Thread: Re: Could you eat on $1 per meal per day.

On 12/07/2011 1:16 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
> has a dimensional problem.
>
> Steve


I was never great at math, but I figured that it meant $1 per per
meal... $3 per day.

Dave Smith <[email protected]> wrote:

>On 12/07/2011 1:16 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> The subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>> has a dimensional problem.

>I was never great at math, but I figured that it meant $1 per per
>meal... $3 per day.

That may be what it is meant to mean, but it is not what it literally
says.

Steve

On 12/07/2011 1:50 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> Dave Smith<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On 12/07/2011 1:16 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>> The subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>>> has a dimensional problem.
>
>> I was never great at math, but I figured that it meant $1 per per
>> meal... $3 per day.
>
> That may be what it is meant to mean, but it is not what it literally
> says.
>


I suppose the subject line could have read "Could you get by eating
three meals a say each costing no more than $1?", but then it would
have looked too much like trolling and we would automatically look to
see how many groups it had been cross posted to.

"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:ivi1gn$fb8$[email protected]..
> Dave Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>On 12/07/2011 1:16 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>> The subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>>> has a dimensional problem.
>
>>I was never great at math, but I figured that it meant $1 per per
>>meal... $3 per day.
>
> That may be what it is meant to mean, but it is not what it literally
> says.

What happens if someone has 2 meals a day.. or 4 come to that?

On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
> has a dimensional problem.

Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
days = 21 dollars.

Serene

--
"Sex is just one of many pleasurable activities. I don't think of it as
special--sometimes I'd rather read a book. Where are the rules about
reading?" -- Kai on alt.poly


http://www.momfoodproject.com

for each person in the household

"Dave Smith" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:eu%Sp.58627$[email protected] ...
> On 12/07/2011 1:16 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>> has a dimensional problem.
>>
>> Steve
>
>
> I was never great at math, but I figured that it meant $1 per per meal...
> $3 per day.

In article <[email protected]>,
Serene Vannoy <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
> > or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
> > has a dimensional problem.
>
> Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
> days = 21 dollars.

Thank you! It made me wonder if some of the people had never taken
higher math, chemistry or physics.

Regards,
Ranee @ Arabian Knits

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/

"Ranée at Arabian Knits" wrote:
>
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Serene Vannoy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > > There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
> > > or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
> > > has a dimensional problem.
> >
> > Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
> > days = 21 dollars.
>
> Thank you! It made me wonder if some of the people had never taken
> higher math, chemistry or physics.

I don't wonder about those things, I know they never have. I just wince
and don't comment when the person at the deli counter can't figure out
1/3 in decimal pounds or in ounces.

Serene Vannoy <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>> has a dimensional problem.

> Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
> days = 21 dollars.

Actually in English, "per" is like a division sign. To get
to "miles per hour", you divide the number of miles by the number of
hours. The phrase "centimeters per second" can be written cm/sec.

However it is true that in some languages, such as Italian, "per" can be
like a multiplication sign. An Italian would say "due per tre fa sei"
to mean 2 x 3 = 6, and might abbreviate per as "x" in a short of shorthand.

If you can point me to an example where "per" is used like a multiplication
sign in English, or means "multiply" in some variation I'd be interested.
Looking in an unabridged dictionary, it is not among the definitions.

(I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I haven't ever seen it.)


Steve

"Steve Pope" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio

> If you can point me to an example where "per" is used like a
> multiplication
> sign in English, or means "multiply" in some variation I'd be interested.
> Looking in an unabridged dictionary, it is not among the definitions.
>
> Steve

It isn't multiplication, strictly speaking, it's ratio. One per person, 60
per hour, 52000 per second. It translates quite easily to someone who knows
Latin into for, which of course is its most common meaning in Italian, too.

Ranée at Arabian Knits <[email protected]> wrote:

> Serene Vannoy <[email protected]> wrote:

>> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:

>>> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>>> has a dimensional problem.

>> Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
>> days = 21 dollars.

>Thank you! It made me wonder if some of the people had never taken
>higher math, chemistry or physics.

Please see my reply to Serene where I explain this.

Steve

On 07/12/2011 06:07 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> Serene Vannoy<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
>>> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>>> has a dimensional problem.
>
>> Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
>> days = 21 dollars.
>
> Actually in English, "per" is like a division sign.

Not in this context, Steve, and I'm starting to think you're being
deliberately obtuse. In this context, "per" is equivalent to "for
each". If you pay three dollars per loaf of bread, do you *divide* to
figure out how much six loaves of bread cost?

Serene
--
"Sex is just one of many pleasurable activities. I don't think of it as
special--sometimes I'd rather read a book. Where are the rules about
reading?" -- Kai on alt.poly


http://www.momfoodproject.com

On Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:25:29 -0700, Serene Vannoy
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On 07/12/2011 06:07 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>> Serene Vannoy<[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
>>
>>>> There subject line is nonsensical. Is it one dollar per meal,
>>>> or one dollar per day? The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
>>>> has a dimensional problem.
>>
>>> Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
>>> days = 21 dollars.
>>
>> Actually in English, "per" is like a division sign.
>
>Not in this context, Steve, and I'm starting to think you're being
>deliberately obtuse. In this context, "per" is equivalent to "for
>each". If you pay three dollars per loaf of bread, do you *divide* to
>figure out how much six loaves of bread cost?
>
>Serene

With how the Subj. line is written there is no meaning whatsoever,
because it allows for $1 per meal but says nothing about how many
meals per day... it should've been stated thusly: Could you eat on $1
per meal at 3 meals per day, or 4 meals per day, or however many meals
per day... or more intelligently: Could you eat on $1 per day? I
inserted the question mark because as the thread is headed no one
should have replied, there is no question being asked. So what
imbecile initiated this moroonick thread?

On Jul 13, 11:25*am, Serene Vannoy <ser...@serenepages.org> wrote:
> On 07/12/2011 06:07 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
> > Serene Vannoy<ser...@serenepages.org> *wrote:
>
> >> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
>
> >>> There subject line is nonsensical. *Is it one dollar per meal,
> >>> or one dollar per day? *The phrase "one dollar per meal per day"
> >>> has a dimensional problem.
>
> >> Nonsense. *"per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 mealsx 7
> >> days = 21 dollars.
>
> > Actually in English, "per" is like a division sign.
>
> Not in this context, Steve, and I'm starting to think you're being
> deliberately obtuse. *In this context, "per" is equivalent to "for
> each". If you pay three dollars per loaf of bread, do you *divide* to
> figure out how much six loaves of bread cost?

"per" is division. Here's the Algebra I equation:

$3 6 loaves
--------- x ------------ = $18
loaf 1

The loaves cancel.

Probably that won't look right on anybody's screen
but mine, so here's the one-line version:

$3/loaf * (6 loaves)/1 = $18

6/1 = 6

Cindy Hamilton

Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

>On Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:25:29 -0700, Serene Vannoy

>>On 07/12/2011 06:07 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>>> Serene Vannoy<[email protected]> wrote:

>>>> Nonsense. "per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7
>>>> days = 21 dollars.

>>> Actually in English, "per" is like a division sign.

>>Not in this context, Steve, and I'm starting to think you're being
>>deliberately obtuse.

Not at all. Why are you saying this? In the phrase "One dollar per
meal", the "per" is like a division sign -- dollars divided by meals
equals one. If it were two dollars per meal, dollars divided by meals
would be equal to two.

>> In this context, "per" is equivalent to "for each".

Correct. This is consistent with what I have stated.

>>If you pay three dollars per loaf of bread, do you *divide* to
>>figure out how much six loaves of bread cost?

Six dollars per two loaves. 6 divided by 2 equals 3 dollars per loaf.

6 dollars
___________ = 3.

2 loaves

That "per" means division in English is an extension -- in English -- of
its meaning of "for each". It also means "for each" in Latin.

Again, provide me with an example (not in a sentence you have created,
but in something written, e.g. that you can find somewhere in
Google Books or something) where per, in English, can be replaced
by a multiply sign. Or an English dictionary that lists this as
a definition.

I'm not being obtuse; I am happy to look at an example of what
you're claiming if you can find one. If you find a literature example
I will accept it.

>With how the Subj. line is written there is no meaning whatsoever,
>because it allows for $1 per meal but says nothing about how many
>meals per day... it should've been stated thusly:

Yes, this was my point, that this subject line has no distinct meaning.
This is not a big deal, as it was merely intended to start a discussion.


Steve

Cindy Hamilton <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Jul 13, 11:25*am, Serene Vannoy <ser...@serenepages.org> wrote:

>> On 07/12/2011 06:07 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>>
>> > Serene Vannoy<ser...@serenepages.org> *wrote:
>>
>> >> On 07/12/2011 10:16 AM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> >> Nonsense. *"per" is like a multiplication sign. One dollar x 3 meals x 7

>> > Actually in English, "per" is like a division sign.

>> Not in this context, Steve, and I'm starting to think you're being
>> deliberately obtuse. *In this context, "per" is equivalent to "for
>> each". If you pay three dollars per loaf of bread, do you *divide* to
>> figure out how much six loaves of bread cost?
>
>"per" is division. Here's the Algebra I equation:
>
>$3 6 loaves
>--------- x ------------ = $18
>loaf 1
>
>The loaves cancel.
>
>Probably that won't look right on anybody's screen
>but mine, so here's the one-line version:
>
>$3/loaf * (6 loaves)/1 = $18
>
>6/1 = 6

That's how I see it. But the fascinating thing here is, were this
Italian instead of English, "per" can be replaced directly by a multiply
sign, just as Serene says. This comes up when studying Italian... that
"per" can mean the exact opposite thing in the two languages.

I look at it as follows:

"per" means "for each" in Latin and also English.

"6 per 2" in English means "3 each".

but

"6 per 2" in Italian means 12.

Also in English, you would say "6 dollars for each of 2 loaves" to mean
a total of 12 dollars. So the phrase "for each of", I would say is the
equivalent of a multiply sign, or could be replaces with "times".

But while "per" means "for each", the locution "per of" is not considered
grammatical in English.

Whereas in Italian, the "of" is implicit because there is a reflexive
nature to this prepositional phrase that is absent in English. (That's
the best I can explain it.)

"per" also means "by" in Italian, and there the English arithmetic
meaning survives in "6 by 2 equals 12", although that is sounding a
little dated.


Steve