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I number myself, for I am numbered;
I am as long as I am worth.
I run down and up, I've crackled and thundered.
Just to come to rest upon the earth.

Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white,
what remains of the four, I must be!
(Though, really, It's only typically...)
What I am must surely be in sight!

I'm so wound up, about this little road.
I can hardly reach the end!
I've neither limbs nor toes nor nodes;
Naught but a body suspends.

Strong 'till while I'm young, I am.
(Perhaps as late
as seven or eight!)
As I grow older, I bend and I jam.

Now, now! The answer is close!
I am what I am, though noticed little
and as helpful can be when you must.
I come in all shapes, all lengths, and all sizes.

Now tell me: who am I? (I've got all day -- I can wait longer than you)

The best of luck be with you!

Hint A

This hint is also a riddle: the word 'nglo' will help you tremendously.

Hint B

There are hints literally WOVEN into this problem.

Hint B2

If it 'aint broken, don't fix it; if you're confused, look at the guts of the problem! It's always the pithy stuff, y'know?

Hint C

What remains is only a single member in a set of four members. Think old-demographic-y.

Hint D (Hopefully the Last) RE: The answer is below.

It's one the most value tools for a Car Repenter's.

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  • $\begingroup$ "Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white, / what remains of the four, I must be!" makes me think immediatedly of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which would make the answer famine ... but I can't really see how to fit this with the rest. $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 8:25
  • $\begingroup$ @randal'thor I had the same thought. Though it could simply be "pale", since the others are listed as their colours. $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 13:20
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    $\begingroup$ Could it have to do with the elements - fire earth and air, leaving water as the remaining one? I can't think of how to make anything watery fit the rest of it though. A river fits a good chunk of it, but not everything. $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 16:50
  • $\begingroup$ Judging from hint B2, the apostrophes are probably significant somehow. That would explain the "Strong 'till" phrasing, which otherwise makes no sense (even "Strong still" sounds wrong there) $\endgroup$
    – Bobson
    Commented May 13, 2015 at 13:27
  • $\begingroup$ @Bobson Oh wow. The apostrophes are insignificant -- I just used them for flavor. $\endgroup$ Commented May 13, 2015 at 21:23

6 Answers 6

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Are you a

tape measure?
- it has numbers all along its length; its highest number shows its own length ("I number myself")
- a tape measure is worth as much as its length -- not very useful when trying to measure things longer than itself
- when you release it so that it retracts, it "crackles and thunders" and finally comes to rest
- the color of a tape measure is typically yellow; the four colors may be a reference to the Flag of the Races (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_terminology_for_race#Flag_of_the_Races)
- it's wound up inside its case
- it has no "limbs" - it is just a strip of material
- it is strong while it's "young" in other words while it is only partially extended -- perhaps seven or eight feet; the more length you extend, the weaker it gets until it buckles under its own weight -- "bends and jams"
- it comes in a variety of lengths

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  • $\begingroup$ Great job! You get the green tick mark. ;) $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 17:30
  • $\begingroup$ The aboriginal Medicine Wheel is usually red, black, yellow, and white. I have heard that one thing it represents is the four "races" of the world (African/black, Asian/yellow, European/white, North American/red), although that might now be considered somewhat politically incorrect. $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 17:40
  • $\begingroup$ @GentlePurpleRain It is incorrect, but you got the hints spot on! $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 19:19
  • $\begingroup$ @GentlePurpleRain Sorry, I meant a politically incorrect usage :P $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 20:31
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    $\begingroup$ @CᴏɴᴏʀO'Bʀɪᴇɴ That makes more sense. I wasn't sure how I could be both incorrect and spot-on! :) $\endgroup$ Commented Aug 11, 2015 at 20:36
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You are a

Spring

I number myself, for I am numbered; I am as long as I am worth. I run down and up, I've crackled and thundered. Just to come to rest upon the earth.

The number describes its spring constant, while the "run up and down" is the way a spring will react to forces. The length of the spring is a function of the force it applies.

Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white, what remains of the four, I must be! (Though, really, It's only typically...) What I am must surely be in sight!

Typically, springs are silver in colour.

I'm so wound up, about this little road. I can hardly reach the end! I've neither limbs nor toes nor nodes; Naught but a body suspends.

Springs are wound up, and they suspend bodies

Strong 'till while I'm young, I am. (Perhaps as late as seven or eight!) As I grow older, I bend and I jam.

As you use springs, they tend to wear down and warp.

Now, now! The answer is close! I am what I am, though noticed little and as helpful can be when you must. I come in all shapes, all lengths, and all sizes.

Springs don't have to be helical, they can have more unusual shapes. More importantly, many sizes certainly. And they're all over the place, like on trampolines and in car suspensions.

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  • $\begingroup$ and the hidden hint, NOW, is italicized, since it is Spring now, at least in the USA! $\endgroup$
    – JLee
    Commented May 12, 2015 at 3:34
  • $\begingroup$ REALLY nice answer! Not quite what I was looking for, however. $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 3:36
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Are you a

laser/energy beam /wave?

I number myself, for I am numbered; I am as long as I am worth. I run down and up, I've crackled and thundered. Just to come to rest upon the earth.

A laser beam is emitted through a whole lot of complicated physics that I once understood but since have forgotten most of. Still, it is light, light is basically an energy wave. Laser light is produced by electrons changing position in atoms. Atoms make up all of the world. Sound waves (also an energy wave of sorts) can also crackle and thunder.

Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white, what remains of the four, I must be! (Though, really, It's only typically...) What I am must surely be in sight!

Wavelengths of light result in humans seeing different colours, red, deep blue-green (slate) and also white are quite typical laser beam colors, another is green.

I'm so wound up, about this little road. I can hardly reach the end! I've neither limbs nor toes nor nodes; Naught but a body suspends.

A wave is meandering around its path, if you want to be poetic. Theoretically, there is no end to this path. Light is not lost. We can see "old" light from far away stars that is reaching out eyes.

Strong 'till while I'm young, I am. (Perhaps as late as seven or eight!) As I grow older, I bend and I jam.

You need quite a bit of energy to keep a laser beam up. I vaguely remember that it begins to scatter the longer it goes, so the amplitude gets larger.

Now, now! The answer is close! I am what I am, though noticed little and as helpful can be when you must. I come in all shapes, all lengths, and all sizes.

Light is all around us, although we generally not notice it (much more often we would notice its absence). It is a tremendous help to our everyday life, you can produce it by different ways (laser, lightbulb), it has different wave patterns.

Now tell me: who am I? (I've got all day -- I can wait longer than you)

Now that I wrote it all down, I guess it is not a laser like I originally thought, but merely a beam of (green) light.

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  • $\begingroup$ Again, a nice try! $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 20:25
  • $\begingroup$ I am quite new on this platform so... as I just had another vague idea for a solution, can I add a second one? $\endgroup$
    – skymningen
    Commented May 13, 2015 at 6:32
  • $\begingroup$ You would simply need to edit your answer, make a second section (call it "Edit", perhaps) and then write down you vague idea. $\endgroup$ Commented May 13, 2015 at 21:33
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Are you a

Kernmantle rope?

I number myself, for I am numbered;

Different lengths, diameters, strength etc.

I am as long as I am worth.

Material-wise, the price is probably proportional to the length

I run down and up, I've crackled and thundered.

Often used in climbing and rescue missions

Just to come to rest upon the earth.

People use it to descend onto the ground

Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white, what remains of the four, I must be! (Though, really, It's only typically...)

Can't solve this part yet

What I am must surely be in sight!

People working in suspended platforms must be provided with safety ropes and are only allowed to work when they have properly worn one

I'm so wound up, about this little road.

When you pack a rope to travel/hike, you wound it up to save space

I can hardly reach the end!

The rope is long

I've neither limbs nor toes nor nodes; Naught but a body suspends.

Ropes can suspend people during climbing

Strong 'till while I'm young, I am. (Perhaps as late as seven or eight!) As I grow older, I bend and I jam.

Old ropes may break more easily

Now, now! The answer is close! I am what I am, though noticed little

If you are not a regular climber/rescuer you don't typically care about ropes

and as helpful can be when you must.

But when you're in danger the rope can save your life

I come in all shapes, all lengths, and all sizes.

Again, different lengths, diameters, etc

Now tell me: who am I? (I've got all day -- I can wait longer than you)

Ropes are long

Hints:

This hint is also a riddle: the word 'nglo' will help you tremendously.

Long

There are hints literally WOVEN into this problem.

From the linked Wikipedia article, (emphasis mine):
Kernmantle rope is rope constructed with its interior core (the kern) protected by a woven exterior sheath (mantle) designed to optimize strength, durability, and flexibility.

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice! Incorrect, regrettably. $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 20:24
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Daytime (light)

I number myself, for I am numbered; I am as long as I am worth.

Days are numbered and daytime last differently depending on the time of year

I run down and up, I've crackled and thundered. Just to come to rest upon the earth.

Daytime comes to rest upon the earth every morning

Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white, what remains of the four, I must be! (Though, really, It's only typically...) What I am must surely be in sight!

Hardest one, I'm thinking this is referring to the seven days of the week but haven't figured out how.

I'm so wound up, about this little road. I can hardly reach the end! I've neither limbs nor toes nor nodes; Naught but a body suspends.

Daytime(light) can't reach the end of the day (normally)

Strong 'till while I'm young, I am. (Perhaps as late as seven or eight!) As I grow older, I bend and I jam.

In the morning daylight is strong, but in the evening shadows make it seem to twist and bend. 7/8 is the typical time for sunsets/sunrises

Now, now! The answer is close! I am what I am, though noticed little and as helpful can be when you must. I come in all shapes, all lengths, and all sizes.

Now tell me: who am I? (I've got all day -- I can wait longer than you)

Indeed. Daytime has all day. And I doubt you can manage waiting a full day without doing -anything- else like it does.

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  • $\begingroup$ Oo I like this answer. How might you respond to the hints? $\endgroup$ Commented May 12, 2015 at 22:03
1
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Unfinished

The answer is:

A clock

I number myself, for I am numbered;

A clock face is usually numbered with the hours

I am as long as I am worth.

I run down and up, I've crackled and thundered. Just to come to rest upon the earth.

Neither red nor deep slate nor pure white, what remains of the four, I must be!

Old clock towers had four clock faces

(Though, really, It's only typically...)

Clocks haven't had four faces for a long time

What I am must surely be in sight!

I'm so wound up, about this little road.

Most old clocks needed to be wound up

I can hardly reach the end!

Wind-up clocks last for days, weeks or longer

I've neither limbs nor toes nor nodes;

IDK, clocks have hands

Naught but a body suspends.

Strong 'till while I'm young, I am. (Perhaps as late as seven or eight!) As I grow older, I bend and I jam.

Now, now! The answer is close! I am what I am, though noticed little and as helpful can be when you must.

Many people rely heavily on clocks

I come in all shapes, all lengths, and all sizes.

Clocks come in all shapes, lengths and sizes

Now tell me: who am I? (I've got all day -- I can wait longer than you)

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