# What Does "42" Mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 21, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128 "2002-05-21T17:11:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/1 "2002-05-21T17:11:46Z")
What is the inside joke regarding the number 42? Why is it considered funny here?? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/2 "2002-05-21T17:28:46Z")
It’s hardly an inside joke… It’s from the [Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy](http://public.srce.hr/~zzelen/guide/), by the much lamented Douglas Adams. It’s “the answer to life the universe and everything”, arrived at after millions of years of computing. The problem was that the programmers had failed to frame the question correctly. ---
**Author:** ![SlightDistrurbance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SlightDistrurbance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlightDistrurbance)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/3 "2002-05-21T17:40:33Z")
Or, if you’re into CB lingo, 42 is also slang for Got that. As in I understand. I see 42 and think of HHGTTG and Gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![Yo\_La\_Tengo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/41988e/32.png) [@Yo\_La\_Tengo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yo_La_Tengo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/4 "2002-05-21T22:19:59Z")
Or perhaps, they could be refering to #42 of [this](http://home.earthlink.net/~awinkelried/smpoll1/). There was something in the ATMB smilie thread about saying a number, and then you refered to the smilie page. However, that was a joke in the thread and I’m quite sure whoever said “42” didn’t mean “barf.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/5 "2002-05-22T11:30:48Z")
42 goes back way before Douglas Adams…Frinstance, Lewis Carroll often used “42” as a joke number in the ALICE books, and in HUNTING OF THE SNARK. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/6 "2002-05-23T09:08:09Z")
Well, 42 adds to 6, which is one more than 5. 6 is the first perfect number (1+2+3 = 1_2_3 = 6), so 6 must be divinity. 5 is less than 6, but only by 1. 5 is humanity. Union of male (2) and female (3). 2 and 3 are just graphical representations of genitalia. Simple pictograms. (Turn them sideways.) So, according to Adams, a male and a superhuman (demigod) combine to form a deity. Fnord. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/7 "2002-05-23T09:35:37Z")
It’s the number of pounds that a curling stone weighs. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-42-mean/110128/8 "2002-05-23T12:38:50Z")
It’s also the product of 6 \* 9 in base 13.