[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

There are no anagrams!!

...okay, so if I use the keypad..?..I can get Sphinx...(...the ph threw me a little for a while, my thoughts weren’t of an ‘Sph word...)...and it could be a sphinx ring...but I can’t get the 626...the only thing I can see on the keyboard atm is ‘man’....


...and all I can see with the riddle of the Sphinx is...

Which creature walks on four legs in the morning two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening?

The answer…
Man walks on 4 legs in the morning (crawling as a baby), 2 legs in the afternoon (walking upright throughout most of life), and 3 legs in the evening (using a cane in old age).


...so I’d have to say 626 because ‘man’ is the answer that Oedipus gave...


...I know it’s wrong but....

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...okay, so if I use the keypad..?..I can get Sphinx...(...the ph threw me a little for a while, my thoughts weren’t of an ‘Sph word...)...and it could be a sphinx ring...but I can’t get the 626...the only thing I can see on the keyboard atm is ‘man’....


...and all I can see with the riddle of the Sphinx is...

Which creature walks on four legs in the morning two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening?

The answer…
Man walks on 4 legs in the morning (crawling as a baby), 2 legs in the afternoon (walking upright throughout most of life), and 3 legs in the evening (using a cane in old age).


...so I’d have to say 626 because ‘man’ is the answer that Oedipus gave...


...I know it’s wrong but....

FINALLY

You got it! You identified both words, and their connection, so Ammi's the winner

[Ammi]

...crikey.....I really thought that I was overthinking that...and the ‘sph’ word threw me off track ...

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...crikey.....I really thought that I was overthinking that...and the ‘sph’ word threw me off track ...

Yeah maybe I made it a bit too obscure

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Yeah maybe I made it a bit too obscure

....hmmm, well I guess that all I can say is...if it’s ever suggested that you host the TIBB Pub Quiz...?...we’re all going to scream a very loud NOOOO, Oliver......

...actually as frustrating as these things are, I really enjoyed that thought process because it was reminiscent of pub quiz days and spending ages on some clues...and then suddenly, you’d think...OMG, really, could it be..?......wonderful times......so thank you for the recollections......

[MTVN]

Blimey thought Ammi was so far down the rabbit hole with that one we'd never see her again

[MTVN]

The numbers could at least have corresponded to how many times you had to press the keys for each letter

Not that I'd have got the crazy Oedipus link anyway

[caprimint]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Blimey thought Ammi was so far down the rabbit hole with that one we'd never see her again

Yeahhh I read all that over a few times and I still don't get it

[Ammi]

...actually, Oliver gave the biggest clue when he said...‘it’s not an anagram’....because he didn’t say that it didn’t correlate to the keyboard alphabet, which was the only thing that made sense...and the ‘sph...’ word really did throw me out completely for quite a while...

[Ammi]

...also, Matt saying ‘pharaoh’...and not knowing his Pharaohs from his sphinxes....I mean.....that threw me out a bit as well...

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Ammi

...also, Matt saying ‘pharaoh’...and not knowing his Pharaohs from his sphinxes....I mean.....that threw me out a bit as well...

The sphinx head is based on a pharoah

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by MTVN

The numbers could at least have corresponded to how many times you had to press the keys for each letter

Not that I'd have got the crazy Oedipus link anyway

But that'd make it too obvious

Originally Posted by Ammi

....hmmm, well I guess that all I can say is...if it’s ever suggested that you host the TIBB Pub Quiz...?...we’re all going to scream a very loud NOOOO, Oliver......

Originally Posted by Ammi

...actually as frustrating as these things are, I really enjoyed that thought process because it was reminiscent of pub quiz days and spending ages on some clues...and then suddenly, you’d think...OMG, really, could it be..?......wonderful times......so thank you for the recollections......

It's nice to finally be appreciated around here!!

[Liam-]

Still don’t get it

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by caprimint

Yeahhh I read all that over a few times and I still don't get it

Originally Posted by Liam-

Still don’t get it

The riddle was essentially asking two questions - what are the two words, and how do they relate.

Using an alphanumeric keypad, the words are SPHINX and MAN.

The words are connected because in Egyptian mythology, the answer to the Sphinx's (first) riddle is Man!

[Liam-]

Speaking as someone who has answered at least 4 questions right while watching university challenge, that is ridiculous

[Smithy]

There’s me thinking it might be something to do with a tune like when you ring that number and the dialling sounds like happy birthday

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Smithy

There’s me thinking it might be something to do with a tune like when you ring that number and the dialling sounds like happy birthday

Interesting thought!! One of my ancient phones used to have different beeep sounds for each key, and I guess I could have been using a musical scale...

Originally Posted by Liam-

Speaking as someone who has answered at least 4 questions right while watching university challenge, that is ridiculous

Nah Surely everyone knows about the Sphinx's Riddle, if not from Classics class then just cultural osmosis?

[Ammi]

...any more for us, Oliver..?...

[The Slim Reaper]

Ammi giving Oliver Oedipus complex is certainly 2020.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Not that I'd have got the crazy Oedipus link anyway

Originally Posted by The Slim Reaper

Ammi giving Oliver Oedipus complex is certainly 2020.

Oedipus isn't even the right mythology!! Didn't y'all ever do Antigone as a school play?!

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Oedipus isn't even the right mythology!! Didn't y'all ever do Antigone as a school play?!

Eh Oedipus is the one who solved the Sphinx's riddle

[MTVN]

When he neared Thebes, Oedipus came across the Sphinx, a ferocious beast with the head and bust of a woman, and the body of a big cat (usually a lion). The Sphinx had effectively put Thebes under siege, by refusing to let anyone past unless they successfully answered her riddle. Those who failed were killed, possibly by being flung from the nearby cliff, although some appear to have ended up providing the Sphinx with her next meal instead.

The riddle of the Sphinx was: “Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed, two-footed, and three-footed?”

Oedipus correctly guessed a person (crawling infant, adult, and the elderly walking with a stick), causing the Sphinx to self-destruct, probably by throwing herself from the cliff.

Oedipus carried on into the city, where he was welcomed as a hero, married its queen, Jocasta, who was (unknown to him at the time) his mother, became king, and had children who were his half-brothers and -sisters.

https://eclecticlight.co/2017/05/28/...nd-the-sphinx/

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by MTVN

When he neared Thebes, Oedipus came across the Sphinx, a ferocious beast with the head and bust of a woman, and the body of a big cat (usually a lion). The Sphinx had effectively put Thebes under siege, by refusing to let anyone past unless they successfully answered her riddle. Those who failed were killed, possibly by being flung from the nearby cliff, although some appear to have ended up providing the Sphinx with her next meal instead.

The riddle of the Sphinx was: “Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed, two-footed, and three-footed?”

Oedipus correctly guessed a person (crawling infant, adult, and the elderly walking with a stick), causing the Sphinx to self-destruct, probably by throwing herself from the cliff.

Oedipus carried on into the city, where he was welcomed as a hero, married its queen, Jocasta, who was (unknown to him at the time) his mother, became king, and had children who were his half-brothers and -sisters.

https://eclecticlight.co/2017/05/28/...nd-the-sphinx/

oops you're right, duhhhh

[Niamh.]

I am actually flabbergasted at how Ammi actually figured that out. That was ridiculously difficult and obscure Oliver

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I am actually flabbergasted at how Ammi actually figured that out. That was ridiculously difficult and obscure Oliver

But I thought everyone knew the story of the Sphinx and the riddle -even if I did forget who the protagonist was