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I am dead, but I keep things alive
When I'm awake, I light up inside
What am I?

You can fit a lot inside.
Belongs in a house.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hint, please!!! $\endgroup$
    – Radvylf Programs
    May 16, 2018 at 2:34
  • $\begingroup$ You're killing me here. Was my interpretation of the last two lines correct, even if my word wasn't? $\endgroup$
    – Scott
    May 18, 2018 at 1:50

14 Answers 14

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Are you a

refrigerator?

I am dead, but I keep things alive

A refrigerator does not live, but it keeps groceries fresh.

When I'm awake, I light up inside

refers to the light inside the fridge which turns on when you open the door.

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  • 1
    $\begingroup$ I do wonder what a ersev-tngbe(rot13) would look like. :P $\endgroup$
    – Quintec
    May 13, 2018 at 19:35
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    $\begingroup$ It's a distant cousin of the nyyv-tngbe :P Thanks @Riley for fixing it. $\endgroup$
    – Glorfindel
    May 13, 2018 at 19:41
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    $\begingroup$ The first clue seems a bit tenuous. Dead and "Not alive" are not the same thing. $\endgroup$
    – Martin Smith
    May 13, 2018 at 21:38
  • $\begingroup$ The second clue as well. I'd say it's awake when it's plugged in, not when it's opened. $\endgroup$
    – Kevin
    May 13, 2018 at 22:46
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    $\begingroup$ @thecoder16 uggc://pyvpxreurebrf.jvxvn.pbz/jvxv/Ersrev_Wrengbe,_Vpr_Jvmneq $\endgroup$
    – somebody
    May 14, 2018 at 0:23
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Are you

compost? (This is not an insult to you)

I am dead

Compost is made of dead matter

But I keep things alive

Often to help potted plants grow

When I'm awake, I light up inside

When the microbes are "awake", they produce heat

You can fit a lot inside

Compost and soil contains millions of microbes, and tons of NPK (Fertilizer)

I belong in a house

Many people keep potted plants, or have a separate trash can for compostable materials

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    $\begingroup$ What's with the downvote? $\endgroup$
    – Radvylf Programs
    May 14, 2018 at 0:52
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Are you perhaps

a fireplace of firewood?

This fits the first hint fairly well:

The firewood is dead but it heats other things, helping them stay alive.

Lighting up inside is fairly obvious. The fit isn't perfect, though:

Arguably the wood is dead but it's the fireplace that lights up inside. Therefore it only seems to make sense if you consider the two together.

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Partial answer, suspect it's wrong but perhaps on the right track.

Are you

Chaloth, a type of bread.

I am dead, but I keep things alive

The yeast in the bread has died during cooking. Bread keeps people alive from calories.

When I'm awake, I light up inside ???

You can fit a lot inside.

chALOTh. As this clue comes after the 'What am I?', it's not actually an item you can fit a lot inside, it's a word that can fit the four letters 'alot' inside,

Belongs in a house

Similar sot of logic. Insert the answer somewhere amongst the letters 'ahouse' to make a new word.

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  • $\begingroup$ Also you usually don't keep this sort of thing outside, so it would indeed belong in a house ;) $\endgroup$
    – Doktor J
    May 14, 2018 at 14:01
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Perhaps you are

An aquarium type fish tank?

I am dead, but I keep things alive

The tank is just glass, an air pump etc. but the creatures inside would die without it

When I'm awake, I light up inside

The tanks normally have colourful lighting

You can fit a lot inside.

The tank is hollow and takes up a lot of space

Belongs in a house.

People who like fish might have one or more of these in their houses. They're not exactly portable

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You are a

Power bank

I am dead, but I keep things alive

discharges itself to keep my phone powered.

When I'm awake, I light up inside

awake refers to being charged... with electrons... which could generate light...?

You can fit a lot inside.

a power bank could store a lot of mAh, sometimes multiple charges to a phone.

Belongs in a house

power bank protector case cover acts as the house.

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I guess that you are

a volcano

I am dead, but I keep things alive

It's technically asleep, so it can be dead as well ? It keeps things alive with warmth, and volcano are often very fertile areas (so they maintain crops alive)

When I'm awake, I light up inside

Obvious

What am I?

A volcano, then

You can fit a lot inside.

Volcanoes are big and hollow, so as long as you don't mind lava...

Belongs in a house.

... lava lamps ?

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  • $\begingroup$ Lava lamps do not house an entire volcano, though. $\endgroup$
    – Sasha
    May 14, 2018 at 7:21
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You are

an oven

I am dead but I keep things alive

An oven is an inanimate object so its dead .It is used to cook food and hence keeps things alive

When I am awake ,I light up inside

It lights up when you use it

You can fit a lot inside

Self explanatory

Belongs in a house

Obviously ! In a Kitchen!

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I think you may be

a lighthouse

Rationale:

Keeps sailors alive. Lights up inside when active. Don't know about the lot - perhaps a pun in English? A lighthouse belongs in a house.

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Maybe you are a

TV and/or Food

I am dead, but I keep things alive

TV is dead though I can't live without it, and food is basically dead, but recently dead i.e. fresh.

When I'm awake, I light up inside

When a TV is switched on the screen is illuminated from inside, and when food is cooked it wakes up and becomes tasty and digestible

You can fit a lot inside.

On TV? A lot of s**t, but food, you can fit a lot of that inside

Belongs in a house.

TV belongs in a house or a public house (a bar), a house of ill repute, etc. And food belongs in a house, in the kitchen

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  • $\begingroup$ Dead vs. inanimate... $\endgroup$
    – Radvylf Programs
    May 16, 2018 at 2:35
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You might be a

Microwave

I am dead, but I keep things alive

You use radioactive (alive?) heating to keep things 'alive'.

When I'm awake, I light up inside

When you are on, the light goes on inside.

You can fit a lot inside.

A lot of stuff can fit inside a microwave, ask Mr. Bean

Belongs in a house.

A microwave is usually in someone's kitchen, which is in his/her house.

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Maybe you are a

Fire Alarm

I am dead, but I keep things alive

It's an inanimate object but people are saved when it goes off!

When I'm awake, I light up inside

When it is activated, there is usually a light that goes off

You can fit a lot inside.

Not so much, unless you're talking about sound

Belongs in a house.

They are usually in houses

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You are a

lamp

I am dead, but I keep things alive

Normally you are turned off If you turned on, it means it is midday and every things are alive not sleepy.

When I'm awake, I light up inside

When you turned on, you light up inside.

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You are a

switch

Explanation:

You are dead(off) normally.

You keep things not destroyed from overvoltage.

When you are awake(on), you light up inside by light.

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  • $\begingroup$ @F1Krazy, Thanks. You don't think 'switch' is right? $\endgroup$
    – LarAng
    May 14, 2018 at 16:16
  • $\begingroup$ I'm not convinced, to be honest, but it's not up to me. Only Sploash knows what the intended answer is. I added the spoiler tags in just because that's the accepted practice for all answers here, not because I think it's wrong. Welcome to Puzzling.SE, by the way! $\endgroup$
    – F1Krazy
    May 14, 2018 at 16:19

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