Questions tagged [literature]
A puzzle that is primarily built around a well-known book, novel, drama, poem, or author.
84
questions
6
votes
1
answer
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Where Ages Meet
Note:
Knowledge Tag: The knowledge required for this puzzle is straightforward and very easy to find.
Prefer no partial answers.
“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories ...
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12
votes
2
answers
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A Trivial Pursuit #22 (Art and Literature 4/4): Bookstore
This is part 22 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.
Yesterday, I was asked to create some window displays ...
- 146k
20
votes
1
answer
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A Trivial Pursuit #16 (Art and Literature 3/4): X
This is part 16 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.
The final answer is a thematic 8-letter word.
Text ...
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votes
2
answers
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A Trivial Pursuit #10 (Art and Literature 2/4): Bookshelf
This is part 10 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.
Colourblind-friendly version available here.
The ...
- 146k
13
votes
1
answer
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views
An engineer, a mechanic and an athlete walk into a bar
...to exchange puzzles about the thing they talked about the other day and have a drink.
The engineer showed these numbers:
2, 8, 14, 2, 99
2, 4, 0, 0, 1
The ...
- 1,153
20
votes
1
answer
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A Trivial Pursuit #04 (Art and Literature 1/4): Threesome
This is part 4 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.
QUE
STI
ONS
SEC@ND
L@TR
V@LUME
B@ANWELL’S
AUTHO@
...
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5
votes
1
answer
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Python Conundrum: Guess The Song
Python Conundrum: The Series
The key to the puzzle:
The puzzle:
...
- 1,153
14
votes
1
answer
1k
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A Trivial Pursuit #02 (Entertainment 1/4): Wrong Superhero
This is part 2 of A Trivial Pursuit, a 25-part puzzle hunt. Each part is solvable on its own, with the exception of the meta-puzzle at the end.
Minecraft character who receives enhanced abilities ...
- 146k
3
votes
2
answers
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Breaking Gnomon Cipher [closed]
[First time posting so apologies if this is an inappropriate question for this site.]
I recently finished reading the book “Gnomon” by Nick Harkaway. At the start of the book there’s a set of numbers ...
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2
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Three people sit down for a meal in France, who is the time traveller?
As the time traveller and the two others sit down at a table to eat and drink, they discuss who they are (but without giving their names). Then one of the three says, "We are all..." And ...
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1
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Not like the one in Texas
I... PILFER AND MASK (or SKIMP AND FLARE)
I also... BOB A GRANNY THERE
I... USE A PRISON and APE OUR SINS
I'm often... EYELESS AND SIT IN BINS
I... PIPED CURD AND I JEER, you see...
At the end of the ...
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1
vote
2
answers
431
views
How many nails?
A man from Samsat tells you a true story. It goes as follows:
The king of the horned cannibals goes out to the great forest. Suddenly, a herd of a dozen deer arrive and charge at the king. Though he ...
- 1,487
10
votes
1
answer
404
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14
votes
1
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1k
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A Harry Potter sequence puzzle
What is the next term in the following sequence based on Harry Potter?
None, 16, None, 16, 5, 9, ?
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1
answer
370
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Billy Leg's Secret Treasure!
Billy has been following a treasure hunt since he moved. Now, he's stumped! He just uncovered a clue:
CLUE: )?006¶5*) 6)05*† )-
Where does he go now?
Hint 1:
...
- 3,134
2
votes
1
answer
153
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In this decrypted cipher, what is meant by "GABL" and how should I make sense of the whole message?
In "The Blue Scarab" in Dr. Thorndyke's Case-Book by R. Austin Freeman, Thorndyke finds the dead body of Uncle Reuben in a meadow based on hieroglyphic letters inscribed on a blue scarab ...
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7
votes
1
answer
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Help - I think my computer's broken!
I wrote a little computer program to count letter frequencies. Don't worry you don't need to know anything about computers! Except of course for Googling, Wikipedia, etc.
So, for example, the ...
- 8,107
3
votes
1
answer
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Harry Potter Rebus Puzzles #3
Another set of Harry Potter word rebuses for you to solve!
Part 1: 11 Harry Potter rebus puzzles
Part 2: Harry Potter Rebus Puzzles #2
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votes
1
answer
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Harry Potter Rebus Puzzles #2
Here are 4 more Harry Potter word rebuses for you to solve!
(11 more Harry Potter rebuses are posted here.)
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12
votes
2
answers
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Read it carefully
My prefix is found in an automobile,
My infix corrects a mistake with mistakes,
My suffix is practice if you're very old.
My whole may be found unexpectedly.
Hint:
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13
votes
1
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This Riley is out of order
My prefix is big in the Middle,
my infix is found at the end,
my suffix was once at the front,
my whole is what is involved.
Hint 1: My two anagrams, as a rebus
Hint 2: An alternative fix, ...
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3
votes
1
answer
485
views
Who wrote this potion recipe? (#2)
Below is a recipe for a Nosebleed Antidote written by a mysterious wizard. Just like other wizards before him have done, the one who wrote this recipe has hidden his name within the recipe. Can you ...
- 10.5k
33
votes
2
answers
2k
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Find the hidden word (Harry Potter theme)
Bouncing bulbs are jumping all around the greenhouse. Can you help sort them out and figure out the hidden word?
(Note: the answer is something from Harry Potter)
- 10.5k
4
votes
1
answer
424
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Harry Potter Ditloids
Each of the 15 lines below represent a phrase related to Harry Potter.
For example:
$$\text{1994 I W the W C} = \text{1994 Ireland Wins the World Cup}$$
Can you figure out the rest?
$$\text{150 P ...
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19
votes
1
answer
4k
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11 Harry Potter rebus puzzles which together spell a word
11 Harry Potter rebus puzzles. When you have solved them all, there is a word they are hiding.
Hint:
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7
votes
4
answers
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Christmas Sentences
I've received an early Christmas gift with a combination lock and a letter containing a poem and some sentences. There are several typos: I don't believe they're intentional, but they might be. I have ...
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3
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Half a wife, did you say?
My first and my second are in HUSBANDRY,
Though one is in UNION, one ZOOLOGY.
My third is in DUBITABLY, in SUFFERABLE;
My fourth and fifth are in BUSINESS and in SEPARABLE.
My sixth is in GOAL,...
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4
votes
2
answers
340
views
Translate this "especially important" note from "War with the Newts"
Language-identification questions are off-topic on linguistics.stackexchange.com, or I would have posted this over there. Since it's also a puzzle, I figure puzzling.stackexchange might appreciate it.
...
- 2,178
12
votes
3
answers
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views
Storms form above my head
I have searched for treasure in Egypt,
and spent a lifetime fishing in the Atlantic.
I have seen powerful storms form above me,
and felt the earth shaking with devastating effect.
I have seen ...
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10
votes
1
answer
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views
Where have I visited?
Now an entry into Fortnightly Topic Challenge #41: Short and Sweet
Having a new try on "where do I want to go next" questions", hope you enjoy it.
I have visited:
1: Regulations on the ...
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5
votes
1
answer
215
views
A Cryptic Dirty Dozen: Do your best!
Age a herb salad for a cat. (8)
Wolfmother confused a shark. (6)
Alias around the Spanish leader (5)
The Colonel runs through that hibiscus patch (5)
Ursine stench holds soothing plant ...
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14
votes
2
answers
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A Classic Conundrum
I had a quick idea for a puzzle that may or may not be too hard to solve, but nothing is too hard for Puzzling SE so let's give it a go.
One of my friends gave me a list of classic books to read last ...
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4
votes
3
answers
196
views
Four Directions #6 - Where and what am I?
Inspired by metazen's riddles, I have decided to create my own
To my west are a bunch of crooks
To my north is a special fruit
To my east is somewhere everyone wants to be
To my ...
- 2,305
6
votes
1
answer
197
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8
votes
1
answer
178
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A Discworld Riley
My prefix is the heir to the apprentice of the final reality,
Without the Ephebean "not"
My suffix is both a noun and a verb
Dwarf Bread is not an example of the noun,
Though it may help ...
- 8,333
9
votes
1
answer
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What am I wearing today?
Captain of serenity.
Lover of Polish beast slayer.
Sister of double victor.
Foul-mouthed one-eyed soldier.
Murgo-hating emperor.
Owner of runaway bum.
Fateful answerer of "What do you want?"
...
- 117k
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votes
1
answer
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♥Veni♀Vidi♂Vici☠
Third in a line, bred to be realistic,
Somewhat compassionate, not too sadistic.
Taught a new game, I learned how to rack 'em.
In spite of their cheating, I improv'd and sacked 'em.
Surprised how ...
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20
votes
1
answer
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views
Look up to him, who is he?
Born on the first soil, aiming for the next
Stolen as replacement, his life a lie
To be loved, serve but never die
Death came in a flash, lost mother
Hideous rictus, fear and darkness
...
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6
votes
3
answers
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views
Though some may find me lacking, others call me less
Though some may find me lacking
Others call me less
Some may think I’m both
Despite my flame and my finesse
Family, no family, mind's asunder
Feel the elements, hear the thunder
...
- 6,875
-4
votes
1
answer
179
views
How long time does it take an infinite number of monkeys to type the collected works of Shakespeare?
Imagine an infinite number of monkeys typing random texts on typewriters.
Each monkey has same single unit of typewriter.
We assume that typewriters and monkeys are ideal i.e. do not need to be fed/...
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votes
1
answer
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Riddle from Harry Potter
This is a riddle from the 7th Harry Potter book. Who am I?
I christen myself to the rightful lord, there is nothing I cannot overpower;
A crimson splattered history, I was stolen at the top of a ...
14
votes
5
answers
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A Weird Librarian
Inspired by this puzzle, you decide to visit your local library in the hope of checking out a copy of Ximenes on the Art of the Crossword.
Upon entering, you ask the librarian whether the library has ...
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15
votes
7
answers
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Cryptic Rebuses Hit the Books
In order to learn more about Emily Dickinson and T. S. Eliot, who made cameos here and here, cryptic rebuses are going to the library.
If you're unsure how cryptic rebuses work, you may want to check ...
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votes
5
answers
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A Heroic Narrative of two
We two were the ones
destined to do great things
We started as did Jon
aware of Nothing
A world we didn't know
turned out to be our home
Waited where we were
with glorious foretellings
While ...
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votes
1
answer
1k
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5
votes
1
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The Guard Of Fantasy
I am back with a second riddle, hope you enjoy this and I expect some to answer it correctly within a matter of time.
Here I will live and here I will stay,
as I will guard this all today.
This ...
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votes
6
answers
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A riddle in James Still's "River of Earth"
I'm working on paper for SAMLA 88 on riddles in James Still's novel River of Earth. There is one I can't seem to find an answer for. It goes like this:
First green
and then yeller, (sic. yellow)
...
- 71
1
vote
1
answer
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Words with a Mask - Looking for Truth
An opportunity to pull back masks and bring light to truth.
IWOKKXCXMBKSXWTKRYTNXMSTRNXIMSXTXVICXBMTTKBYHKHTRX
SVWXMZYITBWOXBHYHMHBZHYXSXQMRWKYTDKMYIRXMHLHMICYIR
...
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4
votes
3
answers
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Confusing holidays
Tired of playing games, you decide to take a holiday.
You first location, you wander about for a bit, completely lost in the crowds until finally the relative you were supposed to meet spots you. ...
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14
votes
3
answers
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Literary Haikus
Inspired by this riddle, I've created a group of haikus each of which describes a well-known work of literature and its author.
A mighty master
Of small precious jewellery.
A tollman eager.
...
- 117k