Second copy of 12

[MattBecker82]

I was considering opening a pull request for this, but before doing so, I thought a preliminary discussion might be merited.

I would like to propose including an additional copy of the number 12 in the numbers.txt file. I realise that this would violate the constraint of numbers.txt consisting of consecutive integers, but before rejecting the idea please consider the case I am putting forward.

The number 12 is very useful. Besides being highly factorable, it is a key part of our timekeeping systems (hours on a clockface, months in a year, non-Sabbath days in a fortnight), the world of science (atomic number of magnesium, signs of the zodiac) and religion (tribes of Israel, disciples of Jesus). It also is used in the titles of many popular movies, including but not limited to “12 Monkeys”, “12 Angry Men”, “12 Years a Slave", “The Dirty Dozen” and "12 Angry Men (1997 remake)".

I consider that the burden of so useful a number should not sit on a single copy, and that an additional copy of the number 12 should be provided, for use if necessary in emergency situations.

Evidently, the designers of the English language were aware of this too, as they provided both “twelve” and the alternative “one dozen” as ways of expressing verbally the number 12.

Of course, the inclusion of a second copy of 12 should be adequately documented, including the proviso that it should be reserved for emergency use only. In cases where it is not required, it is simple enough for users of numbers.txt to code around the additional copy. This small inconvenience is easily offset by the value brought by having an additional 12 at the disposal of all users.