Hatrack River Writers Workshop   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Writers Workshop » Forums » Open Discussions About Writing » A new riddle

   
Author Topic: A new riddle
Falken224
unregistered


 - posted            Edit/Delete Post 
For those that followed Survivor's 'riddle me this' thread in the 'Writing Class' forum, and want to stretch your brains and your word association/analytical skills, we started another, but are going to move it here . . . where it belongs. Here's the first & second posts from it . . .
---------------------
So, what do the following words have in common?

Bent
Abet
Flop
First
Lot
Elms

Shouldn't be too hard, but I hope it's not too easy, either.
--------------
JeremyMc's reponse was:

Substance
Upward
Percussion
Perspicacious
Eradicate
Revery

Does that work?
-----------------
I replied:

Nope . . . but it sure makes me hungry. ;-9

somebody noticed my misdirection, eh?

Have fun y'all


 | Report this post to a Moderator
epiquette
Member
Member # 1272

 - posted      Profile for epiquette   Email epiquette         Edit/Delete Post 
amp
act
cost

Oh, man, it's too early in the morning. Can only think of 3-4 letter words....zzz

Erk


Posts: 35 | Registered: Oct 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Falken, you purposely led me astray.
And I thought it was going to be easy.

Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
Thought
Member
Member # 111

 - posted      Profile for Thought   Email Thought         Edit/Delete Post 
Cathedral
Lamp
Error
Ventilation
Equator
Rope

Quite fun

Just a riddled


Thought

[This message has been edited by Thought (edited April 19, 2002).]


Posts: 896 | Registered: Apr 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Falken224
unregistered


 - posted            Edit/Delete Post 
epiquette, you've got it. And I was kind of brain fried too when I wrote it. You'll notice I don't have any words longer than 4 letters, either. Oh, well. I'll come up with a longer one somewhere.

If the strange lists of words other people are putting down in this forum 'baffle' you, sit down and think about it over 'supper'. You'll see a pattern, though it's the wrong one, and think it's quite 'clever'.

But now for a few more words (along with epiquette's which are COMPLETELY correct) which DO belong on the list.

best
most
gist
nosy
aegis
cent
dent

-Nate


 | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
So just for the record, the list now stands as:

best
most
gist
nosy
aegis
cent
dent
amp
act
cost
Bent
Abet
Flop
First
Lot
Elms

and no other words have been admitted as belonging to the list.

One of the first things that I'll notice is that all of these words are short, but Falken is mistaken (I hope) when he says, "You'll notice I don't have any words longer than 4 letters, either."(though at that time he had not added "aegis" to the list).

I will suggest,

army (I don't know if this works with the parameters I think Falken is using)
age
einkorn (yes this is a word)
facetious?

Okay, I'll give up with that last one. If that's not on the list then I'm back to square one.

facetiously?


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
Aww Crud!

I just figured it out, and I'm both deliciously right and completely wrong, not one of my examples belong on this list, they all belong on a closely related list that necessarially encompasses all words on Falken's list.

Boy am I dumb!


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
By the way, what's the misdirection? Oh, okay.

Man, now I feel even more stupid than before.

Fort
Ux
Bet
An
Ru

Okay, that doesn't really make sense, does it.


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Falken224
unregistered


 - posted            Edit/Delete Post 
Ahh . . .

SUBTLE HINT! ---->> Survivor's rule only applies to vowels <<----

. . . right?

Took me a while to figure that out. And no, I hadn't added aegis to the list when I said no 4+ letter words, but (*sheepishly*) I had added 'first' to the list. DOH!

[This message has been edited by Falken224 (edited April 19, 2002).]


 | Report this post to a Moderator
Brinestone
Member
Member # 747

 - posted      Profile for Brinestone   Email Brinestone         Edit/Delete Post 
Got it.

fist
clot
art (was this done before?)
fort
ace


Posts: 814 | Registered: Nov 2000  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
Art wasn't already done, but Fort was (although I put it on that, um, other list).

To be frank, I'm not even sure that some of the words on my FUBAR list are even words.


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
You gotta admit, had I been right, Facetiously would have taken the prize, eh?
Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Rahl22
Member
Member # 1411

 - posted      Profile for Rahl22   Email Rahl22         Edit/Delete Post 
Wow - I am so lost.

What is going on here?


Posts: 1621 | Registered: Apr 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
JP Carney
Member
Member # 894

 - posted      Profile for JP Carney   Email JP Carney         Edit/Delete Post 
A request - please don't give the answer away on the list quite yet. If someone must know now and can't wait, please give the answer privately. I haven't a clue either, but I'm trying to figure it out.

Now, that said, I guess a clue that wouldn't completely give away the answer might be in order for those of us who are clueless <grin>, but I'm still happy struggling along.

JP


Posts: 151 | Registered: Feb 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
Rahl22
Member
Member # 1411

 - posted      Profile for Rahl22   Email Rahl22         Edit/Delete Post 
I just mean, I don't think I really understand what kind of game this is. Am I to recognize a pattern, and then based on that pattern list some words of my own?
Posts: 1621 | Registered: Apr 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Rhal, check here for the last one:

http://www.hatrack.com/forums/writers/forum/Forum5/HTML/000013.html


Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
Brinestone
Member
Member # 747

 - posted      Profile for Brinestone   Email Brinestone         Edit/Delete Post 
Oooh! I have a good one!

Empty

*is very proud of herself for thinking of a five-letter one*

And yes, Survivor, facetiously would take the cake. I think there are only a few of those kind in the English world...three maybe?

A clue was requested. Don't know if this works, but the word "Yoda" is sort of the opposite.


Posts: 814 | Registered: Nov 2000  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
oust
ahoy
cellos
aegilops (wild oats)

Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
FlyingCow
Member
Member # 1198

 - posted      Profile for FlyingCow   Email FlyingCow         Edit/Delete Post 
I think "Aegilops" would be a record, no? But I don't think "oust" works, does it?
Posts: 231 | Registered: Jul 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
I don't think that Falken's rule would permit Cellos either, though I'm not sure that it wouldn't.

Perhaps if someone started a new list...no, wait, that would get confusing, rather than helping to illustrate anything.


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
No, you're right. Oust should be ousted.
Wasn't thinking.

Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
FlyingCow
Member
Member # 1198

 - posted      Profile for FlyingCow   Email FlyingCow         Edit/Delete Post 
You're right, "cellos" is an interesting case. Thinking about it, I don't think it would fit, though. But it might, depending on the semantics of the rule.
Posts: 231 | Registered: Jul 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
Falken224
unregistered


 - posted            Edit/Delete Post 
I thought about it and decided not to include words such as 'cello' 'abcess' 'access' 'bellow' and 'egg' simply to avoid confusion, though the way I had envisioned it, those would still work.

In any case, it's not WRONG, just might not fit exactly 100% with the rest of the words.

I think everybody's pretty much got it now.

:-)


 | Report this post to a Moderator
JP Carney
Member
Member # 894

 - posted      Profile for JP Carney   Email JP Carney         Edit/Delete Post 
would 'inebriate' work? i'm not sure i have it at all, though i see some of the obvious pieces...
Posts: 151 | Registered: Feb 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Sorry JP.
Check out Brinestone's clue above. That gave it away for me.

Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
FlyingCow
Member
Member # 1198

 - posted      Profile for FlyingCow   Email FlyingCow         Edit/Delete Post 
How bout this for a hint:

These words work:
cost
lost
gist

These similar words don't:
post
mist

That do it for ya?


Posts: 231 | Registered: Jul 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
And more opposites for you:

Troma
Roled
Wonka
Wolf
Yule


Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
epiquette
Member
Member # 1272

 - posted      Profile for epiquette   Email epiquette         Edit/Delete Post 
Fun, fun!

Here's an embarrassingly simple one:
NEW LIST:
Tuber
Moor
Pool
Rat
Evil
War

and many more...

Erk


Posts: 35 | Registered: Oct 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Are you starting a new riddle Epi?
Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
sherisaid
Member
Member # 1410

 - posted      Profile for sherisaid   Email sherisaid         Edit/Delete Post 
Tuber
Moor
Pool
Rat
Evil
War

Too easy.
Bat
Pots
No
Way

I FINALLY got the other one...geez.

JPCarney: Inebriate don't cut it.


Posts: 28 | Registered: Apr 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
Falken224
unregistered


 - posted            Edit/Delete Post 
Pans
Bats
Sore
Gib
Smug

:-)

Right?


 | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Snot

Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
And Smear
Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Succor
It works. Really.

Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
JeremyMc
Member
Member # 1400

 - posted      Profile for JeremyMc   Email JeremyMc         Edit/Delete Post 
Tuba

I suppose I could've waited and just put them all in one message.


Posts: 54 | Registered: Mar 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
FlyingCow
Member
Member # 1198

 - posted      Profile for FlyingCow   Email FlyingCow         Edit/Delete Post 
And with a twist:

Eve
Tenet
Noon
Mom
Pop
Redder


Posts: 231 | Registered: Jul 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
Okay, I get Flying Cow's 'twist' on this list, but the list itself I can't get a handle on. I don't see that there is a rule here.

Maybe it's that there are no words not belonging to this list.

Etiquite, how about

File
Waste
Gray
Correct
Animal
Dead
Vapor
Risk
Bleat

Do any of these words belong on the list?


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
GZ
Member
Member # 1374

 - posted      Profile for GZ   Email GZ         Edit/Delete Post 
For Epi's list

Dog
Deer

and three more for the the subset list with a twist

Nun
Pep
Pup

[This message has been edited by GZ (edited May 04, 2002).]


Posts: 652 | Registered: Feb 2002  | Report this post to a Moderator
FlyingCow
Member
Member # 1198

 - posted      Profile for FlyingCow   Email FlyingCow         Edit/Delete Post 
Survivor, all of the "twist" words work for the original list's rule... but they have an added restriction.

For some reason, this list gets me thinking about Naomi from Van Wilder...


Posts: 231 | Registered: Jul 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
Survivor
Member
Member # 213

 - posted      Profile for Survivor   Email Survivor         Edit/Delete Post 
I have no idea what you're talking about. Are all palindromes part of the first list, or only certain ones? And how...but I begin to see, words like I, Saw, and Elba. I've always doubted that Napolean actually said that. So Naomi...is not an example. Nor are Succor, Smear, or any of my shots in the dark, I fear.

Raw, Rats, Tuber, I can't help but feel that there would be a clever little ditty about the exingencies of human conflict and the French diet.


Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999  | Report this post to a Moderator
Falken224
unregistered


 - posted            Edit/Delete Post 
Okay . . . here's the list.

tuber moor
pool rat
evil war
bat pots
no way
pans bats
sore gib
smug snot
tuba dog
deer

And ALL palindromes work with this rule. By definition they HAVE to work with this rule. Right epi?

{edit} Well, originally, those were supposed to look like two columns, but the spacing doesn't come out right. There's nothing magical about the word pairs. That's just two columns of words.{/edit}

[This message has been edited by Falken224 (edited May 06, 2002).]


 | Report this post to a Moderator
epiquette
Member
Member # 1272

 - posted      Profile for epiquette   Email epiquette         Edit/Delete Post 
Right.

Sorry about delay responding.

As I said, embarrassingly simple.

OK. Anyone else have a riddle?
(This may not be the place to play, but I'm having fun. )


Posts: 35 | Registered: Oct 2001  | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2