Semiprime, Semiwidow
A wife objects to the name 'semiprime,' then applies the same logic to call herself a 'semiwidow' (a woman with one living husband).
Content note: Mild morbid humor (widowhood).
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Free for classrooms, worksheets, slides and other non-commercial use under CC BY-NC 4.0, with credit to Ben Orlin.
Cartoon by Ben Orlin, Math with Bad Drawings. https://cartoons.mathwithbaddrawings.com/2025-05-20-semiprime-semiwidow/ (CC BY-NC 4.0)Transcript
[1] A (at board "35 = 5 × 7"): "A semiprime is the product of exactly two prime factors." B: "Why? That's not what 'semi' means."
[2] A: "Sure it is. Like, it's as close as you can get to being prime, without actually being prime." B: "By that logic, I am a semiwidow: a woman with exactly one living husband."
[3] A: "That's not the same at all!" B: "You're semiright. I semirespect your viewpoint on this." [Board: "the semideceased" (A) / "the semigrieving" (B)]