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  • My second older brother is a dangerous man, a pig who gorges himself on all our land.
  • He hurt our mother’s feelings (called her a cow), so she hurt him back from belly to brow.
  • My oldest sister is wise, her stare — penetrating. It pinned him to the ground.
  • He tried to say sorry but died, while my oldest brother ran on foot into the woods to hide.
  • My father is head strong, didn’t stop to think, he insulted her too — called her a sheep.
  • My second older sister drew a sword and stabbed him in the eye (he also died).

Deaths and threats aside, which one of the above family members does not belong?

Hint 1

Myself and 1 other family member besides the ones mentioned above also do not belong.

Hint 2

Don't take this at face value, the odd-1-out is based on who/what they are.

Hint 3

There's an element to this that you may have been overlooking, so I've italicized the important portions of the lines.

Hint 4 - Here's an extra set of verses

- My mother loves to go into the field and pick basket flowers…with her foot. Yeah she’s weird.
- My second older brother holds no honor I fear, a rat is he, he’d bite off your ear.
- My oldest sister, so gentle and free, to her you’ll always feel loyalty.
- My father made a flute with his own hand, through no force! What a creative, inventive man.
- My second older sister has clarity beyond her age, love is her compass and guides the way.
- My oldest brother you cannot shake, his integrity is steadfast, except when asked who fed the cat last.

Hint 5

This answer is on the right track, where can you go from there? Perhaps this might help?

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  • $\begingroup$ I'm thinking this family is associated with a long, long journey? $\endgroup$
    – Kate Gregory
    Sep 5, 2018 at 15:11
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ They probably mean "which one ... does not belong?", instead of "do". Here, "do" implies that there may be more than one, which directly contradicts the singular "one". $\endgroup$
    – Phlarx
    Sep 5, 2018 at 19:17
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    $\begingroup$ @Phlarx was correct. Given the rest of the phrasing, I wasn't certain there wasn't a trick question! $\endgroup$
    – chrylis -cautiouslyoptimistic-
    Sep 5, 2018 at 19:18
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    $\begingroup$ It's a family — everyone belongs. $\endgroup$
    – jwodder
    Sep 5, 2018 at 22:05
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    $\begingroup$ @Sensoray Is it time for another hint? I keep returning to this puzzle in hope of seeing one, but alas :-) $\endgroup$
    – Mariia Mykhailova
    Oct 1, 2018 at 15:35

15 Answers 15

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Well this has consumed a lot of my time but with the related puzzle's hint I think I have a solution.

The reference for all of this is...

Bagua which are the eight symbols used in Taoist cosmology.

Reference image below to save time on justifications

I would use this a reference for everythingPlanet and itemsZodiacBushido

So which family member doesn't belong?

You are the third son and the family member that doesn't belong is the first daughter. She is astrologically represented as Pluto which is no longer classified a planet.

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  • $\begingroup$ Whooo! Way to go! I was going for a different member, based off of the 5 main elements but I can't really complain because this fits as well. You might should add in the other chart as well so people can see where you got the planet bit from. $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 22, 2018 at 15:29
  • $\begingroup$ Also, if you know it, you might as well answer the hint-riddle too? $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 22, 2018 at 15:30
  • $\begingroup$ I wrote a comment on his but I feel like he got it 99% of the way I just got lucky with some googling. rot13 (V nz thrffvat gur znff bs guerr ersreraprf gur Gnbvfg flzobyf znqr sebz 3 yvarf gubhtu, evtug?) $\endgroup$
    – Jim
    Oct 22, 2018 at 15:33
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    $\begingroup$ lol, actually no. rot13(tenz vf n havg bs znff naq gev vf 3 fb V jnf uvagvat ng gevtenz) $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 22, 2018 at 15:38
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    $\begingroup$ Wow okay I had no idea that this was a thing so I never would have got it lol. thanks for the rep though @Sensoray $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Oct 23, 2018 at 8:19
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This sounds like

something to do with the Greek pantheon.

Namely...

Zeus and his children.

My second older brother was a dangerous man, a pig who gorged himself on all our land.

This could be his son Ares, a dangerous man as God of War.

He hurt our mother’s feelings (called her a cow), so she hurt him back from belly to brow.

The mother could be Hera, who was vengeful

My oldest sister was wise, her stare — penetrating. It pinned him to the ground.

This could be his daughter Athena, Goddess of Wisdom.

He tried to say sorry but died, while my oldest brother ran on foot into the woods to hide.

This could be his son Hermes, fleet-footed Messenger God.

My father was head strong, didn’t stop to think, he insulted her too — called her a sheep.

Sounds like something Zeus would say to Hera.

My second older sister drew a sword and stabbed him in the eye (he also died).

This could be Artemis....Goddess of the Hunt.

With that in mind, there are a few thoughts I had for standing out:

Artemis, because her weapon was a bow and arrow instead of a sword;
Athena, because she was the only one not born naturally (she sprung from Zeus' head);
Ares, because of the four he was the only one born in wedlock (to Hera);
Hermes, because he's the only one whose name doesn't start with A.

There's got to be something more specific, I imagine, because I think I could form an argument for any, as above.

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  • $\begingroup$ Your way of thinking is heading in the right direction, but your answer isn't ;) $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 19:54
  • $\begingroup$ The last guess doesn't really fit since the father and mother also don't start with A (noticing that the question specifically asked about "family members"). The others are good answers, though. $\endgroup$
    – David Starkey
    Sep 5, 2018 at 20:20
  • $\begingroup$ Also Hera's sacred animal is the cow so idea may be promising $\endgroup$
    – suomynonA
    Sep 5, 2018 at 23:42
  • $\begingroup$ Hephaestos instead of Ares? Hera kicked him out of Olympus (what presumably hurt), and he is deformed... $\endgroup$
    – Narusan
    Sep 6, 2018 at 10:25
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Is it something to do with the Chinese Zodiac and/or Astrological Star Signs?
The oldest brother as they were the only one not to hurt anyone.

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    $\begingroup$ Good idea, but that's why I said "deaths and threats aside", the reason doesn't have to do with that ;) $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 14:51
  • $\begingroup$ Partially! You're getting warmer! $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 12, 2018 at 12:41
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I would say

You!

Because

The story talks about how everyone in your family was violent. You always said "my oldest brother, my sister, and my father." But, you never say "I".

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  • 2
    $\begingroup$ ahh, that's why I put in the "above family members" I already know I don't belong ;) $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 14:50
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    $\begingroup$ Ahhh didn't notice that, Sneaky :D $\endgroup$
    – Goose
    Sep 5, 2018 at 14:51
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Is it:

The oldest brother mentioned in Line 4

Because:

Counting the syllables of each line of the puzzle, there are neat breaks within each line to separate it into two halves (Although this may be subjective). The line splits that seem intentional due to commas, '-', and the word 'and', I come to:

Line one having a split of 13 and 10 syllables
Line two is 11:10
Line 3 is 9:10
Line 4 is 8:15
Line 5 is 11:10
Line 6 is 10:10.
The only second half of each split line with a different syllable count than 10 is the 4th line, where the oldest brother runs off into the woods. This is probably quite a stretch due to some lines having multiple 'split's, such as the double commas in line 5, or the comma and '-' in line 3. In every case though where there are two possible splits, using the latter of the two will maintain the X:10 pattern, while the only line in the riddle that violates it is line 4 which only has 1 split.

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  • $\begingroup$ ah that's a very interesting find, but unintentional!! I mainly worded it in that way so it would flow easier. As I mentioned in another answer, the answer should fit pretty perfectly, you'll know if you get it, the lines will make sense -- I should probably add the knowledge tag. $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 19:29
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Answer:

The second older sister is the odd one out, she is a human wielding a sword, the rest are animals.

Reason:

Second older brother is a pig, as stated. Older sister is an owl, wise and staring. Mother is a cow/sheep. Father is headstrong like a bull or an Ox. Oldest Brother is a deer or hare, running into woods at first sign of trouble.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good idea, but if that had been it, I would have been more specific if I was alluding the brother to an animal -- I wouldn't want to be vague. The answer will fit pretty perfectly and shouldn't leave any room for mis-interpretation $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 16:20
  • $\begingroup$ Also in the future, usually if you answer a question and you want to post another guess, you would update your first answer with the new guess. You could leave your initial answer for people to see and just cross it out. :] $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 19:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Sensoray Sorry I'm new here :) $\endgroup$
    – AHKieran
    Sep 6, 2018 at 8:47
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    $\begingroup$ @Sensoray I disagree. It is more desirable to post two (or more) separate answers than to completely change an existing answer. Editing should only be used to clarify or improve an existing post, not to change it into something entirely different (thus invalidating all the comments and votes made on that post to date). $\endgroup$
    – GentlePurpleRain
    Oct 17, 2018 at 18:53
  • $\begingroup$ @GentlePurpleRain I've just seen many comments in the pasts on posts of people who answer multiple times and they usually suggest to update one post instead. I had the same thoughts as you, but just thought that was the way things were done here $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 17, 2018 at 19:00
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A wild guess (not using hints, after posting this I think my answer maybe incorrect). Is it:

My oldest sister

Because

They are all related to fabric/materials except My oldest sister who is a needle but still related to the use of fabric/materials

My second older brother is a dangerous man, a pig who gorges himself on all our land.

Fabric made from Corn - made from fermented sugars of corn. ‘dangerous’ - Corn can cause allergic reactions in some people. ‘Pig’ - Pigs Ear - Ear of Corn. ‘gorges’ - Pigs eat corn.

He hurt our mother’s feelings (called her a cow), so she hurt him back from belly to brow.

Cow Hide/Leather. ‘She hurt him’ - to physical hurt someone can be referred to as giving someone a hiding

My oldest sister is wise, her stare — penetrating. It pinned him to the ground.

A needle. To be wise, is to be sharp in the mind, the point of a needle is sharp. ‘her stare’ - A needle has an eye, you stare with your eyes. ‘It pinned him to the ground’ - A sewing needle is used to stich fabric together, pinning them to each other.

He tried to say sorry but died, while my oldest brother ran on foot into the woods to hide.

Wood is used to make some fabrics, (Rayon or viscose is one of the most common "manufactured" cellulose fibres - google search). The foot on a sewing machine press the fabric on to the feed dogs, which in turn runs the fabric forward or backwards.

My father is head strong, didn’t stop to think, he insulted her too — called her a sheep.

Some types of Wool comes from sheep. ‘stop to think’ - if you have a woolly head it means you cannot think clearly.

My second older sister drew a sword and stabbed him in the eye (he also died).

Cotton Thread - You draw cotton through your fingers to make it straight and pointed ready for threading a needle

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  • $\begingroup$ I think the pigs ear -> corn is a bit of a stretch, but I love the creativity! $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 20, 2018 at 15:24
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! @Hint 4: My mother loves to go into the field and pick basket flowers…with her foot. Yeah she’s weird. “Football?” “Basketball”?

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  • $\begingroup$ Basket flowers is an actual thing :] but thats a creative way to interpret it! $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Oct 20, 2018 at 15:22
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Similar to my previous answer, I think that

These refer to Kronos, Rhea, and their six children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.

This is a bit more tenuous, but

Your father Kronos as God of Time is impatient; your mother Rhea is associated with the Earth (hence the cow and sheep references).

Then:

Your second oldest brother might be Hades, who's dangerous and gorges himself; Poseidon might have fled into the woods to hide because he enjoyed the company of nymphs. Your oldest sister with the death stare might be Hestia, goddesses of the hearth; and the sister with the sword might be Hera, who wasn't averse to acting out her anger.

This leaves you as

Zeus, who along with his missing sister Demeter is left out because his name doesn't start with H (I'm ignoring Kronos and Rhea purposefully.) The odd one out is therefore Poseidon, whose name does not start with H, unlike Hestia, Hera, and Hades.

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  • $\begingroup$ Nope, that's not it. I wouldn't think Poseiden would go into the woods...I may have put you off farther with my earlier comment, but I'd doesn't have anything to do with Greek mythology. But you do have the right idea of reading more into the lines $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 6, 2018 at 20:29
  • $\begingroup$ This was the first family I saw with 6 kids, and I totally understood the positive bias towards Greek mythology and how well it fit with my previous answer. I knew all of the fittings would be stretches though there, it’s a neat puzzle! (Wood nymphs, perhaps?) ;p $\endgroup$
    – El-Guest
    Sep 6, 2018 at 21:07
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Answer:

Oldest brother is the only one who didn't attack anyone in any way. (For me attack is not the same as death or threat.)

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  • $\begingroup$ But if you disregard the other's threats (words and physical) then it doesn't matter that he didn't attack, they are on the same level $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 5, 2018 at 19:32
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I'm not too confident in this as the whole answer, but maybe it's part of the answer and will help someone finish it. Is it:

The second oldest sister

because:

All the other family members are associated with animals. The second older brother was a pig. The mother was called a cow and a sheep. The oldest sister was wise (as an owl?) The oldest brother ran into the woods to hide (what a chicken!) The father was head strong, also known as bull-headed.

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  • $\begingroup$ Another answerer said something similar, but no, that's not it. The lines should make more sense when the proper answer is discovered. Also, there's the knowledge tag to take into account, so there's something more going on than that. Your take on the oldest brother made me laugh though :) $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 6, 2018 at 5:02
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Answer:

Oldest brother: He is the only male left because he ran on foot into the woods to hide. Moreover wasn't like others who are quite aggressive.

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  • $\begingroup$ I wouldn't say the wise sister was aggressive, just that her wise stare could penetrate, preventing him from moving. Like if dumbledore started staring at you, you probably wouldn't look away $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 6, 2018 at 18:03
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Guess #1 My answer:

The oldest sister doesn't belong.

Because:

She is the only one with a super power! She could pin him to the ground with only a stare. ;)

Guess #2 My answer:

The oldest brother doesn't belong.

Because:

He was the only one who was a coward!

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  • $\begingroup$ If that was the case, you could say the sister because she's wise, or the other brother because he gorges himself ;) $\endgroup$
    – Sensoray
    Sep 6, 2018 at 18:09
-1
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My Guess:

Oldest Brother

Reason

He was the only one not to interact with another family member.

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-2
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line 3 - the oldest sister, because no rhyme

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2
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Puzzling! I doubt this is the correct answer, as lines 5 and 6 don't rhyme either. Also, in the future, please use spoiler formatting (>!) to hide your solution. $\endgroup$
    – Glorfindel
    Sep 6, 2018 at 12:14
  • $\begingroup$ lol imo they do rhyme. think - sheep (not thaaaat well tho ) and eye-died $\endgroup$
    – Letch
    Sep 7, 2018 at 6:59

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