# Is there any significance to the number 37? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 29, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972 "2001-03-29T14:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mardi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Mardi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mardi)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/1 "2001-03-29T14:28:15Z")
Hello all – My wife turns 37 in a short while and I’m trying to find any significance to that number so I can parlay that into a neat gift. Does the number trigger any thoughts from all of you? Joe ---
**Author:** ![cykrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@cykrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cykrider)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/2 "2001-03-29T15:03:57Z")
I remember reading in a magic book that if you ask someone to pick a number 1-100 without letting them think about it too long, they will most likely pick 37. I don’t know the exact odds of this (other than 1 out of 100) so I wouldn’t go making bets just yet. Also, if you ask some one to pick a number 1-10, it will most likely be either 3 or 7. So maybe you could take her to a magic show? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/3 "2001-03-29T15:19:05Z")
According to [this site](http://www.inner.org/HEBLETER/kuf.htm) : > [@](#): > > As well as the hidden inner spark of life, a hovering, relatively transcendent “vapor” is present above every corpse or fallen, “dead,” physical object. (The word for “vapor,” hevel, is also the name Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, who was killed by his older brother Cain. Hevel = 37 = 18 plus 19.) These two components of life present within the seeming state of death, correspond to the two letters, the reish (the hovering vapor) and the zayin (the hidden spark), which compose the letter kuf. For this reason the kuf symbolizes in particular the reality of fallen sparks, as well as the paradox of the simultaneous omnipresence of G-d’s transcendence and immanence. The innate holiness of each spark insures its ultimate redemption and elevation by the tzadik (i.e., souls of Israel). I’m not sure a statue of Cain slaying Abel would be that appropriate though ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/4 "2001-03-29T15:25:59Z")
When he played football at Alabama, Shaun Alexander wore the no. 37 jersey. These are still big sellers in Alabama; I bet you could order one. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/5 "2001-03-29T16:46:04Z")
This movie immediately came to mind “37!” ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/6 "2001-03-29T18:49:31Z")
37 is also a prime number. So what? I don’t know. Just trying to help. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/7 "2001-03-29T19:06:10Z")
I can’t believe I can’t find this out exactly on google, but 37 has also got to be very close to the mean or median age women in the US. Sorry for not being able to give you the cite. If it turns out to be true, how’s this for a birthday greeting: Roses are red Violets are blue Half of US women Are older than you! Will warm the cuckles of her heart! ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/8 "2001-03-30T01:34:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iamthewalrus(:3= \* > \*\*This movie immediately came to mind > > “37!” \*\* Darn, you beat me to it! 🙂 **Mardi** , in case you haven’t seen _Clerks_, this ‘37’ association probably won’t translate into a suitable birthday gift for your wife. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/9 "2001-03-30T02:26:51Z")
37 degrees centigrade is equal to 98.6 degrees fahrenheit, normal human body temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/10 "2001-03-30T04:29:36Z")
My Mom was 37 when I was born. ---
**Author:** ![Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df788c/32.png) [@Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ben)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/11 "2001-03-30T05:33:02Z")
FWIW, there was a thread on this some time ago. It started out being on 42, and then people started talking about 37. Back when I was in high school, one of my fellow fans of HHGTTG and I started seeing “42” everywhere. We decided to see if it would work for any other number, chosen at random… and chose 37. We ultimately started seeing 37’s in all sorts of places in our everyday life. Unfortunately I don’t remember anything in particular that would be of use to you. There was a comedian who had a skit about 37 and 27. For example, 1/37=.27272727…, and 1/27=.3737373737… Apparently the number of holes in a telephone earpiece used to be 37, etc. If you search on the web (or look up the old thread) you might be able to find more of that kind of thing. As has already been pointed out, 37 is the basis of a magic trick. I saw that Blaine guy do it once. The way it works is, you ask someone, “Think of a number between 1 and 100. Oh, and it has to be an odd number. And while you’re at it, the two digits can’t be the same. Is it 37?” Wish I could be of more help! -Ben ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/12 "2001-03-30T06:48:18Z")
I remember that skit…Fleishman, the voice of Roger Rabbit. The 37/27 bit he called MOE-LEEDS, or something like that. Anyway, 37 is the twelth prime number, (6^2)+1, for what its worth. ---
**Author:** ![Krispy\_Original](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ec9cab/32.png) [@Krispy\_Original](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krispy_Original)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/13 "2001-03-30T06:52:18Z")
I’m a public announcer at baseball games and I can tell you that 37 is significant in that 37 is the password for the scoreboard. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/14 "2001-03-30T06:53:50Z")
Easy. 3+7=10, so you can tell your wife she’s a perfect “10.” Banal and cheesy, sure, but it may work. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/15 "2001-03-30T12:12:43Z")
32 is only 25 in hexadecimal (that’s base 16 for non-techo types) ---
**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:** [March 30, 2001, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/16 "2001-03-30T13:23:25Z")
Whoa. I thought I wandered into a math thread. I guess not. **Ben** 1/37=.027027027027… and not .27272727…, while 1/27=.037037037… and not .373737… **ticker** 32 is 20 in hexadecimal–but you obviously knew that. It’s 37 that is 25(hex). **Mardi** At 37, your wife has now lived longer than Mozart. That’ll sober her up. No, wait, Mozart died just before he turned_36_… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/17 "2001-03-30T14:26:09Z")
There is also a major use of 37 in Star Trek. The number pops up everywhere. Voyager even did a special show called The 37’s (or something like that) where the crew encountered a group of people who were abducted off earth in 1937. (A. Earheart for one) [/geek alert] ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/18 "2001-03-31T20:03:32Z")
Channel 37 got removed from the television UHF band because astronomical sources emit at about the same frequency that was assigned to 37. By skipping channel 37, important radio astronomy resources were spared. ---
**Author:** ![berdollos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@berdollos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berdollos)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/19 "2001-03-31T20:23:45Z")
I accidentally posted my reply as a new thread - 37. It suggests getting her a nat. geographic for her birthday from her month of birth. Look up her birthday on google. It is interesting. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972/20 "2001-04-01T05:52:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AudreyK \* > **Darn, you beat me to it! 🙂** Beat me by a long shot. 🙂 And yeah, it probably wouldn’t be suitable unless she’s a fan of _Clerks_ or other Kevin Smith films. However, if she is, there’s different merchandise items at the [View Askew](http://www.viewaskew.com/) (Kevin Smith’s production company) homepage. I have their hockey jersey with the number 37 on the back. But yeah, if she’s not a fan of the films, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea. I won’t bring it up, but it’s a fairly vulgar reference in _Clerks_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-significance-to-the-number-37/59972.md?page=2)