# Base ten and dozens of eggs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2005, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855 "2005-08-06T05:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/21 "2005-08-07T15:21:07Z")
Hah. Good one dropzone. I have a ruler on my desk. Circa 1972. 13" long. It’s a promotional thing. We sold mobile homes. It says — “Lucky 13! Get a bakers dozen in: Quality, Value, Service…” Yeah, we sold the business. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/22 "2005-08-07T15:54:18Z")
> [@Mathochist](#): > > A lot of our numbering systems are based on 12s (seconds per minute, degree measure, etc), and most of those go back to Sumeria or Babylon. My own take on why _that_ is: 12 is the first abundant number > [@Mathochist](#): > > =12\*5. but 12\*5 is _not_ abundant ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/23 "2005-08-07T15:55:46Z")
O of course it is. Sorry about that ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/24 "2005-08-07T21:28:44Z")
> [@RM Mentock](#): > > but 12\*5 is _not_ abundant I didn’t say it was (though it’s very much so). My point is that 60 and 360 are multiples of 12, so a culture that likes 12s will like them too. ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/25 "2005-08-08T03:42:04Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Maybe I misunderstood this post. I checked the WIKI article and found nothing about the thirteenth item being for Satan. I would think people would want to _avoid_ thirteen items if they were superstitious. Yes, I didn’t mean to imply that my anecdotal info was in Wikipedia. I was only trying to link to a more authoritative source. However, I’m surprised I’m the only one who has heard this? ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/26 "2005-08-08T03:59:11Z")
I found some sites about the legend of a baker’s dozen: [this](http://www.aaronshep.com/extras/Baker_note2.html) one seems to indicate that it _may_ have originated in upstate NY, where I’m from. And this [one](http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/1997/archives/27/in_the_garden/flowering_plants_and_shrubs/grevillea_firesprite) includes the following: > [@](#): > > For suspicious customers afraid of evil forces, the baker added an extra loaf as ‘protection money’, giving rise to the sayings ‘Twelve for the baker and one for the Devil’ and ‘Baker’s Dozen’. I’d love to find out if any others are familiar with this saying. I can’t remember where I first heard it. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855/27 "2005-08-08T15:19:46Z")
> [@ggurl](#): > > **dropzome** , we liked all your urban legends! Lol (perplexed look) What urban legend? I have a friend who says that Duncan Baker was his first cousin twice removed’s father in law. That chain of evidence is good enough for me. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/base-ten-and-dozens-of-eggs/315855.md?page=1)