| Author | Message | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6933 Registered: 8-2001 |
Nelita says, "What a pity that x" only in a circumstance where most people would not. How come? | ||
| Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan)
New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 153 Registered: 7-2011 |
Do I need to know who Nelita is? Lots of things could be called "a pity." Is Nelita referring to: * the weather? * the need to go shopping, but the car isn't available? * that a relative died much later than had been hoped? [Oh, Fiona! Awful girl!] * that she, or a friend, did the equivalent of bringing a box of salt to the seaside? (coals to Newcastle; whatever :D) * Did it concern feminine hygiene? * Did it concern money that Nelita, or a friend or relative, could have earned? Oh, oh! I have it! Nelita has insured, um, a property, a shop, a house, a stable - something like that. But her insurance was for the least amount of money, so when the property burned down, she earned only a pittance, which most people would feel grateful for. How's that? Wait, now I'm starting to think about O. Henry and Saki and Fredric Brown... Nimue, please! tell us to what extent this is a true-life event or out of your own wacky mind. Cheers from Miami, where the A.C. has died and the cats, naturally, want to lie on top of us, Fiona | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1248 Registered: 2-2011 |
Is Nelita a real person? H/A/F? does this circumstance occur more than once a day? daily? weekly? monthly? annually? once in a blue moon? once in a lifetime? when she says this, is she the only person affected? natural disasters relevant? accidents? winning something? getting a job? going on holiday? making a new friend? being invited somewhere? | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1249 Registered: 2-2011 |
Is Nelita a real person? H/A/F? does this circumstance occur more than once a day? daily? weekly? monthly? annually? once in a blue moon? once in a lifetime? when she says this, is she the only person affected? natural disasters relevant? accidents? winning something? getting a job? going on holiday? making a new friend? being invited somewhere? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6935 Registered: 8-2001 |
lleghan (Fionakelleghan) New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 153 Registered: 7-2011 Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 7:11 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Do I need to know who Nelita is? Lots of things could be called "a pity." Is Nelita referring to: * the weather?no * the need to go shopping, but the car isn't available? no * that a relative died much later than had been hoped? [Oh, Fiona! Awful girl!]no * that she, or a friend, did the equivalent of bringing a box of salt to the seaside? (coals to Newcastle; whatever :D) no * Did it concern feminine hygiene? no * Did it concern money that Nelita, or a friend or relative, could have earned? no Oh, oh! I have it! Nelita has insured, um, a property, a shop, a house, a stable - something like that. But her insurance was for the least amount of money, so when the property burned down, she earned only a pittance, which most people would feel grateful for. no How's that? Clever but wrong Wait, now I'm starting to think about O. Henry and Saki and Fredric Brown... Nimue, please! tell us to what extent this is a true-life event or out of your own wacky mind. I actually say this in the relevant circumstance!! Cheers from Miami, where the A.C. has died and the cats, naturally, want to lie on top of us, What a pity that your ac has died. But at least it wasn't your cats (whose pictures I'd love to see. Can you email them to me at Felicia_Ackerman@brown.edu)? Fiona Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1248 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 11:10 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is Nelita a real person? H I think so, since I'm Nelita/A ditto/F? ditto does this circumstance occur more than once a day? daily? weekly? monthly? annually? once in a blue moon? once in a lifetime? It doesn't occur on a fixed schedule, but I rarely have occasion to say this, probably less than once a year. when she says this, is she the only person affected? no natural disasters relevant?sometimes accidents? ditto winning something? no getting a job? nogoing on holiday?no making a new friend? no being invited somewhere? no | ||
| Doriana (Doriana)
New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1655 Registered: 12-2010 |
There have been some puzzles about your stories (not) being published under certain circumstances. Does that play a role in this puzzle? Does your writing? Any of these relevant? Nelita's/your profession? age? gender? likes/dislikes? physical appearance? character traits? nationality? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6942 Registered: 8-2001 |
Doriana (Doriana) New member Username: Doriana Post Number: 1655 Registered: 12-2010 Posted on Friday, July 15, 2011 - 12:26 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) There have been some puzzles about your stories (not) being published under certain circumstances. Does that play a role in this puzzle? no Does your writing? no Any of these relevant? Nelita's/your profession? noage? no gender? nolikes/dislikes? yes physical appearance? no character traits? yesishnationality? no | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1265 Registered: 2-2011 |
so do you dislike something that the rest of the world likes? something akin to character traits? physical characteristics? personality? mental agility? behaviour? a particular personality type? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6944 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1265 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Friday, July 15, 2011 - 6:38 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) so do you dislike something that the rest of the world likes?Noish, but you're ORTish something akin to character traits? no physical characteristics? yespersonality? no mental agility? no behaviour? no a particular personality type? no | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6949 Registered: 8-2001 |
HINT: When Nelita says, "What a pity that_______" she uses the phrase in the blank in a circumstance where most people would not use it. | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6950 Registered: 8-2001 |
IMPROVED HINT: The hint above may sound too much like the puzzle statement itself, so he's an example, It's as if N. said, "What a pity he has so few cats," about someone who has 10--but the issue involved is much more interesting than that (assuming that anything can be more interesting than cats). | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6962 Registered: 8-2001 |
ANOTHER HINT: I bet all or almost all of you have heard the expression used in the usual circumstances. | ||
| Kdoc (Kdoc)
New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 1198 Registered: 7-2001 |
Hi Felicia Nimue, This is too hard as a puzzle I think - rather than a scenario that we can unpick from the edges there just isn't enough to go on so it becomes a guessing game... makes it difficult to know where to start or what to ask... sorry - I'll have a look at the other ones.. | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6974 Registered: 8-2001 |
I think that Kdoc is being tactful. Many hard puzzles are also good puzzles, but this one is not, for exactly the reason she gives: I haven't provided enough information. So here's A HINT to add to the puzzle description: I make the "what a pity" remark after someone dies in a certain circumstance. I hope this doesn't make it too easy! | ||
| Kdoc (Kdoc)
New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 1201 Registered: 7-2001 |
Thank you! So the circumstance of the death: as a young person? as an old person? when previously healthy? accidental? sudden? after a long illness? after a short illness? died 'of old age'? dies as a result of crime? died in bed? died in hospital? so the circumstance is one where people do not usually think 'what a pity'? so you think something is sad that others think is less sad? or not sad at all? is this puzzle related to your feelings about the need for aggressive medical treatment for all who request it - regardless of their age? is euthaniasia relevant? 'dying with dignity'? do you say' what a pity she dies with dignity, it would have been better if she had continued to live with dignity'? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6979 Registered: 8-2001 |
Kdoc (Kdoc) New member Username: Kdoc Post Number: 1201 Registered: 7-2001 Posted on Saturday, July 23, 2011 - 5:43 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Thank you! So the circumstance of the death: as a young person? no as an old person? yes when previously healthy? irrelaccidental? irrel sudden? irrelafter a long illness? irrelafter a short illness? irrel died 'of old age'? Well, I say this only when the person who died was very old (at least 90!), but whether the cause of death was "old age" or an identifiable illness or accident or crime is irreldies as a result of crime? see previous answerdied in bed? died in hospital? irrel so the circumstance is one where people do not usually think 'what a pity'? yope so you think something is sad that others think is less sad? yes, but there's more involved that that. You need to guess how I end the sentence beginning with 'What a pity' or not sad at all? see previous answer is this puzzle related to your feelings about the need for aggressive medical treatment for all who request it - regardless of their age?yope is euthaniasia relevant? no 'dying with dignity'? no do you say' what a pity she dies with dignity, it would have been better if she had continued to live with dignity? no--Well, I have said that sort of thing, but that's not it | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1342 Registered: 2-2011 |
what a pity that she died before.. something happened? she had the chance to do something? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6981 Registered: 8-2001 |
Shez (Shez) New member Username: Shez Post Number: 1342 Registered: 2-2011 Posted on Saturday, July 23, 2011 - 6:55 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) what a pity that she died before.. something happened? No, but you're ORT she had the chance to do something? ditto | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 6998 Registered: 8-2001 |
HUGE HINT: People often say this when a child dies, or even when someone under about 50 dies. | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 4072 Registered: 9-2010 |
What a pity _'s life was so short? what a pity _ died so young? | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 7000 Registered: 8-2001 |
Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin) New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 4072 Registered: 9-2010 Posted on Monday, July 25, 2011 - 9:01 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) What a pity _'s life was so short? yeswhat a pity _ died so young? yes ******** SPOILER *********** Most people say, "What a pity his life was cut so short" about the death of a child, or even an adult under about 50. I say it only when the dead person was at least 90--to underscore the idea that life is never long enough. What a pity this was not a good puzzle--too hard in its original formulation (which, as Clever Hannah pointed out gave insufficient information fr a unique solution)--& too easy when I gave more information. Please check out my new puzzle, which is better--I hope. | ||
| Fionakelleghan (Fionakelleghan)
New member Username: Fionakelleghan Post Number: 204 Registered: 7-2011 |
Nimue, this was a really good, important puzzle. You remind me of someone (I think a stand-up comedian) who said, "You kids think you'll live forever. You kids ask, 'Who the hell wants to live until the age of 90'? Someone who is 89, that's who!" | ||
| Nimue (Nimue)
New member Username: Nimue Post Number: 7056 Registered: 8-2001 |
One of my puzzles was about a woman who disliked being told something about her future that most people would like to hear about their futures. How come? "You'll live to be 100. Now, isn't that just fine"? "It's not enough," said Nettie, "Since now I'm 99." |
