If you are good at trivia, here's a "trivial" arithmetic problem. Your
score is based on the number of times you had to consult the Internet or
a reference (the lower the score, the better).

Over 15: I'm guessing you don't like watching "Jeopardy!"
10-14: Good!
5-9: Excellent!
1-4: Wow!
0: You should try out for "Jeopardy!"

Hints : The starting number is 13. After each operation, the result is
a whole number. Use this fact to check answers at each "Divide by"
operation.

Start with an unlucky number for a Friday.
Multiply by the gables on Hawthorn's house.
Add the number a stitch in time saves.
Add the number of blind mice.
Subtract the number of William Pène du Bois' balloons.
Add the number of wonders of the world.
Subtract the number of miles in Camptown's racetrack.
Subtract the number of strings on a violin.
Divide by the number of vertices on a regular hexahedron.
Add the number of the engine that ran on Chicago line.
Multiply by the number of gentlemen of Verona.
Add the atomic number of the element whose symbol is the 25th letter of
the alphabet.
Divide by the number of hills of Rome.
Multiply by the number of railroads on a Monopoly board.
Add the number of easy pieces.
Add the number of chromosomes in a human cell.
Multiply by the number of kittens that lost their mittens.
Add the number of acres in A. A. Milne's woods.
Multiply by the number of cities in Dickens' tale.
Subtract the number of degrees Fahrenheit at which Bradbury's books burn.
Add the number of Great Lakes.
Divide by the number of days of the condor in the title of Grady's book. Subtract the number of blackbirds baked in a pie.
Multiply by the number of horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Divide by the number of men on a dead man's chest.
Add the number of a neutral PH.
Subtract the number of carbon atoms in a molecule of ethane.
Multiply by the number of heads on Lofting's Pushme-Pullyou.
Add the number of miles on the road sign to Juster's Digitopolis.
Subtract the number of dried orange pips in a Sherlock Holmes case.
Multiply by the number of the square at which Alice met Humpty Dumpty.
Divide by the number of witches in Macbeth.
Divide by the number of suits in a standard deck of cards.

--
Carl G.

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Carl Ginnow:

Hints : The starting number is 13. After each operation, the result is
a whole number. Use this fact to check answers at each "Divide by"
operation.

Start with an unlucky number for a Friday.

13.

Multiply by the gables on Hawthorn's house.

*7 = 91.

Add the number a stitch in time saves.

+9 = 100.

Add the number of blind mice.

+3 = 103.

Subtract the number of William Pène du Bois' balloons.

(First google.)
-21 = 82.

Add the number of wonders of the world.

+7 = 73.

Subtract the number of miles in Camptown's racetrack.

+5 = 68.

Subtract the number of strings on a violin.

-4 = 64.

Divide by the number of vertices on a regular hexahedron.

/8 = 8.

Add the number of the engine that ran on Chicago line.

(Second google.)
One source says 9, another 999.

+ that = 17 or 1007.

Multiply by the number of gentlemen of Verona.

*2 = 34 or 2014.

Add the atomic number of the element whose symbol is the 25th letter of
the alphabet.

(I thought I knew it, but I did a third google to make sure.)
+39 = 73 or 2053.

Divide by the number of hills of Rome.

/7 = not an integer in either case. I give up.
--
Mark Brader | this take
Toronto | "If is shall really to
msb@vex.net | flying I never it."
| -- Piglet ("Winnie-the-Pooh", A.A. Milne)

My text in this article is in the public domain.

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On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 6:56:02 +0000, Mark Brader wrote:

Carl Ginnow:

Hints : The starting number is 13. After each operation, the result is
a whole number. Use this fact to check answers at each "Divide by"
operation.

Start with an unlucky number for a Friday.

13.

Multiply by the gables on Hawthorn's house.

*7 = 91.

Add the number a stitch in time saves.

+9 = 100.

Add the number of blind mice.

+3 = 103.

Subtract the number of William Pène du Bois' balloons.

(First google.)
-21 = 82.

Add the number of wonders of the world.

+7 = 73.

82 + 7 = 89

Subtract the number of miles in Camptown's racetrack.

+5 = 68.

89 - 5 = 84

Subtract the number of strings on a violin.

-4 = 64.

84 - 4 = 80

Divide by the number of vertices on a regular hexahedron.

/8 = 8.

80 / 8 = 10

Add the number of the engine that ran on Chicago line.

(Second google.)
One source says 9, another 999.

+ that = 17 or 1007.

10 + 9 = 19

Multiply by the number of gentlemen of Verona.

*2 = 34 or 2014.

19 * 2 = 38

Add the atomic number of the element whose symbol is the 25th letter of
the alphabet.

(I thought I knew it, but I did a third google to make sure.)
+39 = 73 or 2053.

38 + 39 = 77

Divide by the number of hills of Rome.

/7 = not an integer in either case. I give up.

77 / 7 = 11

--

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On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 13:23:46 +0000, IlanMayer wrote:

77 / 7 = 11

Multiply by the number of railroads on a Monopoly board.
Add the number of easy pieces.
Add the number of chromosomes in a human cell.
Multiply by the number of kittens that lost their mittens.
Add the number of acres in A. A. Milne's woods.
Multiply by the number of cities in Dickens' tale.
Subtract the number of degrees Fahrenheit at which Bradbury's books burn.
Add the number of Great Lakes.
Divide by the number of days of the condor in the title of Grady's book. Subtract the number of blackbirds baked in a pie.
Multiply by the number of horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Divide by the number of men on a dead man's chest.
Add the number of a neutral PH.
Subtract the number of carbon atoms in a molecule of ethane.
Multiply by the number of heads on Lofting's Pushme-Pullyou.
Add the number of miles on the road sign to Juster's Digitopolis.
Subtract the number of dried orange pips in a Sherlock Holmes case.
Multiply by the number of the square at which Alice met Humpty Dumpty.
Divide by the number of witches in Macbeth.
Divide by the number of suits in a standard deck of cards.



--
David Entwistle

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On 6/20/2025 11:56 PM, Mark Brader wrote:

Carl Ginnow:

Hints : The starting number is 13. After each operation, the result is
a whole number. Use this fact to check answers at each "Divide by"
operation.

Start with an unlucky number for a Friday.

13.

Multiply by the gables on Hawthorn's house.

*7 = 91.

Add the number a stitch in time saves.

+9 = 100.

Add the number of blind mice.

+3 = 103.

Subtract the number of William Pène du Bois' balloons.

(First google.)
-21 = 82.

Add the number of wonders of the world.

+7 = 73.

82 + 7 = ? (Hint: It's not 73)

--
Carl G.


--
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On 21/06/2025 17:28, Carl G. wrote:

82 + 7 = ?  (Hint: It's not 73)

It is, for high values of 73.

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within

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Mark Brader:

[82] +7 = 73.

Ilan Mayer:

82 + 7 = 89

Details, details.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | WARNING: This Product Warps Space and Time msb@vex.net | in Its Vicinity. --JIR

My text in this article is in the public domain.

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On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 15:43:20 +0000, David Entwistle wrote:

On Sat, 21 Jun 2025 13:23:46 +0000, IlanMayer wrote:

77 / 7 = 11

Multiply by the number of railroads on a Monopoly board.
Add the number of easy pieces.
Add the number of chromosomes in a human cell.
Multiply by the number of kittens that lost their mittens.
Add the number of acres in A. A. Milne's woods.
Multiply by the number of cities in Dickens' tale.
Subtract the number of degrees Fahrenheit at which Bradbury's books
burn.
Add the number of Great Lakes.
Divide by the number of days of the condor in the title of Grady's book. Subtract the number of blackbirds baked in a pie.
Multiply by the number of horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Divide by the number of men on a dead man's chest.
Add the number of a neutral PH.
Subtract the number of carbon atoms in a molecule of ethane.
Multiply by the number of heads on Lofting's Pushme-Pullyou.
Add the number of miles on the road sign to Juster's Digitopolis.
Subtract the number of dried orange pips in a Sherlock Holmes case.
Multiply by the number of the square at which Alice met Humpty Dumpty.
Divide by the number of witches in Macbeth.
Divide by the number of suits in a standard deck of cards.

11
Multiply by the number of railroads on a Monopoly board.
* 4 = 44
Add the number of easy pieces.
+ 5 = 49
Add the number of chromosomes in a human cell.
+ 46 = 95
Multiply by the number of kittens that lost their mittens.
* 3 = 285
Add the number of acres in A. A. Milne's woods.
+ 100 = 385
Multiply by the number of cities in Dickens' tale.
* 2 = 770
Subtract the number of degrees Fahrenheit at which Bradbury's books
burn.
- 451 = 319
Add the number of Great Lakes.
+ 5 = 324
Divide by the number of days of the condor in the title of Grady's book.
/ 6 = 54
Subtract the number of blackbirds baked in a pie.
- 24 = 30
Multiply by the number of horsemen of the Apocalypse.
* 4 = 120
Divide by the number of men on a dead man's chest.
/ 15 = 8
Add the number of a neutral PH.
+ 7 = 15
Subtract the number of carbon atoms in a molecule of ethane.
- 2 = 13
Multiply by the number of heads on Lofting's Pushme-Pullyou.
* 2 = 26
Add the number of miles on the road sign to Juster's Digitopolis.
+ 5 = 31
Subtract the number of dried orange pips in a Sherlock Holmes case.
-5 = 26
Multiply by the number of the square at which Alice met Humpty Dumpty.
* 6 = 156
Divide by the number of witches in Macbeth.
/ 3 = 52
Divide by the number of suits in a standard deck of cards.
/ 4 = 13

--

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