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I have always considered it ambiguous, personally. Joel Send a noteboard - 17/12/2011 01:34:46 PM
9. In the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" ("On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me..." ), what total of gifts was given over the whole twelve days: 78, 280, or 364?

Should be about 12^2/2 as it goes, or 144/2, so I'll go with 78


The answer apparently being 364, but

12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords-a-Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids-a-Milking
7 Swans-a-Swimming
6 Geese-a-Laying
5 Gold Rings
4 Colly Birds [sic]
3 French Hens[8]
2 Turtle Doves
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

It had honestly never occured to me the person was actually giving them identical gifts the next day, that they had, for instance, received 12 pear trees, 22 Turtle Doves, 30 French Hens, 36 Colly Birds and 40 goddamn golden rings, I always assumed they were just repeating the prior day's list. Interesting how you can hear and sing a song a ba-jillion times without reflecting on it.

I always took it that way as well purely from the standpoint of practicality and good sense ("Oh... 8 MORE Maid-a-Milking... I hope you plan to give me ten Cows-a-Swelling tomorrow...." :P) Taken literally, however, the song does say the whole list is given anew each day. For no good reason.

I also find it interesting that summing all the ordinals 1-12 then adding THAT to the sum of all ordinals except the largest, recursively, yields the number of days in a 12 month year, minus 1. I am certain there is something mysterious and awe inspiring behind that, probably involving the Golden Mean, the Masons and Simon Magus. (8

EDIT: Also, you missed a MATH question. *points, laughs* ;)
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This message last edited by Joel on 17/12/2011 at 01:35:49 PM
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Christmas nossy - 16/12/2011 01:16:56 PM 664 Views
Answers nossy - 16/12/2011 01:19:26 PM 443 Views
Four. Got two unfortunate guesses on the dates, I guess. And number four is just lame. *NM* Legolas - 16/12/2011 11:10:45 PM 165 Views
So lame I can't even reply in the right place, clearly. *NM* Legolas - 16/12/2011 11:10:59 PM 189 Views
Re: (I love) Christmas Sareitha Sedai - 16/12/2011 01:30:58 PM 377 Views
that's eight. *NM* Stephen - 16/12/2011 01:56:23 PM 155 Views
Only five. I fail at Christmas. Nate - 16/12/2011 05:13:40 PM 351 Views
How the hell is anyone supposed to know #3? ßelals Girl - 16/12/2011 07:47:00 PM 371 Views
just watch Urban Cowboy *NM* random thoughts - 16/12/2011 10:54:10 PM 170 Views
Work for 10 years as an attorney for oil and gas companies. *NM* Tom - 17/12/2011 05:24:48 PM 172 Views
9/10, interesting, missed #9 of all things Isaac - 16/12/2011 08:21:07 PM 360 Views
Ya know, that song seems kinda strange on reflection Isaac - 16/12/2011 08:27:14 PM 486 Views
Yeah, they do interpret it rather strangely there... but I guess grammatically it makes sense. Legolas - 16/12/2011 11:16:56 PM 377 Views
I have always considered it ambiguous, personally. Joel - 17/12/2011 01:34:46 PM 430 Views
Yeah, it was a rough one to have missed Isaac - 17/12/2011 07:52:22 PM 387 Views
8. Didn't know 3 or 4. *NM* Rebekah - 16/12/2011 09:03:20 PM 150 Views
6, missed 3, 4, 6 and 7. *NM* Colonel Logain - 16/12/2011 10:46:50 PM 208 Views
How exactly is this being scored? 14/17 Joel - 17/12/2011 01:25:54 PM 524 Views
Clearly you need to fresh up your Shakespeare. Legolas - 17/12/2011 04:49:32 PM 381 Views
Yes, methinks he doth protest too much. Tom - 17/12/2011 05:23:56 PM 405 Views
Never read/seen it. Joel - 17/12/2011 07:21:04 PM 441 Views
Also, I cry foul on #4. Joel - 17/12/2011 01:27:59 PM 352 Views
You obviously weren't raised Catholic Tom - 17/12/2011 05:22:51 PM 365 Views
No, but I have a good friend who is Catholic and attends a Midnight Mass seemingly every week. Joel - 17/12/2011 07:19:17 PM 394 Views
any chance your girlfriend was going to Midnight Mass with him? *NM* random thoughts - 22/12/2011 01:22:26 PM 152 Views
None; she is Lutheran. Joel - 22/12/2011 06:40:37 PM 364 Views
10/10. *NM* Tom - 17/12/2011 05:23:16 PM 159 Views
Re: Christmas Sports_Gambler - 18/12/2011 05:13:55 AM 574 Views
8/10. Tim - 19/12/2011 03:17:58 PM 405 Views
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