The Daring Book for Girls - Andrea J. Buchanan [95]
Now use “vertically and crosswise”: Multiply the two numbers on the right to get the last two digits of your answer—in this case 36 (12 x 3 = 36). Subtract crosswise, either 88 - 3 or 97 - 12 (it doesn’t matter which one you use, as they will both result in the same answer!), to arrive at the first two digits of your answer: 85. So your final answer is 8536.
In some instances, you may have to carry over. For example, let’s try 90 x 76. Write this out as before, with 90 above 76. You can use the “all from 9 and the last from 10” rule to subtract both 90 and 76 from 100: write the corresponding answers to the right, as shown below.
Multiply the numbers on the right to get the last two digits of the answer. But in this case, 10 x 24 gives us 240—a three-digit number. The 2 in 240 is our extra digit, and it must be carried over. Write down 40 beneath the 10 and 24, and carry the 2 over, writing it on top of the 90 so you don’t forget to add it later. Now subtract crosswise, 76 - 10 or 90 - 24. Either way will give you the answer of 66. To that, add the 2 you carried over. That gives you 68, the first two digits of your answer. Your final answer is 6840.
Words to Impress
STRUNK AND WHITE, in The Elements of Style, tell us about sesquepedalian words: “Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.” But daring girls are never afraid to drop a spectacular multisyllabic bombshell when necessary. Here are some you can use when quotidian vocabulary fails.
aleatoric
(EY-lee-uh-tohr-ik) dependent on luck or a random outcome, like a roll of the dice
Aurora just laughed when doubters attributed her triumph over the pirate rogues to aleatoric influences.
brobdingnagian
(brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn) gigantic, enormous, tremendous
Lydia made constant use of her brobdingnagian vocabulary.
callipygian
(kal-uh-PIJ-ee-uhn) having shapely buttocks
Jen’s callipygian beauty was matched only by her strong right hook.
crepuscular
(kri-PUHS-kyuh-ler) dim; resembling or having to do with twilight
Janet’s habit of planning all her best pranks to occur immediately after dinner led her mother to declare her utterly crepuscular in nature.
diaphanous
(dahy-AF-uh-nuhs) almost entirely transparent or translucent
Halloween had been a success, thought Belinda, even though little kids kept bumping into her costume’s diaphanous fairy wings.
echolalia
(ek-oh-LEY-lee-uh) repeating or echoing a person’s speech, often in a pathological way
The baby’s curious echolalia almost sounded like real conversation.
frangible
(FRAN-juh-bull) fragile; easily broken; brittle
After seeing what happened to his brothers, the third little pig resolved to build his house from a less frangible material.
frustraneous
(fruhs-TREY-nee-uhs) vain; useless; frustrating
After several frustraneous attempts, Katie gave up on trying to get her sister’s attention.
gustatory
(GUHS-tuh-tohr-ee) of or pertaining to taste or tasting
Rachael dug into her dinner with gustatory glee.
hagiology
(hag-ee-OL-uh-jee) literature dealing with the lives of saints; a list of saints
Julie’s notebook was practically a hagiology of current boy bands.
ineluctable
(in-ih-LUCK-tuh-bull) inevitable, inescapable (From the Latin word luctari, “to wrestle.”)
Sarah was unable to escape the ineluctable gaze of her mother.
jejune
(ji-JOON) immature, uninteresting, dull; lacking nutrition
Molly resolved to use an interesting vocabulary, the better to avoid appearing jejune.
knurl
(n×rl)
a knob, knot, or other small protuberance; one of a series of small ridges or grooves on the surface or edge of a metal object, such as a thumbscrew, to aid in gripping
Samira learned to rock climb by grabbing onto the knurls all the way up the wall.
languorous
(LANG-ger-uhs) lacking spirit or liveliness; dreamy; lazy
Amelia spent a languorous day by the pool.