What is your sixth favorite color? My ten year old granddaughter Zofia recently asked me that question. I did not pause to develop favorite colors three through five. Instead, I scanned my mind for an offbeat or fictional color that would cement my reputation as a quick wit. But I was distracted by the absurdity of the question. Everyone has a favorite color as required by President Calvin Coloridge’s 1925 Executive Order. I chose “green” as an elementary school student, ignoring the more prestigious primary colors and posturing as a fan of the color of life in nature. Secretly I was actually obsessed with the color of money. Like many, I chose a voluntary second favorite color in case humans eventually destroyed all the green in nature and turned green money into bitcoin. My back-up “purple” color represents Royalty. I wanted to grow up to be King but Queen Elizabeth has been clinging to the Crown.
I should not be surprised that my granddaughter has a “sixth favorite color” because she and her closest half dozen classmates have been ranking their “best friends” since Kindergarten. The exciting part of that process is telling each other about the rankings. This absurdity erupts into predictable and continual infighting amongst the “best friends” whose favorite activities are drama, snubbing, and yelling. Several years ago, an epic playground screaming match between Zofia and Gracie attracted the attention of school authorities. I am a father to three sons and foolishly thought I could intervene and provide guidance to a granddaughter. I asked Zofia what she and Gracie were fighting about. Without a hint of embarrassment she replied, “We were yelling about who was the bigger brat.” I had the pleasure of informing her that they had both won that argument.
You had to ask…
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I usually have too many questions and too few answers.
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I so get this as the mother of 3 girls, being a girl myself and with half of my grandchildren being girls. An excellent ending that summed it all up. Ps – my 6th favorite color is rainbow, as that seems to be what 99.99 % of the kids in my class answer and I want to fit in.
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Rainbow is a wonderful color. Wish I had thought of that.
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Goose Turd Green
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You are a man who is obviously very familiar with subtle color shading in the great outdoors.
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ππ
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Hamburger.
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A deliciously satisfying color.
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Indeed.
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Irish Setter Feathers. Redish, strawish with a touch of mud-ish. As sixth favorite. Not five shalt though iterate, nor seven.
The best way to argue, discuss advise or commiserate with females of any age is not to.
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The very day I posted this my sister-in-law K abandoned me during our regular weekend jog saying, “I can’t do this.” If she ever speaks to me again, I will try mansplaining how my devil’s advocacy on current political issues is good for her.
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Claiming dibs on sixth comment for this post.
What an original question and a gem! I have never seen such a question in my life. It requires considering both qualitative favourites (art) and organisation (logic).
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Like your dibs π
I’m curious, Geoff, what was Zofia’s response about winning that argument? π
And in a bit of trivia, I once saw a rating of the worst jobs in the ancient world. Topping it was making the color purple which apparently was done by grinding up squids. They claimed that nothing could describe that smell…
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You inspired me to look up the documentary!
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I have always felt guilty about helping to spoil Zofia. At the time of that incident, she was furious at me for not being 100% loyal to her. Four years later she and some of her cousins are spending the week at my house and I just asked Zofia about how she remembered that fight. She could only smile about it now and her cousins laughed because they know her so well.
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Your comment may be too good to compete for sixth best comment.
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My 6th favorite color? It is a toss up between celadon and gamboge. Coquelicot and Laurel are tied for 7th. We cowboys know colors. π€
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I thought I at least recognized laurel as a color but when I looked it up, I realized I had no idea at all about that one either.
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Roy. G. Biv says there are no losers. But lets be dull and wishy-washy and I’ll say grey?
That ‘brat’ quote deserves to be told at Zofia’s 21st. Should be cringe-inducing!
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No one learns much useful information from my posts but I sure learn from the comments. Roy G Biv is something I should have known a long time ago.
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OH Zofia cracks me up and your answer does as well! Quick wit. π
As for my 6th favorite color, well emerald blue of course!
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Of course!
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I knew you would agree. π
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I had to provide at least six different colors in ranking order when we were planning to paint a room. Of course, Sherman Williams offers about 500 colors so it was not as easy as it sounds…
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I am learning that many more colors exist than the eight crayon colors I grew up with.
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Haha! It seems like kids have all the time and energy in the world. If only they had the wisdom to save some for the years to come. And I’m usually stumped when asked about anything ‘favorite’. Yeah ‘I’m so done’ is my middle name. Zofia is tough competition, Geoff. Good luck! π
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Luck is my last remaining hope.
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I picture some DJ calling friends’ list. Making a big move up the charts this week was Gwen to #4
after giving me her chocolate chips. After a six-week run, Amy has dropped out of the Top Ten when she said my nails were ugly.
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You got it! You understand.π
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I don’t have a sixth favorite color. If it doesn’t come in one of my top five favorite colors, then I just don’t want it. Zofia is a real card. I will be looking for the “Zofia’s Best Friend” betting line on Yahoo Bets.
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You’re right. “Sixth favorite” is damning with faint praise.
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Haha. Your reputation as a quick wit is secure.
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I like your words because often I am called a nitwit.
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Whatever my mood ring tells me is my sixth favorite color.
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I like the idea of color fluidity.
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Just ask her how many colours there are altogether in the whole world. A rainbow has seven, but delving into the world of keen digital photographers who print their pictures reveals that their printers are calibrated for thousands of colours!
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I have been color blind to shades and hues and never realized it.
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6th has to be Tartan π
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An excellent choice, Rory.
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Yes, like glass nails π
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A math genius in the making.
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This required some research. I stopped having to think about my favorite color in 2000 when the Pantone people started naming a Color of the Year. I figured that my favorite color should be chosen by professionals. Besides, it’s the 21st century, and its so much more efficient for everyone to agree on the same favorite color. My 6th favorite color was in 2005: Pantone 15-5217, Blue Turquoise. I am now up to my 23rd favorite color: Pantone 17-3938, Verizon Peri. I can’t wait til next year when I find out what my 24th favorite color is.
Maybe Zophia and her friends should come up with a similar system where each girl takes a turn as everyone’s best friend. Or do little girls not think that way?
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Taking turns is a simple but elegant solution, so it probably won’t work! Perhaps ranking colors can become a safer alternative than ranking best friends.
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I like purple too although I know I look terrible in a purple shirt. The color has certain mystery about it.
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My 6th favorite color is Crayola’s lemon yellow. It used to be number 3, then it rose to number 1 when Crayola discontinued it, because the heart always wants what it can’t have. It slipped to 6 because even after writing a strongly worded letter to the company, they have not reinstated it and eventually the heart starts to give up. It might slip to 7th. I’ll keep you posted.
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This sounds like something you have posted about or will post about!
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You’d think so, but I don’t believe it’s ever come up. I’ll have to figure out a way to work it in one of these weeks.
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You can never go wrong with ‘greige’ unless you are looking for an actual favourite colour. Greige would never be in anyone’s top five colors.
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Greige is already starting to grow on me!
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That makes one of you. π
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Well played!π
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