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So, I've been given these strange blocks of clues. I've read them end to end but frankly I just can't make head or tail of them! I know I must be missing some kind of connection somewhere. Can't you help me, please? It's driving me insane!

Block 1:
1. Talk to me, I talk back, ask me why, then I lie.
2. A fruit we are, like fat but not quite.
3. I'm the happiness that's almost miss.

Block 2:
1. Like someone on the warpath, just shorter.
2. Rude drivers and angry bulls use me quite often.
3. Resting against a curve makes one tidy.

Block 3:
1. More like a cow than a cow, just scared.
2. Rough weather or long road?

Block 4:
1. We are shy, but when you're all gone the world is ours.
2. Misleading acronym time? Step on it!
3. A most costly kind of gate.
4. Lay me down if you want to get your way.
5. Put me on and do it good, I once got stopped by some big dude.

What is this puzzle trying to tell me?

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  • $\begingroup$ each point of each block are different things that form the idea for the block? $\endgroup$
    – lois6b
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:01
  • $\begingroup$ @lois6b: Yep, every line has a standalone "answer". $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:08
  • $\begingroup$ Any chance of a hint on how the individual line answers solve a block? $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 18:46
  • $\begingroup$ Is 2.1 SOLD?? Sold(ier) $\endgroup$
    – Alex B.
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 20:56
  • $\begingroup$ Afraid not. I imagine the thought process of the veteran solvers here would go: why would OP use such an unusual word like "warpath" in that line? That may be a good starting point, or at least a hint. :) $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 27, 2016 at 1:04

5 Answers 5

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What it's trying to tell me --

N U T S

The gimmick:

Put the answer words of each block "end to end", as it were, by making "some kind of connection"—a crossword-style connection, linking them at common letters. Correctly connecting the answer words will draw out a letter per block, and these put together spell out the four letter puzzle answer.

entries in BOLD were found independently by me (even though others got there too)
entries in BOLD ITALIC were borrowed from someone else (with credit given).

Block 1:

1. Talk to me, I talk back, ask me why, then I lie. PHONE (@Dan Russell)
    you talk (in)to your phone and it talks back; phone-why→phony→lie
2. A fruit we are, like fat but not quite. PLUMS (@stack reader)
    fat→plump→plum→plums (because "we" is plural)
3. I'm the happiness that's almost miss. BLISS
    bliss is the happiness synonym that rhymes with miss 

P   B
HL  L
O U I
N  MS
E   S        → "N"

Block 2:

1. Like someone on the warpath, just shorter. WRATH
    someone on the warpath is mad as heck→wrathful→wrath; also, warpath leaves wrath
2. Rude drivers and angry bulls use me quite often. HORN
    rude drivers honk their horns, angry bulls gore you with 'em.
3. Resting against a curve makes one tidy. CLEAN (@Thrax)
    a curve, "C", with "lean" against it, makes clean=tidy 

W  C
R  L
A  E
T  A
HORN        → "U"

Block 3:

1. More like a cow than a cow, just scared. COWER
    more cow-like→cow-er→cower, something you do when scared.
2. Rough weather or long road? WINDY (@Dreagen)
    rough weather is windy. long roads can wind around = windy. 

COWER
  I
  N
  D
  Y          → "T"

Block 4:

1. We are shy, but when you're all gone the world is ours. MEEK (@TwoBitOperation)
    the meek shall inherit the earth
2. Misleading acronym time? Step on it! MAT
    [m]isleading [a]cronym [t]ime → mat
3. A most costly kind of gate. TOLL (@dcfyj)
    toll gates cost money to pass; other gates generally don't.
4. Lay me down if you want to get your way. LAW
    lay down the law to make sure people do things your way.
5. Put me on and do it good, I once got stopped by some big dude. SHOW
    per OP, this is about WWE; Big Show's signature move was the "Show Stopper"

 MEEK
 A
 TOLL
    A
 SHOW        → "S"

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  • $\begingroup$ 4.4 is correct! I thought that might one of the more obscure ones. :) $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:17
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    $\begingroup$ I'm pretty sure that 4.1 is "MEEK" $\endgroup$
    – TwoBitOperation
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 12:53
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    $\begingroup$ Wow. MAT is an awesome answer :) $\endgroup$
    – Abhirath Mahipal
    Commented Oct 27, 2016 at 1:06
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    $\begingroup$ We were in a chat room, I was bemoaning the fact that w/o knowing the connection between each block's clues we were reduced to trial and error asking if our latest guesses for the answer words were correct . . . when suddenly it came to me... $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Commented Oct 29, 2016 at 5:05
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    $\begingroup$ there was no obvious connection between the words, but finding one would be simplest with that block of just two words... and then it struck me. there was that W in the middle of COWER, and another at the beginning of WINDY ... and put them together at that W, you have both a literal connection, and a letter. Finding most of an S with what we had for block 5 made it likely, and when my previously discarded guess of "SHOW" for the final word was confirmed, completing that S, that cinched it $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Commented Oct 29, 2016 at 5:05
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Partial answer

Block 1:
1. Talk to me, I talk back, ask me why, then I lie. PARROT OP: nay
2. A fruit we are, like fat but not quite. PLUM (Thanks to @stack reader) OP: almost yay, but note "WE"
3. I'm the happiness that's almost miss. BLISS (Thanks to @Abhirath Mahipal) OP: yay

Block 2:
1. Like someone on the warpath, just shorter. READ (as in "READY (to fight)", but shortened) OP: nay
2. Rude drivers and angry bulls use me quite often. HORN OP: yay
3. Resting against a curve makes one tidy. CLEAN (the curve is "C") OP: yay

Block 3:
1. More like a cow than a cow, just scared. COWER (Thanks to @M.Oehm) OP: yay
2. Rough weather or long road? WINDY (thanks to @Dreagen) OP: yay

Block 4:
1. We are shy, but when you're all gone the world is ours. WORM OP: nay, correct answer already given
2. Misleading acronym time? Step on it! MAT (Thanks to @Rubio) OP: yay
3. A most costly kind of gate. HELL OP: nay, think @DanRussell got this first
4. Lay me down if you want to get your way. LAW (as in the idiom "Lay down the law") OP: yay
5. Put me on and do it good, I once got stopped by some big dude.

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  • $\begingroup$ 2.2 is correct, but I'm afraid 3.1 is slightly off. :) $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:24
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    $\begingroup$ I guess 3.1 is COWER. (More like cow, ha!) $\endgroup$
    – M Oehm
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:05
  • $\begingroup$ @MOehm That's what I think too, but I didn't write it cause felt like stealing his word XD $\endgroup$
    – stack reader
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:07
  • $\begingroup$ 2.3 was edited to make it clear, you're right but the answer is the word in parentheses. Sorry about that. $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Xenocacia Thanks for invalidating most of my answers! xD (I got "Law" 3 mins before Rubio, which is why he wrote that he got it independently). $\endgroup$
    – Thrax
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:26
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A couple additions:

Block 4:

1. We are shy, but you're all gone the world is ours. MEEK (the meek shall inherit the Earth)
3. A most costly kind of gate. TOLL (you have to pay at a toll gate)

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  • $\begingroup$ two for two, yay! $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 14:48
  • $\begingroup$ +1 good job! We only have 3 to go now. Still sad my Bill gate and golden gate(bridge) didn't work though XD $\endgroup$
    – stack reader
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 15:07
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    $\begingroup$ @stackreader: 3 to go indeed, but you do realise that solving all the one-liners is but the first part? :) $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 15:13
  • $\begingroup$ @Xenocacia Of course lol. But I already got a few clues to how we do the second part, unfortunately it's time for bed and it will probably all be solved when I wake up XD $\endgroup$
    – stack reader
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 15:22
  • $\begingroup$ Okay, hope you get back in time for it then! $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 15:48
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Answers in bold only are my own

The answer is NUTS. as in "driving me nuts!"
Good team work everyone!

Block 1:
1. Talk to me, I talk back, ask me why, then I lie. PHONE(CONFIRMED)
2. A fruit we are, like fat but not quite.PLUMS(CONFIRMED)
3. I'm the happiness that's almost miss. bliss(CONFIRMED)

Block 2:
1. Like someone on the warpath, just shorter. wrath(CONFIRMED)
2. Rude drivers and angry bulls use me quite often. horn(CONFIRMED)
3. Resting against a curve makes me tidy. clean(CONFIRMED)

Block 3:
1. More like a cow than a cow, just scared. COWER(CONFIRMED)
2. Rough weather or long road?windy(CONFIRMED)

Block 4:
1. We are shy, but you're all gone the world is ours. meek(CONFIRMED)
2. Misleading acronym time? Step on it! mat(CONFIRMED)
3. A most costly kind of gate. toll(CONFIRMED)
4. Lay me down if you want to get your way. law(CONFIRMED)
5. Put me on and do it good, I once got stopped by some big dude.show(CONFIRMED)

I wrote all we got so far in a easy to read format and added all the clues from the question I judged useful to finding the answer.

HINTS

read them end to end
can't make head or tail of them
missing some kind of connection

1

PHONE
PLUMS
BLISS

2

WRATH
HORN
CLEAN

3

COWER
WINDY

4

MEEK
MAT
TOLL
LAW
SHOW

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  • $\begingroup$ Afraid that's rather off-track, there. $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:14
  • $\begingroup$ 2.1 needs slightly more thinking. How would you describe a person "on the warpath"? $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:25
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    $\begingroup$ for 4.4 I'm not sure if I should... >.> $\endgroup$
    – stack reader
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:32
  • $\begingroup$ Man, it only just occurred to me it could be taken that way. Thanks for the chuckles, have an upvote. :) $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:33
  • $\begingroup$ For 4.3 I was thinking Water. Bill definitely works though. $\endgroup$
    – Karm
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:47
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Partial Answer. Will keep updating as I get more.

Block 1:
1. Talk to me, I talk back, ask me why, then I lie.
2. A fruit we are, like fat but not quite. PLUM(from the word Plump)
3. I'm the happiness that's almost miss. BLISS

Block 2:
1. Like someone on the warpath, just shorter.
2. Rude drivers and angry bulls use me quite often.
3. Resting against a curve makes me tidy.

Block 3:
1. More like a cow than a cow, just scared.
2. Rough weather or long road?

Block 4:
1. We are shy, but you're all gone the world is ours.CHILDREN
2. Misleading acronym time? Step on it!
3. A most costly kind of gate. BORDER
4. Lay me down if you want to get your way. ROAD
5. Put me on and do it good, I once got stopped by some big dude.

General Idea:-

Are you talking about children and their safety? (wrong)

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  • $\begingroup$ 1.3 is correct, 4.1 and 4.4 are incorrect. Keep trying! $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 7:58
  • $\begingroup$ What about the general idea? $\endgroup$
    – Abhirath Mahipal
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:07
  • $\begingroup$ Completely off, sorry. :x $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 8:08
  • $\begingroup$ I think part 4.1 could be ROACHES. $\endgroup$
    – rarpm
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 9:30
  • $\begingroup$ That's good! Welcome to Puzzling SE! $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Commented Oct 26, 2016 at 9:31

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