Is it a fossil fuel?

12) Fossil fuel? No.
11) Coral? No.
10) Smaller than adult human? Yes.
9) Land-mass? No.
8) Used to make other things? No.
7) Used under water? No.
6) Artistic? Depends.
5) Manufactured? Yes.
4) Planet Earth? No.
3) Needs payment? Yes.
2) Edible? No.
1) Material? Yes.
0) Animal, vegetable, or mineral? All.

Can it be bought in a shop?

13) Buyable in a shop? Yes.
12) Fossil fuel? No.
11) Coral? No.
10) Smaller than adult human? Yes and No.
9) Land-mass? No.
8) Used to make other things? No.
7) Used under water? No.
6) Artistic? Depends.
5) Manufactured? Yes.
4) Planet Earth? No.
3) Needs payment? Yes.
2) Edible? No.
1) Material? Yes.
0) Animal, vegetable, or mineral? All.

I now see that my original answer to question 10 (is it smaller than an adult human?) was not fully correct. It is smaller in common sense, but larger in one important aspect. It is never the same size, though.
My apologies for any inconveniences caused.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2010 11:14AM by delacuesta.

Is it a sex-aid/toy?

<Lowers head in shame.>

Is it fictional?

15) Fictional? No.
14) Sex aid/toy? No.
13) Buyable in a shop? Yes.
12) Fossil fuel? No.
11) Coral? No.
10) Smaller than adult human? Yes and No.
9) Land-mass? No.
8) Used to make other things? No.
7) Used under water? No.
6) Artistic? Depends.
5) Manufactured? Yes.
4) Planet Earth? No.
3) Needs payment? Yes.
2) Edible? No.
1) Material? Yes.
0) Animal, vegetable, or mineral? All.

Answer to question 14 is subject to assumptions on personal taste; some people appear to find it quite exciting.

Would I expect to find one in a normal family home?

You could probably find all of the above in our household, although mrs.SkidMarks objects to being called a toy despite my assertion that she is very easy to wind up.

Perplexing. I'm stumped. Animal, vegetable AND mineral. Manufactured, and smaller in all ways but one important one (time?) than an adult human being. You can pay for it, sometimes in shops.

16) Found in a normal family home? Yes.
15) Fictional? No.
14) Sex aid/toy? No.
13) Buyable in a shop? Yes.
12) Fossil fuel? No.
11) Coral? No.
10) Smaller than adult human? Yes and No.
9) Land-mass? No.
8) Used to make other things? No.
7) Used under water? No.
6) Artistic? Depends.
5) Manufactured? Yes.
4) Planet Earth? No.
3) Needs payment? Yes.
2) Edible? No.
1) Material? Yes.
0) Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Composition vegetable with mineral; usage animal.

"Would I expect to find one in a normal family home?", taken literally, would be answered No. I have taken the question to mean "Can at least one be found in a fairly large percentage of family homes?" And it is more probable to find more in a household than to find exactly one.

As there are only four questions left, I'll specify the zeroeth answer. I never said that its animal, vegetable and mineral aspects were all compatibel. It is composite: mainly vegetable, partly mineral. Its animal aspect is rather in its use.

EgonSpengler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Perplexing. I'm stumped. Animal, vegetable AND
> mineral. Manufactured, and smaller in all ways but
> one important one (time?) than an adult human
> being.

No, time is not the dimension alluded to. Possibly SkidMarks, in asking question 14, was close the the correct interpretation of this particular riddle.

> You can pay for it, sometimes in shops.

I didn't say so. It is normally sold in shops against payment (except for certain persons related to question 5, 6 or 13).



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2010 09:29PM by delacuesta.

<mutter mutter>

At the risk of causing more muttering by wasting a question:

Is a particular thing - or a genre of things?

Difficult to answer with yes/no.

17) Particular thing (as opposed to genre)? Yes (but could be used as genre as well).
16) Found in a normal family home? Yes (in a fair part of them, more than one can be found).
15) Fictional? No.
14) Sex aid/toy? No (but can be sexy).
13) Buyable in a shop? Yes.
12) Fossil fuel? No (most of it can be burnt, though).
11) Coral? No.
10) Smaller than adult human? Yes and No (one aspect is larger).
9) Land-mass? No.
8) Used to make other things? No (though parts of it can be re-used).
7) Used under water? No (but predecessor was partly designed to cope with such circumstances).
6) Artistic? Depends (up-market yes, down-market no).
5) Manufactured? Yes.
4) Planet Earth? No.
3) Needs payment? Yes (except for certain persons related to questions 5, 6 or 13).
2) Edible? No (but: De gustibus non disputandum).
1) Material? Yes.
0) Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Composition vegetable with mineral; usage animal.

As we are nearing number 20 I've specified some more answers.

Is it a photograph?

18) Photograph? No.
17) Particular thing (as opposed to genre)? Yes (but could be used as genre as well).
16) Found in a normal family home? Yes (in a fair part of them, more than one can be found).
15) Fictional? No.
14) Sex aid/toy? No (but can be sexy).
13) Buyable in a shop? Yes.
12) Fossil fuel? No (most of it can be burnt, though).
11) Coral? No.
10) Smaller than adult human? Yes and No (one aspect is larger, if only a little bit).
9) Land-mass? No.
8) Used to make other things? No (though parts of it can be re-used).
7) Used under water? No (but predecessor was partly designed to cope with such circumstances).
6) Artistic? Depends (up-market yes, down-market no).
5) Manufactured? Yes.
4) Planet Earth? No.
3) Needs payment? Yes (except for certain persons related to questions 5, 6 or 13).
2) Edible? No (but: De gustibus non disputandum).
1) Material? Yes.
0) Animal, vegetable, or mineral? Composition vegetable with mineral; usage animal.

Note that human counts as animal.

<thinks out loud>

Hmmm, furniture, walls, electrical equipment, carpets, rugs, statue of Gordon Pinsent, books, music, artwork, an inflateable chair...

<thinks silently again>