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Ieri sera a momenti mi viene uno scioppone. Stavo leggendo sul Kindle Through the Looking-Glass di Lewis Carroll e mi sono trovato di fronte a questo: [Chapter VII. The Lion and the Unicorn]

The next moment soldiers came running through the wood, at first in twos and threes, then ten or twenty together, and at last in such crowds that they seemed to fill the whole forest. Alice got behind a tree, for fear of being run over, and watched them go by.

[...]

 "I've sent them all!" the King cried in a tone of delight, on seeing Alice. "Did you happen to meet any soldiers, my dear, as you came through the wood?"

"Yes, I did," said Alice: "several thousand, I should think."

"Four thousand two hundred and seven, that's the exact number," the King said, referring to his book. "I couldn't send all the horses, you know, because two of them are wanted in the game. And I haven't sent the two Messengers, either. They're both gone to the town. Just look along the road, and tell me if you can see either of them."

(Evidenziazione mia). Dunque 4207, 42. Sarà una combinazione? Non so Giacobbo ma io voglio verificare. Non è che non ho mai fatto attenzione?

Presto Project Gutenberg e Google!
Eh, sì!!!11

Alice'S Adventures in Wonderland
[Chapter XII. Alice's Evidence]

At this moment the King, who had been for some time busily writing in his note-book, cackled out "Silence!" and read out from his book, "Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the Court."

Everybody looked at Alice.

The Hunting of the Snark
 [Fit the First]

There was one who was famed for the number of things
He forgot when he entered the ship:
His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,
And the clothes he had bought for the trip.

He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,
With his name painted clearly on each:
But, since he omitted to mention the fact,
They were all left behind on the beach.

The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because
He had seven coats on when he came,
With three pairs of boots—but the worst of it was,
He had wholly forgotten his name.

Sì. Lewis Carroll sapeva che 42 è la Risposta alla Questione Definitiva sulla Vita, l'Universo e Tutto Quando, the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything per dirla nella sua lingua.

Altri riferimenti potete cercarli, ce ne sono a bizzeffe.