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<font size=3>At 10/25/2007 10:28 AM, ronbutters@AOL.COM wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">So the mathematicians have
redefined "cube"? I would call the four-sided solid a
"pyramid." See AMERICAN HERITAGE:</font></blockquote><br>
Not any more than previous messages in this chain implied. When I
referred to "<font size=3>a learned article on this subject", I
meant not what "cube" meant but how well regular solids
wolled.<br><br>
</font>Joel<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=3>CUBE<br>
NOUN: 1. Mathematics A regular solid having six congruent square faces.
2a. Something having the general shape of a cube: a cube of sugar. b. A
cubicle, used for work or study. 3. Mathematics The third power of a
number or quantity. 4. cubes Slang Cubic inches. Used especially of an
internal combustion engine.<br><br>
<br>
------Original Message------<br>
From: Joel S. Berson<br>
Sender: American Dialect Society<br>
To: ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<br>
ReplyTo: American Dialect Society<br>
Sent: Oct 25, 2007 9:55 AM<br>
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] non-6-sided dice > number cubes<br><br>
At 10/25/2007 08:55 AM, ronbutters@AOL.COM wrote:<br>
>Wouldn't a four-sided cube have to be made up of two-sided
squares?<br><br>
Of 4 triangles. Just as a seven-sided cube would have to be made
up<br>
not of square faces.<br><br>
If course a four-sided cube won't woll wery well. (IIRC, there
was<br>
some long time ago a learned article on this subject.)<br><br>
Joel<br><br>
>Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry<br>
><br>
>-----Original Message-----<br>
>From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn@YALE.EDU><br>
><br>
>Date: Wed, 24 Oct
2007 22:34:35<br>
>To:ADS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU<br>
>Subject: Re: [ADS-L] non-6-sided dice
> number cubes<br>
><br>
><br>
> >I learned today from a fellow editor that in some school
texbooks,<br>
> >dice are called "number cubes" even when they have
pips rather than<br>
> >digits. Not so surprising, I suppose, given the kind of
influences<br>
> >school texts tend to suffer under (referring to a "disabled
car" can<br>
> >be a no-no, as can be talking about tranquillizing a bear --
because<br>
> >that refers to drugs). But non-cubic dice are also being
called<br>
> >"number cubes," even in math textbooks. After one
editor mentioned<br>
> >she was faced with "four-sided number cube" in a
teacher's guide for<br>
> >a math course and was not allowed to change it, I found the
following<br>
> >at
<a href="http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2004/5/04.05.10.x.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2004/5/04.05.10.x.html</a>
:<br>
> ><br>
> >"John was tossing a 4-sided number cube numbered 1-4 and a
7-sided<br>
> >number cube numbered 1-7."<br>
> ><br>
> >Note that this is a sample problem for teaching mat<br><br>
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry<br><br>
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