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        riddles >> what am i >> English/Doubtful number
        
(Message started by: maryl on May 22^nd, 2003, 4:21pm)

Title: English/Doubtful number
Post by maryl on May 22^nd, 2003, 4:21pm

A little word of doubtful number, a foe to rest and peaceful slumber. If you add an "s" to this, great is the metamorphosis. Plural is plural now no more, and sweet what bitter was before. What am I?

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by visitor on May 22^nd, 2003, 7:02pm

[hide]Who cares?[/hide]

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by Speaker on May 22^nd, 2003, 10:37pm

Those at my favorite charity
would find this treat no rarity[hide]ale[/hide]
not front but end the S do add
to make my lads all more so glad[hide]ales[/hide]
but if you like the market town
then S to front will bring no frown[hide]sale[/hide]
sweet tis the point that took the time
forcing me to make this rhyme
my answer here entwined it be
but Maryl's answer thats yet to see

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by maryl on May 23^rd, 2003, 10:02am

on 05/22/03 at 22:37:14, Speaker wrote:

Speaker, loved your poem, but like the visitor said, who really cares.- [hide]caress[/hide]

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by Speaker on May 28^th, 2003, 10:04pm

I care.

I have deep personal feelings about the answer to this riddle, which is eluding me to no end. Maybe a little alluding on your part would preclude a personal crisis on my part.

Go on, allude. I dare you.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by maryl on May 29^th, 2003, 12:28pm

on 05/28/03 at 22:04:21, Speaker wrote:

Don't carry the weight of the world on your neck.
Instead, try a massage. It helps the fret.-(corny, I know)

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by Speaker on May 29^th, 2003, 6:50pm

Okay, I tried that line of thought. But, couldn't get anything to work. It had me up all night. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I still don't get it. Woe is me. Swoe is me. Woes are whatever.

???

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by visitor on May 30^th, 2003, 6:52am

Let me just say that my original comment was not as cold hearted as it sounded. And there was a very good reason why I hid it.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by maryl on May 30^th, 2003, 7:26am

1. It's a type of package you take to the needy-plus the s.
2. It's the name of a bar of soap-with the next s.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by wowbagger on May 30^th, 2003, 8:10am

I can only think of [hide] care [/hide].
However, I don't get the doubtful number, plural, sweet and bitter allusions. :-/

on 05/30/03 at 07:26:46, maryl wrote:

2. It's the name of a bar of soap-with the next s.

That's not exactly a useful hint for us over here. ??? ;)

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by maryl on May 30^th, 2003, 1:00pm

on 05/30/03 at 08:10:56, wowbagger wrote:

I can only think of [hide] care [/hide].
However, I don't get the doubtful number, plural, sweet and bitter allusions. :-/

That's not exactly a useful hint for us over here. ??? ;)

You're partly right Wowbagger, but it's the plural of that, sorry if the soap hint wasn't any help. The first part of the puzzle is plural, the second is not.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by mistysakura on May 31^st, 2003, 12:29am

How on earth is [hide]cares[/hide] bitter?

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by visitor on May 31^st, 2003, 7:40am

In the plural the word is often used to express worries, sorrows, heavy responsibilities, especially when we're talking about the kind that are a foe to rest and peaceful slumber. On www.dictionary.com the first three definitions are:
A burdened state of mind, as that arising from heavy responsibilities; worry.
Mental suffering; grief.
An object or source of worry, attention, or solicitude: the many [hide]cares[/hide] of a working parent.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by sprechen on Jun 1^st, 2003, 12:50am

And that is the rub...

I had care at the beginning, but couldn't get that next word.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by wowbagger on Jun 1^st, 2003, 11:02am

Thanks for the clarification, MaryL and visitor.
I think I now fully understand the riddle, and I like it. :)

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by maryl on Jun 1^st, 2003, 11:55am

on 06/01/03 at 11:02:21, wowbagger wrote:

Thanks for the clarification, MaryL and visitor.
I think I now fully understand the riddle, and I like it. :)

Glad to hear you liked it, I thought it was kind of cool too.

Title: Re: English/Doubtful number
Post by Lupin on Jul 16^th, 2003, 7:04am

This riddle was originally written by George Canning (1770-1827) a British statesman who served for a very short period as Prime Minister of England. It was first published in “A Collection of Charades and Enigmas” in 1892, but it must be about two hundred years old.

“A word there is of plural number,
Foe to ease and tranquil slumber;
Any other word you take
And add an 'S' will plural make.
But if you add an 'S' to this,
So strange the metamorphosis;
Plural is plural now no more,
And sweet what bitter was before.”

Just to clarify the "doubdtful number" issue ... but then, again, who cares...