Monday Afternoon Riddle (answered)
From the Juvenile Instructor of 1872:
What word is that in the English language
– the first two letters of which signify a man,
– the first three a woman,
– the first four a great man,
– the whole a great woman?
(If you know the answer, how about giving just a letter or two, leaving the rest to nag at other readers until the answer is posted tomorrow?)
UPDATE: The answer can be found here.
I know I know I know!!!
Is the last letter of the full word an “e”?
Comment by HokieKate — June 11, 2012 @ 3:58 pm
Starts with a “h”
Comment by EmiG — June 11, 2012 @ 4:12 pm
Yup (to both)! And Alison has solved it, too.
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 11, 2012 @ 4:12 pm
Four vowels? Two of which are the same?
Comment by Gary Bergera — June 11, 2012 @ 5:04 pm
If you leave off the final “e” you have a terrible problem, if I have it correctly.
Comment by kevinf — June 11, 2012 @ 5:07 pm
Such creative (and accurate) ways to let us know you have solved the riddle!
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 11, 2012 @ 5:16 pm
I know it too, but everyone else already took the good ideas for cleverly hiding it. Great job!
Comment by Duckie — June 11, 2012 @ 5:41 pm
Smack, with an E for effort.
Comment by Mark B. — June 11, 2012 @ 5:57 pm
You have to get up pretty early with this crowd, don’t you, Duckie? And Mark, obscure but just so.
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 11, 2012 @ 6:03 pm
Sure do!
Comment by Duckie — June 11, 2012 @ 6:44 pm
Only obscure for you folks that don’t hang out on the mean streets. : )
Comment by Mark B. — June 11, 2012 @ 7:42 pm
Hershey?
Comment by Adam G. — June 12, 2012 @ 11:22 am
Well … okay … if Barbara Hershey is a great woman and “Hers” is a great man … if we’re speaking of Mrs. G., Adam would probably claim that hers is a great man … so, well, yeah, if I really, really, really stretch, maybe I can give you enough extra credit points for creativity to make up for the lameness of parts of your solution …
Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — June 12, 2012 @ 11:43 am