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 Forum index » Diversions » TimeWasters
A Century of Charades - 100 riddles from 1895
Moderators: Giskard, ndemeter, ScarpeGrosse
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booba
Unfictologist


Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 1433

 		They were the ipods of the day.

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
When Death came to reap

They brought her pigeon to eat (as in feed the pigeon)

And spoke faint-hoping, fearing to tear Or err as Rose suggests below


repeater
: a watch or clock with a striking mechanism that upon pressure of a spring will indicate the time in hours or quarters and sometimes minutes


Too heavy for me...

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 5:25 am
Last edited by booba on Fri Apr 02, 2010 11:31 am; edited 2 times in total
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		XX
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Repeater watches are amazing. When a lever was pressed they would tell the time in a series of chimes. I didn't think why they would be needed; until I read about how useful they were before electric lights were invented (or widespread). The mechanism is beautiful. I want one.
Repeater is correct. I would never have come up with pigeon to "eat"..I thought pigeon to "end" in my guess of calender was a stretch. I had the doctors fearing to "err". Funny, but I think this is one that people in 1895 would get immediately - if they were familiar with repeater watches.


Cheer up Booba! This next one sounds charming, not sad at all.
Typed as presented - no indentations.


XX

When young Lochinvar had come out of the west,
To appear at a wedding he hardly was dressed;
His heart might be bold and his steed might be fast,
But he must have been wet after swimming my last;
And a bridesmaiden whispered, "I call it a shame,
One would think he had n't my first to his name.
Does he not look my whole? What a terrible mess!
They are going to dance! She will ruin her dress!"

Yet he was no slouch, for it must be confessed
In a very few moments his suit he had pressed.
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PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 8:33 am
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Aiobhan
Decorated


Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 223

 		It has to be something that ends in "esque", but I don't know what would fit. Is it:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
grotesque?


Although the first doesn't fit.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:21 am
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catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee

Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 4109
Location: Silicon Valley, CA

 		Re: XX
got it:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
When young Lochinvar had come out of the west,
To appear at a wedding he hardly was dressed;
His heart might be bold and his steed might be fast,
But he must have been wet after swimming bare;
And a bridesmaiden whispered, "I call it a shame,
One would think he had n't (a) thread to his name.
Does he not look threadbare? What a terrible mess!
They are going to dance! She will ruin her dress!"

Yet he was no slouch, for it must be confessed
In a very few moments his suit he had pressed.


(later edit)
I guess i didn't get it after all, but the replies were so vague (and hidden by spoiler tags) that I thought this post needed clarification. The above spoiler is WRONG, while below is the book's answer:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
When young Lochinvar had come out of the west,
To appear at a wedding he hardly was dressed;
His heart might be bold and his steed might be fast,
But he must have been wet after swimming (the) Eske;
And a bridesmaiden whispered, "I call it a shame,
One would think he had n't (a) groat to his name.
Does he not look grotesque? What a terrible mess!
They are going to dance! She will ruin her dress!"

Yet he was no slouch, for it must be confessed
In a very few moments his suit he had pressed.

I bow to those who followed the more specific clue.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:12 am
Last edited by catherwood on Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:48 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Aiobhan
Decorated


Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 223

 		Sigh. I was going off of the Longfellow poem, which says he swam the Eske river.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:27 am
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		Huh.
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
I was sure tha t threadbare was right; but it isn't! I guess Lochinvar swam the Eske with clothes on?
I read that the poem (Sir Walter Scott, I think) was widely memorized at schools during our time period -and later even--so the charade must follow the poem? At least it is a very clever take on it. I'm offline until after Easter but will check back Monday.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:32 am
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booba
Unfictologist


Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 1433

 		Good one, Aiobhan


Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Groat (coin), one of several coins formerly used in England, Ireland, Scotland, British Guiana, and the British West Indies


Threadbare sounded really good, best I had was sou pond...

PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 9:49 am
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		XXI
Aiobhan -

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Grotesque is right. For some idiotic reason, I didn't check it! Sorry, I wasn't thinking.


I really enjoyed XX. If you read the Scott poem (or the part about Lochinvar) you'll see why "pressing his suit" is a cute line. I bet XX was a big hit in 1895.

I'm packing to leave til Monday night, but I had to check in. I'm stealing a few minutes to type the next; same thing, no indentation. (Sorry if that notation gets tedious, but I want to be clear for each one, as the indentation has some meaning in the riddles.)

XXI

O Child of Sorrow! born to feel
The tread of Penury's iron heel,
To wander friendless and alone,
To ask for bread and get a stone;
Two things thou lackest, which possessed,
Riches were thine, and life were blessed.
But name them in a whispered breath;
To speak them dooms a king to death
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:03 pm
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Aiobhan
Decorated


Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 223

 		Very Happy SWEET. I saw threadbare as was v. disappointed - I had no idea a groat was a coin.

I have no idea where to start on this next one. What dooms a king to death? Treason, revolution. What two things bring prosperity? Luck, faith, intelligence... I don't know. I think I'll have to bow out on this one.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 10:13 pm
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booba
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Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 1433

 		I have a good two word ideal for the overall. It uses another king who has no throne. (See XV)

PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:28 am
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Aiobhan
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Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 223

 		Okay, I did some thinking. Here is my guess:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Checkmate


PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:33 pm
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Rogi Ocnorb
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 01 Sep 2005
Posts: 4266
Location: Where the cheese is free.

 		Care to share your thinking? Except for the last bit, I can't figure any ways to connect it to any of the other stanzas.

I agree that catherwood's "threadbare" is as good or better than the intended solution for "XX".
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 10:35 pm
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Aiobhan
Decorated


Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Posts: 223

 		check/cheque = money
mate = friends


Riches were thine (you get paid), and life were blessed (with friends). Checkmate.

::shrug::

Also, while threadbare works better in context, the Eske river goes specifically with Lochinvar - otherwise they could have just used a standard "knight" or "prince" or equiv.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 12:19 am
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		XXII
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Checkmate, smart work Aiobhan
is correct.

Here's the next; spacing is as typed:

XXII

My first the anxious mother often hears;
My second is the vaunted cup that cheers;
When coming through my third, two bodies met;
Before a ride, my fourth you have to get.

You'll guess my whole if you will think a bit;
It is a sort of touchstone for your wit.



(about XX: you (not Rogi, I'm sure you have already) really need to read the poem if you want to follow the answer, as I mentioned above; plus you will appreciate the cleverness of the charade more. Here's a link: Sir Walter Scott: Marmion Sorry I didn't post it before now.)
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Mankind was my business, the common good was my business.~ Dickens

PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:26 pm
Last edited by rose on Mon Apr 05, 2010 5:53 pm; edited 1 time in total
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rose
...and then Magic happens


Joined: 26 Nov 2003
Posts: 4117

 		I don't have a complete guess; but, I think the third syllable has to be "rye"

Haven't looked at the answer: I remember learning the song about when a body meets a body coming through the rye at some point. It is from a poem written by Robert Burns. And referenced in the famous Catcher In The Rye - but that was way after 1895.

Probably everyone knows this as general knowledge but I wanted to post it first. So there. Wink
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I love this site for being free, in every sense of the word~Spacebass

Mankind was my business, the common good was my business.~ Dickens

PostPosted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:32 pm
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