I am precious to you,
but kill me you do.I am older than you,
but still ever new.I cannot be sold,
for money or gold.I can EVEN fly.
Yet wings have not I.This is no game,
what is my name?
Give the name and a brief reasoning.
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16$\begingroup$ Your name is G. Rassovsky. :^) $\endgroup$– yuritsukiCommented Nov 21, 2014 at 17:29
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1$\begingroup$ @Mazura I flagged a moderator to edit my comment but nothing happened so I've deleted my comment. Here it is again in non-spoiler format: "(+10) I guessed the answer just from the title. I think this type of riddle is overused." $\endgroup$– Mateen UlhaqCommented Nov 29, 2014 at 21:55
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7 Answers
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14
You are:
Time
Explanation
I am precious to you,
Time is precious
but kill me you do.
One kills time.
I am older than you,
Time has always been
but still ever new.
What has not been seen is fresh
I cannot be sold, for money or gold.
Money does not buy time
I can EVEN fly. Yet wings have not I.
"Time flies". AND it progresses in an "EVEN"/steady/constant manner - i.e. "at an even pace".
This is no game, what is my name?
Poetic style :)
answered Nov 21, 2014 at 13:54
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1$\begingroup$ Oh goodness. I was too slow... well I think mine was up first (I know you didn't cheat) :p but I had no explanation $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 21, 2014 at 13:57
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$\begingroup$ This comment was actually up first (like 10 seconds) :D $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 21, 2014 at 13:58
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4$\begingroup$ I'd like to argue against this tradtional answer: Every working person sells their time for money, and that equation is as old as work itself. So you cannot buy time with money, but you can definitely sell your own. $\endgroup$– ZibbobzCommented Nov 21, 2014 at 14:36
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2$\begingroup$ @Zibbobz, +1, also I'd like to argue that you can buy time. I believe that this is the main motivation behind employing workers or hiring contractors - you free up your time to do whatever it is you feel is more important. $\endgroup$– yoniLaviCommented Nov 23, 2014 at 21:17
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Something different!
Bacteria in/on your body
I am precious to you, but kill me you do.
We wouldn't be able to survive long without it however our body is constantly killing off bacteria
I am older than you, but still ever new.
It's been around longer than humans but what is with us is constantly rejuvenating.
I cannot be sold, for money or gold.
Not so typical to sell your bacteria (unlike our time how many people get paid per the hour...)
I can EVEN fly. Yet wings have not I.
We sneeze, its airborne...
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$\begingroup$ Love the creativity. My wife has bought (the product you mentioned) for making certain cheeses, but you make a good point that it's similar to buying someone's time. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 21, 2014 at 19:42
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$\begingroup$ You can sell bacteria, just not on eBay... ;-) $\endgroup$– smciCommented Nov 21, 2014 at 22:38
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$\begingroup$ +1 from me for creativity. You maxed out your rep on your first day. Not too shabby. ;) $\endgroup$– COTOCommented Nov 24, 2014 at 1:02
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You are... The Precious!
(Lord of the Rings, imdb)
I am precious to you, but kill me you do.
"It is precious to me, though I buy it with a great pain."
I am older than you, but still ever new.
An ancient artifact, harmed only by the fires that forged it.
I cannot be sold, for money or gold.
No ring bearer would ever part with the Precious for something so paltry as money.
I can EVEN fly. Yet wings have not I.
"The Ring of Power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death." Getting even and 'flying' from its bearer.
This is no game, what is my name?
"DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS."
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Time
I am precious to you, but kill me you do.
Time is money
I am older than you, but still ever new.
There is always a quantity of time bigger than your age
I cannot be sold, for money or gold.
You cannot buy time
I can EVEN fly. Yet wings have not I.
Sometimes you say "time flies"
answered Nov 21, 2014 at 13:54
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You are...
Air
I am precious to you, but kill me you do.
We need air to survive, but constantly consume it in our metabolisms. We also spoil it by polluting.
I am older than you, but still ever new.
Air has been around for ages, but is constantly "renewed" by photosynthesis which converts carbon dioxide in it to oxygen which can be breathed again.
I cannot be sold, for money or gold.
While bottled air is a thing in certain dystopic scenarios, breathing air is commonly accepted as a universal right that shouldn't need to be bought.
I can EVEN fly. Yet wings have not I.
Air flies, in its way, despite having no wings.
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$\begingroup$ Along the same lines, I was thinking specifically oxygen. $\endgroup$– DacioCommented Nov 23, 2014 at 18:08
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Time.
Time is precious, and yet sometimes we "kill" it, as in waste it.
He's "older" than anyone, since it existed before anyone, and yet there's always more time, so "when" we're living is, technically, new time.
Can't be sold, well, I dont know what more I can say about this :)
Time flies, usually when you're having fun, despite not having wings
edit: Ninja'd :(
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$\begingroup$ Np :D I just noticed i was double-ninja'd :) $\endgroup$– CiacciuCommented Nov 21, 2014 at 14:00
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The environment
I am precious to you, but kill me you do.
Everybody needs the environment but are destroying it.
I am older than you, but still ever new.
The environment was there long before anybody, but new plants, animals are being born every day.
I cannot be sold, for money or gold.
You cannot buy the environment.
I can EVEN fly. Yet wings have not I.
The environment can "fly" from place-to-place.
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1$\begingroup$ what do you mean by the environment being able "fly" from place-to-place? This part didn't click at all for me. Do you mean the entire planet? because that would really affect the entire answer. $\endgroup$– yoniLaviCommented Nov 23, 2014 at 21:20
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$\begingroup$ @yoniLavi Fungal Spores can fly and they don't have wings and they are part of the enviroment. $\endgroup$– JoaoCommented Nov 24, 2014 at 6:20