Re: [math-fun] Go forth & multiply !
Referring to the snake, `an adder' was originally `a nadder' (derived from the Old English word `naedra', meaning `serpent'), but the `n' jumped from the noun to the indefinite article. The time that this happened is an upper bound on the age of the pun. Sincerely, Adam P. Goucher http://cp4space.wordpress.com
----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Asimov Sent: 01/01/14 09:58 PM To: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] Go forth & multiply !
A joke ending with that punchline was published in VooDoo when I was an undergrad. At the time I thought it hilarious and laughed for a long while.
--Dan
P.S. I wonder how old the basic pun is.
On 2014-01-01, at 1:46 PM, Tom Rokicki wrote:
I always prefer telling this one with the punch line
"Even adders can multiply with a log table"
reworking the lead-in as appropriate.
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I wonder if nadders ate napples. --Dan On 2014-01-01, at 2:57 PM, Adam P. Goucher wrote:
Referring to the snake, `an adder' was originally `a nadder' (derived from the Old English word `naedra', meaning `serpent'), but the `n' jumped from the noun to the indefinite article. The time that this happened is an upper bound on the age of the pun.
From 1930 I lived in Atherstone, which I believe gets part of its name from the snake. There were plenty of adders in the neighboring woods. We had given up calling them nadders some long time before I was born. Will look in the OED (&/or Partridge's Origins) for the date when I get home. R.
On Wed, 1 Jan 2014, Adam P. Goucher wrote:
Referring to the snake, `an adder' was originally `a nadder' (derived from the Old English word `naedra', meaning `serpent'), but the `n' jumped from the noun to the indefinite article. The time that this happened is an upper bound on the age of the pun.
Sincerely,
Adam P. Goucher
----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Asimov Sent: 01/01/14 09:58 PM To: math-fun Subject: Re: [math-fun] Go forth & multiply !
A joke ending with that punchline was published in VooDoo when I was an undergrad. At the time I thought it hilarious and laughed for a long while.
--Dan
P.S. I wonder how old the basic pun is.
On 2014-01-01, at 1:46 PM, Tom Rokicki wrote:
I always prefer telling this one with the punch line
"Even adders can multiply with a log table"
reworking the lead-in as appropriate.
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
_______________________________________________ math-fun mailing list math-fun@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/math-fun
participants (3)
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Adam P. Goucher -
Dan Asimov -
rkg