I came across this exceedingly cool trick dealing with the 9x multiplication table recently (thanks Monty) and thought it so mind-bogglingly brilliant that it needed to be shared with the rest of you post haste so that you may curse your parents for not having taught it to you in the first place, back in those days when you actually needed to know your multiplication tables or else the teacher would spank you!
So anyway, it goes like this. Pick any combination on the 9x multiplication table, like 9 x 7 for example. Now hold out your two hands together, fingers outstretched and then fold down your seventh finger. You’ll note that to the left of your folded finger, there are now 6 outstretched fingers and to the right, 3 outstretched fingers. Now put these two numbers together and you have 63, which happens to be the result of 9 x 7!
Go on, now try it with 9 x 3. Fold down your third finger and you’ll see that you have 2 on the left and 7 on the right still standing. So 2 plus 7, or 27 which is the correct answer to 9 x 3!
See, I told you it was a cool trick!
Now stop playing with your fingers and get back to work you lazy sod! :P