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Some say I'm dishonest, that I am a cheat,
a no-good hoodwinker and full of deceit!
But I disagree, for I hold a good conscience,
just ask my friend Deedee, she'll tell you it's nonsense

The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you know
in fact many an artist before me will bow
Yet even though these ones my ego may stroke
I've always got time for the ordinary folk

There are so many clues you may start to feel dizzy
but this poem has helped me to keep my hands busy
I find that if I let my hands become idle
I develop bad habits that I just can't bridle

What am I?

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    $\begingroup$ "The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you know" => "The truth is I'm widely admired; just like wow" or "The truth is I'm widely admired; you know how"? "The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you feel // in fact many an artist before me will kneel"? That "know/bow" non-rhyme is bugging me. :( $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Jul 16, 2018 at 18:31
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    $\begingroup$ @IanMacDonald I've written quite a few poems here, they all rhyme. $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 8:34
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    $\begingroup$ @IanMacDonald There is a difference in rhymes, some are based on letters, others on sound and there are many more variations of rhyme. Even if two words don't look or sound 'right', it might still be a rhyme. p.s. Astralbee Having written other poems, does not automatically make anything else a rhyme. $\endgroup$
    – PL457
    Jul 17, 2018 at 13:37
  • $\begingroup$ @PL457 But I've told you that all my poems rhyme. While some people were criticising my rhyming ability they were missing clues. $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 17:14

4 Answers 4

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Are you

a fiddle/violin?

Some say I'm dishonest, that I am a cheat, a no-good hoodwinker and full of deceit!

Informally, a fiddle is "an act of defrauding, cheating, or falsifying" (Google definition)

But I disagree, for I hold a good conscience, just ask my friend Deedee, she'll tell you it's nonsense

The phrase "fiddle dee dee" is indeed nonsense

The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you know in fact many an artist before me will bow

Hint from @Astralbee that bow rhymes with know - violins in orchestras are widely admired as the "stars" of the show, and are indeed played with a bow by violinists

Yet even though these ones my ego may stroke I've always got time for the ordinary folk

While violinists play for symphonies, the fiddle tends to be played more for folk music

There are so many clues you may start to feel dizzy but this poem has helped me to keep my hands busy

To fiddle with something is "to touch or fidget with something in a restless way": that would certainly keep one's hands busy!

I find that if I let my hands become idle I develop bad habits that I just can't bridle

Fiddling around with things is a bad habit as well

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  • $\begingroup$ Well done! You have the right answer! But the final lines aren't quite right. You've got 3 different definitions of the same word in there, could there be more? $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 17:12
  • $\begingroup$ Good call, I've updated the last two lines...although they seem to be referencing the same definition? $\endgroup$
    – El-Guest
    Jul 17, 2018 at 17:21
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    $\begingroup$ Good enough! Well done. There was a clue in the title too. $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 17:35
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    $\begingroup$ @Astralbee, Could it be because rot13(fgenqqyvat n yvar vf n svqqyl guvat gb qb)? Or is this possibly a very very bad pun on the rot13(Fgenqvinevhf)? $\endgroup$
    – El-Guest
    Jul 17, 2018 at 17:40
  • $\begingroup$ The second. I love bad puns. Rot13(N "fgenq" vf nabgure pbzzba anzr sbe n ivbyva be svqqyr, fubeg sbe Fgenqvinevhf bs pbhefr.) $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 21:20
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Are you

Code

Some say I'm dishonest and call me a cheat, a no-good hoodwinker and full of deceit!

As in cheat codes for video games.

But I disagree, for I hold a good conscience,

It could be computer code of which does not cheat.

just ask my friend Deedee, she'll tell you it's nonsense

From Ian McDonald in the comments DD is a command that copy or pints a file.

The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you know in fact many an artist before me will bow

This might mean like cipher ancient code like hieroglyphs and they are a work of art.

Yet even though these ones my ego may stroke I've always got time for the ordinary folk

People use the internet everyday which is made by code.

There are so many clues you may start to feel dizzy but this poem has helped me to keep my hands busy

You use your hands on the computer to write code.

I find that if I let my hands become idle I develop bad habits that I just can't bridle

From Joe-You-know in the comments it may refer to spaghetti code which is messy code.

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    $\begingroup$ perhaps the last one is referring to rot13(fcnturggv pbqr)? $\endgroup$
    – Joe-You-Know
    Jul 16, 2018 at 16:20
  • $\begingroup$ The second one might also be rot13(pbqr bs pbaqhpg) or a (zbeny pbqr) $\endgroup$
    – user44966
    Jul 16, 2018 at 17:14
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    $\begingroup$ I don't know how this helps you, but the end of the first stanza: rot13(qq vf n pbzznaq gung pbcvrf (be cevagf bhg) svyrf). $\endgroup$
    – Ian MacDonald
    Jul 16, 2018 at 18:27
  • $\begingroup$ The answer is not code. ;) $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 8:32
  • $\begingroup$ I've +1 this answer because it is a good effort! But I feel I should say that the answer is nothing at all to do with code or programming. Have another think and try again! $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 11:45
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I am not sure but are you

A Star

Some say I'm dishonest and call me a cheat, a no-good hoodwinker and full of deceit!

Using the asterisk sign, which is very similar to a star, in Unix is a sort of cheat as it can say anything. It can also be full of deceit as a bad manipulation of it can lead to very bad consequences ! "Full of deceit" can also be a reference to the use of asterisk in contracts, you know, the little line in the end of the page...

But I disagree, for I hold a good conscience just ask my friend Deedee, she'll tell you it's nonsense

Not sure for the first part of the sentence but the Unix command "dd *" is nonsense.

The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you know

The definition of star people.

in fact many an artist before me will bow

Hollywood boulevard stars need the artists to bow before them.

Yet even though these ones my ego may stroke

Getting a star with your name on Hollywood boulevard can change a lot to your ego...

I've always got time for the ordinary folk

A star need to sign autographs, maybe ?

There are so many clues you may start to feel dizzy

To feel dizzy is very similar to faint. I don't really know in english but in french we can say "Voir des étoiles" which can be translate by "to see stars".

but this poem has helped me to keep my hands busy I find that if I let my hands become idle I develop bad habits that I just can't bridle

I don't really know for these ones.

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  • $\begingroup$ +1 for having a go and your reasoning! Sadly not correct. In fact not to dash your hopes but the answer is nothing to do with code, or programming. $\endgroup$
    – Astralbee
    Jul 17, 2018 at 11:38
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks ! Anyway, I will try to find some additional justifications to this answer, just for fun ;) $\endgroup$
    – Freedomjail
    Jul 17, 2018 at 11:43
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I'm convinced that the answer to this puzzle doesn't exist, because i think

you are the devil.

Some say I'm dishonest, that I am a cheat,
a no-good hoodwinker and full of deceit!
But I disagree, for I hold a good conscience,
just ask my friend Deedee, she'll tell you it's nonsense

The classical view of the devil is that he is inherently untrustworthy, but many modern stories depict the devil as being essentially honest, or at least bound by his word. (Still trying to figure out which of those stories the Deedee is referring to. Initially thought it was a reference to Daredevil but the pronoun seems to be off. Maybe it's a play on Deedee ("DD") being the Devil's Daughter? This seems to be the plot for a 1977 TV show "A Year at the Top" at least.)

The truth is I'm widely admired, don't you know

Devil worshippers

in fact many an artist before me will bow
Yet even though these ones my ego may stroke
I've always got time for the ordinary folk

This refers to making a deal with the Devil. Many great artists, especially violinists (ref. "bow" rhymes with "know"), are said to have gotten their skills by making a deal with the devil, but those deals are supposedly available to anyone for the price of their own immortal soul. (Plus taxes. Terms and conditions may apply.)

There are so many clues you may start to feel dizzy
but this poem has helped me to keep my hands busy
I find that if I let my hands become idle
I develop bad habits that I just can't bridle

Idle hands are the devil's playthings.

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