The weird numbers inside the frame of your glasses

Dear Matt: What do those little numbers mean on the inside of the nose bridge of my glasses? Mine have the number 45 to the left, with a little square or box shape, and the number 22 on the right. As the numbers were there before I purchased the frames, they must have some esoteric meaning that has nothing to do with my personal statistics. — Nosey, @lightspan.com

Wait, no more hints — I’ll bet you wear those ultra-GQ, small-lensed, wire-framed specs shaped like little bars of guest soap. Right? The numbers reflect the design of the frames: first the lens width, then the distance between the lenses, across the bridge of your nose. In general, the smaller the first number, the larger the second number. This keeps the lenses centered in front of your eyeballs and keeps you from looking ultra-Mad magazine.