What's the Secret Behind This Riddle?

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SUMMARY

The riddle presented by a chemistry teacher, "What am I? Ice women a knack weary yum Andy tall thevish feud," has been deciphered to reveal the answer as "Siamese fighting fish," also known as "betta fish." Participants in the discussion identified the phonetic play involved, particularly the connection to the Greek letter beta (β). The conversation highlighted the complexity of the riddle, suggesting it resembles a phonetic cipher, which requires decoding before arriving at the solution. The discussion also referenced related concepts such as "Mairzy Doats" and "Anguish Language," indicating a broader context of playful language puzzles.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of phonetic ciphers and wordplay
  • Familiarity with the Siamese fighting fish (betta fish) and its characteristics
  • Knowledge of Greek letters, particularly beta (β)
  • Awareness of language puzzles and their historical context
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the concept of phonetic ciphers and their applications in puzzles
  • Explore the characteristics and care requirements of Siamese fighting fish (betta fish)
  • Investigate the song "Mairzy Doats" and its influence on language games
  • Read about "Anguish Language" and its role in linguistic humor
USEFUL FOR

Students, educators, linguists, and puzzle enthusiasts interested in language games, phonetic ciphers, and the cultural significance of riddles.

AMan24
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What am I? Ice women a knack weary yum Andy tall thevish feud. Mine aim kennel sobe agree klet her?

the answer is....
"Siamese fighting fish"
Can anyone explain to me how the hell this is the answer. My chemistry teacher gave this as a random extra credit question on our test. I am convinced he's trolling us.
 
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I can make sense out of the second sentence: My name can also be a greek letter (so beta in this case).
Have to pass on the first one, but it'll be something phonetically analogous.

Don't think your grade will be influenced by missing out on this one :smile:
 
I swim in an aquarium and eat all the fish food ?
 
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Siam is a Greek letter? He must meant psi.

Well, I bet nobody got that.
 
He should get his head checked. Seems like he fell on it.

You can always respond with a question like "complete the sequence <insert random numbers>".
It's similar since you can't answer it without knowing the context/rules you used.
 
You guys should look at this a bit more open-minded !
If I google siamese fighting fish I immediately find the name betta fish. ##\beta## !

So my best bet:

I swim in an aquarium and eat all the fish food. My name can also be a greek letter.​

Improvements welcome, but I think I've got the main issue.
Perhaps this once being a non-native english speaker is an advantage :smile: .
 
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BvU said:
You guys should look at this a bit more open-minded !
If I google siamese fighting fish I immediately find the name betta fish. ##\beta## !

So my best bet:

I swim in an aquarium and eat all the fish food. My name can also be a greek letter.​

Improvements welcome, but I think I've got the main issue.
Perhaps this once being a non-native english speaker is an advantage :smile: .
Great job, but I still call it at least half a code because you first have to decode the words before solving the riddle.
 
If you like that sort of puzzle, look up Mad Gab.
 
  • #10
beta fish or "If the teacher wanted you to figure out what the riddle itself is" that would be a (phonetic cypher or code.)
 
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  • #12
BvU said:
You guys should look at this a bit more open-minded !
If I google siamese fighting fish I immediately find the name betta fish. ##\beta## !

So my best bet:

I swim in an aquarium and eat all the fish food. My name can also be a greek letter.​

Improvements welcome, but I think I've got the main issue.
Perhaps this once being a non-native english speaker is an advantage :smile: .

I got as far as " I swim in a ... the fish food. My name ... " before you posted.
Good one.

Phoenetics is sounding it out. :)
 
  • #13
gjonesy said:
beta fish or "If the teacher wanted you to figure out what the riddle itself is" that would be a (phonetic cypher or code.)
Yeah, apparently the conventional term for this is "phonetic cypher," though I'm not sure it actually fits the definition of a cypher.
http://www.magicschoolbook.com/extras/codes

Anyway, this seems to have started with the song, "Mairzy Doats":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairzy_Doats

 
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  • #14
zoobyshoe said:
Yeah, apparently the conventional term for this is "phonetic cypher," though I'm not sure it actually fits the definition of a cypher.Anyway, this seems to have started with the song, "Mairzy Doats":

Or maybe with "Ladle rat rotten hut".
 
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  • #16
AMan24 said:
What am I? Ice women a knack weary yum Andy tall thevish feud. Mine aim kennel sobe agree klet her?

the answer is....
"Siamese fighting fish"
Can anyone explain to me how the hell this is the answer. My chemistry teacher gave this as a random extra credit question on our test. I am convinced he's trolling us.
Please post school related problems in the appropriate homework section.