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jigjag

I suppose the obvious answer is one day, but it is bound to be wrong.

Chrise

That sandwich sounds good.

or…if you multiply through by two, then 3 hens take 3 days to lay 3 eggs. Assuming they lay one each, then the answer is 3 days.

I cant remember clearly, but I dont think anyone in the class got it right. The logic was that every day and a half, a number of hens laid the same number of eggs, so each hen laid one egg every day and a half.

I recall a small boy challenging this, along the lines of: "That's wrong Mr Higgins. My Auntie Nelly has got a hen, and it lays an egg every day"

As usual, the teacher hit the roof.

jigjag

I get it now. Mind you, I would not like to eat half an egg, nor cook with it. I suppose you all used to wind up Mr Higgins.

Sorry, jono, but it is unnecessary to multiply the number of hens by two. 1.5 hens will take 3 days to lay 3 eggs.

I wonder about Mr Higgins. Why was he talking about this in a history lesson and did he have the answer?

Orson

He taught us History and Latin in the second year. He was rather eccentric, and loved telling us stories and giving us puzzles that had nothing to do with the lesson. Yes, he explained the solution.

Grunger

I was going to say that I would also never use half an egg, but in fact I do. When making the batter for pancakes, I make 2 batches, and I mix 1.5 eggs with the flour for each one.

Orson, you are, of course, correct. A schoolboy error on my part !

jigjag

Yes - when a recipe calls for the yolk or white of an egg, I suppose it is half an egg.

jigjag

I have been thinking about the grammar in the poser. Mr Higgins said "If a hen and a half lay an egg and a half ...............", but should it be "lays". I dont know if 1.5 hens is singular or plural.

I'm watching the Paris-Nice cycling. The commentators referred to the rider is third place as "third wheel". However each bike has two wheels, so surely he is, at best, "fifth wheel"?