The Criosphinx's Riddles

[Kodokami]

I noticed that the Compendium has yet to have a topic for riddles, so here it goes. We could use this as a friendly place to answer and place riddles we have heard or even created ourselves. I thought we all could have some fun trying to answer each others' riddles.

To start things off, here is one a friend of mine told me:
You are in a room. There is a door on either side; one door leads to freedom, the other to instant death. Also in the room are two computers; one will answer any question truthfully, the other will answer any question with a lie. You are allowed to ask ONE computer ONE "yes-or-no" question. Not knowing which door leads where or which computer answers truthfully, what question would you ask to assuredly open the door to freedom?

(To say whether I know the answer or not would be proper etiquette, I suppose. For this riddle, I do not know the answer, nor do I believe there to be a definite answer, but have fun anyway. )

[Lord J Esq]

Ah! I've been waiting months to unleash my Most Fiendish Riddle! Here we go:

What's old, and bold, and catches your eye?
What's solid, and stolid, and two cloves, and high?

[V_Translanka]

As long as this doesn't turn into those riddles-that-aren't-really-riddles that would blow Blaine's top (Why did the dead baby cross the road? What has four wheels and flies?), I think this could be a good, non-lame game-ish thread...

Simple, but one of my favs cause it's part of the Dark Tower: When is a door not a door?

Fuck yeah!! The Tower junkie in me lives on~!!! ^_^

[Thought]

Querry: Should we post guesses here?
Anywho, here's an old favorite of mine:


A small miracle hangs near a man's thigh,
Full under folds. It is stiff, strong,
Bold, brassy, and pierced in front.
When a young lord lifts his tunic
Over his knees, he wants to greet
With the hard head of this hanging creature
The hole it has long come to fill.

[Truthordeal]

Querry: Should we post guesses here?
Anywho, here's an old favorite of mine:


A small miracle hangs near a man's thigh,
Full under folds. It is stiff, strong,
Bold, brassy, and pierced in front.
When a young lord lifts his tunic
Over his knees, he wants to greet
With the hard head of this hanging creature
The hole it has long come to fill.

That seems less like a riddle and more like a very ambiguous metaphor/euphemism for sex and a particular instrument that goes with it.

But actually, it's a sword or knife.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot to contribute one of my own.

This one's a bit different; My mother sent me it by email a while back and asked me how it works. It took me about an hour, but I did figure it out.

http://www.regiftable.com/regiftingrobinpopup.html

Can you figure out how it works?

[Thought]

Nope, it isn't a knife or a sword.

[Radical_Dreamer]

Thought: It's a key.

Kodokami: You ask if the other computer would tell you that door x is the killing door. If door x is the killing door, the truth computer will say "No", because that's what the lying computer would say. The lying computer will say "No" as well, because the truth telling computer would say "Yes", and the lying computer must lie. So if the computer says "No", go through that door, if not, go through the other.

[GenesisOne]

@Lord J: Is it a tree?

Here's one of my favorite:

In the history of human civilization, only 12 people have accomplished this feat to date. What is it?

It's not so much a riddle, but a lateral puzzle.  Best of luck.

[Thought]

Too vague, Genesis. Only twelve men led such lives as to included in Suetonius's De Vita Caesarum (more commonly known as the Lives of the Twelve Caesars), for example. That is an interesting feet indeed, but not the one you are looking for. A feat accomplished by only twelve individuals is more common than you might think; certainly this sort of this isn't quite as rare as a blue moon.

Also, RD, yup.

EDIT: Josh, by any chance are you referring to the old Space Transportation System (specifically, a shuttle launch)?

[GenesisOne]

Becoming an emperor or monarch isn't the feat I was talking about.  Lots of people in history have done this.

The feat actually took place in the past 100 years.

[Arakial]

Ah! I've been waiting months to unleash my Most Fiendish Riddle! Here we go:

What's old, and bold, and catches your eye?
What's solid, and stolid, and two cloves, and high?

The moon?

[Kodokami]

Radical_Dreamer: Wow. I asked my friend if that was correct, and it is. I have been stumped on that one for so long!


GenesisOne: Only 12 people have been to the moon, right? And that takes place during the past century, so it fits.

...I still can't fathom Lord J's Most Fiendish Riddle, lol.

[Lord J Esq]

No correct guesses yet on the Most Fiendish Riddle. Here's a clue: The answer is two words.

[rushingwind]

Ah! I've been waiting months to unleash my Most Fiendish Riddle! Here we go:

What's old, and bold, and catches your eye?
What's solid, and stolid, and two cloves, and high?

I memorized this riddle early yesterday morning, and I've been pondering it all day.

...I still don't have the faintest idea, unless the answer is Patrick Stewart (that's "I've-been-awake-for-27-hours-straight" reasoning for you, heh  )

[Lord J Esq]

Heh. "Patrick Stewart" is a pretty good answer! Not the correct one, but pretty good.