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This riddle is so easy that I already have created another one. Just in case. Anyway, please avoid wild guesses.

For sure I am queer
and out of place
Are you still here?
Go start the chase

But always remember
in the first place
stacks are amazing
but not a maze

I'm in the beginning
as well as the end
And always traceable
no matter what I pretend

I really am curious
about who will find
the animate being
that hides behind

The solution is here

No, it is not. One might call it far-fetched.

Here is also a real hint

You will find only one of my kind.

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    $\begingroup$ The hardest part of these puzzles is determining which words are actually relevant, and which are just included to make things rhyme. ;) $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Nov 14, 2014 at 15:16
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    $\begingroup$ many of the answers seem to come from bored programmers browsing stackoverflow who saw this link in the "trending questions" list $\endgroup$
    – nurettin
    Nov 14, 2014 at 15:47
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    $\begingroup$ This question is unsuitable for Stack Exchange because its intended answer depends on external elements, namely, the author's profile and recent activity, that won't make sense in a few days or on another site. It is also off-topic because it has no well-defined answer. $\endgroup$
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:05
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    $\begingroup$ Oh, so you didn't manage to solve it? The next one will be very easy don't worry! $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:09
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    $\begingroup$ Hey avi, have a look at my 'pray' riddle - d'alar'cop has solved it and I'm hiding from the lynch mob too! $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Nov 22, 2014 at 11:34

13 Answers 13

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The answer is "cat."

For sure I am queer and out of place. Are you still here? Go start the chase

This means that the answer is not here, on this page. After some looking around, I ended up on avigrail's user page, finding this:

Well done! If you are looking for something out of place you are on the right track here.

Next up:

But always remember in the first place stacks are amazing but not a maze

This led me to look around on Stack Exchange, eventually ending up on avigrail's network profile mostly by chance. There I found: Well done! Almost there.

Next part of the riddle:

I'm in the beginning as well as the end And always traceable no matter what I pretend

I originally thought this referred to tags, but now I'm pretty sure it refers to edits. Reason being, the answer is in an edit that avigrail made yesterday.

I really am curious about who will find the animate being that hides behind

Curiosity killed the cat, they say.

FYI I included some other small things here (very small actually). Those were not to be the main hints.

The second meaning for "in the end" is that this riddle of course includes the solution, too. Technically, this post also is the end (for now :p).

The solution is here - No it is not. No further explanation. Same with far-fetched.

You will find only one of my kind - is pretty interesting because by finding (CRTL + F) the word "cat" could be found only once on this page. By now, several answers to this questions have added some cats of course. Anyway you will most likey find "cat" but no dog, cow, rabbit, etc. In other words the cat is the only kind of animal around.

And always traceable, no matter what I pretend also means, that the solution was hidden in a spoiler and therefore pretended to be invisible/untraceable. Hilarious side effect: the cat hides until you move your mouse close to it.

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    $\begingroup$ always traceable refers to the fact that avi cannot delete it $\endgroup$
    – d'alar'cop
    Nov 14, 2014 at 20:13
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    $\begingroup$ "in the first place"... that was avi's first question.. "at the end"... the edit occurs at the end $\endgroup$
    – d'alar'cop
    Nov 14, 2014 at 20:14
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    $\begingroup$ in the title "have to pray"... refers to "prey" - we are going hunting $\endgroup$
    – d'alar'cop
    Nov 14, 2014 at 20:15
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    $\begingroup$ @d'alar'cop Excellent catch! My original justification for "beginning" and "end" was a bit of a stretch. So it was sort of a "I don't quite get that part but here's the answer anyway" type of deal. The always traceable line was what did it for me. $\endgroup$
    – Graph Theory
    Nov 14, 2014 at 20:18
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    $\begingroup$ Can't say I like it. But well done, @txteclipse! $\endgroup$
    – No. 7892142
    Nov 14, 2014 at 22:21
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Are you

deoxyribonucleic acid?

"AND" out of place = DNA.

DNA is both in"beginning" and "end", if you turn e's to form a's and flip b's to form d's.

DNA molecules are held together by "pi - stacks".

DNA is traceable (e.g. in forensic cases).

DNA encodes for animate beings.

The clue you will only find one of my kind relates to the fact that each being has a unique DNA sequence.

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    $\begingroup$ I will upvote this one for its effort and originality. It is not my solution tho. I have to point this out: "and" out of place = "DNA" is so damn brilliant! $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Nov 14, 2014 at 9:41
  • $\begingroup$ Please do not post an answer where all the content is hidden in spoiler markup. Your answer should make sense and be distinguishable from another answer to a reader who cannot or chooses not to read the spoiler block. $\endgroup$
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:03
  • $\begingroup$ @Gilles, I don't agree, so I have chosen to keep it as is. I also cannot click your link because it is apparently untrusted without a https. Are you trying to track me mate? $\endgroup$
    – Kenshin
    Nov 17, 2014 at 10:34
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    $\begingroup$ That exchange seemed a bit schizophrenic until I realized that there were 2 different accounts with the display name "Gilles" :) $\endgroup$
    – Ben
    Mar 17, 2015 at 15:59
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Time
its considered as a fourth dimension thats kinda queer as we cant comprehend 4d objects
Time stacks are a name given to photos which show lots of time in one image there amazing
but they are no maze
we measure time trace it back through history, make futuristic predictions and so forth
the animate being is yourself in the future if you were to look through time. Are you curios to see your future self.

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    $\begingroup$ You guys are amazing! This solution is incredibly nice but unfortunately not the answer to my riddle. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Nov 14, 2014 at 11:07
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    $\begingroup$ dam! I genuinly thought I had finally cracked one of yours $\endgroup$
    – Oblongamous
    Nov 14, 2014 at 11:12
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    $\begingroup$ I admit your solution fits in quite well for some of the lines. For example, time always runs so you better "start the chase". Also time is in the beginning and the end. The idea with the stacks on photos is very nice, too. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Nov 14, 2014 at 11:16
  • $\begingroup$ Please do not post an answer where all the content is hidden in spoiler markup. Your answer should make sense and be distinguishable from another answer to a reader who cannot or chooses not to read the spoiler block. $\endgroup$
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:03
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    $\begingroup$ This Gilles knows how to copy paste! $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Jan 8, 2015 at 14:35
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memory

reasons for my answer:

For sure I am queer, - we hardly remember something, but easily remember something, too.
and out of place, - it can't be seen
Are you still here? - sometimes we forgot something shortly
Go start the chase - we sometime want to remember things we forgot

But always remember, in the first place, stacks are amazing, but not a maze - we get more memory as we grow up, it will keep "stacking" until the end

I'm in the beginning, as well as the end - we have memory since we born, until we die
And always traceable, no matter what I pretend - we can remember something when we saw/touch/smell specific item or hear specific word. Even when you have amnesia

I really am curious, about who will find, the animate being, that hides behind - we can rewind what we have done, and find something back

another answer (for fun):

a troll/people who make fun of you whatever you did, they are in everywhere, you can trace them, but barely can do things to them

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    $\begingroup$ It is a awesome answer but we dont create memories at the beginning, we dont have the brain capacity untill around 3 years of age. Upvote still in order :) $\endgroup$
    – Oblongamous
    Nov 14, 2014 at 15:37
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    $\begingroup$ @Oblongamous Source for that claim? Wikipedia disagrees, and so do my experiences as a parent ;) $\endgroup$
    – Set Big O
    Nov 14, 2014 at 15:45
  • $\begingroup$ <a rel="webmd.com/children/news/20110511/…> although maybe 3 years old is a little outdated it does imply that for at least a year our limbic system just isnt up to scratch. If my children say they remember me first attempting to change their nappy, my face would be all shades of red :D $\endgroup$
    – Oblongamous
    Nov 14, 2014 at 16:05
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    $\begingroup$ although I could be slicing apart habits and memory as different entities, thats maybe a question for a different stack. $\endgroup$
    – Oblongamous
    Nov 14, 2014 at 16:07
  • $\begingroup$ webmd.com/children/news/20110511/… $\endgroup$
    – Oblongamous
    Nov 14, 2014 at 16:21
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the shadow

Why?

It is out of place of where the original object it reflects, stacks of things don't affect it, it is a simple hard object, it appears when the light comes on, all the way till it dies down, and it does not matter what it looks like, you can always see trace it... The animate that hides behind? could be symbolic to: the object that it reflects

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  • $\begingroup$ Please do not post an answer where all the content is hidden in spoiler markup. Your answer should make sense and be distinguishable from another answer to a reader who cannot or chooses not to read the spoiler block. $\endgroup$
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:06
  • $\begingroup$ But everything you can put in an answer for a puzzle. .. is a spoiler! $\endgroup$
    – Ayyash
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:08
  • $\begingroup$ Why would you scroll down to read the answers if not to read the answers? How can I decide whether your answer would be interesting to read if the only thing I know about it is that it contains “Why?” in the middle? $\endgroup$
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:11
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    $\begingroup$ This isnt how puzzles work, maybe stachexchange isn't the perfect platform for it, but ppl are not supposed to see answers unless they formed their own answer, hiding stuff is for them not to see by mistake, but they open spoilers based on comments and ratings $\endgroup$
    – Ayyash
    Nov 17, 2014 at 7:14
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Here's my thought:

The answer is the null pointer, as in C and C-like languages.

  • Normally it's not supposed to appear in programs, thus "out of place" and needing to be "chased".
  • In some languages like C, it points to the start of memory (the zero address), but is often used to signal the end of a data structure with indeterminate length, like strings and "stacks".
  • Many compilers and runtimes "pretend" that the null pointer points to nothing (and signal its use as an error), because to do otherwise would open up major potential for security bugs, but (assuming that it points to zero, which is true for many languages but not all of them), technically it could point to something useful if it were allowed to be "traced".
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  • $\begingroup$ Another beautiful solution that is completly wrong. $\endgroup$
    – Avigrail
    Nov 14, 2014 at 14:42
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    $\begingroup$ I know it's not the site for this, but it's perfectly fine to use null in programs! $\endgroup$
    – Keysharpener
    Nov 14, 2014 at 15:43
  • $\begingroup$ As long as you're using it carefully and deliberately, yes. The problem with null pointers is that they're very easy to use accidentally, and the fact that you're using them at all isn't always obvious. That's where the problems begin. $\endgroup$
    – The Spooniest
    Nov 15, 2014 at 5:12
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If the riddle is computer related :

An IP adress

Because :

Queer = not understandable by the average user, Start the chase = find the shortest way to the next IP, Stacks relate to the complexity of Internet routes, Beginning and end = Both client and server, Always traceable (even though it can be very difficult), Animate being = human or machine on either side, One of a kind

It doesn't seem like it fits everything but it's my best guess

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Your hint brings to mind

a fingerprint, and this connects well with the "beginning" and "end", as they are at the ends of your fingers, and stick with you from the beginning and end of your life. They look rather like a "maze"?? are literally traceable and traceable for tracking crimes etc. and humans are behind them and each are unique?! also you touch them together when you pray hahahah

idk im new here hi

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A road

seems to fit everything except the last verse and the hint.

It's 'out of place' because it leads out of the place where it begins. 'Go start the chase' - chasing along the road. 'Not a maze' - it's a straight road. 'I'm in the beginning as well as the end' - both ends of the road are part of it. It's 'always traceable' because it appears on a map.

Probably not the right answer though, since it has nothing to do with 'stacks' or an 'animate being' and it's not 'the only one of its kind'!

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i am the beginning, i am the end... makes me think of a circle
stacks are amazing... maybe i am taking this too literally

could it be... a circular queue?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_buffer

they sure are queer... yet, always traceable...

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Pokemon

Pokemon are conventionally odd entities (Queer) Whilst in the pokeball they see nothing (Are you still here?) Gotta catch em all (The chase) Ash' Pikachu was with him from the beginning and always will be his pokemon (In the first place) Pokemon evolve from one stage to another so the initial one is still the end one, but evolved (I'm in the beginning as well as the end, and always traceable) Pokemon are curious creatures (I really am curious) You have to hunt to find them in long grass or elsewhere etc. (About who will find, the animate being, that hides behind) Pokemon are animate beings

*You said no wild guesses, but they can be tamed!

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I'm new here so my spoiler tag could be a bit messy, forgive me.

Could the answer be:

Fossils/bones
- It is queer to see fossils (bones) in the ground or in rocks where they could be considered out of place

- Paleontologists chase after fossils

- Stacks are geological formations which can be made of limestone, sometimes containing fossils, i.e the jurassic coast. they are pretty amazing to look at but they are not a maze
- They are there at the beginning , when a vertebrate is born and they remain at the end after the flesh has decomposed

- They are tracable through carbon dating and genetic testing, i suppose, no matter how they are hidden

- You can trace bones to the animal that they once supported

- I also assume that no two bones are the same

It could also be:

cloth

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I want to say

Life

- It is technically out of place in the universe, where non-life is the vast majority.
- Stacks, i.e., lots of life/lives is better than a little, I suppose.
- Beginning and end are merely a metter of timeframe, lives are traceable whether people want it or not.
- And behind every life there's something animate.
- And everyone only has one (cats go away!).

but it doesn't really fit the bill in all aspects..

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