Riddles - Page 4

[MidiMagic]

OK, here's yet another riddle about phonograph records (actually more of a puzzle than a riddle). I have a classical record album consisting of six records. It is recorded in the drop-automatic sequence, so it can be played on a record changer by loading the records, starting the changer, letting the first set of sides play, turning the stack over, starting the changer again, and letting the second set of sides play.

This album plays perfectly on my Garrard SL-55. But when I try to play this album on my Magnavox/Collaro record changer, I have to use the changer in an unusual way to play the entire album. It plays the album correctly for the first set of sides, but when I turn the stack over, the arm sets down one inch outside the rim of the first record in the inverted stack.

To get it to play the series of second sides correctly, I have to load the first record of the second-side series separately, start the changer, and then load the remaining records while that first record is playing.

Why?

[MidiMagic]

A man lives on the 12th floor of an apartment building. Every day when he goes to work, he rides the elevator down to the lobby and walks out to his car.

But when he gets home, his behavior is different. If someone is with him, he rides the elevator up to the 12th floor. But if he is alone, he rides up to the 6th floor, and walks up 6 flights of stairs to the 12th floor.

He is not an exercise nut.

Why does he do this?

[EnderX]

Does his behaviour change according to the weather outside?

[MidiMagic]

Does his behaviour change according to the weather outside?

Yes. If it is very cold outside, he walks the entire 11 flights.

[EnderX]

Any other changes?

[MidiMagic]

Not that I know of.

Note that in the extreme cold, he walks the 11 flights in both directions.

[jasimp]

Does he do it so that people do not know where he lives?

[ndeniche]

Shall we try another semi-tough riddle?

I bear light without sight.

The swift-stinging hunter of the
desert sands echoes my fire.

Ancient stones may reflect my glory,
though the crimson gem will steal
from mine to breed its own.

I exist in myriad places, yet
my true dwelling place lies
beyoned the purpled horizons.

To humankind, my touch is as a
double-edged sword, bringing
forth both a form of beauty,
and great devastation.

What am I?

erm... fire?

[EnderX]

erm... fire?

Sorry, nope.

Again, the closest answer is one of Serunson's earlier ones. Quick clue: The answer I'm thinking of is on the right track, just not specific enough.

@MidiMagic: The usual version of this riddle has a change due to inclement weather as well. If this is the case, I believe I have the solution; if not, then I'm stumped.

[scudzilla]

Shall we try another semi-tough riddle?

I bear light without sight.

The swift-stinging hunter of the
desert sands echoes my fire.

Ancient stones may reflect my glory,
though the crimson gem will steal
from mine to breed its own.

I exist in myriad places, yet
my true dwelling place lies
beyoned the purpled horizons.

To humankind, my touch is as a
double-edged sword, bringing
forth both a form of beauty,
and great devastation.

What am I?

UV rays

@MidiMagic I would have known the answer to the first clues that you gave. However, when you added the extreme cold/11 flights clue, my answer suddenly got wrong.. X( .....(unless if you say that he walks the entire 11 flights just to keep himself warm)

[EnderX]

Congratulations to Scudzilla.

[ndeniche]

those riddles are great... haven't you, by chance, got any other of them?

[EnderX]

Have to wait until I can think some more up, sorry.

[EnderX]

A new one. I played a bit loose with some of the descriptions for the sake of poetry.

Air-wrought metal, such am I,
Child of ground, child of sky.

My father, child of the deep and ground,
oft seals liquids in devices round.

My mother, airy though sometimes suffering strife,
offers her gifts as a sustainer of life.

My endurance is known far under the sun,
The toughest I am, save only one.

My children I bear within my sight,
They three abound with crystalline light.

A daughter imbued with crimson mist,
A son whose nature is truest blue,
Another by sunset's light is kissed,
As they bound across the spectrum's hue.

What am I?

Quick hint: The answer to this riddle sounds
similar to another word for a riddle.

[Dave Sinkula]

Corundum?

[scudzilla]

It fits with the description

[MidiMagic]

Nope on all answers so far on the man on the 11th floor.

Note that the building is an open-corridor tenement which was retrofit for an elevator.

[EnderX]

Correct at Dave Sinkula.

[MidiMagic]

Since the thread has gone silent, I will post the answers.

The man on the 11th floor is a midget. He is too short to reach the elevator buttons for the upper floors. Since the buttons are the body-capacity type, an umbrella or other object will not activate them. Neither will his hands through insulating gloves. But when he is with someone, the other person can push the button for him.

In the first phonograph record problem, the needle moves 3.5 inches from the outer edge of a 12" record to the runout groove 2.5 inches from the center. The record rotates, not the needle. I threw in a bunch of extraneous information, including a pi substitute.

In the second phonograph puzzle, you need to know the different way these two record changers work:

The Garrard SL-55 uses a falling record sensor, which senses one of the three standard record sizes (12", 10", and 7") as the record drops down the spindle. Thus, it can take the three standard sizes intermixed in the stack in any order.

The Collaro/Magnavox changer senses record size by touching the unplayed stack with the left side of the pickup arm. It can play any size between 12" and 6", but larger records must be stacked below smaller records (the arm feels the largest record in the unplayed stack).

The record set consists of five 12" records and one 10" record (the record company was too cheap to make the shorter record 12"). When the first sides of the album are played, the 10" record is last, and both changers play the stack properly. But when the stack is turned over, the 10" record is first, and the Collaro changer feels the 12" records above it. Thus, the arm sets down one inch outside the edge of the 10" record.

Incidentally, most record changers made in the middle and late 1970s (except Collaro) would be totally lost playing this album, because they totally lacked the 10" size.

[Bench]

Anyone who's ever seen Die Hard With a Vengeance should remember the answer to this one.. If you haven't seen the film, see if you can work it out in 30 seconds ;)

A man was going to St. Ives..
He met a man with seven wives..
Every wife had seven sacks..
Every sack had seven cats..
Every cat had seven kittens..
Kittens, Cats, Sacks, and Wives,
how many were going to St. Ives?

[quintoncoert]

would it be one? the others are met. they could have been met there or even if they were met along the way nothig says that they are going with?

[ndeniche]

that's just as the other one that worked only when spoken... 'cause when you write it, you can read back...

[sk8ndestroy14]

None, only the original man going to St. Ives. (I've never seen the movie) And of the things asked, a man is not listed so the answer should be zero.

[Bench]

would it be one? the others are met. they could have been met there or even if they were met along the way nothig says that they are going with?

Correct! :) Have a cookie :D

that's just as the other one that worked only when spoken... 'cause when you write it, you can read back...

Yeah, the film uses it as a quickfire 'game' over the phone, giving the main characters 30 seconds to get the right number before a bomb goes off.. (Its not the most realistic film ever made ;) )

None, only the original man going to St. Ives. (I've never seen the movie) And of the things asked, a man is not listed so the answer should be zero.

Well, the question asked is "how many are going to St. Ives?". the kittens/cats/sacks/wives is a red-herring, and not part of the question :)

[Bench]

Here's another of my favourites :)

'Angry' and 'Hungry' are both english words ending in 'gry'. There are three words in the english language, what is the third word?

Everybody knows what it means, and everybody uses it every day, but what is the third word?

[EnderX]

As with others of this type, it works better spoken than written.

The third word is 'Language', as it occupies the third slot in the phrase 'The' 'English' 'Language'.

Edit: Adding another riddle of my own.

I am a devourer.

All that crosses my path will I engulf, though
some meals I am forced to gnaw on for a time
before I finally consume them.

The fickle wind is both my greatest ally and
my greatest foe. The touch of her breath may
give me new life, or may utterly obliterate me.

As the wind is to me, so I am become to mankind.
He may harness my power for himself, and I will
aid him, but should he grow careless, he too
will I devour.

Though they be held back, the stones of the
deepest earth desire to take on my nature.
Should they be freed upon the world, for a
time they too will devour all they touch,
even as I devour.

What am I?

[ndeniche]

yup... as of the one about the man going to St. ives, the question is: Kittens, Cats, Sacks, and Wives, how many were going to St. Ives?

[MidiMagic]

As with others of this type, it works better spoken than written.

The third word is 'Language', as it occupies the third slot in the phrase 'The' 'English' 'Language'.

Edit: Adding another riddle of my own.

I am a devourer.

All that crosses my path will I engulf, though
some meals I am forced to gnaw on for a time
before I finally consume them.

The fickle wind is both my greatest ally and
my greatest foe. The touch of her breath may
give me new life, or may utterly obliterate me.

As the wind is to me, so I am become to mankind.
He may harness my power for himself, and I will
aid him, but should he grow careless, he too
will I devour.

Though they be held back, the stones of the
deepest earth desire to take on my nature.
Should they be freed upon the world, for a
time they too will devour all they touch,
even as I devour.

What am I?

A shadow?

[EnderX]

A shadow?

No.

[sk8ndestroy14]

Fire or lava?