# Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians: the problem is you, not the 666 in the damn thing! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793 "2005-12-02T19:37:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/21 "2005-12-02T23:31:29Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > 😕 I don’t get it. The abbreviation could be interpreted as standing for “goddamn church.” ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/22 "2005-12-02T23:37:07Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > The abbreviation could be interpreted as standing for “goddamn church.” I just see it as something like “g-d church”. I don’t get it either. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/23 "2005-12-03T01:06:52Z")
> [@Ice Wolf](#): > > I just see it as something like “g-d church”. I don’t get it either. 😕 When my grandmother wants to cuss (like maybe once per decade), she’ll say “gee dee” instead of “god damn.” It’s not _un_common in certain populations of Americans, probably mostly elderly feisty yet Catholic ladies. As in “Ooooh, that cashier didn’t give me double coupons, and it’s DOUBLE COUPON DAY! Well … (long pause) … gee dee!” I do hear it enough that when I see “G D” written, I usually think “god damn” right away. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/24 "2005-12-03T01:35:05Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Or the mystical power that the word _Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians_ has to overrun a buffer… It seems the SDMB buffer is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobiac or Sesquipedalophobiac - Fearful of long words. 🙂 The real word for the phobia to the number 666, Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, appeared when I did a search for it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/25 "2005-12-03T21:29:52Z")
My dog, Duchess, has the tag number 666 this year. I imagine that this particular tag has been passed up by several persons before we got it. I was very amused that Duchie is this year’s Devil Dog. (Being a small terrier, she hardly fits the image of a slavering Hound From Hell, but she does remind us a lot of Dog from “Good Omens.”) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/26 "2005-12-03T22:45:41Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Since my wife got pregnant a couple months ago the hospital gave us a (projected) due date of June 6th. > What luck! The kid may be born on 6-6-06. Too bad the wife won’t go for the name Damien. > I’ll keep you updated if there’s and odd birthmarks. How about Joshua? Since that’s the English version of Jesus, and we all _know_ that Satan loves to co-opt things of God’s. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/27 "2005-12-03T23:23:25Z")
Thanks, **delphica**. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/28 "2005-12-03T23:48:45Z")
Oops, I forgot, many thanks **delphica** from me too for that gd explanation. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/29 "2005-12-03T23:52:57Z")
When I worked at Cirlcle K, I rang up a customer’s sale to $6.66. He immediately grabbed a piece of bubble gum and slapped it on the counter so I could retotal his sale. When I lived in Oklahoma several years ago, a proposition came up for state wide vote. By law, propositions are numbered sequentially, and this one was, you guessed it, Proposition 666. Proposition supporters tried to get the number changed, but apparently there was nothing in state law for such an eventuality. I don’t remember what the proposition was for (just that it was something benign), but I do rememeber that it lost in a land slide, as expected. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/30 "2005-12-04T00:23:13Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > My dog, Duchess, has the tag number 666 this year. I imagine that this particular tag has been passed up by several persons before we got it. I was very amused that Duchie is this year’s Devil Dog. > > (Being a small terrier, she hardly fits the image of a slavering Hound From Hell, but she does remind us a lot of Dog from “Good Omens.”) It would have been perfect if the name of your dog was Nero: [http://www.souldevice.org/pret\_666.html](http://www.souldevice.org/pret_666.html) > [@](#): > > Caesar Nero > > His official title was Neron Caesar (written nrwn qsr in Hebrew) the letters of which, if added together, equal 666. > > N…(50) > R…(200) > W…(6) > N…(50) > > Q…(100) > S…(60) > R…(200) > …+ > > * * * > > …= 666 > > The Latin form of the title (which drops the final N (50) of nrwn) would equal 616, thus fitting the alternative reading. Of how many other “nominees” can this be said? > > Nero certainly fits the context of the chapter and of the book of Revelation: > > he was the first emperor to persecute Christians (and he did so savagely) > he was the 7th emperor (head) of Rome (the Beast) > he fits the first century timeline and would have been relevant to the original audience > he was even known among his contemporaries as a “beast” > > Conclusion > Whatever your feelings on the matter, please be careful to note that John expected believers to be able to identify this person. Don’t be fooled by prophecy fanatics that try to wriggle every possible entity into the number of the beast using bizarre and arcane methods of arriving at their conclusion. It was not meant to confuse, but rather to inform. Nor is it a number that had to be riddled out with a computer. . . the believers who saw (or will see) the beast had (will have) no trouble identifying him. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/31 "2005-12-04T00:23:31Z")
When I worked in a law office, we had a numerical filing system, and yep, a new client got 666 as their number. It truly blew my mind when they asked to have a different number. Gotta love our office manager, who just sent out their billing statement without the number, but left it as-is for internal office handling. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/32 "2005-12-04T01:32:20Z")
It amuses me no end that the Hebrew words for “Jesus’ name” enumerate to 666. So when Christians pray “in Jesus’ name, Amen”, they are invoking the Number of the Beast. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/33 "2005-12-04T02:05:30Z")
The telephone prefixes in my town are 662, 663, 664, 665, and 667. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/34 "2005-12-04T02:51:52Z")
I live in Topeka, Kansas, home of Fred Phelps. One of his schticks used to be that the whole city is irredeemably evil, because our 5-fogot zip codes all begin with 666 :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/35 "2005-12-04T03:00:49Z")
Fred Phelps knows the addresses of the 5 fogots in Topeka??? I hope they have good locks on their doors… ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/36 "2005-12-04T04:08:30Z")
All this numerical superstition reminds me of an interesting incident from days gone by. Back on July 7, 1977 (7/7/77), a bunch of folks at Ak-Sar-Ben (the horse track in Omaha) decided it would be a great idea to bet on the 7th horse in the 7th race. After all, 7 is a lucky number. How could they lose? A staggering number of bets were placed on this horse. And the outcome? Wait for it… It came in 7th. I kid you not. Truly poetic justice. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/37 "2005-12-04T04:25:37Z")
> [@mrklutz](#): > > It came in 7th. I kid you not. > > Truly poetic justice. Are you sure it’s true? I’ve heard it told as a joke (with various numbers) dozens of times… ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/38 "2005-12-04T04:36:28Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Are you sure it’s true? > > I’ve heard it told as a joke (with various numbers) dozens of times… Took a moment, however my Google fu came through: I did remember a similar story, but from a different location: [http://www.churchchrist.net/Sermons/Gambling.htm](http://www.churchchrist.net/Sermons/Gambling.htm) > [@](#): > > BETTING ON A STROKE OF LIGHTNING R.Digest 7/78 p. 90 > > For millions of people who live and die by gambling on numbers combinations (lotteries, horse races, etc.), no day could have been more promising than July 7, 1977. When reduced to numbers, that date was 7/7/77. And, by reputation, no number is luckier than 7. > > That’s precisely what the management of the Meadows harness track near Pittsburgh thought. They promoted July 7 as the “Luckiest Day of the Century.” Came the 7th race and the favorite was the number 7 horse, Speech Writer. Perfect. Until shortly before the race. At which time lightning scored a direct hit on the tote board, heavily damaging it and forcing the track announcer to read off the odds. > > The symbolism was not lost on the bettors, who, as a breed, are a most superstitious. In fact, last minute bettors backed off Speech Writer en masse. So, naturally, he won. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/39 "2005-12-04T05:24:28Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > The telephone prefixes in my town are 662, 663, 664, 665, and 667. I worked with a woman who forced the phone company to change her mother’s phone number because it ended in 666. I can’t remember why this came up in conversation, but when it did I called her stupid to her face. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793/40 "2005-12-04T05:39:18Z")
Regarding U.S. 666, I thought they changed the number because people kept stealing the highway signs. 🆒 What’s really sad is all the future generations who will watch _Natural Born Killers_ and not know that it was a real highway once… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hexakosioihexekontahexaphobians-the-problem-is-you-not-the-666-in-the-damn-thing/333793.md?page=3)