# Give the man a hand

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 7, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210 "2005-10-07T16:18:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210/1 "2005-10-07T16:18:04Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051007.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/051007.html)

Fess up, Cecil. When you took matters into your own hands, did you “take matters into your own hands”? 😉

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**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210/2 "2005-10-08T17:07:23Z")

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You know he’s not going to dignify this one with a response. 😉

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**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2005, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210/3 "2005-10-08T19:20:50Z")

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I think he had a grip on the situation.

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210/4 "2005-10-09T03:44:28Z")

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Yes; as a researcher, Cecil can obviously hold his own.

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**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210/5 "2005-10-10T01:08:47Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> The number one term, “sex,” was used in 0.3 percent of searches, or one in 300.

I just wanted to say that 0.3 percent is not 1 in 300. It’s 3 in 1000.

Booyah!

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/give-the-man-a-hand/325210/6 "2005-10-10T03:18:44Z")

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> [@audiobottle](#):
>
> I just wanted to say that 0.3 percent is not 1 in 300. It’s 3 in 1000.

… which is 1 in 333.333333333333… near enough given the inaccuracies inherent in the system, surely.