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My first may sometimes hold my all.
My last may sometimes strike a ball.
Between, may sometimes make a shawl.
And people sometimes say we're small.

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1 Answer 1

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The answer to this smashing riddle may be

potatoes

My first may sometimes hold my all.

pot - of potatoes.

My last may sometimes strike a ball.

toes - to kick a ball.

Between, may sometimes make a shawl.

tat - gunny cloth made from jute.

And people sometimes say we're small.

small potatoes - insignificant or unimportant.

Title - One, Two, Three, Four, …, Five, Six, Seven, Riley!

This is a rhyme used in counting-out games:

One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes - four
Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes - more
Eight potatoes, nine potatoes, ten potatoes - all

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  • $\begingroup$ What about the title? $\endgroup$
    – Sid
    May 7, 2018 at 8:13
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    $\begingroup$ From Yukon gold to fingerling, you got it without lingering! $\endgroup$ May 7, 2018 at 8:26
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    $\begingroup$ What does Riley have to do with the rest of the counting rhyme? $\endgroup$ May 7, 2018 at 14:23
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    $\begingroup$ @Peter LeFanu Lumsdaine Riley was the first one to ask a riddle of this type on puzzling. It's now considered a type of puzzle. See this question for context $\endgroup$ May 7, 2018 at 14:40
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    $\begingroup$ For the middle part: rot13()"Gng" vf nyfb n ireo zrnavat gb znxr ynpr $\endgroup$ May 7, 2018 at 15:29

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