12
$\begingroup$

I regularly wave my hands around and point at myself. Sometimes people stop by and look at me as if I'm trying to tell them something, and I am. I tell them all they want to know, about the only subject I know, but they can barely hear me. Sometimes they run away when they see me. I always tell them the same things every day but they never get tired of it; they always come back for more.

Who am I?

$\endgroup$
0

3 Answers 3

17
$\begingroup$

You are

a clock.

I regularly wave my hands around and point at myself.

A clock has hands which go round and round on itself.

Sometimes people stop by and look at me as if I'm trying to tell them something, and I am. I tell them all they want to know, about the only subject I know, but they can barely hear me. Sometimes they run away when they see me.

People stop to check the time on a clock. Most clocks are barely audible if it all, but they give people information about the time. Sometimes people might realise they're late for something and start running after seeing a clock.

I always tell them the same things every day but they never get tired of it; they always come back for more.

(This is a clever clue!) The time on a clock is changing moment by moment, but it always goes through the same set of possibilities each day. Despite this, people keep checking back on different days to see the time again.

$\endgroup$
6
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ Why did my brain instantly make me think of tube men :P $\endgroup$ Jan 12, 2021 at 22:08
  • $\begingroup$ @Beastly Me too! I guess that's the red herring in the surface reading, which made it an effective riddle, intentional or not. $\endgroup$ Jan 12, 2021 at 22:09
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Agree with the answer, but can you clarify the bit about how the hands "point at myself"? I don't really get that bit... $\endgroup$
    – tmpearce
    Jan 13, 2021 at 3:35
  • $\begingroup$ @tmpearce I'm not quite sure either; maybe the OP will clarify. $\endgroup$ Jan 13, 2021 at 7:27
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I think the "point at myself" is because the clocks arms points at the numbers that are on its face.Therefor, what it is pointing at at is really itself. $\endgroup$ Jan 13, 2021 at 14:54
4
$\begingroup$

Although Rand al'Thor's answer is probably right, I came up with an alternative which covers almost all clues. You are

a pedestrian crossing light.

I regularly wave my hands around and point at myself.

Some pedestrian crossing lights (in the US at least) use a hand as one of the symbols. The "waving" is when the light is flashing/blinking. It unfortunately doesn't point to anything (the only missing clue)...

Sometimes people stop by and look at me as if I'm trying to tell them something, and I am. I tell them all they want to know, about the only subject I know, but they can barely hear me. Sometimes they run away when they see me.

People look at the light to know if they can (safely) cross or not, and this is the only thing the light can tell anyone. When the light starts flashing, some people start running (away from the light) to cross the road. Some lights also have an audible signal to aid the visually impaired, but the sound can be soft, or drowned out by other (traffic) sounds.

I always tell them the same things every day but they never get tired of it; they always come back for more.

People will, very probably, return to the same crossing (or use other lights).

$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Interesting. I didn't think about that. $\endgroup$
    – Robalni
    Jan 13, 2021 at 17:48
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ This was actually one of the ideas I thought about before hitting on the right answer, but I dismissed it because it doesn't really fit the "hands" clue. $\endgroup$ Jan 13, 2021 at 18:13
0
$\begingroup$

You are a

Tube man


I regularly wave my hands around and point at myself.

Yes, that is the whole point of an air dancer, to wave along with the air that's blown through it.

Sometimes people stop by and look at me as if I'm trying to tell them something, and I am. I tell them all they want to know, about the only subject I know,

The purpose of an air dancer is to call attention to some message that's printed on it or more regularly written in a sign near it.

but they can barely hear me.

An air dancer don't or shouldn't produce any sound. Also it is not supposed to interact with people.

Sometimes they run away when they see me.

Some people may be scared of an air dancer, like children.

I always tell them the same things every day but they never get tired of it; they always come back for more.

The air dancer will probably be there every time you pass by it and you probably will notice it every time.

$\endgroup$

Your Answer

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

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