A CLEVER RIDDLE

[M2]

Joe, you are funny.

Have you heard GG tell the story of the time he had to visit a clinic somewhere, and the doctor called him Georgie Porgie. GG decided that the doctor was acting immaturely, so he got up and walked out of the doctor's office.

Then your 'movie' idea reminded me of Groundhog Day for some reason. GG's consequence for not having his act together: he wakes up each and every morning to Sonny singing "I've got you, babe"...

Marcia

[M2]

I heard this one on Jeopardy today:

To a good student, the only word that is misspelled in this sentence.

Marcia

[d3z]

Apparently the Giant Hand will communicate with Georgie through sign language, but the details are not written in stone yet.

I learned some of GG's appauling attitude when we started sign language interpreting at the seminars.  He was bothered that we sat up front.  He was basically unaware of what we were doing.

One time, when he came to San Diego, he said something bizarre (what a surprise), and said "I'm glad this isn't being translated."  The woman doing the interpreting at the time got a funny expression on her face.

The seminars got much easier to both interpret and even sit through once I realized that the high-sounding language was just a sham.  Otherwise, they were usually just basic points somewhat poorly jumbled together.

[Oscar]

...
Eulaha,

I figured this one out in about 5 seconds.  I taught 6th grade for years, and they love this type of riddle.  I would get hit with one about once a week.

Thomas Maddux

Sixth grade - then you must have heard:

Tom and Bob have the same parents.
They look exactly alike.
They are the same age.
But they are not twins, how is this possible?

I guess Tom and Bob are twins, and their parents are the same age but are not twins.

Seems to revolve around what "they" refers to.

Thomas Maddux

[vernecarty]

...
Eulaha,

I figured this one out in about 5 seconds.  I taught 6th grade for years, and they love this type of riddle.  I would get hit with one about once a week.

Thomas Maddux

Sixth grade - then you must have heard:

Tom and Bob have the same parents.
They look exactly alike.
They are the same age.
But they are not twins, how is this possible?

I guess Tom and Bob are twins, and their parents are the same age but are not twins.

Seems to revolve around what "they" refers to.

Thomas Maddux

Tom and Bob could be triplets...or quads...etc.
Verne

[retread]

...
I guess Tom and Bob are twins, and their parents are the same age but are not twins.

Seems to revolve around what "they" refers to.

Thomas Maddux

Nope, all "theys" refer to Tom and Bob.  But good thinking though.

...
Tom and Bob could be triplets...or quads...etc.
Verne

You got it.  Tom, Bob and their brother John are triplets.

[al Hartman]

It's amazing what this BB has been able to produce. I got a call from a big Hollywood Bigshot Producer/Writer today, who happens to be a "lurker" here. He saw something that he thinks might really take off and he's moving with it. Do you remember that movie a couple of years ago starring Billy Crystal called "My Giant"? It didn't make a lot of money, but the concept was quite interesting. Well, this producer has an idea in the same vein, based on something he read here. He's going to call it "My Giant Hand". But instead of a Giant, a Giant Hand will accompany a small Greek kid named "Georgie" wherever he goes. Whenever Georgie gets himself into a "fix" the Giant Hand will be there to get him out of trouble. The first installment "Traffic problems for Georgie" will be when he first encounters the Giant Hand and develops a lifelong atttachment to it.

Apparently the Giant Hand will communicate with Georgie through sign language, but the details are not written in stone yet. They are already talking about merchandising, with a "Georgie and the Giant Hand Playset" complete with Georgie and a Giant hand ensemble for the children to play with. I find it all very exciting. I'll keep you updated.

Joe,
     Get a good agent before you sign anything.  You might want to check with a lawyer, too.  For one thing, you'll have to use the disclaimers "based on true events" and "no hands were harmed in the making of this motion picture."
     Then you'll have to change the ending to satisfy the sensibilities of the moviegoing public.  The real story ends tragically:  The giant hand gets a giant hangnail which gets infected, then becomes gangrenous.  Ultimately the giant hand dies, leaving poor Georgie-Boy trying desperately to hold his life's work together, but unable to get a helping hand.
     i can see Haley Joe Osmont cast as the young-teen Georgie, with the adult character portrayed by Dennis Hopper or Jack Nicholson.  The giant hand could be played by whoever played the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in "Ghostbusters."

quotes from Tom Maddux:
I taught 6th grade for years, and they love this type of riddle.  I would get hit with one about once a week.

I guess Tom and Bob are twins, and their parents are the same age but are not twins.
Seems to revolve around what "they" refers to.

Tom,
     You disappoint me.   i got this one, & i've had nothing to do with sixth graders for years!
  al

[outdeep]

Tom and Bob have the same parents.
They look exactly alike.
They are the same age.
But they are not twins, how is this possible?


OK, Al, you know my struggle with grammar.
Since the word "they" is ambiguous, would it refer to the closest noun (parents) or would it refer to "Tom and Bob" since they are clearly the subject of the preceeding sentence?

- CSULB Math Major

[sfortescue]

I think that normally "they" would refer to the most recent plural noun, but it could be argued that the word must refer to something that makes sense.  It would be quite unusual for the parents of Tom and Bob to look exactly alike.

Retread's answer could also be debated, since the probability of identical brothers from a triplet birth is quite low.  It seems unlikely that their names are actually Tom and Bob.  I'm guessing that the premise of the question is actually false, unless Retread can tell us their last name and where they live.

[al Hartman]

Since the word "they" is ambiguous, would it refer to the closest noun (parents) or would it refer to "Tom and Bob" since they are clearly the subject of the preceeding sentence?

Dave,
     In this case, common sense takes precedence over rules of grammar because the statement wasn't presented grammatically intact.  It kinda has to be interpreted by gut-feeling.  Of course, this means that 50% of its readers will get it wrong, but what else is new...

Retread's answer could also be debated, since the probability of identical brothers from a triplet birth is quite low.  It seems unlikely that their names are actually Tom and Bob.  I'm guessing that the premise of the question is actually false, unless Retread can tell us their last name and where they live.

Stephen,
     You are quite correct in that their names are not Tom, Bob & John.  Neither are they triplets, but rather the last three to be born of sextuplets.  After the births of their sisters, Shirley, Goodness & Mercy, came the three boys:  Mo, Nomo & Stillmo.
     Their parents are itinerant laborers, so i don't have an address, but i think their last name is Prolific or something like that.

 ;)al

[vernecarty]

I think that normally "they" would refer to the most recent plural noun, but it could be argued that the word must refer to something that makes sense.  It would be quite unusual for the parents of Tom and Bob to look exactly alike.

Retread's answer could also be debated, since the probability of identical brothers from a triplet birth is quite low.

This reminds me of an interesting story about twins that I read when I was a kid. It was essentially how a sister who looked exactly like her brother (presumably an identical twin) subbed for him when he was ill and won the game by hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth. Nobody recognized her in her baseball cap and uniform. I of course at the time bought it hook line and sinker not knowing too much about the genetics of reproductive biology. What is wrong with the story? (everbody except Steve...)
Verne
p.s. HInt: think "identical twins"

[al Hartman]

This reminds me of an interesting story about twins that I read when I was a kid. It was essentially how a sister who looked exactly like her brother (presumably an identical twin) subbed for him when he was ill and won the game by hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth. Nobody recognized her in her baseball cap and uniform. I of course at the time bought it hook line and sinker not knowing too much about the genetics of reproductive biology. What is wrong with the story? (everbody except Steve...)
Verne

Answer:  It is supposedly related by Verne Carty, but contains no huge multisyllablic words.  Obviously a case of someone else posting in Verne's name!

[outdeep]

Al, I think your explanation clears things up.  I was going down the line where Bob is a type of the flesh and Tom a type of the spirit.  One drowns while crossing the Jordon while the other exercises reckoning faith.

[Joe Sperling]

Tom and Bob are albino rabbits. They look exactly alike, but they are not twins. They have another 14 brothers and sisters who exactly like them also.

[Joe Sperling]

Al---

Thanks for the input concerning the movie. However, it appears the movie may go down in flames. Unfortunately the Giant Hand is demanding his own trailer, and 40% of the profits.

--Joe