B.C. by Mastroianni and Hart for June 12, 2015

Makes no sense…………. ???

Two thirds of the initial 60?60 30 40 130

Or two thirds of 60 plus 30?60 30 60 150

My answer would have been “a hernia”

Actually Billy has a nice start on a bunch of watermelon pickles.

hey billy…I was just wonderin how many watermelons you have..the teachers been askin around ya know..

“I carried a watermelon???”

Yes, 130. Then buys 30 more and 40 more at the same time. There is only one “then” so the half and two-thirds each refer only to the initial quantity.

I miss the story problem characters A, B, and of course, poor C. The following is a link to Stephen Leacock’s whimsy, “A, B, and C: The Human Element in Mathematics.” (I often post this.).http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/63333/

I HATE STORY PROBLEMS.

Got the joke, but still no excuse for a poorly worded word problem just for the sake of humor.

“…..routine of smashing watermelons on stage and getting them all over the crowd.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.And that’s funny HOW?

You should have read the second post down…baddowg 1989 already said that. I saw him twice here in Vegas.

150

Watermelons are no good without a genuine Sledge-O-Matic…

You had to be there!

Or, he bought 60, plus 30, plus the plastic-wrapped one on display with a third cut out of it. So 90 1/3. Hmmm…I wonder how far the pulp would fly if you took the Sledge-o-Matic to that last one without unwrapping it.

Gallagher! Where’s my raincoat and goggles?Watermelons beware!

“boy, you guys missed the joke. it wasn’t about solving the problem.”.We understood the joke and then moved beyond.

" it’s about the comedian Gallagher and his routine of smashing watermelons on stage and getting them all over the crowd.".Or IS it?Maybe it’s about possible reasons to acquire large numbers of ANYTHING and a possible reasonable purpose.Like when the problem asks when and where two trains leaving two cities at different times, traveling at different speeds will collide.The student might ask why the engineers wouldn’t sidetrack or stop the trains.

If the possibility for misunderstanding exists,misunderstanding WILL occur.(Extension of Murphy’s Law.)

I got 110.

He buys 30, then 2/3 more (20), so60+30+20=110

I always wondered why the trains in these problems were always traveling between Baltimore and New York. And why the New York train always left at 3:45 PM.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJUKOdehuiI

Or a way to accuse your teacher of racial bigotry just for laughs.

“boy, you guys missed the joke.”

It’s obvious some people expect their comments to be read but can’t be bothered reading anyone else’s. They are also usually the most banal.

Late comment, but I would argue that proximity to the “half the original” makes the 2/3 = 20. 60+30+20 = 110.