| Author | Message | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 719 Registered: 8-2011 |
A woman told her husband that their electric heater was not working and needed repair. He couldn't have been happier. | ||
| Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato Post Number: 1287 Registered: 7-2010 |
Is is happiness directly related to the heater being repaired? Or replaced? Is he happy simply because the heater will eventually work properly? Before the woman told him so, had he been unhappy? Sad? Annoyed? Worried? Angry? Or just cold? Is there something extraordinary about the heater? Is the reason why it doesn't work extraordinary? Like, is something stuck in it? That the man wants to have? Or does it have any damage that is evidence for a particular event? Has a significant amount time passed between the reason for the heater failure and the woman telling? Or between the reason and the heater failure? Or between the failure and the woman telling? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 721 Registered: 8-2011 |
Is is happiness directly related to the heater being repaired? Or replaced? No Is he happy simply because the heater will eventually work properly? No Before the woman told him so, had he been unhappy? Sad? Annoyed? Worried? Angry? Or just cold? Irrelevant to all Is there something extraordinary about the heater? Not particularly, but there is one relevant aspect that is yet-to-be-discovered Is the reason why it doesn't work extraordinary? No- assume it's just getting old Like, is something stuck in it? That the man wants to have? Or does it have any damage that is evidence for a particular event? None of this Has a significant amount time passed between the reason for the heater failure and the woman telling? The reason is irrelevant Or between the reason and the heater failure?Irrelevant Or between the failure and the woman telling? Assume a few hours here | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 16430 Registered: 4-2010 |
Will a professional perform the repair? Will the husband? The wife? Is it relevant that the heater is electric? Is the man happy for not-so-good reasons? i.e. Will this enable him to keep an affair secret? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 724 Registered: 8-2011 |
Will a professional perform the repair? Will the husband? The wife? Irrelevant. Assume a professional. Is it relevant that the heater is electric? Not really. It could be a gas heater. Is the man happy for not-so-good reasons? i.e. Will this enable him to keep an affair secret? Nothing like that, but whether the reason is good or bad is up for debate. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 16434 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was the heater being frequently used before the woman said this? Used at all? | ||
| Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato Post Number: 1289 Registered: 7-2010 |
Was the heater malfunctioning in the first place? Is there something relevant about the woman? Does she have an impairment? Something that would actually make her unable to sense whether or not the heater was working? Or that actually made her unable to speak? So that saying something about the heater was a sign that she was recovering? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 729 Registered: 8-2011 |
Balin Was the heater being frequently used before the woman said this? Used at all? Yes to both- assume daily use Potato Was the heater malfunctioning in the first place? Are you asking if it was malfunctioning before it finally broke? If so, the answer is "yes" a very slight "ish". Is there something relevant about the woman? Does she have an impairment? Something that would actually make her unable to sense whether or not the heater was working? Or that actually made her unable to speak? So that saying something about the heater was a sign that she was recovering? Nothing like any of this. The woman can be assumed to be healthy and of average intelligence without any relevant deformities. Good thoughts, though. It might make an interesting puzzle in the future, if you'd like to pursue something in that direction. | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 3971 Registered: 1-2007 |
Is what the woman said to the husband some sort of code? Is she telling him some good news? maybe she's pregnant and this is some in-joke way of telling him? | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 714 Registered: 7-2011 |
I don't think it has been established if this is a water heater or an air heater? Is this relevant? If it is a water heater, does he prefer to take cold baths? (Just being silly!) | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 739 Registered: 8-2011 |
Peter365 Is what the woman said to the husband some sort of code? Is she telling him some good news? maybe she's pregnant and this is some in-joke way of telling him? Nothing like this, but a nice thought. "Guess what, honey? The heater finally broke!" *hugs and cheers all around* Solitiare I don't think it has been established if this is a water heater or an air heater? No, it would be a room heater or central heater. Is this relevant? Most definitely. =) If it is a water heater, does he prefer to take cold baths? (Just being silly!) Never hurts to ask in LTPF. And you've given me an idea for another puzzle. I'll need to flesh it out a little more. Thanks! | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4717 Registered: 9-2009 |
Is a consequence of the failure relevant? Is the exact nature of the failure relevant? Or is it just that it won't heat anymore? Relevant consequence, if any: cold house? No heating bills? No fuel usage? No maintenance? Having to use another heating method? Having to pay for heat? Having to move? | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4718 Registered: 9-2009 |
Substitute fuel with electricity for the above. | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 719 Registered: 7-2011 |
Is the season relevant? If it is winter, is he happy because now they can light the fire in the fireplace, which will be more cozy and romantic? (though that doesn't sound like a typical male to me. But what do I know - we don't have a fireplace.) Do they have a fireplace? Is this relevant? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 755 Registered: 8-2011 |
Galfisk Is a consequence of the failure relevant? Yes Is the exact nature of the failure relevant? No Or is it just that it won't heat anymore? Yes Relevant consequence, if any: cold house? This No heating bills? No fuel usage? No maintenance? Having to use another heating method? And this Having to pay for heat? Having to move? No to the rest Substitute fuel with electricity for the above. No changes Solitiare Is the season relevant? Assume that it is cold. Otherwise, no. If it is winter, is he happy because now they can light the fire in the fireplace, which will be more cozy and romantic? (though that doesn't sound like a typical male to me. But what do I know - we don't have a fireplace.) Not this Do they have a fireplace? No Is this relevant? Yope- I wouldn't focus on this. | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 983 Registered: 6-2003 |
Does it mean that they could not stay there? They have to spent the time (Christmas vacation?) somewhere else? And just to check: is it their own house where this happened? somebody else's house? a hotel/motel/holiday home? Relevant that the electrical heater needed repair? Relevant who was going to repair it? the husband himself? Would he equally have been happy if the heater had to be replaced instead of repaired? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 763 Registered: 8-2011 |
Does it mean that they could not stay there? They have to spent the time (Christmas vacation?) somewhere else? No And just to check: is it their own house where this happened? This somebody else's house? a hotel/motel/holiday home? No to the others Relevant that the electrical heater needed repair? yope-rephrase? Relevant who was going to repair it? the husband himself? how the repair will take place is irrelevant Would he equally have been happy if the heater had to be replaced instead of repaired? For the purposes of this puzzle, yes | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 993 Registered: 6-2003 |
Is the only relevant thing that they now do not heat with electricity? so, can use the electricity for something else? Is the TV set not working when the heater is on, and the husband wants to watch the football match? Is the exact method of heating to be used in place of the heater relevant? Does it involve some kind of modern technology? like: solar heating? heat pump? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 764 Registered: 8-2011 |
Is the only relevant thing that they now do not heat with electricity? The heater is the only thing malfunctioning, if that's what you're asking. so, can use the electricity for something else? Sure Is the TV set not working when the heater is on, and the husband wants to watch the football match? Hahaha- good idea, but not this. Is the exact method of heating to be used in place of the heater relevant? Yes Does it involve some kind of modern technology? like: solar heating? heat pump? Not that modern. The "modern" versions (electric versions) were available in the late 19th century. However, the concept is ancient. | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 2809 Registered: 2-2011 |
central heating? underfloor heating? gas? | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 999 Registered: 6-2003 |
I'm not sure whether "bed warmer" is the right term of what he might have been thinking of .. ? Anyway, heating pad? electric blanket? anything like this relevant? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 767 Registered: 8-2011 |
Shez central heating? underfloor heating? gas? The alternate heat source? It might use gas, but not necessarily. No to the other two. Sundowner I'm not sure whether "bed warmer" is the right term of what he might have been thinking of .. ? Anyway, heating pad? electric blanket? anything like this relevant? None of those are relevant. Keep guessing though. You'll hit on it soon enough. And here's a little hint: their house is likely small, so it wouldn't take much to keep it warm. I actually based this puzzle off something my husband said, and we have a very small home. | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 725 Registered: 7-2011 |
How small is 'small'? under 1000 square feet? over? under 500 sq ft? Is the house really an apartment, so it could 'borrow' heat from the surrounding apartments? or a semi-detached or other multifamily house? Do they live in a basement or other underground or semi-underground dwelling? Any of this relevant? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 769 Registered: 8-2011 |
How small is 'small'? under 1000 square feet? This, probably over? Probably not under 500 sq ft? Possibly this as well It is small enough to be kept warm by a single heat source. Is the house really an apartment, so it could 'borrow' heat from the surrounding apartments? or a semi-detached or other multifamily house? Do they live in a basement or other underground or semi-underground dwelling? No, just a small but otherwise normal house. Any of this relevant? It's relevant that it's a small house, but you're OTWT with the above ideas. | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 1002 Registered: 6-2003 |
Does the alternative source of heating involve: a lamp? a candle? an oven? an open fire? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 1970 Registered: 6-2008 |
A space heater (the kind that can be moved around the floor)? some other portable heat source? If either of these, is the relevant fact that it's portable? Is the normal heater (the one that broke) too far away from his bed to keep him as warm as he likes, while he could set the portable heater right next to it and "hog" the heat? (I used to sit directly on top of heat vents on winter mornings as a kid, to let the air blow up under my shirt. A portable heater may have made this unnecessary...) | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 4728 Registered: 9-2009 |
Do they already have the other heat source? Or do they have to buy it? Or get it some other way? Relevant exactly what the other heat source is? Or how the heat is produced? Is he happy because once the central heater is fixed, he can use the other heat source somewhere else? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 771 Registered: 8-2011 |
Sundowner Does the alternative source of heating involve: a lamp? a candle? an oven? This an open fire? Biograd A space heater (the kind that can be moved around the floor)? some other portable heat source? No to these If either of these, is the relevant fact that it's portable? Is the normal heater (the one that broke) too far away from his bed to keep him as warm as he likes, while he could set the portable heater right next to it and "hog" the heat? (I used to sit directly on top of heat vents on winter mornings as a kid, to let the air blow up under my shirt. A portable heater may have made this unnecessary...) As we've now established that the heat source was an oven, it was not portable. But I liked the story. It made me smile because I did the same thing. I like warm weather. So much so that I once stood too close to a gas-powered room heater and melted my windbreaker. Galfisk Do they already have the other heat source? Yes Or do they have to buy it? Or get it some other way? So no Relevant exactly what the other heat source is? Or how the heat is produced? It is relevant that it is an oven. Is he happy because once the central heater is fixed, he can use the other heat source somewhere else? No, it will be used in the kitchen. However, because their house is small, it will warm the whole house. So why would he be happy? | ||
| Solitiare (Solitiare)
New member Username: Solitiare Post Number: 733 Registered: 7-2011 |
*swoops*As the oven has to be on all the time, now he can get home-baked goodies? Better enjoy them now - what will he do in the summertime? | ||
| Ciaobella (Ciaobella)
New member Username: Ciaobella Post Number: 776 Registered: 8-2011 |
*swoops*As the oven has to be on all the time, now he can get home-baked goodies? That's it! Better enjoy them now - what will he do in the summertime? Good point! **********SPOILER********** A couple has been having trouble with their heater. In the past, the wife has kept warm at home by baking, oven-roasting, and otherwise preparing yummy food all day, using the heat from the oven to warm the house. So when the heater breaks down yet again and she complains to her husband, he responds with a wide grin, anticipating the nice dinner awaiting him. This story was actually inspired by my own dear husband. A year or so ago, I told him that the heater had broken. Stuck at the house all day, I'd had to get creative to stay warm. The repairman had it fixed within a few hours. When my husband came home to lots of his favorite dinners and desserts already prepared for the week, he exclaimed, "I can't wait until the heater breaks again!" |
