Define one as a number puzzle played
by half the nation—a Latin square marked
as nine regions, their nine spaces displayed
with digits ranging 1 to 9. It sparks
backtracking by rapid-style solvers who
crave logic. Term the other as fever
from a rat bite or scratch, the victim screwed
for months or years, healthy cycles severed
by pyrexia and meningitis.
Though both Japanese words appear brothers,
in truth, they’re more like strangers. Still, each fits
translation: the puzzle, “single number,”
the disease, “rat bite fever.” You can bet
they’re often confused on the Internet.
Roger Armbrust
October 29, 2007
