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Topic: Fancy shoes (Read 2148 times) |
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alien2
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| « Last Edit: Nov 7th, 2006, 8:56am by alien2 » |
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SMQ
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #1 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 8:53am » |
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[edit][edit 2]Since Iceman has chosen to delete the original text of the riddle, I'm reproducing it here from memory. Iceman has indicated that he believes this riddle to be of lesser quality than his usual work and has deleted the original. Because I feel strongly that public discussions, once begun, should not be stifled for the sake of mere vanity, I have attempted to reproduce the riddle from memory in the hidden text below. Please consider this an attempt at preserving the historical record only, and not as a reflection on the usual quality of Iceman's riddles.[/edit 2] I believe I have the essential points of the riddle correct, but I'm afraid my retelling lacks that certain Iceman flair.
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Jim wakes up in the morning and while dressing, having had a long night before, groggily puts on the first pair of shoes he lays hands on. He is well dressed and in perfect health on his way to work that morning, and carrying nothing except his cell phone. When he arrives at work he enters an elevator and, due to the crowded conditions, stands quite close to the panel of floor buttons, facing them. At that time his wife calls him on his cell phone. She is shopping and has found some hiking boots she believes he would like, but needs to know what color to get. She knows that all of his other footware is either black or brown -- the only two colors he likes -- and asks which he would prefer. When he says he doesn't know, she asks what color shoes he is wearing now. Jim leans his head forward, but is still unable to tell his wife the color of his shoes. Why?
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My unaltered answers follow below.[/edit]
He grabbed one shoe of each color?
He's standing too close to the door to lower his head far enough to see his shoes?
He bumped his head on the door and blurred his vision?
I guess being in good health would rule out my first thought which was: he couldn't see his feet past his gigantic gut.
--SMQ
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| « Last Edit: Nov 8th, 2006, 1:41pm by SMQ » |
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Sameer
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #2 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 9:37am » |
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Or maybe he cannot put into words the actual color of shoes which is a hybrid of red+magenta+purple+brown 
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #3 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 11:43am » |
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He might have trampled through a pool of mud, which is now covering his shoes and makes it impossible to see the color
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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #4 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 12:56pm » |
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Maybe he is wearing scrub booties.
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"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei
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Grimbal
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #5 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 2:40pm » |
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"he has a cellular phone on him and nothing else" would rule out that he is wearing any shoes. Wouldn't it?
Else, maybe he sees that he is wearing fine red italian shoes. The only person he knows wearing this kind of shoes is a gigolo he has seen hanging around the bar around the corner a few times already. He is so taken aback by the implications that he forgot what the question was and says "I don't know".
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Michael Dagg
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #6 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 4:32pm » |
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There are so many people crowded into the elevator
that he can't see his shoes because one or
more back-sides obscure his view?
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| « Last Edit: Nov 6th, 2006, 4:40pm by Michael Dagg » |
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Regards,
Michael Dagg
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roricka
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #7 on: Nov 6th, 2006, 6:10pm » |
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He grabbed a couple of hot shoes for his camera;
He grabbed a couple of card dealer shoes;
He's wearing rubbers;
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roricka
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #8 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 7:11am » |
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But that can't be right. The puzzle explicitly states he is in good health. Nobody with a gut that big can be in good health
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roricka
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #9 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 7:53am » |
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Well, I know I'm a newbie here, but with all due respect, this kind of "situational puzzle" really ought to have a solution where you go "Ah!" when you hear the solution. To have the solution ignore so many of the (apparently false) clues is not very "satisfying!"
Sorry -- just my green $.02 worth! 
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alien2
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #10 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 8:57am » |
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I welcome critique,  but I'm vain too, just a bit.  Unflattering riddles are bad for my image, so I've deleted all of my posts in this topic, except for this one. Naturally, I recommend that moderators delete this topic altogether, because there is nothing to see, literally.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 7th, 2006, 8:59am by alien2 » |
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SMQ
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #11 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 9:03am » |
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[edit]
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One of Iceman's deleted posts, between the first two of roricka above, confirmed my suggestion -- that the man was so overweight as to be unable to see his shoes in the crowded elevator -- as the intended answer.
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[/edit]
Oh, sure -- I finally get one of your riddles right and you go and delete it. 
--SMQ
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| « Last Edit: Nov 8th, 2006, 5:43am by SMQ » |
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Sameer
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #12 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 9:51am » |
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Uh? Why did you delete the riddle? Frankly lateral thinking puzzles have many correct answers. So whilst all our answers are "plausible" what we try to do is get to author's original answer!!! If you have even read some lateral thinking books some of the answers won't even make sense because they will put an element that is not even defined within the intended question. That is what lateral thinking is all about, thinking outside the box, using your imagination
Edit: By the way this comment was directed to Rorika... no offense to anyone but people here like to have a good healthy discussion... even on topics we have already discussed while ago.. 
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| « Last Edit: Nov 7th, 2006, 12:59pm by Sameer » |
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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alien2
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #13 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 11:42am » |
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I am a man: I know what I know, and I do what I do.
If someone has a problem with it, why don't we step outside!
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Icarus
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #14 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 3:33pm » |
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Dagnabit! Tell me what the solution was, first! I have my curiousity, and now all I can tell is that apparently SMQ got the answer right. But he gave 3 possible solutions, and I don't know which one was intended.
Don't pique our curiousity, then deny to satisfy it!
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And e is just as cursed.
I wonder: Which is larger
When their digits are reversed? " - Anonymous
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Sameer
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #15 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 4:31pm » |
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I think the intended answer was the man had huge gut.. hey is huge gut != healthy  He can still be in perfect health.. just lot of fat around his belly
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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cchris
Senior Riddler
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #16 on: Nov 7th, 2006, 7:57pm » |
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Well I never got to see it..
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Initiate: My wife ate two hamburgers, initiate a bag of potato chips.
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SMQ
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #17 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 5:42am » |
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on Nov 7th, 2006, 11:42am, Iceman wrote:| I know what I know, and I do what I do. |
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Be that as it may, I cannot help but feel your action was ... unsporting. Accordingly, since a moderator has shown no inclination to delete the entire thread, I have modified my posts above to reflect both the original riddle and the intended answer.
If you really feel a need to step outside, you should know that I'm from Michigan -- cold doesn't bother me, Iceman.
--SMQ
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alien2
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #18 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 8:29am » |
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Since moderators wont delete this topic, let me say that stampeding rhinos are in perfect health.
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towr
wu::riddles Moderator
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #19 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 8:47am » |
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I didn't know I was supposed to the delete the thread. Unless it's spam I usually don't delete things unless asked. Also, I didn't notice it was asked..
Still, it ought to require some consensus. So.. All in favour of deletion raise your hand.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 8th, 2006, 8:49am by towr » |
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SMQ
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #20 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 8:52am » |
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* SMQ pointedly keeps hands firmly in pockets
--SMQ
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alien2
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #21 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 9:00am » |
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Both of my hands are in the air.
SMQ, you better take your hands out of your pockets, or I will catch a plane for Michigan. I am not kidding.
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roricka
Newbie
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #22 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 9:23am » |
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A fat man walks onto an airplane ramp with his hands firmly in his pockets. The guard at the gate asks for his cell phone. He nods twice, then cries with only one eye. The guard spits on his sock, but doesn't take his nose off the shoehorn. The fat man stumbles up the ramp, as the captain says welcome offboard.
What happened?
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Sameer
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #23 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 9:43am » |
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I keep my hands in my sweatshirt... i stayed in Wisconsin for some years so cold doesn't affect me that much either....
uh btw roricka is that a new riddle or sarcasm.. i can't tell
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"Obvious" is the most dangerous word in mathematics.
--Bell, Eric Temple
Proof is an idol before which the mathematician tortures himself.
Sir Arthur Eddington, quoted in Bridges to Infinity
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alien2
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Posts: 6991
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Re: Fancy shoes
« Reply #24 on: Nov 8th, 2006, 11:54am » |
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I never asked for a favor before. And after two years of being a member here, two years, I ask you to do this one simple thing for me: to delete this topic. I ask you to raise your hands. But no, you have to be extra. You have to compete with a riddler, who has put his heart, and his soul, into this board. And not even that, you make smart remarks about ice, even though you know that is very important subject to me. So I start to ask myself, what did I do wrong? Have I done something wrong? I have posted about 50 riddles, and some of them were good, so was that my big mistake? Are 50 riddles the reason you won't raise your hands? I never, ever asked you to do anything for me, not one thing. And then I ask you to raise your hands. But you have the nerve to spite me. Is this how you treat people who were born on North Pole? Enjoy, because you have won. You have managed to break my sword. You have broken one thing that cannot be broken. You have broken......... Icecalibur. The only way to put it back together is to admit, that you were selfish, greedy, and mean. I wont my Icecalibur back. Quick, I think I see a siren in the lake! This is your last chance to repent, and give me back my Icecalibur.
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