non-6-sided dice > number cubes

[James Harbeck]

I learned today from a fellow editor that in some school texbooks,
dice are called "number cubes" even when they have pips rather than
digits. Not so surprising, I suppose, given the kind of influences
school texts tend to suffer under (referring to a "disabled car" can
be a no-no, as can be talking about tranquillizing a bear -- because
that refers to drugs). But non-cubic dice are also being called
"number cubes," even in math textbooks. After one editor mentioned
she was faced with "four-sided number cube" in a teacher's guide for
a math course and was not allowed to change it, I found the following
at http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2004/5/04.05.10.x.html :

"John was tossing a 4-sided number cube numbered 1-4 and a 7-sided
number cube numbered 1-7."

Note that this is a sample problem for teaching math. The page in
question begins with the following sentence: "Words and their
meanings may present the greatest obstacle to mathematical problem
solving for students." However, the reference to 4-side and 7-sided
number cubes is not being used as an illustration of problematic word
usage.

James Harbeck.

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