Need help.

[NoHall]

1. First of all, I've been in the house too long. I found this video and got WAY too excited:
YouTube - Japanese T-shirt folding in English

2. I need some of you educated folk (or even from some of you know-it-alls) to help me out. My parents gave me a mantel clock for Christmas, and as I was sitting around one afternoon watching movies or something I noticed that the numbers were wrong.

Roman numerals should read as follows, from 1-12:
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII

Correct?

The clock I have has a "IIII" instead of a "IV."

I chalked it up to American craftsmanship and promised to never mention it to my parents. Other than that, it's a beautiful clock.

Then today I was doing an online jigsaw puzzle. (Yes, I am now 82 years old. Go ahead--laugh.) It had a clock in it with the same error. This was a job for . Sure enough, here are two of the 9,210 image results, many of which read "IIII" instead of "IV."

PLEASE! SOMEONE TELL ME WHY!!!

 

[jessifunn]

miss kitty does jigsaw puzzels, maybe she can help

 

[SHELLY]

Check out this: http://www.ubr.com/clocks/frequently-asked-questions-faq/faq-roman-iiii-vs-iv-on-clock-dials.aspx

.

 

[steele mama]

The things I learn here.

 

[NoHall]

miss kitty does jigsaw puzzels, maybe she can help

Silly. I finished the puzzle...I just wanted to know why all those clocks are wrong when I'm right!;-)

Check out this: http://www.ubr.com/clocks/frequently-asked-questions-faq/faq-roman-iiii-vs-iv-on-clock-dials.aspx

.

THERE it is. Now I must know how you can find that and I can't. I need a class in advanced Googling.

Shelly, you just went up about ten slots on my list of revered people.

The things I learn here.

You and me both. Did you try the t-shirt folding? It will change your life.

 

[Miss Kitty]

So, what's the answer to the IIII v. IV????

 

[NoHall]

So, what's the answer to the IIII v. IV????

There are several theories. Some of them (the most logical-sounding ones, to me) say it balances the face. Others say it has to do with the Roman god, Jupiter.

 

[kathydwells]

So, what's the answer to the IIII v. IV????

Who knew? I learned something today.

"There is a story that a famous clockmaker had constructed a clock for Louis XIV, king of France. The clockmaker had naturally used IV for four. When the clock was shown to the king, he remarked that IIII should have been used instead of IV. When it was explained to him that IV was correct, he still insisted, so that there was nothing to do but change the clock dial. This introduced the custom of using IIII for four. This is probably only a story, however, as IIII occurs long before the time of Louis XIV. And this same story is also told in connection with other monarchs. There is one reason why IIII is preferable to IV, and it may have caused the change. On the other side of the clock dial the VIII is the heaviest number, consisting of four heavy strokes and one light one, as it is usually made. It would destroy the symmetry to have the IV with only two heavy strokes on the other side. Thus IIII with four heavy strokes is much to be preferred. The change may therefore have been made for reasons of symmetry."

 

[Miss Kitty]

Those wild and zany Frenchmen!!!! Thanks for the lesson.

 

[NoHall]

So why didn't he call himself Louis the XIIII?;-)