them. Quite a few of these give all 10 or 12 stanzas, but I will only give the last, total, stanza unless one needs to see the first episode or two to see the form.
The Gaping, Wide-mouthed, Waddling Frog
Lydia Maria Francis Child; The Girl's Own Book; 10th ed, Thomas Tegg, London, 1839, pp. 80-85. All 12 stanzas given.
Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,
Hunting over other men's grounds;
Eleven ships sailing on the main,
Some bound for France, and some for Spain,
I wish them all safe home again;
Ten comets in the sky,
Some low and some high;
Nine peacocks in the air,
I wonder how they all came there,
I don't know, and I don't care;
Eight joiners in a joiners' stall,
Working with their tools and all;
Seven lobsters in a dish,
As fresh as any heart could wish;
Six beetles against the wall,
Close by an old woman's apple stall;
Five puppies buy a rounded ball,
Which daily for their breakfast call;
Four horses stuck in a bog;
Three monkeys tied to a clog;
Two pudding ends would choke a dog;
With a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.
An 1833 ed. by Clark Austin, NY, has this on pp. 93-95, but it is abbreviated, omitting several stanzas and the final stanza should be the tenth, but it starts 'Eleven comets in the sky'. Otherwise it is identical to the above, omitting the material for 12, 11, 8 and 5.
Fireside Amusements. Chambers's Library for Young People. William and Robert Chambers, Edinburgh, 1850, pp. 75-80. Gives all 12 stanzas, identical to the above, but with a comma after low in line 7.
David Holbrook; Children's Games; Gordon Fraser Gallery, Bedford, 1957, p. 119. Gives "Twelve Huntsmen" with slight variations.
Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds
Hunting over other men's grounds!
Eleven ships sailing the main,
Some bound for France and some for Spain;
I wish them all safe home again.
Ten comets in the sky,
Some low and some high;
Nine peacocks in the air,
I wonder how they all came there
I do not know, and I do not care.
Eight joiners in a joiners' hall,
Working with the tools and all;
Seven lobsters in a dish,
As fresh as any heart could wish;
Six beetles against the wall,
Close by an old woman's apple stall;
Five puppies of our dog Ball,
Who daily for their breakfast call;
Four horses stuck in a bog,
Three monkeys tied to a clog;
Two pudding ends would choke a dog,
With a gaping wide-mouthed waddling frog.
Mark Cohen; The Puffin Book of Tongue Twisters to Tangle the Tonsil and Jerk the Jaw; Ill. by Colin West. (As: Cohen's Cornucopia, Patrick Hardy Books, 1983); Puffin, (1984), 3rd ptg, 1986, pp. 36-45. Gives all 12 stanzas.
Twelve huntsmen with horns and hounds,
Hunting over other men's grounds;
Eleven ships sailing on the main,
Some bound for France, and some for Spain,
I wish them all safe back again;
Ten comets in the sky,
Some low and some high;
Nine peacocks in the air,
I wonder how they all got there,
You don't know, and I don't care;
Eight joiners in Joiners' Hall,
Working with their tools and all;
Seven lobsters in a dish,
As good as any heart can wish;
Six beetles against a wall,
Close to an old woman's apple stall;
Five puppies by our dog Ball,
Who daily for their breakfast call;
Four horses stuck in a bog,
Three monkeys tied to a log,
Two pudding ends that won't choke a dog,
Nor a gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling frog.
Green Grow the Rushes Oh
Eric Korn has recently pointed out the solution to the unknown 8 A R must be the line from this song, so I am adding the following, based on memory, assisted by friends' memories. Robert Burns did a version of this about the 'lasses oh'.
I'll sing you one oh.
Green grow the rushes oh.
What is your one oh?
Green grow the rushes oh.
One is one and all alone and evermore shall be it so.
...
I'll sing you twelve oh.
...
Twelve for the twelve Apostles;
Eleven for the eleven who went to heaven;
Ten for the Ten Commandments;
Nine for the nine bright shiners;
Eight for the April rainers;
Seven for the seven stars in the sky;
Six for the six proud walkers;
Five for the symbols [cymbals??] at your door;
Four for the Gospel makers;
Three, three, the rivals;
Two, two little white boys, clothed all in green oh;
One is one and all alone and evermore shall be it so.
See: Red Wave the Banners O! below for a modern version.
The Passover Riddle
The Passover Riddle, recited on Passover Eve. Mark Bryant; Dictionary of Riddles; Routledge, 1990, no. 1038, pp. 246-247. (Based on his Riddles Ancient and Modern; Hutchinson, 1983.)
Who knoweth one? I (saith Israel) know One:
One is God, who is over heaven and earth.
Who knoweth two? I (saith Israel) know two:
Two tables of the covenant; but One is our God
Who is over the heavens and the earth.
.. .
Who knoweth thirteen? I (saith Israel) know thirteen: Thirteen divine attributes, twelve tribes, eleven stars, ten commandments, nine months preceding childbirth, eight days preceding circumcision, seven days of the week, six books of the Mishnah, five books of the Law, four matrons, three patriarchs, two tables of the covenant; but One is our God who is over the heavens and the earth.
Red Wave the Banners O!
James T. R. Ritchie. The Singing Street Scottish Children's Games, Rhymes and Sayings. (O&B, 1964); Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 2000, pp. 102-103. A modern version of Green Grow the Rushes O!
I'll sing you one-O
Red wave the banners O!
What is your one-O?
One is Workers' Unity and ever more shall be it so!
...
I'll sing you ten-O!
...
Ten for the Works of Lenin;
Nine for the Days of the Nine Days Strike;
Eight for the Eight Red Armies;
Seven for the Days of the Working Week;
Six for the Six Great Teachers;
Five for the Years of the Five Year Plan;
Four for the Four Great Writers;
Three, three the Rights of Man;
Two, two the Workers' Hands working for a living O!
One is Workers' Unity and ever more shall be it so!
Carolyn Wells, ed. A Whimsey Anthology. Scribner's, 1906; Dover, 1963, p. 93, gives the following as an anonymous nursery rhyme.
One old Oxford ox opening oysters;
Two teetotums totally tired trying to trot to Tadbury;
Three tall tigers tippling tenpenny tea;
Four fat friars fanning fainting flies;
Five frippy Frenchmen foolishly fishing for flies;
Six sportsmen shooting snipes;
Seven Severn salmons swallowing shrimps;
Eight Englishmen eagerly examining Europe;
Nine nimble noblemen nibbling nonpareils;
Ten tinkers tinkling upon ten tin tinder-boxes with ten tenpenny tacks;
Eleven elephants elegantly equipt;
Twelve typographical typographers typically translating types.
Ten Fine Birds
Fireside Amusements. Chambers's Library for Young People. William and Robert Chambers, Edinburgh, 1850, pp. 72-73. Gives all 10 stanzas.
Ten bald eagles,
Nine ugly turkey-buzzards,
Eight screeching owls,
Seven green parrots,
Six long-legged cranes,
Five pouting pigeons,
Four plump partridges,
Three squawking wild geese,
Two ducks,
And a good fat hen.
The Twelve Days of Christmas
According to Mykal Shaw [Notes & Queries, The Guardian, part 2, 23 Dec 1998, p. 16], the origin of The Twelve Days of Christmas is as follows.
Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law from any practice of their faith, public or private. The Twelve Days Of Christmas was written as a "catechism song" to help young Catholics memorise the tenets of their faith and avoid being caught with anything in writing. The "true love" refers to God Himself; the "me" to every baptised person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, an expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem. The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments; the three French Hens _ faith, hope and charity, the theological virtues; four calling birds _ the four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists; five golden rings _ the first five books of the Old Testament, which give the history of man's fall from grace; six geese a-laying _ the six days of creation; seven swans a-swimming _ the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments; eight maids a-milking _ the eight beatitudes; nine ladies dancing _ the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; 10 lords a-leaping _ the 10 commandments; 11 pipers piping _ the 11 faithful apostles; 12 drummers drumming _ the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles' creed.
Mykal Shaw, Whitechapel, London E1.
MISCELLANY
[Gyles Brandreth; The Big Book of Superstitions; Carousel, 1985, p. 31.]
One leaf for fame, one leaf for wealth,
One leaf for a faithful lover,
And one leaf to bring glorious health _
All are in the four-leafed clover.
ALPHABETS
The number of letters in several alphabets is unclear, so I have put all the entries here for easy reference.
12 L i t H A Letters in the Hawaiian Alphabet. [A, E, H, I, K, L, M, N, 0, P, U, W.] H.
20 L i t I A Letters in the Italian Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
21 L i t O L A Letters in the Old Latin Alphabet (I and J were the same, U, V, W were the same, Y, Z were not used until contact with Greece)
22 L i t L A Letters in the Latin Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
22 L o t H A Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet
23 L i t F A Letters in the French Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
24 L i t A A A Letters in the Ancient Arabic Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48, saying four have been added to make the modern Arabic alphabet.
24 L i t G A Letters in the Greek Alphabet. U.
25 L i t F A Letters in the French Alphabet
26 L o A Letters of (the) Alphabet [sic!]. NQ57.
26 L o t A Letters of the Alphabet. S1. U. See the appendix on Alphabets.
26 L o t R A Letters of the Roman Alphabet. P23-new. (Actually the Romans had only 24 or 23?)
27 L i t S A Letters in the Spanish Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
28 L i t A A Letters in the Arabic Alphabet. H. Lemon, p. 48 _ but cf 24 L i t A A A
28 L i t W "A" Letters in the Welsh "Alphabet". My solution _ but Eric Korn says the current Welsh primers omit 'rh' leaving 27 letters. S3-new.
OR Letters in the Word "Antidisestablishmentarianism". Eric Korn's solution, which seems better. S3-new.
31 L i t C A Letters in the Cyrillic Alphabet. But cf 32 L .... [Sholl says there were originally 43 but modern Russian has 30.]
32 L i t M R C A Letters in the Modern Russian Cyrillic Alphabet. H. (33 are generally listed, but _ is sometimes not counted as a separate letter. [Sholl, p. 50] says 30. Perhaps some of the symbols commonly listed are not counted as letters.)
33 L i t T A Letters in the Turkish Alphabet. Lemon, p. 48.
36 L i t A A Letters in the Armenian Alphabet (devised by St. Mesrob Mashtots in 405)
39 L i t R A Letters in the Russian Alphabet (as of 1890). Lemon, p. 48.
43 L i t O C A Letters in the Old Cyrillic Alphabet (As formulated by Cyril and Methodius in the 9C, but it has been reduced to 30, 31 or 32, depending on who's counting.) Cf 39.
Will Shortz's original examples are the following.
1 = W. on a U.
3 = B.M. (S.H.T.R.!)
4 = Q. in a G.
5 = D. in a Z.C.
7 = W. of the A.W.
8 = S. on a S.S.
9 = P. in the S.S.
11 = P. on a F.T.
12 = S. of the Z.
13 = S. on the A.F.
18 = H. on a G.C.
24 = H. in a D.
26 = L. of the A.
29 = D. in F. in a L.Y.
32 = D.F. at which W.F.
40 = D. and N. of the G.F.
54 = C. in a D. (with the J.)
57 = H.V.
64 = S. on a C.
88 = P.K.
90 = D. in a R.A.
200 = D. for P.G. in M.
1,000 = W. that a P. is W.
1,001 = A.N.
UNSOLVED AND UNCLEAR NUMERICAL PHRASES
David Singmaster
.
Last amended on 7 August 2013.
Different sources provide these in slightly different formats and I have retained the original formats here. Thanks to Richard Armitage, Laurie Brokenshire, Jack Caunter, James Dalgety, Simon Dickerson, Harriet Hall, Tom Henley, Eric Korn, Simon Nightingale, Tim Rowett and Andrew Turnbull for lists. Following the list of genuinely unsolved examples is a list of examples where solutions were given, but I don't understand them! I would be grateful for solutions or explanations for the following examples and for other lists or entries. David Beamish has kindly given solutions for a number of these, though other answers might be possible for some of these. The number of letters in several alphabets is a matter of dispute _ I have put all of these in an Appendix above. I recently used Google which clarified about 40 entries. But in a few cases, the only reference for the phrase is the source I got it from or a relative of it. I indicate phrases where Google gave no useful site by 'Nothing on Google' and phrases where Google only sends me to a list of this sort by 'Google goes in circles'.
UNSOLVED
1 M L o t C F Maple Leaf on the Canadian Flag. (There is a use of this on Google.)
OR ?? More Lap on the Chequered Flag. Nothing on Google, though 'One more lap' is common.
2 O E P M ?? of each ??
2 P i a A C ?? Players or Pieces or Parts or Points in an ???
4 B o a R P ?? Boundaries on a Rugby Pitch ??
OR ?? Bases on a Rounders Pitch ?? (More likely??)
4 C i a T L S ??
4 G i a C C ?? Misprint for Quadrants in a Complete Circle ??
4 O in a M Q P* (*B C) ?? S3-new.
5 L P ?? Little Piggies OR Little Peppers (and How They Grew) - qv.
5 M S ?? Main Senses
5 T on a C (including the S in the T)
?? Toes on a Chicken (including the Spur in the Toes) ?? GR-new. Nothing on Google.
6 M G ?? Mitford Girls
6 M G t W a T S ?? Minimum Games to Win a Tennis Set
7 T S P ?? The Seven Pleiades OR The Seven Planets (of the ancients: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn) ??
10 D o a T ?? Digits on a Telephone ??
10 I I ?? GR-new.
12 C at M ?? Chimes at Midnight ?? Nothing on Google.
12 D P ?? Possibly intended to be Draughts per Player.
18½ M E from the W T ?? GR-new.
20 P o O i A ?? Percentage of Oxygen in Air
20 P o O i A ?? ??? in America/Australia There are 20 Pennyweights in a Troy Ounce and 8 Drachms in an Apothecary's Ounce.
21 C I O L S ?? Characters In Old Latin Script _ cf 21 L i t O L A ??
?? Cannons In One Loyal Salute ?? Nothing on Google.
?? There are 22 cards in the Greater Arcana of a Tarot deck. These are numbered 1-21 with the Fool often being unnumbered or numbered 0. Is there any connection??
22 M o C ?? H says Isidore of Seville (7C) counted 22 things made by God in the six days of creation. So could these be Marvels of Creation ?? Nothing on Google.
25 P o a F C S ?? Players or Pieces or Points or Parts or Pence on (of) a First Class Side or Stamp ??? (This may date back to when a First Class Stamp cost 25p and be slightly mistyped.)
38 P K ?? probably a misprint of 88 P K, qv
40 T in a A B ?? Misprint for 40 Thieves in Ali Baba ??
53 S on O G ?? misprint of 50 S on O G ?? Or perhaps the 53 is a misprint of 13, for stripes ??
1000 C in a M ?? Possibly a misprint for 100 C i a M Centimetres in a Meter ??
1954 T Y o L S W O ?? The Year our Last Side Won One ?? The Year our Long Strike was Over ??
This was the year: that Roger Bannister ran the four minute mile; that rationing ended in the UK; that London's first comprehensive school opened; but I don't see that any of these helps. The Olympics were in 1952 & 1956. However, the end of rationing might have led to: The Year our Long Struggle Was Over.
2000 P i a T T B ?? Pence in a Twenty ??? Pounds in a Ton ??? People in a ??? Battalion. There are 2000 pounds in a short ton and short tons are used in metalliferous mining in the UK.
3640 N on a R W ?? Someone said there was a mistyping here and I think it is meant to be 36 N on a R W (Numbers on a Roulette Wheel).
UNCLEAR
3 H o a C C H Humps on a Camel Called Humphrey (English children's story?) Nothing on Google.
4 i H In Hand. R3-new. This is a kind of carriage??
6 P i a P Pigs in a Poke. U-new. (I don't know this phrase and Google only gives it with two or three ??)
7 R o H Rivers of Hell. ?? But cf 4 R o H; 5 R o H; 9 R o H.
9 R o H i G M Rivers of Hell in Greek Mythology. Lemon, p. 215 gives this, but cf 4 R o H; 5 R o H; 7 R o H. Google doesn't help on these.
W a F a S 10 D Walk a Flight and Save 10 Dollars. R45-new. ?? Nothing on Google.
21 K o t D Key of the Door. U. H2. (Darts slang. Also a bingo call??)
21 K t t D Key to the Door. (Darts slang. Also a bingo call??)
34 S P Shakespeare Plays?? (37 is the usual number, of which 36 appeared in the First Folio). H gives 37.
1665 S u t E T Steps up the Eiffel Tower - from an Eiffel Tower website, but other sites give 1652, 1671, 1710, 1789, 1792 ??
33,000 F o a T T Feathers on a Thrush's Throat. (Rees cites an 'old cockney saying about "firty-free fousand fevvers on a frush's froat"'. ?? I have seen this with 30,000 and 40,000 and described as being a tongue twister.)
40,000 F o a T T Feathers on a Thrush's Throat. Cf 33,000 ??
Jerome S. Meyer's The Big Fun Book, p. 197, lists some Famous Numbers, including "40 and 8". This probably referred to the then 48 States, but I'm not entirely convinced. Eric Korn says early 20C French railway carriages had a notice: 40 hommes, 8 chevaux, and I have seen a reference to an English version of this.
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