# A dozen? 12 or 13

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 21, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646 "2001-06-21T16:16:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![satanslawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@satanslawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/satanslawyer)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646/1 "2001-06-21T16:16:16Z")

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I’m almost positive this question has been answered by Cecil before, but I couldn’t find it in my two Straight Dope books.

Why is a bakers dozen 13?

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**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646/2 "2001-06-21T16:35:43Z")

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I was told that it’s a dozen of today’s doughnuts and one of yesterday’s.

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646/3 "2001-06-21T17:06:07Z")

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One out of the batch for the baker to eat.

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**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646/4 "2001-06-21T17:06:30Z")

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I always heard it was to ensure that at least 12 of the items were ok to eat. Just a WAG though.

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**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2001, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-dozen-12-or-13/69646/5 "2001-06-21T17:17:22Z")

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[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=63182](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=63182)