# What happens on May 33rd but only on leap year? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 4, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637 "2000-11-04T01:33:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![jdl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@jdl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/181 "2001-02-06T14:26:08Z")
Hmm. If they made it up, then maybe it **is** some kind of logical word puzzle and not a literary reference. ---
**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/182 "2001-02-06T15:15:40Z")
If this whole question goes back to something that they said on the air, then I think that pretty much everybody who has spent some time looking for an answer will want to collectively kick their ass. Just a thought. Have a nice day. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/183 "2001-02-06T16:07:50Z")
Yep. My sentiment exactly. You beat me to the punch. If this _is_ the case, it takes out of the loop about 99% of the Web community who’ve been bashing their heads trying to figure this one out. I, for one, would be mightily miffed. ---
**Author:** ![\_Twitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/3d9bf3/32.png) [@\_Twitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Twitch)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/184 "2001-02-06T16:46:22Z")
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned Sidereal time yet. It’s the calendar that all the others are measured by! Also, since the Julian calendar had only 10 months and one of them was still called May, has anyone worked out if anything special occured then? I’m not sure if their new year corresponds exactly to ours… ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/185 "2001-02-06T18:09:57Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Twitch_ > **Also, since the Julian calendar had only 10 months and one of them was still called May, has anyone worked out if anything special occured then? I’m not sure if their new year corresponds exactly to ours…** Well, the original Roman calendar (created way before Caesar’s time - around 750 BC) did only have 10 months, but it also had only 304 days, meaning months were generally the same length as they are now. January and February were added in about 50 years later. They also didn’t number days the way we do now. Only 3 days of every month had names - the _kalends_ (first day of the month), _nones_ (5th or 7th day), and _ides_ (middle day). The others were simply known by how long it was until the next of the three came, as in “3 days to the ides.” Our numbering system (_dies mensis_) wasn’t created until the Middle Ages, and even then, it was one of many competing systems for many years. ---
**Author:** ![Waneman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/71e660/32.png) [@Waneman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waneman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/186 "2001-02-06T23:32:33Z")
I read many of the replies (not all) and I had to start thinking of this on a different level. Bear with me here. Say you are the Promotions Director for Lazer103 and it is your duty to find and verity these obscure questions. Since any question can have more than one correct answer we have to think this producer has limited questions to those with only one real answer. Now, If I were this Promotions Director, and being it is a local radio station I would want questions that are obscure enough that readily available resources such as the Internet would prove as useless as possible. This being said I would end up digging for local trivia where else? The local library. I bet this Promotions Director, while scouring through miles of microfiche found an ad that was printed in the local paper with the date May 33rd. It could be a huge car blow-out sale at the local Mazda dealership or front page news of a serious event with the date typo. Either way, the producer would instantly mark this as a keeper. In subsequent meetings with the shows Producer and the Promotions Director they would decide to run it because, despite not existing, it still is a published account of what was to happen on this fictitious date and they also know it would be very hard for someone to come up with in today’s Yahoo-tell-me-everything mentality. More importantly it serves for a great deal of misdirection. Everyone will be researching calendars - who would be looking at old ads, comics, etc. Just a thought. - WaNeMaN ---
**Author:** ![YTMezoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/eada6e/32.png) [@YTMezoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YTMezoan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/187 "2001-02-07T00:18:57Z")
Pkbites had said earlier that one of the previous questions involved the flavor at a Smitty’s Custard Stand on a certain date. And Galyean mentioned that another question involved license plates hanging in an Applebee’s in Arizona. I think that Waneman’s newspaper ad typo theory is a good guess. Any Milwaukeeans willing to browse through local periodicals from May 2000 - maybe 1999 also? (could be 3, 13, 23, 30, or 31, I suppose) ---
**Author:** ![williambaskerville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f14d63/32.png) [@williambaskerville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williambaskerville)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/188 "2001-02-07T09:58:29Z")
If this is something they said on air, I’m going to hit them personally. I still somewhat lean towards the word play theory, that May 33rd and Leap Years are boats, or addresses or something, however a completely off the wall thought occured to me re: the obscure literature theory. James Joyce’s Finnigan’s Wake is probably the most obscure book you’ll find in a standard library, being written in a number of languages, some of which he invented himself. If they wanted a question that couldn’t be answered via a net search or even a computer search of the relevant text, it would be a good starting point. There could be all kinds of references to Leap Years, dates in obscure calendars in obscure terminology in it, that you’d have to actually read to find. Any Joycean scholars around ? ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/189 "2001-02-07T10:54:57Z")
Ok, well there is a calender that does have a May 33rd. Promise me a prize and I’ll tell you where it is. 🙂 Only joking; I couldn’t be bothered searching thru the site to find out what happens on leap years, and it could be the wrong one, but have a look at [http://www.tir.com/~peaceday/genesis-7day-1page.htm](http://www.tir.com/~peaceday/genesis-7day-1page.htm) and if it’s correct, then send me something nice 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/190 "2001-02-07T20:34:19Z")
1. My GF and I are now dying to know when, in fact, Tiggers DO bathe (could somebody pull out their old WTP book and tell us?) 2. This just came out of my head. No basis for reference. No idea where it came from but here goes: You know Superman, right? Bizarro… Something to do with him? Anyway, there’s my 2c. Run with it. Go nuts. Knock yourself out. Let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Darqangelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Darqangelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darqangelle)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/191 "2001-02-07T20:43:12Z")
1. My GF and I are now dying to know when, in fact, Tiggers DO bathe (could somebody pull out their old WTP book and tell us?) 2. This just came out of my head. No basis for reference. No idea where it came from but here goes: You know Superman, right? Bizarro… Something to do with him? Anyway, there’s my 2c. Run with it. Go nuts. Knock yourself out. Let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/192 "2001-02-08T13:11:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darqangelle \* > \*\*1) My GF and I are now dying to know when, in fact, Tiggers DO bathe (could somebody pull out their old WTP book and tell us?) \*\* I don’t know when Tiggers bathe. When I mentioned it initially, I just pulled it out of my nether regions. I was looking for a absurdist literary example and naturally Tigger came to mind. If it is mentioned in the Pooh canon, I’ll be amazed. ---
**Author:** ![\_Twitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/3d9bf3/32.png) [@\_Twitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Twitch)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/193 "2001-02-08T13:57:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pcubed \* > \*\*If it is mentioned in the Pooh canon, I’ll be amazed. \*\* What awful imagery does that inspire… Anyway, I’ve just dug up something interesting… There’s a fable about St Patrick rescuing some ladies of marriagable age. Since if they proposed and he declined, he had to give them some recompense, St Bridget mentioned that he suggest a wedding day on the leap year. There’s some other gubbins here that would suggest he set the date on some non-existant day also… Could the answer be : St Patrick’s wedding anniversary? ---
**Author:** ![bwanasimba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/53a042/32.png) [@bwanasimba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwanasimba)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/194 "2001-02-08T16:58:37Z")
Damn! I wish I had never opened this thread! Anyway, apart from an obvious missing apostrophe, couldn’t this be a calendar invented by “Leap Year”? Sounds like the handle of someone with a Feb 29th connection, like a birthday? Could be the nickname of a character in a book rather than the title of a book itself. With 10,000 views and 193 posts already, I’m amazed no-one has cracked it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2001, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/195 "2001-02-08T23:54:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Anyway, apart from an obvious missing apostrophe, couldn’t this be a calendar invented by “Leap Year”? Sounds like the handle of someone with a Feb 29th connection, like a birthday? Could be the nickname of a character in a book rather than the title of a book itself. The only literary characters I know of born on Leap Day are Encyclopedia Brown, of the childrens’ detective stories, and the protagonist of _The Pirates of Penzance_. Encyclopedia’s nickname was, of course, Encyclopedia (I think his real name was given as Leroy), but there might be something with _Pirates_. On the other hand, I think that G&S are out of copyright, which pretty much guarantees that the complete text of all their plays will be on the Web somewhere, contrary to the assertation that the information was not on the Web. ---
**Author:** ![keno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@keno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keno)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/196 "2001-02-09T00:14:19Z")
Based on the correct answer of a previous contest being a Bennigan’s location, I have to believe this question is a not worth the effort being expended. ---
**Author:** ![ZOmegaZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ebca7d/32.png) [@ZOmegaZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZOmegaZ)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/197 "2001-02-09T03:31:57Z")
Hmm… go to the library and start reading books… something to do with the Dewey decimal system? Or Library of Congress, perhaps? They get a copy of every-frikin’-thing published, don’t they? Would that include calendars? Or perhaps it’s a reference to an intersection somewhere. “May and 33rd” streets. Doesn’t really fit the available clues, though. I’m kinda leaning toward “May 33rd” being the name of something. Perhaps one of these loonies owns a boat? And perhaps his wife has a birthday on February 29th that they celebrate on this boat? ---
**Author:** ![poster100](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@poster100](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poster100)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/198 "2001-02-09T17:56:44Z")
maybe it’s may, 33, as in 33AD. That’s the year Jesus was crucified. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/199 "2001-02-09T18:00:27Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Chronos \* \*\* > [@](#): > > The only literary characters I know of born on Leap Day are Encyclopedia Brown, of the childrens’ detective stories. \*\* I have nothing to add to this thread at this time except to thank **Chronos** for reminding me of one of my favourite book characters from my childhood. Thanks! (Oh, and I like the idea of “May 33rd” being a horse or a boat.) ---
**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:** [February 9, 2001, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637/200 "2001-02-09T18:10:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dylan\_73 \* > \*\*Only joking; I couldn’t be bothered searching thru the site to find out what happens on leap years, and it could be the wrong one, but have a look at [http://www.tir.com/~peaceday/genesis-7day-1page.htm](http://www.tir.com/~peaceday/genesis-7day-1page.htm) and if it’s correct, then send me something nice 😉 \*\* Naw, don’t send him anything. He couldn’t be bothered to check, so he’s probably not checking back in at this thread either. There doesn’t seem to be anything special that happens on May 33 in that calendar, but it’s an interesting approach. If you took the same sort of approach to inventing a calendar, and modified the months to sort of match the astronomy (using the same names approx.), the months in the summer would be longer–the earth is moving slower in the summer since it is farther away from the sun, and the time when the earth starts to “speed up” would be near to the first of June. So, conceivably, May would have 32 days, with an extra one in leap years–and that day would be New Years Eve. That’s why that is my guess. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-on-may-33rd-but-only-on-leap-year/39637.md?page=11)