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I'm found in a gong,
I look the same from both ends.
Now don't get me wrong:
Two straight and three bends.

I'm a form of a word,
But not the one you're used to.
You know, I'm my third,
You'll find me if you choose to.

What am I?

Hint 1 (concerning some of the lines):

Lines 3 and 8 are just flavour text, mainly included to fit the rhyme. Don't think too hard about them.

Hint 2 (concerning tags):

This puzzle could also be tagged [letters] and [wordplay].

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12 Answers 12

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I think the answer is:

The word "going".

I'm found in a gong, I look the same from both ends.

You get "going" from finding an "i" in "gong", and the word starts and ends with a "g" (not quite a palindrome but oh well)

Now don't get me wrong: Two straight and three bends.

Written in caps, the letters G, O, and G are bendy (3 of them) while I and N are straight

I'm a form of a word, But not the one you're used to.

Not too sure about this part

You know, I'm my third,

"I" is the third letter of the word "going"

You'll find me if you choose to.

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5
  • $\begingroup$ This is the correct answer ... but user_MK found that word already, despite thinking the solution was a letter instead of a word. I'm not sure if I should just award you the tick or encourage user_MK to edit their answer so I can award it to them. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 29, 2016 at 12:34
  • $\begingroup$ @randal'thor How does going look the same from both ends? And what form of a verb are we “used to”? I don’t get how this can be the correct answer… $\endgroup$
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Nov 29, 2016 at 16:59
  • $\begingroup$ @Janus "going" looks the same from both ends because both its ends are the same (G). It's not the standard form of the verb "go", the form we'd look up in the dictionary - instead it's the conjugated progressive form "going". $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 29, 2016 at 22:02
  • $\begingroup$ @randal'thor: I think the tick should go to user_MK. I hadn't read through all the answers before posting, and now that I saw his I think mine was quite a duplicate. Thanks though! $\endgroup$
    – Xenocacia
    Nov 30, 2016 at 1:05
  • $\begingroup$ @Xenocacia I accepted your answer because the explanation is better, but I may award a bounty to user_MK just to balance things out. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Dec 13, 2016 at 12:25
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Is the word -

non

I'm found in a gong,

gong Letters o and n and make non

I look the same from both ends.

non is a palindrome and will be same if reversed.

Now don't get me wrong:

non expresses negation hence wrong.

Two straight and three bends.

non has 2 straight lines in two n's and three bends in n(2) and o(1)
enter image description here

I'm a form of a word, But not the one you're used to.

We are not used to listen a "no" from anyone :)

You know, I'm my third, You'll find me if you choose to.

This might be a little tricky. So here's my take - "I'm my third" might relate to third letter of rand al'thor which is "n" and "You'll find me if you choose to." might relate to "You'll find me if you choose two" hence 2 n's.

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Also, non is the French form of ‘no’, which is presumably not the one most of us are used to hearing. $\endgroup$
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Nov 27, 2016 at 11:06
  • $\begingroup$ Nope, but good try. (And once again, I'm not enough of an egomaniac to write puzzles around my own name! :-P ) I'll add a hint. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 27, 2016 at 13:23
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Is it

The i in "going"?

I'm found in a gong

i is in between the word gong

I look the same from both ends

I is symmetrical or going has 'g' on both ends

Now don't get me wrong: Two straight and three bends.

Maybe describing the word "GOING" 'I' and 'N' are the 2 straight, 'G', 'O', 'G' are the 3 bends? This one I'm not sure of.

I'm a form of a word, But not the one you're used to.

i vs eye

You know, I'm my third, You'll find me if you choose to.

I is the third letter in 'going' or maybe that 'I' is 1/3 of the total without the top and bottom lines

Edit: Ah it is the word

going

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1
  • $\begingroup$ This is VERY close to the correct answer. Try making the solution a word instead of a letter - it should then fit everything. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 29, 2016 at 12:33
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Updated after latest hint:

Are you a

SPACE (character)?

I'm found in a gong,

The second character in the string "a gong" is a space. Gong would be a distractor in this case, as it could be literally any word.

I look the same from both ends.

A space is blank; it looks the same (empty) from all directions.

Now don't get me wrong (ignored) Two straight and three bends.

In capital letters, AE are all straight lines (two straight) while SPC all have curves (three bends).

I'm a form of a word,
But not the one you're used to.

Could mean a couple of things; spaces define words by being the borders, or in computer science, each character (including "space") can be represented by a "word" or set of bits.

You know, I'm my third,

The third character in "my third" is also a space.

You'll find me if you choose to (ignored).

Original try below... Are you a

Tone?

I'm found in a gong,

When you hit a gong, a tone is played.

I look the same from both ends.

Tones are periodic, so when plotted as a function of time they look the same forward and backward.

Now don't get me wrong (ignored) Two straight and three bends.

Depending on the font/handwriting, "t" is written with two straight lines, and "one" can each be written as a single curved line.

I'm a form of a word,

Tonal languages use tone to convey meaning

But not the one you're used to.

English isn't a tonal language, and English-language speakers find tonal languages difficult to learn and understand.

You know, I'm my third,

In music, "tone" is another word for a diminished third interval.

You'll find me if you choose to (ignored).

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2
  • $\begingroup$ Sorry, nope. See new hint (I'll edit those tags in as actual tags if you feel the question is too broad without them). $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 28, 2016 at 17:58
  • $\begingroup$ Alright, I gave it another try following the hints. I'm not sure this totally fits one of the "tags" though... $\endgroup$
    – tmpearce
    Nov 28, 2016 at 19:28
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Is it

The word 'on'?

I'm found in a gong,

gong

I look the same from both ends.

If you looked at it side-on or even top and bottom-on, then it would look the same

Now don't get me wrong:

wrong

Two straight and three bends.

Made up of two straight lines and a bend in the 'n' and two bends in the 'o' (though that could be one bend)

I'm a form of a word,
But not the one you're used to.

It starts off one

You know, I'm my third,

Not sure, maybe Three on a match?

You'll find me if you choose to.

Turned on?

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1
  • $\begingroup$ Nah, I leave riddles with this solution to another puzzler ;-) Your explanations for lines 4-8 are a bit weak - the intended answer fits much better. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 26, 2016 at 21:25
4
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Is it

Onomatopoeia

I'm found in a gong

"Gong" is an onomatopoeia because the word sounds like the sound a gong makes.

I look the same from both ends

The word looks the same side-on from both ends.

Now don't get me wrong

Onomatopoeia is frequently spelled incorrectly.

Two straight and Three Bends

Onomatopoeia contains two "straight" letters (t and p) and three "bend" letters (o, a and e).

I'm a form of a word

Onomatopoeia is a type of word

But not one you're used to

It's not a very well known type of word

You know, I'm my third

The number of letters (12) is divisible by three.

You'll find me if you choose to

You can make up an onomatopoeic word based on a sound you hear.

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2
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe I'm my third means that the third letter is the same as the one the starts the word. $\endgroup$
    – boboquack
    Nov 26, 2016 at 23:30
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Puzzling! I don't understand your answers to lines 2, 4, and 7 ... which might suggest that your answer isn't right :-) Good try though! $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 26, 2016 at 23:33
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My take

Gun

I'm found in a gong,

Gong originated from the Malay word gung, which contains gun

I look the same from both ends.
Now don't get me wrong:

'u' and 'n' are actually interchanged if you look upside down.

Two straight and three bends.

One bend each of "g", "u" and "n" and a straight each of "n" and "u"

I'm a form of a word, But not the one you're used to.

People are not usually used to guns unless they are undercover agents or cops

You know, I'm my third,
You'll find me if you choose to

Gun constitutes 3/4th of "Gung" or gong.

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1
  • $\begingroup$ Line 1 actually has a more direct explanation (although yours is plausible). Your explanations of lines 2 and 5 aren't very convincing though ... $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 27, 2016 at 15:04
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Because there's substantial history and numerical relationships with it, but personally being unable to fit all the clues, I'm going to say:

noon

I'm found in a gong,

True: gONg

I look the same from both ends.

It's a palindrome.

Now don't get me wrong:

Flavor text, but could relate also to time or getting the time wrong.

Two straight and three bends.

At noon (or midnight in archaic definitions) the clock's minute and hour hands are both straight. Three bends? Not sure.

I'm a form of a word,

It's a shortened form of afternoon, high-noon and others.

But not the one you're used to.

Unfortunately for my purpose, it's a very common word.

You know, I'm my third,

I'm thinking there might be some numerical significance to noon, 12, 3, and more:

dictionary.com: Old English nōn, from Latin nōna (hōra) ninth hour (originally 3 p.m., the ninth hour from sunrise)

Word Origin and History for noon
n. mid-12c., non "midday, 12 o'clock p.m., midday meal," from Old English non "3 o'clock p.m., the ninth hour," also "the canonical hour of nones," from Latin nona hora "ninth hour" of daylight, by Roman reckoning about 3 p.m., from nona, fem. singular of nonus "ninth" (see nones ). Sense shift from "3 p.m." to "12 p.m." began during 12c., when time of Church prayers shifted from ninth hour to sixth hour, or perhaps because the customary time of the midday meal shifted, or both. The shift was complete by 14c. (cf. same evolution in Dutch noen).

You'll find me if you choose to.

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3
  • $\begingroup$ Only half of this word is found in a gong. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 28, 2016 at 18:25
  • $\begingroup$ @randal'thor, Hmmm... I see. So, I'm thinking it needs to be wholly within it. And presumably none apart from it. $\endgroup$
    – John
    Nov 28, 2016 at 18:27
  • $\begingroup$ struggling to restrain myself from giving out another clue $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 28, 2016 at 18:29
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Am I:

ag / silver

I'm found in a gong,

ag is the first two letters of 'a gong' / Silver gongs exist (note it doesn't say all gongs)

I look the same from both ends.

In certain fonts, a and g look like each other upside down, so I look the same from both ends could refer to the a and g at either end looking the same / ag is silver, and ga is gallium, both silver-coloured metals

Now don't get me wrong:
Two straight and three bends.

ag has a bend on the left of the a, a straight on the right of the a, two bends on the left of the g and a straight on the right of the g \ Silver has two straight letters - il, three bend letters - ser and one that isn't bendy or straight... (v)

I'm a form of a word,
But not the one you're used to.

ag is a form of silver, but not the one you'd necessarily expect unless you are a chemist/physicist or some such

You know, I'm my third,

Silver is for second, but it's a third of the medal winners

You'll find me if you choose to.

Flavour text fluff to make it rhyme (like line 3)

The answer is definitely not the best, but some of the things look too coincidental.

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  • $\begingroup$ +1 I was thinking seriously about ag and ga too. But haven't had the time to formulate a proper answer yet.(Side effect of puzzling while on the job >.>) Good job $\endgroup$
    – stack reader
    Nov 29, 2016 at 6:18
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Ok here's my best guess:

sins

I'm found in a gong, I look the same from both ends.

It has the same first and last letter, like gong

Now don't get me wrong:

wrong

Two straight and three bends.

Sins has three bends and two straight lines in the letters

I'm a form of a word, But not the one you're used to.

This is where I start to doubt myself. Sins is normally used in the singular form, as sin. Instead of the noun-singular form (one), though, it's the verbal form. "He sins"

You know, I'm my third, You'll find me if you choose to.

"Sins" is the third-person form of the verb.

I know it's a huge stretch but it's the best I can come up with.

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    $\begingroup$ Sorry, nope. The explanation for the first line is much more direct than this - not just any word with the same first and last letter would match. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 27, 2016 at 18:42
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Is it

gag

  • It's found in "a gong"
  • It's a palindrome
  • Two straight and three bends

I'm not sure how it fits this criteria

  • It's a synonym for

a joke

  • letters 1 and 3 are the same
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0
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It could be

A sound wave

Because

I'm found in a gong,

The sound wave is the sound from gong.

I look the same from both sides.

A sound wave may be symmetrical. Two straight and three bends. At the top and bottom (2) of a wave they may be considered flat or parallel to what is flat. Two "s" curves that share a point could be three curves.

I'm a form of a word,

Sound waves are the form of words.

But not the one you're used to.

We don't actively speak sound waves but do it unintentionally

You know, I'm my third,

Third related to pi?

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1
  • $\begingroup$ "Two straight and three bends" is more precise than that - it's exactly two and three. I just edited the question with a new hint. $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 28, 2016 at 17:57

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