Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for November 19, 2021

And 13×7=28

And I bet 84 + 19 is also a billion.

Might be hope for Calvin after all

Math IS an opinion. Susie’s opinion.

“Sorry. I meant “a million”!"

Or maybe it’s 19, Calvin.

As is so often the case, Calvin is WAY ahead of his time. The currently fashionable notion in certain circles is that “math is used as a tool for oppression.” I’m certain that Calvin couldn’t agree more, although he’d first better check his “privilege.”

And Calvin learns something much more important than 12+7. He learns you can’t trust girls.

Remember the math quiz where Tracer Bullet decided that the answer was Mr. Billion?

3+4+7 = a billion so 3+4 = a billion – 7 or 999993. Or close to it.

Thanks a billion!

Well she’s right. 3 times 4 equals 12, and 3 plus 4 equals 7. Therefore both equations become the same numbers, so they must have the same answer.

Calvin, don’t you know that different combinations of numbers can add up to the same sum? 50 + 50 = 100. 30 + 70 = 100. 58 + 42 = 100. So, 12 + 7 = 1 billion and 3 + 4 = 1 billion!

Calvin uses more brainpower to figure out that Susie is giving him the same answer than to work on the questions…

The light dawns, slowly to be sure, but it’s getting there.

Nancy Pelosi math.

I hate it when people lie to cheaters. I think…

I got it! Twelveteen!

3 +4 is the same as 4 +3 and 12 + 7 is the same as 7 plus 12 so a billion then seems correct in Calvin World

“That was her answer for 3+4!”

She should have said infinity. Lots of things can add up to infinity.

I dunno; sounds right to me.

Hey, Susie! What’s one thousand times one million? Calvin might get this one right.

Don’t listen to her. You should know to not trust girls.

At least he knows the answers should be different…PROGRESS!

“Hey, Suzie, what’s 5 + 3?”

“The Louisiana Purchase.”

“I’m beginning to suspect she’s not giving me the right answers…”

It would have been funnier if he got suspicious after she told him 5+2 and 3+4 are both a billion.

Suzie also tells our hero all the answers on true /false tests are true.

How many zero’s are there in a billion? Does he have enough room on the paper?

Embarrassingly, it was only as an adult I fully got the joke that Calvin thinks that two math problems can’t have the same answer.

The perfect time to teach Calvin the transitive property!

I’m not sure but I think it has something to do with transcendental prime numbers.

How’s he gonna explain repeating 2nd grade…again…to mom and dad?

Would be funnier if he said “That’s what she said 10+9 was”

Mind boggling! Calvin can dream up Spaceman Spiff and a super sleuth detective but can’t figure out 3 + 4 or 12 + 7!

I like Suzie’s style. Every time I see this one, I’m reminded of junior high science. I was pretty sure a couple of idiots were cheating off my tests (this sort of thing happens when you have a reputation for being the smartest guy in the room. Not that I necessarily was, but the other contenders were much better at keeping a low profile.)So on the next test, I picked one of the earlier questions and gave it the most absurd, batshit insane answer I could think of. I have no idea if they copied it, but I did notice we got assigned seating within the week and the presumed cheaters were on the far end of the room.

Inflation.

Calvin will definitely grow up to be a writer. Engineer? Not so much.

12 + 7 = 19? That can’t be right. That’s what she said 4 + 15 was!

Numbers past three are, for all practical purposes, infinite.

Calvin in his smarter days

I know we are having fun here but if Calvin can’t figure out basic math, he may have some kind of mental issue.

Hobbes would know better…12 + 7 = 127; anybody knows that!

I take this as Susie and Calvin belong to the same boat. Never mind, arithmetics is no match for wit. And these two kids have loads of it.