How are good are you at saying 39 in Roman numerals?
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I’m XXXIX-ellent!
When it comes to Roman numerals, I always nail it to the IX!
I excel.
The joke “How good are you at saying 39 in Roman numerals? I excel.” is a pun that hinges on the double meaning of “excel.” In Roman numerals, 39 is written as “XXXIX.” On one level, “excel” sounds like a boast of proficiency or skill. On another level, “excel” sounds phonetically similar to “X-L,” where “X” is the Roman numeral for 10, and “L” is the Roman numeral for 50. Since 10 before 50 (XL) represents 40 in Roman numerals, saying “I excel” humorously implies the speaker is one numeral away from 40, hence proficient at reaching up to 39.