Two Brains

[belanna]

One of the Two Brains questions has me stumped. The question:What game might these equal? Company and none.
The answer: Three's company and two's none = fives.
Can someone explain?

[BlackadderV]

3 + 2 = 5. Fives is a game involving throwing up and catching pieces of wood/metal. We used to call it jacks.

[BlackadderV]

Fives is also an old wall game, from Eton, I believe.

[belanna]

Thanks, I understand that fives is a game but I don't understand where the two and three come from.

[factor-fiction]

It's just an expression
Here's an example
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roger-Dodger-Threes-company-twos/dp/B000XIBC06

[factor-fiction]

An example here in a book
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=gS2F-2Pk2zoC&pg=PT13&lpg=PT13&;dq=%22two%27s+none%22&source=bl&ots=C_ubp3nqoU&sig=9ZmAbyPjO7j8_tH2U75hAbVYras&hl=en&;sa=X&ei=h5O6VNnJB7CX7Qadt4HQDg&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q=%22two's%20none%22&f=false

[BlackadderV]

divebuddy is correct of course.

[belanna]

Thanks, I've heard of two's company three's a crowd, but not heard of the other one.

[BlackadderV]

Neither have I.

[factor-fiction]

divebuddy is correct- and so am I as there also expressions of the form "one's company, two's none"

[BlackadderV]

Never come across that, ff.

[factor-fiction]

Here's one
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8K6JVszfw4YC&pg=PA32&dq=%22two%27s+none%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CJe6VP3tJ-ve7AakpIGgBg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=%22two's%20none%22&f=false

[factor-fiction]

And the other form involving "two's none"
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KnF0PsNzKAIC&pg=PA32&dq=%22two%27s+none%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CJe6VP3tJ-ve7AakpIGgBg&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22two's%20none%22&f=false

[factor-fiction]

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=idsfAQAAMAAJ&q=%22two%27s+none%22&;dq=%22two%27s+none%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mJe6VOHYB-Pm7gbq2oGQDw&ved=0CCQQ6AEwATgK

I've never used it though or heard it used

[TheFrogman]

Perhaps the most notable use is in this quotation from The Importance of Being Earnest:

Jack: That is nonsense. If I marry a charming girl like Gwendolen, and she is the only girl I ever saw in my life that I would marry, I certainly won't want to know Bunbury.

Algernon: Then your wife will. You don't seem to realise, that in married life three is company and two is none.