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A tiny creature wrapped in slime
A useful little parasite
I'll take your food and drink your wine
I'll ask for more and you'll oblige.

Not a tapeworm. No, not quite.
'Twould be ironic! This is why:
In tapeworms I as well reside.
Now the question: What am I?

Hint 1:

I'm real. I'm not a creature from a fantasy movie or story.

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  • $\begingroup$ "On tapeworms I as well reside. " Just to clarify, this is saying that it is something that lives on a tapeworm right? $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:15
  • $\begingroup$ @DigitalChris Yeah. I changed the wording to "In" instead of "On" so it will make more sense. $\endgroup$
    – LCIII
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:17
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    $\begingroup$ OK, because except for the tapeworm line, I was going to say "a baby" ;). $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:18
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    $\begingroup$ @LcIII please change your title. This is the most vague riddle title I have ever seen. $\endgroup$
    – yuritsuki
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 16:11
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    $\begingroup$ Please remember that answers need to explain why they are correct, not just answer the question. Answers that don't explain why they are correct are of very low quality. $\endgroup$
    – user20
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 16:57

8 Answers 8

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A stomach? Tapeworms (I assume) have some sort of this, it will receive whatever you give it, it is certainly slimy, although not necessarily tiny.

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  • 3
    $\begingroup$ And when it asks (grumbles) for more, you'll oblige. Good job. $\endgroup$
    – LCIII
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:43
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    $\begingroup$ Your stomach is a "loathsome little parasite"? Try having it removed.... $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:47
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    $\begingroup$ I see this answer is accepted, but it's wrong because it ignores a facet of tapeworm anatomy. I'm being vague because I'm trying not to give the answer away, but a quick Google for tapeworm anatomy will reveal the flaw in the answer. $\endgroup$
    – John Rennie
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 18:48
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    $\begingroup$ Stomach is neither a creature nor a parasite. $\endgroup$
    – Qwerky
    Commented Nov 19, 2014 at 15:04
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    $\begingroup$ Stomachs are not always tiny. Stomachs are not a creature. Stomachs are not a parasite. Stomachs are not inside a tapeworm. "However, there is no digestive tract; the worm absorbs the host's digested food through its cuticle, or outer covering." infoplease.com/encyclopedia/science/… $\endgroup$
    – Thien
    Commented Nov 19, 2014 at 15:34
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Is it a:

baby \ fetus \ embryo?

They could be unwanted if you are too young.

because:

A tiny creature wrapped in slime

fetuses are wrapped in a placenta

A useful little parasite

babies grow up to be useful people)

I'll take your food and drink your wine

fetuses will take anything ingested by the mother

I'll ask for more and you'll oblige.

the mother cannot deny a fetus from absorbing nutrients from the umbilical cord

Not a tapeworm. No, not quite. 'Twould be ironic! This is why: In tapeworms I as well reside.

tapeworms can lay eggs which contain tapeworm embryo

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  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Except babies don't reside in tapeworms. $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:23
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    $\begingroup$ Baby tapeworms! $\endgroup$
    – Aura
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:24
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    $\begingroup$ Mind blown. o__x $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:26
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Is it a

worm?

The first stanza fits, and the second stanza:

"In tapeworms I as well reside" could be wordplay since

"worm" is found in tapeworms, and a worm is "not quite" a tapeworm.

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    $\begingroup$ If you spoiler the first part, you may as well spoiler the later part too. $\endgroup$
    – Schism
    Commented Nov 19, 2014 at 17:59
  • $\begingroup$ @Schism good point, edited. $\endgroup$
    – Digital Chris
    Commented Nov 19, 2014 at 18:06
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You might be a:

Cell

I'll take your food and drink your wine I'll ask for more and you'll oblige.

All cells need nourishment

On tapeworms I as well reside.

Tapeworms are covered in cells as well

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  • $\begingroup$ Not quite. Way to think outside the box. $\endgroup$
    – LCIII
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:08
  • $\begingroup$ This was my guess, too. $\endgroup$
    – Kevin
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 22:16
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You are a:

Protozoa

This is a gut flora which seems to fit all the clues quite comfortably.

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  • $\begingroup$ I had to Google what that was. It is not that thing. $\endgroup$
    – LCIII
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:20
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Are you a:

Leech

Leeches are slimy and they can certainly attach themselves to anything.

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    $\begingroup$ Nope! I am so relieved you didn't figure this out in 2 minutes like last time. $\endgroup$
    – LCIII
    Commented Nov 18, 2014 at 14:08
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You are a:

A brain

In my case it is tiny and slimy, and yet very useful. In a way I am my own one, so it can be thought of as a creature. In the case of most people, when their one wants something, they will get it. And I suppose tapeworms have one inside them.

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You are a:

Larva

be definition , larvae of a tapeworm are themselves parasites.

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