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Mathematician's Answer: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
[[File:arnoldpass 2707.png|link=Hey Arnold!|
{{quote|'''Monty:''' Dad, is there a word to describe answers that are ''completely correct'' but ''entirely useless'' under the circumstances?
'''Prof. Jones:''' Yes, yes there is.
|''[[Irregular Webcomic]]''}}
If you ask someone a question, and he gives you an entirely accurate answer that is of no practical use whatsoever, he has just given you a Mathematician's Answer.
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A common form of giving a '''Mathematician's Answer''' is to fully evaluate the logic of the question and give a logically correct answer. Such a response may prove confusing for someone who interpreted what they said colloquially.
Examples include questions involving "can you do ''[favor]''...?" being interpreted as a hypothetical "are you ''capable of'' doing ''[favor]''?" instead of its more common intent as a request to actually do it (this is a favorite of English teachers and [[Grammar Nazi]], frequently going through something similar to "Can I come in?" "I don't know, ''are you able to''?" "Uh, '''may''' I come in?") Another common form is when a character is asked "Is it A or B?" they will respond, "Yes" as if it was a question of Boolean logic rather than clarifying which specific one is the case (though this can also occur if the responder does not know the answer (but is sure at least one of them is correct), or considers both answers correct. This crops up a lot in [[Real Life]], especially in the world of computers.)
Can be used by characters for reasons ranging from [[Played for Laughs|snarky humor]] to intentional obfuscation to being extremely [[Literal-Minded]]—AI and other [[Literal Genie]]s by their nature are very likely to fall into the last category.
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Its origins lie in the joke about a man in a hot-air balloon who asked someone where he was. "You're in a balloon," he answered. The rider concluded that it was a mathematician that said that, because the answer was perfectly correct and completely useless.
Compare with [[Non-Answer]].
----▼
{{examples}}
== Advertising ==
* A commercial for Lyrica begins with a voiceover along the lines of: "I was wondering why I had muscle pain, so I asked my doctor. It turns out, connected to muscles are nerves which send pain messages to the brain."
** Also a [[Captain Obvious]] moment. "Nerves send pain messages to the brain?! [[Sarcasm Mode|Noooo]]!"
* A commercial for Budweiser (or Miller Draft){{verify}} had a guy describe something as beautiful, refreshing, etc. as he was grabbing a beer near a woman. The woman asks if he was describing the beer, or her, his reply is "Yes."
* A commercial for Grey Poupon mustard has one Rolls-Royce pull up to another, and they both roll down their windows. One man asks, "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?" The other replies, "But of course!" - then signals his chauffeur to drive away.
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[[
** From episode one.
{{quote|'''Mokona:''' *yawn* I slept well.
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{{quote|'''Lupin:''' Which direction do you think the helicopter will be coming from?
'''Goemon:''' Up. }}
== Comic Books ==
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==
* Of all people, Kyon's sister in ''[[Kyon: Big Damn Hero]]''. Unsurprisingly, Yuki joins in later, when she and Haruhi forcibly undress Kyon. Yuki seems to do this fairly often.
{{quote|'''Kyon:''' "So ''if'' I tell you, that means you can't go. Understand?"
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'''Moe:''' Hospital??
'''Shemp:''' Yes, I wanted to be near my mother! }}
* ''[[Austin Powers]]: International Man of Mystery'', when Vanessa finds out just how Austin got plans from one of Dr. Evil's [[Femme
{{quote|'''Vanessa:''' Did you use protection?
'''Austin:''' Of course, I have a 9 millimeter automatic. }}
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'''Katrina Van Tassel:''' Because it is yours. }}
* When asked why he committed the eponymous crime in ''The Great Train Robbery'', [[Sean Connery]]'s character says "[[Crowning Moment of Funny|I wanted the money]]."
== Literature ==
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** "Where does this road go?" "It isn't going anywhere. It's just staying put."
** One Vermont farmer approaches another. "My horse is sick. What did you give your horse when it was sick?" "Hay and molasses." Two weeks later: "I gave my horse hay and molasses, and it died." "Yep, so did mine."
*
** From ''[[Hogfather]]'':
{{quote|'''Susan''': Are those mountains real or some sort of shadows?
'''Death''': {{smallcaps|
** Similarly, when the Senior Wrangler suggests that the mistletoe, while being genuinely symbolic, is only symbolic of mistletoe:
{{quote|'''Archchancellor:''' That statement is either so deep it would take a lifetime to fully comprehend every particle of its meaning, or it is a load of absolute tosh. Which is it, I wonder?
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{{quote|'''Lord Downey''': Can I offer you a drink?
'''Auditor''': Yes ... we judge you capable of performing that action }}
** Susan again, in ''[[
{{quote|'''Susan''': Are you {{spoiler|Lobsang}} or are you {{spoiler|Jeremy}}?
''' {{spoiler|Lobsang/Jeremy}}''': Yes.
'''Susan''': Yes, I walked into that. Are you {{spoiler|Lobsang}} ''and'' are you {{spoiler|Jeremy}}?
''' {{spoiler|Lobsang/Jeremy}}''': Much closer. Yes. }}
** Rincewind and Eric, from <s> Faust</s> [[
{{quote|'''Rincewind''': There's a door.
'''Eric''': Where does it go?
'''Rincewind''': It stays where it is, I think. }}
** Yet another one, sort of, from ''[[
{{quote|'''Granny Weatherwax''': Am I dying?
'''Death''':{{smallcaps|yes}}.
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'''Granny Weatherwax''': But to you, everybody is dying, right? So you are not exactly being Mr. Helpful here.
'''Death''':{{smallcaps|yes}} }}
** And another in ''[[
{{quote|Demons were like genies or philosophy professors - if you didn't word things exactly right, they delighted in giving you absolutely accurate [...] answers.}}
** As mentioned in ''[[
{{quote|Things just happened. What the hell?}}
** The real problem with Mathematician's Answers in Discworld is that they often
▲** The real problem with Mathematician's Answers in Discworld is that they often AREN'T -- they're very accurate statements of the fact that, in a world where symbolism, belief, and narrative causality are literally physical laws of the universe, it is entirely possible for something to be two different and contradictory things simultaneously.
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'': When Zaphod learns that Marvin is waiting for them in the car park at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe (and has been for several trillion years), he asks what he's doing there. Marvin's answer? Parking cars. What else would he be doing there?
** More literally: "42". [[You Should Know This Already|For those that don't know about this]], an alien race constructs a massive supercomputer in order to learn "The answer to the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything". The computer, after <s> centuries</s> seven and a half million years of computation, comes back with "42". When asked about this, the computer responds that it is able to figure out the answer, but they need another computer to calculate [[Jeopardy!|what the question is.]] The programmers, afraid of the mob's reaction to this nonsense, just make up the question: "[[Shout-Out|How many roads]] [[Bob Dylan|must a man walk down?]]"
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'''Ford Prefect''': Why? What did she tell you?
'''Arthur Dent''': I don't know! I didn't listen! }}
** In ''Life, the Universe and Everything'', there is the character Prak. In a court case, he was injected with too much truth serum, and then he was instructed to tell "the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth." He responds by telling them everything that is true about, well, Life, the Universe, and Everything. Everyone present had to flee, leaving him alone telling the Truth, however by the time the protagonists arrive he has finished, telling them that there's not as much to it as one might expect, that he has forgotten it all now, but some of the best bits involved frogs and Arthur Dent.
* Jarlaxle the drow from R.A. Salvatore's series of Drizzt books is so fond of the Mathematician's Answer that "Yes" might as well be his catch phrase.
* ''[[Animorphs]]'' After being told by the resident friendly alien member of the team that they have all been dragged through a fracture in space-time continuum
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{{quote|"How are you going to ...?"
"Efficiently." }}
{{quote|"What did you cut him with?"
"Something sharp." }}
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* ''How Rude!'', an etiquette book aimed at teenagers, contains an anecdote from the author. He attempted to call a friend of his and the friend's five-year-old son answered. When the author asked if his daddy was there, the boy replied, "Yes."
▲== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[MythBusters]]'': When Adam is taken to Jamie's secret location, this exchange:
{{quote|'''Adam:''' Where are we?
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== Music ==
* When asked what his songs were about, [[Bob Dylan]] responded, "Some are about three minutes, some are about four minutes..."
== Newspaper Comics ==
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* ''[[Bloom County]]'' has one in its first series about the Presidential election. Trying to find a local candidate, Milo asks the bum Limekiller "How do you stand on nuclear waste?" Limekiller immediately begins balancing awkwardly on one foot, earning Milo's approval.
▲== Theater ==
* In ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', when Malvolio tells Olivia that a man wants to see her and will not be turned away:
{{quote|'''Olivia''': What kind of man is he?
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{{quote|'''Major General''': May I ask – this is a picturesque uniform, but I’m not familiar with it. What are you?
'''Pirate King''': We are all... single gentlemen. }}
== Video Games ==
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* Same deal in ''[[EarthBound]]''. Someone asks you to name a Beatles song - [[XX Xterday]]. If you say Yes, that is technically correct. If you say No, the asker answers that Noterday is just wrong.
== Web Comics ==
* In ''[[The Order of the Stick]]'', the Oracle's first [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0330.html answer] to Roy's question "Where is Xykon?" was "In his throne room." Roy [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0329.html persuaded] him to follow up with a more useful answer.
** A few strips later there is an even purer [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0331.html example] - this time directed at Belkar.
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'''[http://gunnerkrigg.proboards.com/index.cgi?board{{=}}general&action{{=}}display&thread{{=}}614&page{{=}}6#21831 Tom Siddell]:''' Yup. }}
* [http://irregularwebcomic.net/1785.html This] ''[[Irregular Webcomic]]'' strip.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140109055431/http://somethingpositive.net/sp10112005.shtml Yeah], ''[[Something*Positive]]'' did it, too.
{{quote|"Davan, I'm going to force self-worth into you if I have to do it with a suppository."
"Be gentle, it'll be my first time."
"First time to be rectally violated or first time to feel good about yourself?"
"Yes." }}
** And [
{{quote|"I honestly, truly hate you."
"Because I did that to your character, or because I thought to put it in a game before you?"
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* The ''[[Flaky Pastry]]'' [http://flakypastry.runningwithpencils.com/comic.php?strip_id=100 100th strip spectacular] showed Nitrine giving a slightly more helpful Mathematician's Answer.
* ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'': Kusari answers with one [http://sluggy.com/comics/archives/daily/091216 here].
* ''Able And Baker'' gives one of these [https://web.archive.org/web/20120529145802/http://www.jimburgessdesign.com/comics/index.php?comic=1239 here].
{{quote|"What's your honest opinion?"
"The one thing I can never be wrong about." }}
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'''Manager:''' What for?
'''Isaac:''' Breaking the law. }}
* ''[[Dilbert]]'' buys "[//dilbert.com/strip/1990-01-06 something for a headache]". Also, on [//dilbert.com/strip/2019-02-01 ten-year financial projections].
== Web Original ==
* The Frequently Given Answers page makes a [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511112135/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jonathan.deboynepollard/FGA/questions-with-yes-or-no-answers.html serious attempt] to inform unsuspecting answer-seekers how to avoid this trope, when asking questions of places frequented mainly by the overly literal.
* [[The Spoony Experiment|Spoony's]] take on the changes to Yuna between [[Final Fantasy X]] and [[Final Fantasy X-2]].
{{quote|'''Spoony:''' Quite a long way from the traditional kimono she wore before, and her previous characterization as a kind, demure, religious care-giver with a tragic fate. But is this huge change in outfit and characterization because of the radical cultural shift in Spira because of the exposure of Yevon as a maniacal, genocidal cult run by the undead bent on world domination... or just because japanese perverts want to see some cleavage and her cute ass in boy's shorts? Good question... The answer is "Yes".}}
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'''Question''': Of all the ninja skills in the world, which is the deadliest?
'''Ninja''': The one that kills you. }}
== Western Animation ==
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{{quote|'''Molotov''': Tell me how you did such thing.
'''Heloise''': It owes me a favor. }}
* [[The Grim Adventures of Billy
* [[Family Guy]] has a very funny example by the mayor of Quahog Adam West:
{{quote|'''Adam West''': Will you answer one question for me?.
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'''Orson:''' I guess you really are a doctor, Roy. }}
== Other Media ==▼
▲== Other ==
* A famous one by mountaineer George Mallory: when asked, "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?", he retorted, "Because it's there". It's since been called, "the most famous three words in mountaineering".
* From an old Marvel Comics trading card:
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'''Mathematician''': All we can be sure of is that, in Scotland, there is at least one sheep that is black on at least one side. }}
* Or this joke (when sitting at the table): "Can I have the butter?" "Yes." "Can you pass it to me?" "Yes." (beat) "What, now?"
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120126230946/http://verydemotivational.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/demotivational-posters-yes1.jpg What holiday is] [[Nightmare Before Christmas]] about?
** [[Completely Missing the Point|Yes?]]
* One that gets used a bit in direction-giving customer service roles
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{{quote|The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it's just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture "This is a pipe," I'd have been lying!}}
▲----
{{quote|It's a third person singular neuter pronoun. [[Brick Joke|But that's not important right now.]]}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]▼
[[Category:Cryptic Conversation]]
[[Category:Dialogue]]
[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
▲[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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