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Mathematician's Answer: Difference between revisions
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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|Literal Genies]] by their nature are very likely to fall into the last category.
Can overlap with [[Shaped Like Itself]] when the question is seeking a description, and with [[Captain Obvious]], as these answers tend to be self-evident for anyone with a brain. Usually doubles as a [[Cryptically Unhelpful Answer]], when the "mathematician" is deliberately trying to confound the questioner. Compare [[Non
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.
[[How Many All of Them]] is a subtrope that's its own [[Stock Phrase]]. See also [[What's a Henway?]]. Contrast [[Implied Answer]] when the question isn't answered at all, and the meaning is quite clear.
Compare with [[Non
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=== '''Examples''' ===
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'''Prostitute''': I used to think that cleanliness was next to godliness. }}
* In ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', this is sometimes how [[Robot Girl|Cameron]] responds to questions.
* An [[Running Gag]] in ''[[Police Squad!]]'', where Frank holds a cigarette out to a witness or suspect and asks "cigarette?" The implication is that he's asking if they want one, but they always answer "Yes, I know," or "Yes, it is."
* ''[[Mock the Week]]'' has a [[Jeopardy]] parody called ''If This is the Answer, What is the Question?'', which naturally wound up like the ''Jeopardy'' example above on occasion.
* From ''[[House (TV)|House]]'':
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* Similar to the Eddie Izzard example: in a 1960s ''[[Peanuts]]'' strip, Charlie Brown is trying to teach Sally to count. When shown a picture and asked "How many boats do you see?" she answers "All of them!"
* ''[[Calvin and Hobbes (Comic Strip)|Calvin and Hobbes]]'' featured this exchange in a Sunday strip:
{{quote| '''Miss Wormwood''': Calvin, pay attention! We're studying geography! [[Where the Hell Is Springfield?|Now, what state do you live in?]]<br />
'''Calvin''': Denial.<br />
'''Miss Wormwood''': ...I don't suppose I can argue with THAT. }}
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* In ''[[Hamlet (Theatre)|Hamlet]]'': Polonius asks what Hamlet is reading.
{{quote| '''Hamlet''': Words, words, words.}}
* In ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'', the [[Modern Major
{{quote| '''Major General''': May I ask – this is a picturesque uniform, but I’m not familiar with it. What are you?<br />
'''Pirate King''': We are all... single gentlemen. }}
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'''York''': Probably not. It isn't a very common word. }}
* From ''[[Wapsi Square]]'', Shelly gives one when asked where she [http://wapsisquare.com/comic/onmyfront/ got her tattoo.]
* In ''[[
{{quote| '''Thief:''' Since when do you care about quests?<br />
'''Black Mage:''' Since it's a convenient excuse to butcher Sir Hopsalot for revenge.<br />
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'''Butarega:''' He's been telling everyone that Freeza plans to destroy Vegeta!<br />
'''King Vegeta:''' Wait, my son, [[Egopolis|the planet]], or me?<br />
'''Butarega:''' ...[[Kill
(Butarega is blasted by King Vegeta)<br />
'''King Vegeta:''' Freakin' smartass. }}
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* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': Series finale, Aang does his Avatar mojo and summons the spirit of Avatar Roku to advise him on whether he should kill Ozai. Roku's only advice is to "be decisive".
** Some of the other Avatar spirits that Aang consulted were more direct, but he didn't like [[Kill Him Already|what they had to say]].
* ''[[Rocky and Bullwinkle]]'' provides us with another example. Boris, in one of his [[Paper
{{quote| '''Boris''': Do you know who is buried in Grant's tomb?<br />
'''Bullwinkle''': No.<br />
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[[Category:Characterization Tropes]]
[[Category:Mathematicians Answer]]
[[Category:Trope]][[Category:Pages with comment tags]]
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