[ebaines]

By "first" I mean the first alphabetically. Suppose you have a listing of all integers from one to one billion written out in english words, and the list is arranged in alphabetical order. The first entry in the list would be "eight." The second would be "eighteen." But what would be the first odd number in the list?

There are a few rules to keep in mind as to how the entries are alphabetized:
1. Spaces and hyphens between words are ignored. Thus "six hundred" would be listed ahead of "sixteen" which is listed ahead of "sixty-five."
2. Numbers are written out properly in english using "hundred," "thousand," etc- thus the number 1,200 is shown as "one thousand two hundred" and not as "twelve hundred."
3. The word "and" is not included, so the number 103 is shown as "one hundred three," not "one hundred and three."

Have fun!

[aliseaodo]

My brain is telling me it would be the number five, but then it quickly tells me that five just can't be correct, that I must be missing something...

[aliseaodo]

!! The very second I posted the above, my brain said wait! What about the number eleven!

[ebaines]

!!! What about the number eleven!?

Not quite.. think about how anything starting with "eight," such as "eighty-five" comes before eleven. Not that 85 is the right answer - just an example of a number that comes before eleven. Keep trying!

[aliseaodo]

Okay... my next attempt at genius is the number 81 (eightyone)!

[ebaines]

okay... my next attempt at genius is the number 81 (eightyone)!

But "eightyone" comes after "eightyfive." So that can't be it.

[Wondergirl]

Eight

[ebaines]

eight

Umm... eight is not an odd number.

[Wondergirl]

Umm... eight is not an odd number.

Yup -- just hit me.

[aliseaodo]

Okay... what about eighthundredfive... final answer...
(unless this is also wrong, then I'll try once again... )

-edit-

Eighthundredeightyfive? (885)?

[Wondergirl]

Eighty-five?

[ebaines]

okay...what about eighthundredfive...final answer...
(unless this is also wrong, then I'll try once again...)

eighty-five?

Aliseaodo's answer is better than WG's. But still not right.

Heres' a hint - the first part of the number starts with "eighteen."

[Wondergirl]

Eighteen hundred five?

[ebaines]

eighteen hundred five?

Read the rules that I posted with the question. 1805 would be listed as "one thousand eight hundred five," not "eighteen hundred five."

[Wondergirl]

Read the rules that I posted with the question. 1805 would be listed as "one thousand eight hundred five," not "eighteen hundred five."

I did go back to read them, but then no number can begin with "eighteen."

[ebaines]

no number can begin with "eighteen."

Are you sure? What about "eighteen thousand five?" Not that 18,005 is the right answer (it's not), but it does begin with "eighteen."

[albear]

18,000,000,005 ?

[ebaines]

18,888,888,885 ?

(eighteen billion eight hundred and eighty eight million, eight hundred and eighty eight thousand eight hundred and eighty five)

The answers are getting closer! But recall that the list only goes up to one billion.

[albear]

18,000,005?

[ebaines]

18,000,005?

but i would have thought 8,000,005 came before that?

"eighteen million five" does indeed come before "eight million five." Again this answer is not quite right, but you're on the right track!