15
$\begingroup$

Heading down to the city of Thebes, you encounter a Sphinx who stops you in your journey and speaks to you. The Sphinx has a riddle for you: if you can solve it, she will let you pass; if you fail, she will devour you.

And this is the riddle the Sphinx has prepared for you:

If this were an answer, what would be the question?

Can you answer the Sphinx's riddle? There are two rules you must accept:

  • Your answer must not repeat the Sphinx's riddle verbatim.
  • Your answer must be itself a real question, not just a sentence and not a rhetorical question.

Hence the following is not acceptable, the Sphinx will eat you if you say:

Could you kindly ask: "If this were an answer, what would be the question?"?

While the Sphinx is highly intelligent, she has no time to lose, so don't expect her to check any weblinks, decode messages, watch you writing or mimicking, etc.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
14
  • 17
    $\begingroup$ don't people know by now not to go to Thebes? $\endgroup$
    – njzk2
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:14
  • 7
    $\begingroup$ Hmm... is this question possibly too broad as written? Is it possible to envision an unlimited number of possible answers? $\endgroup$
    – user20
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 1:10
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ Currently, riddles are off-topic per this meta question. We've been lax on this, but the moderators are going to start enforcing this more strictly, so if you want this and other riddle questions to remain open, I suggest you go to that meta discussion and make your argument there. $\endgroup$
    – Kevin
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 5:48
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ @GOTO0 OK, I think this is really the focal point of our meta-battles... I'll try to come with something... we cannot do without (real) riddles! $\endgroup$
    – d'alar'cop
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 7:08
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ Why was this reopened. Do people do believe it violates the close reason: "This question may invite speculative answers, as the question is not fully defined. The validity of some answers may be based upon opinion. Good questions for this site have a limited number of objectively correct answers." $\endgroup$
    – xnor
    Commented Nov 21, 2014 at 22:38

17 Answers 17

Reset to default
33
$\begingroup$

I'd say some variation of the following:

What is the Sphinx's riddle?

The trick is to get the Sphinx to repeat herself somehow without repeating the text in the question yourself. I think this is about as simple and direct a method of doing this as is possible. It doesn't rely on any sort of social cue tricks (e.g., "huh?", "say again?") or loopholes in the logic of the puzzle.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ I don't like this answer. It sounds like a typical "question" the rules try to forbid. $\endgroup$
    – Nova
    Commented Nov 23, 2014 at 1:10
59
$\begingroup$

What kind of pointer do you use to refer to the current object in C++?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_(computer_programming)#C.2B.2B

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
13
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ OK, that's brilliant. $\endgroup$
    – BenM
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:29
  • 4
    $\begingroup$ And, uh, a bunch of other languages. $\endgroup$
    – wchargin
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 2:49
  • 5
    $\begingroup$ I find this answer to be unsatisfactory because it takes the puzzle out of the realm of logic and into trivia. $\endgroup$
    – jscs
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 5:27
  • 16
    $\begingroup$ I like this answer for the very same reason. $\endgroup$
    – Florian F
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 8:35
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ I wouldn't risk it--"this" in the riddle might be dereferenced. $\endgroup$
    – Milo P
    Commented Nov 21, 2014 at 21:20
16
$\begingroup$

I think the key lies in the use of the word an. It's not saying that this is the answer, but one of multiple. Then, you really just have to ask it something open-ended like:

What is an example of a self-referential riddle?

There are many such solutions, all with many possible answers, including the one given. The sphinx would have to let you pass (assuming the sphinx plays fair, of course).

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ This is a great point. Though if it just has to be an answer you might as well ask for a string of random letters or words. $\endgroup$
    – Ric
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:37
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Agreed. I don't know if this was the intent of the riddle, but if not, it would be better to use "the". The Sphinx may be getting on in years, slipping on the tricksiness. $\endgroup$
    – Set Big O
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:38
12
$\begingroup$

What's the typical format of a Jeopardy! clue?

I'm not sure if the question is "elegant", but I think it works.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ I was thinking of this when reading the question title, actually. $\endgroup$
    – user88
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:17
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ @Gilles I am just wondering... what could "not" be hidden without spoiling? $\endgroup$
    – QuyNguyen2013
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 2:55
8
$\begingroup$

This is both a normal response and a question. Often people use it after a question they don't understand.

Could you kindy repeat the question?

or this:

How would you answer this?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ What if the Sphinx says, "No"? $\endgroup$
    – Ric
    Commented Nov 19, 2014 at 22:55
  • $\begingroup$ The Sphinx won't say "No".. too busy and too hungry. I'd just be dinner! :) $\endgroup$
    – David
    Commented Nov 19, 2014 at 23:00
7
$\begingroup$

The first thing that comes to mind is

If this was the question, what would be the answer?

but that seems too easy

Another possibility in the literalist bent

Hold some object in your hand and ask "What?"

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
0
7
$\begingroup$

Here's my try:

What sort of self-referential question could you ask that requests the question to the answer which is the question you just asked?

A quite literal interpretation of the question, but I think it works.

More poetically phrased (in the same way as the Sphinx), we might say it as such:

If the answer to this question were to ask for the question it answered, what would the question be?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ +1 This is indeed very close to what I have in mind. I like your question because you could ask it to somebody else - somebody who didn't ask the riddle and does not know it - and still get the expected reply. $\endgroup$
    – GOTO 0
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 7:46
4
$\begingroup$

What is the opposite of "that"?

According to Merriam-Webster, "that" is an antonym for "this".

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
3
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I thought of this too: "If 'this' was the answer..."... I think people are voting against this because they don't really get it :p btw your rep atm it leet $\endgroup$
    – d'alar'cop
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 2:51
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @d'alar'cop Thanks for the support! I should probably make it clearer in the answer that the Sphinx is emphasizing "this", but I think I might want to wait and see if a 3rd person votes to delete. Then I'll have an edit ready to re-open it. $\endgroup$
    – pacoverflow
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 5:42
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Noone can vote to delete now because it's got a positive score :D but frankly this question should probably be closed... it's because of this kind of question (which is currently #1 on HNQ) that makes us look bad :p $\endgroup$
    – d'alar'cop
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 5:44
3
$\begingroup$

"They say the answer of The Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is 42. What do you think?"

It looks like an anchronism, but if you consider the Sphynx as immortal, it cannot be.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
$\begingroup$

What is the name of the capital city of the first dynasties of ancient Egypt?

or you could ask

What's the other name for Thinis,the capital city of the first dynasties of ancient Egypt?

The questions above considers the given sentence literally by taking the word "this" to refer to the answer.

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinis

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ What is the bizarre community that down voted this answer although is technically identical to the much less contextualized one using C++? This! $\endgroup$
    – DarioP
    Commented Nov 22, 2014 at 12:00
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Thanks for the support. I really fail to understand whats so wrong with my answer when compared to all the others. The answer even fits the theme - Sphinx/Egypt. $\endgroup$
    – Hubble07
    Commented Nov 22, 2014 at 13:31
2
$\begingroup$

An ideal solution seems to be along the lines of a quine, posing a question that contains the Sphinx's challenge so that the two "generate" each other. Unfortunately, embedding her riddle verbatim --

If "If this was an answer, what would be the question?" was the answer, what would be the question?

-- is not allowed.

One could refer to the Sphinx's expression:

If what you just asked me was the answer, what would be the question?

Although it seems to me that the correct response to that is itself again, producing a sort of fixed-point dialogue.

Possibly better would be this inversion:

If what you just asked me was a question, what would be the answer?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I like your answer and it's the best on here in my opinion. The only thing I see potentially wrong is the verbatim rule. "You must not repeat the riddle verbatim." $\endgroup$
    – David
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:15
  • $\begingroup$ That's a very good point, @David. Having thought more about this construction, I'm not totally sure about the precise form I chose anyways. I will try to revise. $\endgroup$
    – jscs
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:18
1
$\begingroup$

A possible solution:

What question would you ask me if I should answer with the question I would ask to get your answer?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
0
$\begingroup$

The answer (or question) is so easy though!

If I were to have you repeat that question in exact words, what would you reply with?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
4
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ She might reply with, "my riddle" $\endgroup$
    – Ric
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:32
  • $\begingroup$ @Ric Doesn't matter what she might say, but what she could say. The riddle doesn't say it's the answer, but an answer. $\endgroup$
    – Set Big O
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:34
  • $\begingroup$ @Geobits, great catch! $\endgroup$
    – Ric
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 0:37
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Ric Better now? $\endgroup$
    – warspyking
    Commented Nov 20, 2014 at 1:24
0
$\begingroup$

I would answer:

Well, what are you going to ask me?

And the explanation is, the dialogue must make sense played in both directions. For example, the sphinx question first and my answer after have to make sense, as well as my answer first and then the sphynx question.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
-1
$\begingroup$

First thing that comes to mind:

What is the logical way you should question if i say this were an answer?

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
-1
$\begingroup$

What do the letters T-H-I-S spell?

Or another possibility (though this doesn't have a unique answer...):

What's an anagram of 'hits'?

Sorry, I think I'm too much of a fan of wordplay and misinterpretation!

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Rohinb97 That's why I said it doesn't have a unique answer! ;-) $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 22:36
-2
$\begingroup$

My guess...

May I pass through?

And 'this was an answer'...

refers to how the Sphinx explained you need to solve her riddle to pass through

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1

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