From Wee Wisdom, 1919.

"There once was a wandering adder / who used a tall tree as a ladder. / 'One and one in a nest / come to two, I suggest,' / he said, 'which is proof I'm an adder.'"  From The Children's Newspaper, 1943.

What's 91% of 4 in 7 at 40?  From Macleans Magazine, 1924.

A reader's footnote does the math on how long it would take to climb a tower with 11,000 stairs.  From Vathek by William Beckford (1923).

"Human minus life equals memories."  From How to Eliminate My Teacher (2020).

"All you worthless little Naughts (said Mr. One), now run away!  Said they, We think, on second thoughts, you will ask us all to stay: alone, we are worthless, it is true, but six of us make a million of you."  From The Children's Newspaper, 1936.

"Now guess her age!"  (But the ad doesn't offer the answer.)  From Screenland, 1942.

"1 + 1 = 10."  From Chicago State College's 1971 yearbook.

From the United States Naval Academy's 1908 yearbook.

"Your life minus friends equals happiness."  From How to Eliminate My Teacher (2020).

"Daily life times smile equals fortune."  From How to Eliminate My Teacher (2020). 

Admitting one's repulsiveness and then continuing on equals being cool.  From How to Eliminate My Teacher (2020).

"Peter Puck wants to know how many inches make a shipyard."  From The Children's Newspaper, 1922.

Love times life minus self equals repulsiveness.  From How to Eliminate My Teacher (2020)

"How to prove a cat has three tails: no cat has two tails; one cat has one tail more than no cat; then one cat has three tails."  From the Bombay Sunday Chronicle, 1940.

"3 times a third of 3 sisters."  From Motion Picture Classic, 1928.

It turns out that 1 is more than a number.  From Manchester College's 1967 yearbook.

The Skulls of 13's secret code.  From Purdue University's 1897 yearbook.

From Home Words for Heart & Hearth by Charles Bullock, 1901.

"Life of crime times atonement equals criminal."  From How to Eliminate My Teacher (2020).