Maude do you realise that Ingmar Bergman

Died on the same day as Michelangelo Antonioni

July 30th 2007

Both were famous film directors

And that Natalie Wood and Diana Rigg

Were born on the same date

July 20th 1938

Both were famous actresses

You have not been doing much lately

Have you Ralph

The Mathematics of Coincidence

It is an interesting area of study

Coincidences go unnoticed every day

The chap who sat opposite you on the tube today

Joined Peters Valiant on the day you left

Like yours his dad was called Peter

And both were educated in Woking

You are both the third of five children

You are just looking for similarities

Do you have a middle name Maude

Catherine

We have nothing in common

Do you have a middle name

David

What was your mothers first name

Catherine I was named after her

What was your mothers maiden name

David

I rest my case

Do you ever go out Ralph

You know and mix with other people

You know I do

Are they all mathematicians

Not nice Maude

You have a cobra tongue

What connects Richard Perry and Hugh Sweete

They were both killed by a cobra on the same day in 1908

Is that a coincidence

The coincidence is that they were both educated at Harrow

Between 1898 and 1901 and were left handed

You are clutching at straws

Possibly

When was the last time you used a straw

On Sunday

You

On Sunday