# Numbers with common associations **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473 "2017-09-04T13:34:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/1 "2017-09-04T13:34:30Z")
First, I’ve got to think this has come up before, but I can’t find good enough search terms to turn it up. Second, I’m not at all sure this is the right forum. Is it a General Question, an IMHO, a MPSIMS, a Thread Game? Apologies to the mod if it needs moving. -=-= Okay, this morning I had to return a call to a phone number that ended in “1701” which ever and forever will be the number of the Enterprise to me, and no doubt a huge number of other Americans of my age and younger. Which started me to thinking about how many other numbers are associated with particular meanings. Commonly, in a society, not just “that’s my birthday” type meanings. Like, there are 7 Seas, and 9 Planets, and Santa had 8 reindeer, and 42 is the meaning of life, and 50 states in the US, and 88 keys on a piano – associations like that. Does EVERY number below 100 have a meaning? What’s the first “doesn’t mean anything” number? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/2 "2017-09-04T14:39:09Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > What’s the first “doesn’t mean anything” number? Ah yes, the [smallest uninteresting number](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interesting_number_paradox). ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/3 "2017-09-04T16:39:05Z")
Well, 53 was Herbie the Love Bug, but that’s nowhere nearly as ingrained as the OP’s NCC-1701 is the USS Enterprise. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/4 "2017-09-04T18:24:32Z")
**Thudlow Boink** nails it in 2. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/5 "2017-09-04T19:36:07Z")
Well, there’s 420. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/6 "2017-09-04T20:35:54Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Well, there’s 420. Are you suggesting it has a meaning, or doesn’t? If the latter, I think the answer is a lot lower. Like I can’t think of a common meaning off the top of my head for 15. Or 11. (Sorry to the mathematicians, but I don’t find things like “well, it’s an even number” or even “it’s a prime number” a meaning in the sense I’m using the word.) ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/7 "2017-09-04T20:53:12Z")
I decided I might as well try brute forcing it. Here’s what I think are “commonly associated meanings” (likely not the most common, but the ones that popped into my head first) for small numbers: 1 is the loneliest number 2 the number it takes to tango 3 blind mice 4 leaf clover 5 gooooolden riiiings 6 legs on insects 7 seas 8 Santa’s reindeers 9 planets 10 commandments 11 ? 12 is a dozen 13 is unlucky 14 days in a fortnight 15 ? 16 the ‘sweet’ age 17 magazine for girls 18 age you can vote 19 ? 20 is a score 21 age you can drink 22 common ammo caliber 23 pairs of human chromosomes 24 hours in a day 25 ? Unless someone suggests something, I call 11 the smallest meaningless number. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/8 "2017-09-04T21:41:18Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > 19 ? [Nineteen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcFFEjq5Ap8) ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/9 "2017-09-04T21:56:13Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Unless someone suggests something, I call 11 the smallest meaningless number. The amps from Spinal Tap go to 11. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/10 "2017-09-04T22:02:14Z")
42 is the Meaning of Life as stated by the Op, but I think most Baseball fans know it as Jackie Robinson’s and Yankee fans of course know it as Mariano Rivera’s number. Each sports franchise in the US at least has fans with appreciation for their retired numbers but in all of Sports I think Jackie’s stands out the most. NCC1701 is how I remember the Enterprise, not just the number, so oddly that doesn’t work as well for me. There are only 8 planets in our Solar System **StarvingButStrong**. As to 11, I associate it with Apollo 11, the first moon landing. Or Spinal Tap “it goes up to 11”. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/11 "2017-09-04T22:32:05Z")
15 is the age to get your learner’s permit for driving. I was going to mention Spinal Tap for 11. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/12 "2017-09-04T22:58:12Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > There are only 8 planets in our Solar System **StarvingButStrong**. Okaaaaay, then. 9 = the Muses. Unless they demoted Mnemosyne when I wasn’t looking… And I guess I have to bow to 11 for the Spinal Tap association. And a friend pointed out that 15 = the age for Quinceañera. I don’t know about the 19 reference Peter Morris came up with – did it come to mind for anyone else? If so, 25 is currently holding the title. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/13 "2017-09-04T23:01:56Z")
For 19, I thought of Steely Dan’s Hey Nineteen. 25 is the number of cents in a quarter. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/14 "2017-09-04T23:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=StarvingButStrong] Okaaaaay, then. 9 = the Muses. Unless they demoted Mnemosyne when I wasn’t looking… And I guess I have to bow to 11 for the Spinal Tap association. And a friend pointed out that 15 = the age for Quinceañera. I don’t know about the 19 reference Peter Morris came up with – did it come to mind for anyone else? If so, 25 is currently holding the title. [/quote] Muses sound good. Also the 9 Black Riders opposed to the 9 walkers in The Lord of the Rings. I have no 19 association and still not sure what Peter’s was, that link was not very informative. For 25 all I have is baseball related. Various players and the size of the regular season squad until September 1st. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/15 "2017-09-04T23:11:05Z")
15 is an important birthday in Latin American culture [Quinceañera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincea%C3%B1era) My first thought for 19 was also Steely Dan. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/16 "2017-09-04T23:12:23Z")
I immediately thought of 99, for Wayne Gretzky ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/17 "2017-09-04T23:18:16Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > 15 is the age to get your learner’s permit for driving. > [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > And a friend pointed out that 15 = the age for Quinceañera. The first thing I thought of for 15 is the number of (numbered) pool balls. > [@](#): > > I don’t know about the 19 reference Peter Morris came up with – did it come to mind for anyone else? > [@What\_Exit](#): > > I have no 19 association and still not sure what Peter’s was, that link was not very informative. It’s a song, that some of us associate with the number. 19 has significance in Stephen King’s _Dark Tower_ series. 25 = the number of squares on a Bingo card. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2017, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/18 "2017-09-04T23:47:20Z")
So, the search for the Meaningless number goes on. 🙂 Next chunk, with what I could come up with: 26 letters in the alphabet 27 amendments to the US constitution 28 days in a woman’s menstrual cycle (supposedly) 29 B-29 bomber 30 mark for the end of a reporter’s story 31 days in a month (maximum) 32 temperature water freezes at 33 (+1/3) record albums when I was a teenager --that might be cheating. 34 Internet porn rule 35 age to be elected president 36 inches in a yard 37 ? 38 another gun number 39 Jack Benny’s eternal age 40 age when life begins 41 ? 42 meaning of life 43 ? 44 Vicks 44 cough syrup 45 Trump’s presidency or Colt 45 46 ? 47 ? 48 Hours (movie/tv news mag) 49 California gold rush 50 states in the U.S.A. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/19 "2017-09-05T00:02:13Z")
> [@Cub\_Mistress](#): > > For 19, I thought of Steely Dan’s Hey Nineteen. Yes, that comes immediately to mind, especially since Walter Becker’s death the other day. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473/20 "2017-09-05T00:03:51Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I have no 19 association and still not sure what Peter’s was, that link was not very informative. It’s [a song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19_(song)) that was a pretty big hit in 1985. Although maybe not so much in America. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/numbers-with-common-associations/795473.md?page=2)