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Funny Numbers

|< < Prev #3184 (December 22, 2025)

Title text: In 1899, people were walking around shouting '23' at each other and laughing, and confused reporters were writing articles trying to figure out what it meant.

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Explanation

This comic refers to the recent brainrot meme "6 7", often accompanied by moving your hands up and down.

While many people think this is a novel activity of the latest generation of kids, the comic points out that there's a long history of young people finding ways to have fun with certain numbers.

The numbers listed:

• 23 originated about 1899, and was later combined with the nonsense word "skidoo" into the phrase "23 skidoo". It relates to leaving quickly.

• 42 refers to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which this number is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.

• 1,337 is leet-speak for the word "elite".

• 69 -- refers to a sexual position.

• 58,008 spells "BOOBS" if you put it into a seven-segment display, like on many calculators, and turn it upside down.

• 420 is slang for smoking marijuana.

• 67 -- if you have to ask, you're not young enough.

The title text claims that the media reaction to "23" around the turn of the 20th century was very similar to the current reaction to "67". This highlights a perennial historical cycle of the Young being despised by the Old; with the Young growing up to become the Old despising a new generation of Young.

Transcript

[A banner is hanging from the ceiling with a large line of text above a smaller one:]

Mathematical society

2025 meeting

[Below the banner there are four people, three of them are standing close together to the left with Hairbun leftmost addressing Cueball and Megan who is looking at her. Ponytail is standing to the far right next to a whiteboard, and is using a marker to circle in the last number on the board.]

Hairbun: Any other new developments from the year to cover before we wrap?

Cueball: Oh, the teens picked a new funny number.

Megan: Aww, I'm glad to hear they're still doing that.

Ponytail: I'll add it to the list.

[The board contains two columns of numbers, with the first having a text behind it, thus covering both columns. The last number is the new one circled in by Ponytail. From top in reading order they are:]

23 (skidoo!)

42    1,337

69    58,008

420   6 7

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