lowest common denominator

[Fred Shapiro]

On Tue, 14 Aug 2001, James A. Landau wrote:

> Presumably some non-mathematician, needing a catchy phrase for "that small
> part understandable or usable by all" thought of the word "lowest" or "least"
> and was led by an incorrect memory of arithmetic to jump to "least common
> denominator".

The earliest nonmathematical usage I can find for "lowest common
denominator" is the following:

1910 H. G. Wells _The New Machiavelli_ 287  Most clubs have a common link,
a lowest common denominator in the Club Bore, who spares no one.

Fred "minored in mathematics at MIT, but has forgotten it all" Shapiro


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