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I think "odd" is a very odd word

English Language & Usage Asked by ControlAltDel on March 1, 2021

I was just looking at a (programming) question on Stack Overflow that was asking for a function that always returned "odd" numbers (I’m sure s/he was referring to odd vs. even numbers). But my mind is now stuck on how the word "odd" is somewhat paradoxical, as "odd" numbers really aren’t "odd" in the sense of something unusual. I would like to write clearly and unambiguously about odd numbers, but the word itself is holding me back…

Is there a solution?

One Answer

The word "odd" being synonymous with "strange" or "different" is but one of its definitions. The majority of Webster's 1913 dictionary definitions have to do with being indivisible by 2, or extra (as in "I can think of some 20-odd reasons not to go to the opera."). Please do not get hung up on one definition of a word that may have several meanings.

Correct answer by RobJarvis on March 1, 2021

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