Dec 16, 2011 Cryptopix Puzzle

I hate puzzles with #s. I always choose the wrong usage.

This was good. I lost some time because on the first Mr. Jagger clue somehow I wrote the wrong thing down. I also had the wrong thing for the fourth clue. Thanks for making it!

Edit: Looking back, I really appreciate how good that fourth clue really is there.

That IS where I buy my shoes! How did you know?

[4] I did the first time as well... *blush*

[4] If I remember correctly from 8th grade English (the last time I had a true grammer class, 22 years ago) the rule was that if it was under 3 digits the proper usage was to write it out. I know that we have a lot of people here that know better than I, so any clarification would be appreciated, especially if it has changed or I am incorrect.

[6] Ahhhh...... It depends on whose rules you're following, whose style manual, whether it's technical writing (like a scientific report) or normal layperson's writing (like a letter) or shortened-for-space considerations writing (like a newspaper), or legal writing (like Michael Jackson's doctor's appeal), or website writing. And when in doubt, follow [4]'s remark.

Here the number is actually part of the actual *name* of something. Like Heinz 57. or Pope John Paul IV. So you would never spell out 57 or IV.

The rule you're thinking of would be used when referring to the 249 people who solved this puzzle. There, the "249" isn't the name of something, but just indicating a *quantity.* So rules would come into play and determine whether you spell out which numbers. For example, in the first minute after 7PM PST, there would have been nine people who solved the puzzle (spelling out the "nine"), if indeed your rules require spelling numbers less than 10.

[6] The Chicago Manual of Style agrees with you. The MLA suggests writing out any number than can be expressed in one or two words. The AP Style guide recommends writing out the single digit numbers, and using numerals for everything else.

So it just depends what you're writing (as [7] suggests), and which style you prefer.

Of course there are lists of exceptions and modifications in each style book as well, but what I wrote above are the general rules, which would apply to this specific example.

The rule is that if you are using the title of a book, magazine, etc, you use the rule that the publisher used.

[4] I did too!

ahhh..love the really familiar sayings where you know the whole answer after looking at the top line.... Of course it helps being old enough to know it ^__^

i always thought if it was under ten and under, numbers and over ten was words.. i think that might me newspaper rules.. aka unofficial. [11] totally understand, i got the first line + middle and was like ooo i get it. (edit) wait, does this mean I am old?!! :(

[1] [4] sonjahi picks stuff like this deliberately for this reason...to confuse people with which to use.

I think it goes.. if you're writing a letter or paragraph or whatever.. the first time you write the number in the sentence it should be written out, then after that you can use the digits. i.e. I bought two toys today, tomorrow I will buy 2 more.

Anyway, I think that's what we were told in 1st grade, but I can't remember. Night night!

Good puzzle by the way, only took me 2m44s.

Since this is a known object that is never spelled out, I don't think those rules apply.

What [8] said. The Chicago Manual of Style does indeed call for spelling out two-digit numbers. That said, I've been a professional editor for, um, well over ten years, and every place I've ever worked that followed Chicago had an overriding house style rule to use digits from 11 up.

I agree with others who have suggested the rule is moot here anyway, as the number is part of the thing's name and would always use digits, regardless of the rules of grammar or the style guide in use.

The rule [14] mentions applies for abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms, but never numbers. If anything, using the spelled-out version once would compel me to keep using it, not give me license to switch to digits after that.

Oh, wow. I wasn't here last night and I think I'm glad I wasn't. When Arnott scheduled this, I said, "Let's get ready for people complaining about numbers vs. letters." He responded with the thought that someone would say "use the number" and someone else would say "you always use the number here" and then it'd die...

Well, thanks everyone for proving Arnott incredibly wrong. I am a little surprised at the lengthy style-guide discussion - hopefully it was just a rabbit trail folks headed down and not an attempt to rule on whether the answer was right or not. The song has one spelling and that's the one I used. Thank you to [7][9][15][16]. Titles are titles. You spell them the way the author does, numbers, misspellings, poor grammar, whatever. They are titles.

Movie & motel chain: Super 8 ........ not "Super eight"
another motel chain: Motel 6 ........ not "Motel six"
Beatle's song: Revolution 9 ......... not "Revolution nine"
Skid Row song: 18 and Life ......... not "Eighteen and life"
1957 movie: 12 Angry Men ............ not "Twelve Angry Men"

And, no, [13], that's not what I do, but thanks for thinking so highly of me. While I thought there might be some comments about numbers/letters, I didn't think it would actually stump anyone - for the reasons stated above. I pick phrases that I think are fun to clue.

Wow, such subjects for arguing! No matter what format you are "using" on Tanga I find if it doesnt take it written out, then try it the other way and vice versa. Geez. I would have never pictured this title written out though. That'd be hard to fit on a sign.

I liked this puzzle, I figured it out with the first line. Thanks!