November 2014
Problem of the Month

Rhyme Time



In each of the definitions or clues listed below, there are two rhyming words -- and at least one of them is a math term.   The missing word in each of the following pairs is a math term.

Example:   5 o'clock is prime   time .

1.   2000 pounds is           ton .

2.   A royal prince is a highness           .

3.   Rectangle length is the wide           .

4.   A skillet diameter is a griddle           .

5.   Four and nine are a           pair .

6.   A wrong total is a dumb           .

7.   A finger tapper is a           fidget .

8.   A college student majoring in mathematics is following a           path .

9.   A figure with three curved sides is a newfangle           .

10.   Solving a definite integral is           calculation .

11.   A woman who can add forty numbers in her head is an           magician .

12.   A pair of cows is           moo .

13.   After winning the championship for the seventh time in a row, the coach said, "Next year will be           straight ."

14.   When you add 4 pigs to 5 pigs, you get           swine .

15.   When Noah painted his boat black, God said it was a dark           .

16.   A Ph.D. is a marquee           .

17.   There is a fine             between genius and insanity.

18.   One astronaut in space is solitude           .

19.   The two delinquent boys were           trouble .

20.   The magician's concentration was a hokus pokus           .

21.   A chuckle is a           laugh .

22.   A converse is a reverse           .   (well, not really).

23. Extra Credit: Make up your own rhyme with definition or clue (one word must be a math word).


Solution to the Problem:

1.   2000 pounds is one   ton .

2.   A royal prince is a highness   minus .

3.   Rectangle length is the wide   side .

4.   A skillet diameter is a griddle   middle .

5.   Four and nine are a square   pair .

6.   A wrong total is a dumb   sum .

7.   A finger tapper is a digit   fidget .

8.   A college student majoring in mathematics is following a math   path .

9.   A figure with three curved sides is a newfangle   triangle .

10.   Solving a definite integral is integration   calculation .

11.   A woman who can add forty numbers in her head is an addition   magician .

12.   A pair of cows is two   moo .

13.   After winning the championship for the seventh time in a row, the coach said, "Next year will be eight   straight ."

14.   When you add 4 pigs to 5 pigs, you get nine   swine .

15.   When Noah painted his boat black, God said it was a dark   arc .

16.   A Ph.D. is a marquee   degree .

17.   There is a fine   line   between genius and insanity.

18.   One astronaut in space is solitude   altitude.

19.   The two delinquent boys were double   trouble.

20.   The magician's concentration was a hokus pokus   focus .

21.   A chuckle is a half   laugh .

22.   A converse is a reverse   inverse .   (well, not really).



Here are some great answers from problem solvers:

23.   The phase, period, and amplitude define a sine line. (not really a line) (Chad Fore)

24.   Someone who withholds the "leftovers" of long division would be called a remainder detainer. (Chad Fore)

25.   He who sums up volumes of the same math book would be performing edition addition. (Chad Fore)

26.   When separating cuts, you might say it's incision division. (Chad Fore)

27.   The capital Greek letter sigma is known as summation notation. (Chad Fore)

28.   Instead of a ninety degree angle, one could write right, right? (Chad Fore)

29.   A six-sided figure from south of the border would be called a Mexican hexagon. (Chad Fore)

30.   A 4-wheeled farming vehicle with 180 degree plastic wheels would be called a protractor tractor. (Chad Fore)

31.   When someone takes my things, I have a _subtraction_ REACTION. (James Alarie)

32.   A bracelet with two pairs of parallel edges might be a rectangle bangle. (A. Jacobs)

33.   The point where two curves meet on a graph would be a function junction. (Keith Mealy)

33.   7 had a kid and when he was 14 they called him repetition addition. (Hannah Behunin)

34.   if you use o/h you'll be FINE to find (sine). (Morgan Harris)

35.   A very attractive turnip is acute root. (Keith Mealy)

36.   Someone who is enamored with squaring is an exponent proponent (Keith Mealy)



Chad Fore sent in SUMMATION CALCULATION as an answer to #10, which works very well since we teach Integration as a summation!



Correctly solved by:

1. James Alarie * Flint, Michigan
2. Chad Fore * Gate City, Virginia
3. Qanaar Pearson John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
4. Nabil Al-Zaidy John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
5. Haley Martin John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
6. Latricia Jefferson John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
7. A. Jacobs * John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
8. Ryan Lambert John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
9. Hannah Behunin * Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
10. Aziza John F. Kennedy High School,
Taylor, Michigan
11. Morgan Harris * Mountain View High School,
Mountain View, Wyoming
12. Keith Mealy * Cincinnati, Ohio

* Solved the Extra Credit


Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher