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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!uwvax!crystal!shp
From: shp@crystal.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: The magic number nine.
Message-ID: <452@crystal.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 11:27:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: crystal.452
Posted: Mon Apr 29 11:27:17 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 30-Apr-85 03:02:53 EDT
References: <388@ihu1m.UUCP> <134@bocklin.UUCP> <625@lsuc.UUCP>
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Organization: The Life Is A Rock Foundation
Lines: 9

> 
> Maybe "N points" is an old idiom for "N points out of N+1", i.e. N/(N+1) ?
> Seems to me that I have seen "3 points drunk" for "3/4 drunk" or some such
> phrase somewhere in British writing, but I can't remember for sure.
> 
> Mark Brader

	The expression I heard of a similar nature was "Three sheets to the
    wind."  Can any sailing/ocean-going enthusiast explain this?