8
$\begingroup$

In one sense, I might describe a room,
Or part of a play, originally French.

In another, I'm used for comparison,
Perhaps to improve by a factor.

Almost, I'm a tag on this site,
If you've got me down to a tee.

What am I? Identify me.


Hint:

Each of the three stanzas of the riddle refers to a slightly different word, but all three are closely related.

$\endgroup$

7 Answers 7

14
$\begingroup$

In one sense, I might describe a room, Or part of a play, originally French.

A waiting room, or Waiting for Godot - originally published in French as En attendant Godot.

In another, I'm used for comparison, Perhaps to improve by a factor.

weighting - weights on a scale or assigning values which may improve a rating.

Almost, I'm a tag on this site, If you've got me down to a tee.

is a PSE tag and is just a 't' off.

Title: Hurry up and answer

You're waiting for the answer.

$\endgroup$
5
  • $\begingroup$ This must be right. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Dec 29, 2020 at 17:21
  • $\begingroup$ Yup, that's it. Line 4 specifically refers to using these things as factors to improve averages. (@Gareth did I live up to your expectations of this answer fitting better than yours or others?) $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 18:34
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Fantastic. Fits all clues so well. I am surprised though that there are so many other answers that are close. Good question great answer. $\endgroup$
    – DrD
    Dec 29, 2020 at 19:07
  • $\begingroup$ @Randal'Thor Yes, I agree (unsurprisingly) that this is more convincing than my attempt :-). $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Dec 29, 2020 at 20:02
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Congrats on 60k reputation, @Tom! $\endgroup$ Dec 30, 2020 at 7:42
5
$\begingroup$

I think you are

DOUBLE.

In one sense, I might describe a room, Or part of a play, originally French.

A double room in a hotel is one that sleeps two. If "play" can mean "playing a game" then there are lots of games in which something is called "double". The word "double" in English comes to us via French (in all its senses, I think).

In another, I'm used for comparison, Perhaps to improve by a factor.

One thing is double another if it's twice as big.

Almost, I'm a tag on this site, If you've got me down to a tee.

There is a [word-ladder] tag. Lewis Carroll called word-ladders "doublets". (The idea was that "if you've got me down to a tee" means to add a T to the word, of course. OP's comments below indicate that this is not in fact the correct answer, though that still might be part of how this couplet operates.)

Title:

On, or at, the double.

$\endgroup$
4
  • $\begingroup$ The "play" probably refers to rot13(qbhoyr ragraqer, n cynl ba jbeqf) $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Dec 28, 2020 at 22:39
  • $\begingroup$ I'm surprised to see who answered this, since you're normally spot-on. It's not bad, but some of these explanations (especially lines 2 and 5-6) are a bit of a stretch. I hope that, when the intended solution is found, you'll agree that it fits all the clues in a more natural way :-) $\endgroup$ Dec 28, 2020 at 22:44
  • $\begingroup$ I, correspondingly, was a little surprised that so much stretching seemed required :-). I'm glad to hear there's something better to be found. $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Dec 28, 2020 at 22:59
  • $\begingroup$ (Though lines 5-6 weren't the part that seemed most of a stretch to me, for what it's worth.) $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Dec 28, 2020 at 23:02
4
$\begingroup$

I think the answer is

Suite

In one sense, I might describe a room,

A suite is a type of hotel room.

Or part of a play, originally French.

A suite is an ordered set of orchestral pieces which developed, originally, in 17th century France.

In another, I'm used for comparison,

I think this refers to a geological suite which is a collection of rock specimens from a given area or a succession of closely associated sedimentary strata and consists of two or more lithodemes of a single genetic class.

Perhaps to improve by a factor.

I think this refers to a software suite which often improves computation by a significant factor over using disparate programs.

Almost, I'm a tag on this site,

It could be "pursuit-evasion" which is a tag on this site.

If you've got me down to a tee.

Not sure about this line, possibly refers to shortening "suite" to "suit" (down to a "t") which may relate to the tag.

Title

"tout suite" means "right now" in French.

$\endgroup$
4
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ In your last spoiler block you're missing a "de". $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Dec 29, 2020 at 0:02
  • $\begingroup$ This is probably right. $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 0:02
  • $\begingroup$ I'm guessing not (though it's ingenious, for sure) -- I think lines 4 and 5-6 don't fit well enough. But we'll see... $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan
    Dec 29, 2020 at 0:37
  • $\begingroup$ Nice try, especially for lines 1-2, but the rest of it is more of a stretch. There is a reason for the division of the riddle into separate verses. $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 5:57
4
$\begingroup$

You are

Premier, premiere, premium, and prime.

In one sense, I might describe a room,

Premier rooms in a hotel.

Or part of a play, originally French.

Premiere, the first performance of a play.

In another, I'm used for comparison, Perhaps to improve by a factor.

Premium: "of exceptional quality."

Almost, I'm a tag on this site, If you've got me down to a tee.

“prime” is a truncated, albeit rearranged, version of “premium”, and a tag on PSE.

$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ You get a +1 for another answer which almost fits, but again the explanation for lines 3-4 is a bit vague (the intended meaning has a more specific connection with those lines), and nothing for line 6 here. $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 15:04
3
$\begingroup$

I think it is

Ante/Anti

In one sense, I might describe a room,

Antechamber

Or part of a play, originally French.

In poker part of a play (a hand of poker) is to set the ante

In another, I'm used for comparison,

Anti - the opposite of something. Used to compare

Perhaps to improve by a factor.

This is where I start to think I'm going down the wrong path

Almost, I'm a tag on this site,

I'll keep scrolling through the tags to see if one fits...

If you've got me down to a tee.

anti/ante/antee down to 'A tee' - not sure here, everything seems like a stretch

$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Wow, for the first few lines you had me convinced this fits so well that my riddle must be too broad ... then it kind of petered out :-P Good try, but not the answer. $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 16:43
  • $\begingroup$ @Randal'Thor I was convinced too! Thats why I started, thought it fit so well it had to be right...and then...yeah...the rest didn't fit $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 17:11
2
$\begingroup$

You are a:

STAGE

In one sense, I might describe a room,

A STAGE as the freedictionary.com describes it: A resting place on a journey, especially one providing overnight accommodations. This might describe a room.

Or part of a play, originally French.

STAGE are where performers of a play perform and it comes from the Old French word ESTAGE.

In another, I'm used for comparison, Perhaps to improve by a factor.

The word can also mean a LEVEL and one can use levels as a way to compare things in their superiority or inferiority in relation to one another. The 'next stage' in this sense of the word means an improvement.

Almost, I'm a tag on this site, If you've got me down to a tee.

STAGE- S is TAGE (to reach a T) which is almost TAG.

Title:

The title could be implying: Hurry up the stages of the solving process and give an answer!

Also:

The riddle is layed out in 3 distinct stages.

$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, nope, but +1 for a good try which fits some parts well. As I mentioned on another answer, for the last verse it's not just TAG as a word but specifically a tag on this site. Also lines 3-4 have a ... more specific meaning than this. $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 8:39
1
$\begingroup$

What am I? Identify me.

log

In one sense, I might describe a room,

Middle English loge, via Old French loge meaning arbor or hut

Or part of a play, originally French.

In French theatre, the green room/dressing room is called les loges

In another, I'm used for comparison,

we use logarithms to compare, eg earthquakes with the Richter scale, acidity with the pH scale

Perhaps to improve by a factor.

logarithms are the inverse of exponential functions, and both can be used to increase a number by a factor

Almost, I'm a tag on this site,

log is not a tag but several tags exist that start with log...

If you've got me down to a tee.

shell scripting often uses a final tee program which additionally logs to the screen, allowing operators to verify every stage is completed correctly down to a tee

$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ I gotta say I like this one :-) but sadly not correct. The tag/tee part feels like a bit of a stretch, and I don't know anything about programming. I think I'll edit the question to add a hint. $\endgroup$ Dec 29, 2020 at 10:50

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.