Puzzle-column curiosities fail as serious theorems because they admit no generalization.

Evidence

These are odd facts, very suitable for puzzle columns and likely to amuse amateurs, but there is nothing in them which appeals much to a mathematician. The proofs are neither difficult nor interesting—merely a little tiresome. The theorems are not serious; and it is plain that one reason (though perhaps not the most important) is the extreme speciality of both the enunciations and the proofs, which are not capable of any significant generalization. — G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology, 222

Categorization

• XREF: Ties Hardy’s judgment of recreational math to his broader sociological apology: he distinguishes the trivia amateurs love from the serious ideas that justify mathematics as an art.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology, 222