Forty-Two
In "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the ultra-computer, "
Deep Thought," is asked to give "the meaning of Life, The Universe and Everything." After a very long time calculating, Deep Thought declares the answer is "Forty-Two," which mystifies everyone.Douglas Adams, the author of the "Hitchhiker" series, was familiar with computer programming. The symbol for a "wild card" -- a value that can be whatever
the programmer desires and/or what the program needs to run -- is the "asterisk," which is this symbol * , sometimes called the "star" symbol."In the
American Standard Code for Instructional Interchange, or "ASCII," the "asterisk" is symbol number "42." Thus, "42" became a programmers' inside joke meaning "whatever you want it to be." Deep Thought could have said given its answer as, "anything" or "whatever you want it to be," but being a computer, it gave the ASCII code number, instead.
forty-two
by Panfilo Seisnueve on Jun 14, 2008 03:21:10
The forty-two is a sexual position that is related to the
sixty-nine. In this position the woman will be on all fours and the man will be behind her on two, hence the name forty-two. The woman will be on her hands and knees and the man will be
crouching down but still standing. This position requires much stamina and muscular
fortitude from the man.
forty-two
by Sparrow on May 22, 2005 00:07:18
Example:
what do u get when u
multiply six by seven?
42. (of course this can't be the
ulimate question.)
Rule Forty-two
by arkizzle on Oct 11, 2009 14:00:10
Example:
Quote:
At this moment the King, who had been for some time
busily writing in his note-book, cackled out 'Silence!' and read out from his book, 'Rule Forty-two. ALL PERSONS MORE THAN A
MILE HIGH TO LEAVE THE COURT.'
Everybody looked at Alice.
'I'M not a
mile high,' said Alice.
'You are,' said the King.
'Nearly two miles high,' added the Queen.
'Well, I shan't go, at any rate,' said Alice: 'besides, that's not a regular rule: you invented it just now.'
'It's the oldest rule in the book,' said the King.
'Then it ought to be Number One,' said Alice.