# X is the something-est number **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190 "2014-07-27T22:54:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/21 "2014-07-28T04:14:04Z")
12 is the most Christmassy number. > [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > Shamrocks only have 3 leaves. They are not the same as 4 leafed clovers. :smack: Knew I should have checked that before posting . . . ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/22 "2014-07-28T04:22:49Z")
Wesley: why is 237 an undesirable room #? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/23 "2014-07-28T05:17:54Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > 10 is the basest number (and that’s not just in base ten). 4 is the bassist number. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/24 "2014-07-28T06:15:04Z")
11 is the loudest number. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/25 "2014-07-28T06:15:35Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Pi is the roundest number. (When I’m asked for a round number, that’s the one I give.) … only by using CIRCULAR logic. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/26 "2014-07-28T07:36:32Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Wesley: why is 237 an undesirable room #? Yes. And in general, please explain yourselves, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/27 "2014-07-28T07:47:12Z")
> [@Incubus](#): > > 0 is the fattest number. It should go on a diet. Lazy zero, sitting around doing nothing and insisting its size is due to ‘genetics’ :rolleyes: 88 is the fattest number. > [@Encinitas](#): > > 11 is the loudest number. 11 is the leggiest number. See British (and US for all I know) bingo calling. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/28 "2014-07-28T08:11:53Z")
It’s my understanding that in the American system, introductory courses are numbered “101”. This has morphed into meaning anything that’s of a beginner’s or introductory nature. It’s starting to leach into British English as well. I’ve heard people use this in expressions such as: What, you didn’t salt your gherkins overnight first? That’s pickling 101 that is. So; 101 is the simplest number. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/29 "2014-07-28T08:31:08Z")
**Mangetout** , I’m pretty sure your OP is due to the recent TV ad for a deodorant. In which case I nominate “1” as the most annoying number for two reasons: a) (heh) Because that song’s refrain is now my latest earworm, and the worst kind, because it’s a song I don’t especially like 1. Because that line annoys me. “1 is the loneliest number that you’ll ever _ **do** _”. In this situation you’re not “_ **doing** _” a number are you? “Doing a number” means to mistreat, surely? Aren’t you “_ **being** _” a number? “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever _ **be** _” dammit ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/30 "2014-07-28T08:52:39Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Wesley: why is 237 an undesirable room #? It’s the room number the murders took place in from _The Shining._ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/31 "2014-07-28T09:09:28Z")
5318008 is the surprisingest number to still be missing from this list. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/32 "2014-07-28T09:31:24Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > 5318008 is the surprisingest number to still be missing from this list. Wouldn’t that be the bounciest number (upside down)? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/33 "2014-07-28T09:52:19Z")
42 is the most quoted number. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/34 "2014-07-28T11:17:52Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](#): > > 5318008 is the surprisingest number to still be missing from this list. Not any more it isn’t :). > [@GuanoLad](#): > > 42 is the most quoted number. Not yet, it isn’t 🙂 (at least in this thread - I’m well aware of the reference. Adams once described it as the “funniest 2 digit number” - IIRC he went on to say the funniest 3 digit number is 359. But this was probably a classic bit of whimsy, as in another interview he explained that he wanted the answer to the meaning of life to be a quite ordinary number, not something like “three and five eighths”, or a prime number, or even an odd number, as he felt this would put a weak joke in the middle of a strong joke, and detract from the strong joke). Apologies for the slight digression. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/35 "2014-07-28T11:33:50Z")
420 is my favorite of the numbers. ETA: explanation either unnecessary or not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/36 "2014-07-28T12:08:42Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > **Mangetout** , I’m pretty sure your OP is due to the recent TV ad for a deodorant. It is - and that earworm was the reason I started this thread - my first train of thought was whether the suffix ~est could be applied to non-adjectives; i.e: what is the numberyest number? What is the numberyest number? ---
**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:** [July 28, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/37 "2014-07-28T12:25:19Z")
2 is the numberiest number. 0 and 1 are just the fundamental building blocks of the system, put in directly via axioms. 2 is the first number constructed using the successor operation, which is used to construct all the other numbers. If you’ve just got 0 and 1, you could be dealing with almost anything, but once you’ve got 2, you know you’re dealing with numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/38 "2014-07-28T12:32:36Z")
I think that supports the notion that 2 is the _lowest numbery number_, but first is not necessarily most. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/39 "2014-07-28T12:32:59Z")
phi is the least number-y number. Seriously, greek letters don’t get to be numbers. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190/40 "2014-07-28T12:38:52Z")
The square root of negative one is the number you’re least likely to see used in someone’s street address. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-is-the-something-est-number/694190.md?page=3)