# Petals around the Rose

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 20, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797 "2005-01-20T22:05:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797/21 "2005-01-22T19:45:57Z")

</div>

For Mensa or Densa

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Daver914](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Daver914](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daver914)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797/22 "2005-01-23T07:11:57Z")

</div>

Ugh. Somebody showed me this thing over the summer, and it took me over two hours to get it. The more I thought about it, the more I came up with wild and outlandish formulas, and the further I got away from the very simple solution.

On a somewhat related note, has anybody seen this thing?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797/23 "2005-01-23T16:30:07Z")

</div>

> [@Cunctator](#):
>
> It wasn’t too difficult after reading the hint. But I think the game’s title is a bit misleading.

Ironically, this was the hint I needed to get it. (That is, the title itself.) Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797/24 "2005-01-23T16:57:25Z")

</div>

> [@melondeca](#):
>
> Thanks for posting this link. Now I feel like such an idiot that I am going to throw myself off a bridge. I read the clues and I don’t get it. I read the spoiler boxes and I still don’t get it. I worked on it for quite a while and only got it right once but I have no idea why it was correct. I guess I will just keep trying.
> 
> Damn you super-intelligent people. Freaks…all of you are freaks! (I do mean that as a compliment.)

The “rose” is the central pip on a die (for the purposes of this game.) The “petals” are the pips that surround the central pip. Only three die rolls have a central pip: 1, 3, and 5. For example, 1 has a central pip, but no pips around it, so there are no petals on that rose. Three has a central pip and 2 petals on either side of it. Five has a central pip and four petals around it. Therefore, the only die faces you’re looking for are a 3 and a 5. Every 3 has 2 petals, and every 5 has 4 petals. Add up all the petals across the 5 dice and you’ll get the answer to the question.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/petals-around-the-rose/285797.md?page=1)