# What were the "numbers" of Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 28, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141 "2003-02-28T15:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/1 "2003-02-28T15:17:45Z")
When I was in middle school, I remember seeing graffiti around the school (carved into desks, written on bathroom walls, etc.) that looked like this: \*\*69 * * * 2112\*\* (The \*\*\*\*\*\*\* represents a sequence of three numbers I can no longer recall.) Another kid in my class explained to me that those were the numbers representing Sex (69), Drugs (?), and Rock & Roll (2112). Now Sex = 69, I understand. Rock & Roll being 2112 is a stretch, presumably referring to the Rush album of that title (or does reference to 2112 predate Rush’s record?). So what three-digit number stood for Drugs? Was it a police code, or something – analogous to the police code “187” becoming slang for “murder”? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/2 "2003-02-28T15:29:54Z")
420? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/3 "2003-02-28T15:43:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by USCDiver \* > \*\*420? \*\* Possibly … I don’t know. Is that a police code for some kind of drug offense? I’ve forgotten this so totally that I wouldn’t remember if it if I saw it. So I’m one of the Dopers knows this AND specifically remembers it. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/4 "2003-02-28T16:30:09Z")
OK, by Googling [“Sex, Drugs”, 69, 2112], I got the following from a tagline site: “69, 714, 2112 Sex, drugs, rock’n’roll” Googling that tagline brings up several more cites. So “714” seems to stand for drugs. What is the connection? 714 is the area code for Orange County, California, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![cybersnark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@cybersnark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cybersnark)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/5 "2003-02-28T16:41:08Z")
714 was the number on the Quaalude, made by Rohrer, later by Lemmon, I think. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/6 "2003-02-28T16:46:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cybersnark \* > \*\*714 was the number on the Quaalude, made by Rohrer, later by Lemmon, I think. \*\* [Sure enough.](http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~hclinic/handouts.dir/perc.dir/tranquil.dir/htranquil.html) Makes perfect sense. Thanks, all! ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/7 "2003-02-28T17:17:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cybersnark \* > \*\*714 was the number on the Quaalude, made by Rohrer, later by Lemmon, I think. \*\* Funny thing. Just a couple days ago on VH1 guilty pleasures, Rick James said that was the significance of the “room 714 I’ll be waiting” line from Superfreak. ---
**Author:** ![Urb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@Urb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urb)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/8 "2023-08-27T21:44:36Z")
You must be from New Orleans as well. Used to be Saints fan here. I also seen it carved and written every where in school. 69 is you know. 714 is quaalude , 2112 is Rushes album. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/9 "2023-08-28T13:36:26Z")
714 is the number of home runs Babe Ruth hit in his major league career. Coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2023, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/10 "2023-08-29T17:26:01Z")
Babe Juice? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-numbers-of-sex-drugs-and-rock-roll/158141/11 "2023-08-30T15:58:27Z")
714 was Joe Friday’s badge number in the cop show _Dragnet_. Doesn’t anyone understand sarcasm? ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy\_lCjA6poo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy_lCjA6poo))