Comments on: Number feary

By: Bob

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:20:06 +0000

go to the store and give them ‘sum’ money, everyone will be happy.

By: Sebatinsky

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:13:12 +0000

It was my understanding that cultures with simple counting systems usually use “one,” “two,” and “many.”

By: Sarah

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:38:31 +0000

Hey, thanks! If all goes well, in space it will be and you knew all about it beforehand thanks to the mighty networks of the Intertron!

Of course, it is some cms long — some inches, too.

By: Adam

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:18:35 +0000

Measured… in inches or cms? You have to make sure.

I’ll have my fingers crossed for you. With the exception of my uncle T., who had a thing for pyrotechnics, I have never spoken to anyone that has actually sent something in to space.

By: Sarah

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:25:16 +0000

Hopefully I didn’t speak too soon — it has to be weighed and measured first. There’s a limit to what can be packed into those shuttles, even in the bags belonging to the astronomers!

Of course, when they ask me about it I’ll say: “it’s some inches long, and weighs some pounds.”

By: Adam

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:15:20 +0000

Is that really true, that you’re having something sent into space?

Because that would be *puts on best Chris Griffin voice* awesome.

By: Sarah

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 03:09:57 +0000

Seems like you have some comments. I’m making one comment.

Here it is.

By: Adam

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:52:58 +0000

“Being Australian, we also use terms like shit-tins, f**kloads, oodles, bugger-all, heaps, few, couple, about yay big, bees dick, knee high to a grasshopper, etc.
These are all official terms, that when used in context describe a precise mathematical quantity.”

It’s true, they do. I really like non-specific amounts and volumes.

I use ‘bunch’ and ‘handful’ a lot.

By: Seraphine

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:45:17 +0000

huh? dat don’ make no sense.
without the lunchmeat and pizza
you don’t need no headache pills.

By: Seraphine

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:42:51 +0000

i’ve never lived in an osciety
(if that is what you call a numberless society).
i can do without the birthdays
maybe even time itself
but i’d still want to be
No. 1 in somebody’s life…

By: Ben

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:06:06 +0000

You could use binary.
But, the fact is, you are still referring to larger numbers.
I would rather use fractions of much larger numbers.
Like 1/3 of Graham’s number
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham's_number
6/711453 of an octodecillion.
83/7 of pi.

Being Australian, we also use terms like shit-tins, f**kloads, oodles, bugger-all, heaps, few, couple, about yay big, bees dick, knee high to a grasshopper, etc.
These are all official terms, that when used in context describe a precise mathematical quantity.

By: Ben

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:49:53 +0000

I have to agree with that sentiment.
Buying excess cows is a real burden to the tax payer.

My friend often writes ” Love and Happiness” on her household shopping list.
So far, not one has bought that item.
Maybe she needs to specify a quantity?

By: The Great Joe Bivins

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:45:34 +0000

I’m too literal minded to ignore specific numbers. I even tend to give precisely accurate time measurements like Data or Spock.

And the other day I did in fact go to the store to buy no cows. That wasn’t the main reason I went, but it was on my list:

headache pills
ice cream
lunchmeat
no cows
soda
frozen pizza

And when I got back from the store, sure enough I’d bought no cows at all. That’s why it’s important to make a list and STICK TO IT.

By: Sam

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:05:26 +0000

Reading your post made me think of 1984. Instead of saying excellent, or great, or awesome, good was used in combination with a certain number of ‘very’s. In your post, rather than saying five you would simply repeat one five times. The loss of vocabulary bothers me in both places.

I have just realized that saying one five times feels like cheating when thinking about the “one” and “some” system. It’s still counting, just not very effectively. I would fail at giving up numbers.

By: Philippa

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:38:35 +0000

Sadly not. The thing is, although I tend to abhor numbers, letting go of them is something I’d find very hard to do.
They’re MY numbers to hate.