ON THE OTHERWISE unmemorable day, Wednesday,
March 18, 1959, the Times of London printed the follow-
ing letter to the editor:

Sir, -- Among the "odd one out" type of questions which my
son had to answer for a school entrance examination was:
"Which is the odd one out among cricket, football, billiards,
and hockey?"

I said billiards because it is the only one played indoors.
A colleague says football because it is the only one in which
the ball is not struck by an implement. A neighbour says
cricket because in all the other games the object is to put
the ball into a net; and my son, with the confidence of nine
summers, plumps for hockey "because it is the only one that
is a girl's game." Could any of your readers put me out of
my misery by stating what is the correct answer, and further
enlighten me by explaining how questions of this sort prove
anything, especially when the scholar has merely to underline
the odd one out without giving any reason?

Perhaps there is a remarkable subtlety behind it all. Is the
question designed to test what a child of nine may or may
not know about billiards -- proficiency at which may still be
regarded as the sign of a misspent youth?

Yours faithfully,

T. C. BATTY

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