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What am I? 03/04/19 13:36 UTC

This is very abundant
The most that you'll see
And its group and number
Is what you will need

Now somewhat repetetive
For you who are us
You may now start the task
From now, not before

You use this to move
Or choose where to go
How much am I spotty?
You need to know

Some think this will curse you
But they've got it wrong
Not quite a domino
How many of me?

If your friend in Jakarta
Wants you to get on the horn
Then to be direct
Just remember me

Take dozen of the best
Not more, not less
Now look to the last
And there this will rest

Hint #1: 03/04/19 18:48 UTC

Though once I was rejected
I am now well known
For I am a part of
All that are equal and right

Hint #2: 04/04/19 13:30 UTC

Work out what each is
For it's a joint effort
Then take them conjointly
And then you will know what I am

Hint #3: 04/04/19 22:33 UTC

If you value your pieces
Then put them together
You will soon find
You're close to the answer

Hint #4: 06/04/19 18:57 UTC

Though I'm very well known
No one can tell you what I am
I'm quite small, but I never end
And you can work on me forever

Hint #5: 08/04/19 15:20 UTC

When solving the first
Look in the Earth's crust
That's part of the answer
Now find the rest

Do you like it? This is my first riddle, so sorry if it's not too good. Not sure what tags I should include to avoid giving extra hints. Note: the timestamps are just that, timestamps. All you need is in the stanzas.

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6
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Very nice riddle! Some tag suggestions: If the answer is a single word, include the "word" tag. The "poetry" tag would almost certainly be appropriate, since your riddle appears to be in poem form. If you have any wordplay involved, there's a "wordplay" tag. If any unusual knowledge is required, throw in a "knowledge" tag - the absence or presence of this tag is typically very important. $\endgroup$
    – Brandon_J
    Apr 3, 2019 at 14:00
  • $\begingroup$ @Brandon_J Does unusual word/phrase choices go under wordplay? $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 3, 2019 at 14:02
  • $\begingroup$ Wordplay is essentially a fancy way of saying "puns." I guess no one wanted to make a "pun" tag :) $\endgroup$
    – Brandon_J
    Apr 3, 2019 at 14:05
  • $\begingroup$ @Brandon_J I'll leave it for now then. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 3, 2019 at 14:06
  • $\begingroup$ @ArtemisFowl the number pi? it was once rejected by the senate. There is a mall in Indonesia which abbreviates to pi mall. $\endgroup$
    – Mel
    Apr 7, 2019 at 23:38

5 Answers 5

3
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I think the answer is

$\sqrt{2} \approx 1.41421356237\ldots$

This is very abundant
The most that you'll see
And its group and number
Is what you will need

I think this refers to silicon - the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust (but the most abundant that can be seen) with atomic number 14.

Now somewhat repetitive
For you who are us
You may now start the task
From now, not before

Repetition of 14 from the first part

You use this to move
Or choose where to go
How much am I spotty?
You need to know

This refers to a die. Add up the spots on a die and you get 21

Some think this will curse you
But they've got it wrong
Not quite a domino
How many of me?

Hexomino (hex + domino) - of which there are 35

If your friend in Jakarta
Wants you to get on the horn
Then to be direct
Just remember me

As others have said the dialling code for Indonesia is 62

Take dozen of the best
Not more, not less
Now look to the last
And there this will rest

The 12th prime number is 37

Put it all together

14 - 14 - 21 - 35 - 62 - 37 $\rightarrow$ 1.41421356237 $\approx \sqrt{2}$

Hint #1

Irrational numbers were not accepted as being true numbers by the Ancient Greeks but nowadays, we would include them. $\sqrt{2}$ appears as the measure of the hypotenuse of an isoceles triangle with other side lengths equal to 1.

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1
  • $\begingroup$ Correct! You've missed something in stanza 2 though. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 9, 2019 at 15:48
3
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are you

international phone number such as the one for Indonesia ( Jakarta) +62 21 xxx xxxx


This is very abundant
The most that you'll see
And its group and number
Is what you will need

It is abundant as almost everyone has a phone number. A phone number has "section" / "groups" of numbers. It is necessary it today's world


Now somewhat repetitive
For you who are us
You may now start the task
From now, not before

us as in United States. You have to enter coutnry code while calling internationally. The reference to starting the task can be attributed to the following:
When calling international numbers there is a wait between entering the country code and then entering area code followed by the number. Sometimes this is guided by a voice over "please enter your xx now"


You use this to move
Or choose where to go
How much am I spotty?
You need to know

you can transfer phone numbers (i.e. move ) , you can also choose your own phone number . Spotty as in spotty phone signal. Need to know the coverage.


Some think this will curse you
But they've got it wrong
Not quite a domino
How many of me?

There was/is a trend of cell phone signal causing cancer ( i.e. curse you) But there is no evidence to this.


If your friend in Jakarta
Wants you to get on the horn
Then to be direct
Just remember me

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. "to get on the horn" means to speak to someone on the phone. There is international direct dialing.


Take dozen of the best
Not more, not less
Now look to the last
And there this will rest

Indonesian phone numbers, when called internationally, are dialed using 12 characters. example: +62 21 xxx xxxx

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8
  • $\begingroup$ Nope! But you are on the right lines for the fifth stanza. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 4, 2019 at 13:27
  • $\begingroup$ @ArtemisFowl my other guess was a clock/watch , but it seemed too simple $\endgroup$
    – Mel
    Apr 4, 2019 at 14:59
  • $\begingroup$ Check out my latest clue. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 4, 2019 at 15:00
  • $\begingroup$ @ArtemisFowl latest clue still makes me think its an analog clock with the hour and minute hand pointing. ( Work out what each is) need both to tell time(For it's a joint effort,Then take them conjointly) you then will know what time it is.(And then you will know what I am ) . The first hint also fits ; change in Swiss clocks were once rejected $\endgroup$
    – Mel
    Apr 4, 2019 at 22:17
  • $\begingroup$ Um, nice theory... $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 4, 2019 at 22:29
1
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This is very abundant
The most that you'll see
And its group and
number Is what you will need

Are you

hydrogen? oxygen? or H20- group and number derived from periodic table of elements?

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1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Very close, pay attention to line 2. This is only a partial answer, you'll need the entire riddle. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 3, 2019 at 13:56
0
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are you

carbon
Carbon is the 15th most abundant element. Used as fuel in its appropriate form ( use it to move) . There is the curse of the diamond
carbon's atomic mass is 12 ( dozen of the best) . Carbon has pi bonds (cue pi mall in Indonesia) . Also Carbon 12 is most common.

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1
  • $\begingroup$ This is close to the answer for the first stanza, you'll need the entire poem to get your solution. There's another hint up there. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 8, 2019 at 15:23
0
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I’m feeling like we are looking for

A particular hydrocarbon or petroleum product

And I think it’s

Diesel

This is very abundant

The most that you'll see

And its group and number

Is what you will need

Carbon is the most abundant element that is not a gas that you can see

Now somewhat repetetive

For you who are us

You may now start the task

From now, not before

You use this to move

Or choose where to go

How much am I spotty?

You need to know

Reference to a type of fuel (gasoline/diesel/fossil) and how much am I spotted could refer to tlc

Some think this will curse you

But they've got it wrong

Not quite a domino

How many of me?

Could refer to the curse of oil and maybe a chain of dominos similar to a hydrocarbon chain?

If your friend in Jakarta

Wants you to get on the horn

Then to be direct

Just remember me

Country code is 62 and there is a 62 grade diesel

Take dozen of the best

Not more, not less

Now look to the last

And there this will rest

This feels like it’s referring to oil refining, taking the first 12 petroleum products and the answer is the remaining one?

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1
  • $\begingroup$ Your answer to the first stanza is close, but you'll need the entire poem to find the answer. There's another hint up there. $\endgroup$
    – Miriam
    Apr 8, 2019 at 15:24

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