The Criosphinx's Riddles

[Sajainta]

Here's a riddle I made up when I was 13.

I swim within the ocean blue,
I am a certain artist's tool.
Beware!  Too much of my harsh white
And you could lose your cherished life.

[Lord J Esq]

If you pull the 'different senses' card: The moon is reborn every month. If you pull the pedantic card, I'll pull the Mathematician's Monocle Card: Moon cycles need not be the same, just as no two years need be of the same length.

  The only card you're pulling is the jester, mister! 

[MsBlack]

I think many internet people had it when they said, ""i.e. im full of shit so im not going to respond with any actual arguments."" That's you, Sonny J! I win! u lose

Any takers on my riddle? I'll give the answer if not.

[Thought]

Unfortunately you have me totally stumped, MsBlack. The closest I have been able to come to a possible answer is "a graph" but that totally doesn't fit any of the hints you have given, and seems to vague. You have me bested!

[Mr Bekkler]

You guys got all mine! Well, thought got them and then LordJ and others argued over the moon one. I believe the answer was intended to just be the moon. However, good points have been made that suggest the phases of the moon to be a more accurate answer. For the kiss method, we'll keep it simple and say it's "the moon". I shouldn't have mentioned Shee when posting that chicken riddle, and I really liked the towel one. Oh well! All in good fun.

[Thought]

Steal the light that I will, my will
What thou cannot break with swords.
Bindth thee my arms await
To dream what my fellows dream.

darkness/night

[MsBlack]

Here's one I just made up:

Up, down, left, right
Fathoming here too is the fight
Eight, seven, six and five
My unitless units bring me to life
If you could see me perhaps you'd die;
Vector riddles I'd bring: Ten, twenty or more
But their directions just two of four—
Their magnitudes naturally limited
For now just tell me what I am!

I'm referring to a specific sub-form. If you get the more general form, I shan't tell you so.

The answer: A cryptic crossword! It's a grid, with letters up, down, left and right. Fathoming clues is the aim of the game. The white squares in the grid are what it's all about. If you figured it out and saw a cryptic crossword, you'd 'die' upon being presented with further brainteasing. The cryptic clues are vector riddles in that they have a direction and a magnitude (e.g. 'Five down' or 'Two across'), or because the words are written in a particular direction and are of a given length in the grid. However, there are always exactly two directions out of the four used--down and right in English crosswords. They're "naturally limited" because only natural numbers are used in numbering the clues (or, if you like, the words are always of natural length).

[Lord J Esq]

Well met! I would never have solved that with the clues provided, though. Clearly the day is yours.

[Thought]

It's been several pages, so I should reveal the answer to my little conundrum. First I must apologize; if I was better at crafting riddles it would have been difficult but not so confusing. Alas, I am not as fiendish as some.

The glory of lamb turns bright and gay.
The glory of man turns still and grey.
A knuckle rolls and point by point shows
A metal falls and side by side mows

Answer: dye/die

Explanation: Glory can mean beauty. Thus, the "beauty" of a lamb is dyed to be a bright and cheerful color. In contrast, the "beauty" of a man turns still and grey when they dies.

To note, the first two lines followed similar forms because the "die" that they represented was both a verb. The next two lines refer to nouns and so they shared a form different from the first two lines.

A "knuckle" is a bone, of course. Knuckles and other bones used to be used as dice (indeed, some dice are still made out of bone). Thus, to roll a knuckle is to roll a die, which will display a variety of points (aka, pips).

The last line seems to have thrown people off the most; this too is "die," but as in diecast models. A die is a metal part in a machine that forms and cuts a particular shape out of a larger sheet. The metal die falls and cuts (or "mows") the shape out.

[MsBlack]

Hah, you fiend. I was kinda nearly there with 'hair' after all, you! *Hat tip*

J: Was it a problem with the riddle or is this just another point for me to add to the tally?

[Lord J Esq]

J: Was it a problem with the riddle or is this just another point for me to add to the tally?

I'm not very good at solving riddles, to be honest. It's one of my numerous cognitive mediocre spots. I have more fun writing them than solving them. So, another point to the tally is in order, I think! Where does that bring your total? Two? Or would it be three, if you're going to count the Vegemite Incident?

[GenesisOne]

Wow.

It has been a while since anyone got anything in here answered.  As such, it's due for a revival:

I am always in front of you, but you can never see me.
What am I?

[Thought]

The future

[GenesisOne]

Correct, Thought.

Air would've been another great answer, too.

[Thought]

But what if you were swimming? Or in space?

Anywho, until I can think of a proper one, here'sa rip-off:

I've stolen the speech of men
Their ancient hard-won thoughts
Give a gluttonous dinner
Their songs and sayings are mine
Yet I am a strange creature
What gain have I for my theft?
I am no wiser for it!
What am I?