[klondike mary] Say it ain't so

[klondike mary]

It's all a matter of measurement.
36" or thereabouts could be a tragedy.
2" or less is hilarious.
Somewhere in between at least gets you sympathy.

[irishelk]

Is this something that many people have? Or everyone has?
Does it evoke sympathy most of the time that it is present?
Is it the distance between two things? The length that someone traveled in a certain context? Is it a physical object of that length? A body part? WAG: an injury or scar?

[klondike mary]

Is this something that many people have? "Many' DOYD. At any given time, most of the population will not 'have' it, but potentially could. But that would be a large number, nevertheless.Or everyone has? No.
Does it evoke sympathy most of the time that it is present? As stated in the puzzle statement, DOYD.
Is it the distance between two things? The length that someone traveled in a certain context? Is it a physical object of that length? A body part? YES.WAG: an injury yes.or scar? no.

[Earnest]

sorry for my ignorance on units of measurements but at least in Italy " is seconds. So is it a length? Does it measure (I mean in the context of the puzzle) meters? Centimeters? Weight? Width?

Navel relevant? Arms? Legs? Mouth? Nose? lips? behind? feet? nails? face? eyes? tongue?

Is it temporary? permanent?

[klondike mary]

sorry for my ignorance on units of measurements but at least in Italy " is seconds. So is it a length? a measurement of length, yes.Does it measure (I mean in the context of the puzzle) meters? Centimeters? these.Weight? Width? No to these.

I must apologize for my Anglo-centrric predisposition, in thinking that everybody knows or could easily learn, or has learned, the Imperial system of measurements. I used it in the puzzle because it comes naturally to me. I can change the measurements to Celcius if you like, or those puzzlers who grew up with the Metric system can do the research at their end. The relative measurements remain the same.

Navel relevant? Arms? Legs? This.Mouth? Nose? lips? behind?possibly feet? this also.nails? face? eyes? tongue? all unanswered are no or n.r.

Is it temporary? permanent? could be either, especially in regard to the higher measurement. The lower, 'hilarious' one, usually temporary.
Earnest

[Hobbsicle]

An injury: to the skin? A cut? Bruise? Burn? A sore or rash? An injury to the muscles? To the bones?

Would this happen as a result of an accident? A disease?

[klondike mary]

An injury: to the skin? A cut? Bruise? Burn? A sore or rash? No to all. An injury to the muscles? Yessish.To the bones? Most often this.

Would this happen as a result of an accident? A disease? Almost always an accident.
Hobbsicle

[JenBurdoo]

Stubbing or otherwise banging a body part? "Funny bone" or similar relevant?

[klondike mary]

Stubbing or otherwise banging a body part? Yopish. Probably a little more serious than that. "Funny bone" or similar relevant? No.
JenBurdoo

[trebor]

I’m confused. I think you said the units are cm, but then you said you could convert them to metric. They are in inches, right?

I certainly didn’t grow up learning Imperial, but Canadians still use feet/inches for body height and pounds for weight. That’s easy enough. The whole rest of the system seems entirely nutty to me. How many random feet in a mile? Why does water freeze at 32? Y’all are weird.

[klondike mary]

I’m confused. I think you said the units are cm, but then you said you could convert them to metric. They are in inches, right?The measurements are in inches.

I certainly didn’t grow up learning Imperial, but Canadians still use feet/inches for body height and pounds for weight. That’s easy enough. Then there should be no problem. Just ask yourself, what is at the level of 36 inches or 3 feet, and what is at the level of about 2 inches? The whole rest of the system seems entirely nutty to me. How many random feet in a mile? Why does water freeze at 32? Y’all are weird.
trebor

[trebor]

Is stubbing your toe the 2” thing, smacking the corner of a table with your hip the 36” thing, and busting your shin the in-between?

Are casts relevant?

[klondike mary]

Is stubbing your toe the 2” thing,perhaps a little more serious than that, but that is the right location. smacking the corner of a table with your hip the 36” thing, I was thinking of something much more serious than that, but, again, the right location.and busting your shin the in-between?Could be, or any 'in-between' injury.

Are casts relevant? Could sometimes be, but not always.

Getting there, Trebor!
trebor

[JenBurdoo]

Is a fall relevant? Stepping into water or a hole of variable depth? Tides relevant? Does the body strike or walk into a specific object? One of variable height?

Being eaten by an animal relevant?

Is the hazard artificial?

[klondike mary]

Is a fall relevant? Yes! Stepping into water or a hole of variable depth? Tides relevant? All no or n.r. Does the body strike or walk into a specific object?Yope. One of variable height? could be many different objects, of differing heights.

Being eaten by an animal relevant? Oh, no, no! Animals might be present, but they are not dining!

Is the hazard artificial? could be either artificial or natural, n.r.
Hint: consider effect rather than cause.
JenBurdoo

[GalFisk]

Is falling into a body of water relevant? Falling into a puddle is hilarious, falling into deeper water (and getting drenched) earns you sympathy, and yet deeper water could cause a tragic drowning.

[trebor]

Misjudging a step?

Is it that a slight stumble is pretty funny, a medium one would provoke concern, and a large one could result in serious injury or death? (Falling enough that you might land on your head?)

[klondike mary]

Is falling into a body of water relevant? Falling into a puddle is hilarious, falling into deeper water (and getting drenched) earns you sympathy, and yet deeper water could cause a tragic drowning. All true, but not relevant in this case.
GalFisk

[klondike mary]

Misjudging a step?

Is it that a slight stumble is pretty funny, a medium one would provoke concern, and a large one could result in serious injury or death? OTRT. Misjudging a step could result in any of these, but not what I was thinking of. (Falling enough that you might land on your head?) Heads & falling on them n.r.
trebor

[JenBurdoo]

Does the body fall onto or into a specific object? A barrel? An X? Over a waterfall? Does this occur indoors or outdoors?

[klondike mary]

Does the body fall onto or into a specific object? A barrel? An X? The injuries, certainly the more serious ones, can occur from a fall, but falling is not a necessary condition to the puzzle.Over a waterfall? No water involved. But yes, you can fall over something. Does this occur indoors or outdoors? wIn this case, indoors, though outdoors is possible too.
JenBurdoo

[klondike mary]

A nudge in the right direction: What can be measured at the height of a kitchen sink (but it is not a kitchen sink)
..and also at a height about 3 fingers from the floor?

[trebor]

Is it a household item? If so, an item one would find in the kitchen? Something that can be plugged in? Is it something worn on the body? A toy? Is it used primarily by adults? Children? Is it edible? Is it a cord/cable?

[JenBurdoo]

Any particular plant relevant? Poison ivy? Is the item in question artificial or natural? Can it be moved or does it have a fixed position? Is it heavy? Dense? A relevant color? Is it mass-manufactured?

[klondike mary]

Is it a household item? I would not call it that. If so, an item one would find in the kitchen? Sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes in other rooms.Something that can be plugged in?NO. Is it something worn no. on the body? A toy? No. Is it used primarily by adults? n.r. Children? n.r. Is it edible? Is it a cord/cable? No to both.
trebor

[klondike mary]

Any particular plant relevant? Poison ivy? No plants. Is the item in question artificial or natural? Natural. Can it be moved or does it have a fixed position? It moves. Is it heavy? DOYD. Dense? DOYD. relevant color? n.r. Is it mass-manufactured? n.r.

[GalFisk]

Is it alive? Formerly alive? An animal? A pet?

[klondike mary]

Is it alive?The thing being measured? Yes. Formerly alive? Still alve. An animal? It is a mammal. A pet? no.
GalFisk

[trebor]

Is it a human?

[klondike mary]

Is it a human? Yes, the measurements are on the human body. So what could account for the different reactions: tragedy, sympathy, hilarity?

[TDGperson]

Is it a specific body part? Is it tragic because the body part being this size is a sign of illness? Is the the hilarity because a body part is an unusual size?

[klondike mary]

Is it a specific body part? Different parts, but they have something in common. Is it tragic because the body part being this size is a sign of illness? Noish.Is the the hilarity because a body part is an unusual size?No.
TDGperson

[trebor]

A bruise? A break? A scar?

[GalFisk]

A burn? Tragic: deadly? Painful? Disfiguring?

[klondike mary]

A burn? No.Tragic: deadly? Painful? Disfiguring?
GalFisk

[klondike mary]

A bruise? A break? This, no to the others. A scar?
trebor

[klondike mary]

*************SPOILER******************
To start the new year off with an (almost) clean slate, I am going to spoil this. The measurements are those on the human body. A break at 36" or hip height may be tragic,especially for an older person.
One between the hip and ankle ,though less likely to result in death or disability, at least earns some sympathy. But an injury to the foot is considered, for some reason, funny.
This was inspired by a recent incident in which Joe Biden injured his foot. Anybody can trip over a pet. But what kind of idiot gets run over by an old lady in a motorized chair?
Me!

We were approaching the blind corner of a corridor, and neither could see or hear the other. So I barged right in front of her before either of us could put on the brakes. (Do those things have brakes?) Though it was mostly my fault, the smaller toes of my left foot were bruised for a day or two. And everybody thought it was hilarious - including, after a while, even me.

This was not the first time this had happened to me. Some years ago, I dropped a book on the little toe of my right foot. How much sympathy did I get from my nearest and dearest did I get on that occasion?
_0_.

[JenBurdoo]

Okay, good one! That is, sad to say, funny. I too have been run over by a coworker...