# CHALLENGE!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530 "2000-09-08T19:39:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Rock-et](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@Little\_Rock-et](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Rock-et)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/1 "2000-09-08T19:39:23Z")
How can you get 88 from 50, 7, 6, 5, 3 and 3 with +, -, / and \*? The first one who gets it right gets a prize. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/2 "2000-09-08T19:43:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Little Rock-et \* > \*\*How can you get 88 from 50, 7, 6, 5, 3 and 3 with +, -, / and \*? The first one who gets it right gets a prize. \*\* 50 + (7_6) + 5 - (3_3) 50 + 42 + 5 - 9 97 - 9 88 ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/3 "2000-09-08T19:43:51Z")
I refuse to do math until I know what the prize is. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/4 "2000-09-08T19:44:03Z")
50+(7x5)+3 ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/5 "2000-09-08T19:45:44Z")
Hey, you’re not asking the Straight Dopers to do your homework for you, now are you? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/6 "2000-09-08T19:56:39Z")
I thought you lost your password, Little Rock-et? BratMan do you know this person? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/7 "2000-09-08T19:59:07Z")
I have a feeling this is supposed to be one of those where you have to use each number, but only one. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/8 "2000-09-08T20:08:10Z")
In which case the answer is (and using each function once each): {(50 x 6) / 3} - (7 + 5) {300 / 3} - 12 {100} - 12 88 What’s my prize? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/9 "2000-09-08T20:18:57Z")
You didn’t say you could use (). Can you? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/10 "2000-09-08T20:21:55Z")
() aren’t a function, they’re an order. Or something… Just a way of grouping. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/11 "2000-09-08T20:52:18Z")
You should simplify. Does each number/operation have to be used once? Only once? Are () legal? What is this mysterious mystery prize of mystery? Why do I care? I shy away from math, I have too much in my calculus course already. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/12 "2000-09-08T21:01:05Z")
Now for the real challenge. Can anyone guess which former poster(s) Little Rock-et is? ---
**Author:** ![FarrisGoldstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/13 "2000-09-08T21:05:51Z")
I just got through with a grueling Differential Equations quiz… Kindly screw off. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/14 "2000-09-08T22:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FarrisGoldstein \* > \*\*I just got through with a grueling Differential Equations quiz… Kindly screw off. 🙂 \*\* DiffEQ? Let me know when you take a **hard** math class. And UncleBeer - BB’sT? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/15 "2000-09-08T23:12:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\*And UncleBeer - BB’sT? \*\* GMTA, Anth. Yep, that’s my guess too. ---
**Author:** ![BIG\_Mama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BIG\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BIG_Mama)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/16 "2000-09-09T05:42:34Z")
Get 88 from 50,7,6,5,3,3 use each number once. Symbols are +, -, /, \*. Use ONLY those symbolos. The pattern is number, symbol, number. I figured it out. Did you? ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/17 "2000-09-09T13:28:56Z")
I found out who it was in an email I got this morning from TubaDiva. It seems Anthracite and Silver Fire got it right. And before anyone jumps me for not knowing about this, I just want to remind everyone that we no longer live together, I don’t keep a leash on her, and I do not consider myself responsible for her actions. That said, I am somewhat disappointed in Uncle Beer. If you know someone is breaking the rules, why not just have them banned and get it over with? We’ve all seen how ugly troll hunts can get around here. ---
**Author:** ![FarrisGoldstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f17d59/32.png) [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/18 "2000-09-11T13:04:56Z")
I didn’t say I thought DiffEQ was hard, I just don’t ENJOY taking unnecassarily long quizes… ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/19 "2000-09-11T13:55:37Z")
Yes, yes, sockpuppet, schmockpuppet! I just wanna know if I got it right! ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2000, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenge/32530/20 "2000-09-11T14:15:38Z")
Rocketman, perchance?.. what next, dare I say it… LOVEROCK!!!