# About the -gry thread... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 21, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635 "2001-11-21T19:23:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TalulaMoonFairy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@TalulaMoonFairy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TalulaMoonFairy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/1 "2001-11-21T19:23:27Z")
I have come across the answer the the thread for the -gry riddle. (Remember? The one asking for the third word ending in -gry, in the English language.) It is as follows… By now, most of you have seen the seemingly-perplexing riddle that’s been going around on various radio shows, copiers and fax machines, and of course, every listserv in existence (including THIS one). The riddle seems to have perplexed just about everyone. Many people have attempted to be helpful and have posted lengthy explanations, many of which, it seemed, were more incomprehensible than the original riddle. (I hope _this_ explanation is not one of them.) So, why then does this riddle continue to mystify even the hardiest puzzle-solvers? Simple! It’s because the riddle itself is almost always stated INCORRECTLY! That’s right. The way the riddle is most often told, there IS no answer! Don’t believe me? Let’s start by reading the riddle as it is usually told. Here goes: “There are three words in the English language that end in GRY. Two are HUNGRY and ANGRY. The third one everyone uses every day and knows what it stands for. If you listened carefully, I already told you what the word is.” Sound familiar? I’ll bet that YOU heard the riddle worded something like that, right? And if that’s how you heard it, no wonder you’ve been wracking your brain trying to find the answer. But you know what? There IS no correct answer! This riddle or a version of it, has been around for at least 20 years. In the ORIGINAL format (as you’ll soon see), it makes sense and is a true riddle in the sense that, once you find the answer, you slap your forehead and go “Of course!” So, what IS the correct version, you ask? Be patient, because first we have to consider the nature of riddles. By definition, they are mind-teasers that use word tricks. A riddle is not a trivia question for which you can go to a reference book and look up an answer. In a true riddle, there’s always some sneaky little trick that makes such a straight answer impossible. So to find the sneaky little trick in this -GRY puzzler, think of the way magic is performed. The magician does something to divert your attention away from what he is actually up to. If you watch very closely when all those scarves are being waved about, you realize that much of the action on stage is simply a technique to confuse or befuddle you so that you will not catch on to the magician’s sly movements. That lovely assistant who parades around in high heels and sequins is there primarily to keep you distracted so you won’t figure out the trick. (Hey, it works on ME!) Now back to the riddle. Here is the riddle in its original form: “Think of words ending in -GRY. Angry and hungry are two of them. There are only three words in the English language. What is the third word? The word is something that everyone uses every day. If you have listened carefully, I have already told you what it is.” In its proper, original form, the first two sentences have absolutely nothing to do with the question: “Think of words ending in -GRY. Angry and hungry are two of them.” Ignore those two sentences. They are there only to throw you off course. (And it worked, didn’t it?) What’s left is the actual riddle itself: “There are only three words in the English language. What is the third word? The word is something that everyone uses every day. If you have listened carefully, I have already told you what it is.” The key is the phrase “the English language.” In this three-word phrase, the third word is simply the word “language.” Get it? “Language” is definitely something that “everyone uses every day”! Without that quirky little twist, the puzzle would be just another trivia question, not a riddle. A final note: There are, or have been in the past, a number of English words ending in -GRY, for example, “mawgry,” and “iggry” and even an obscure noun, “gry,” that means a small unit of measure. Many people _thought_ they had solved this puzzle when they found one of these words in old dictionary or by scouring the Internet. But c’mon, folks, when’s the last time you used a word like “gry” in everyday conversation? The thing about riddles is, you must follow them to the letter or they just don’t work. This one got messed up somewhere along the way and has become somewhat of a cruel hoax (and perhaps has even become an “urban legend”)." ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/2 "2001-11-21T19:32:28Z")
And your question is…? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/3 "2001-11-21T19:34:27Z")
Hi, **TalulaMoonFairy** , and welcome to the SDMB. Please increase your lurk:post ratio by at least 200%. Thanks from all of me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/4 "2001-11-21T19:35:37Z")
Damn, that had the makings of something funny. Needless to say, what I meant to say was: _Please increase your lurk-to-post ratio by at least 200%._ ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/5 "2001-11-21T19:50:10Z")
Everyone, **PLEASE** stop posting to this thread, and allow it to fall quickly to the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/6 "2001-11-21T20:00:22Z")
It’s like a metahumor seminar in here, innit? ---
**Author:** ![TalulaMoonFairy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c77e96/32.png) [@TalulaMoonFairy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TalulaMoonFairy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/7 "2001-11-21T20:57:13Z")
Heh, I apologize… I was hoping to help cease the question by posting the correct response to it. I have never posted before, and noticed this question asked quite frequently. No more posts are necessary … just wanted to help out those that don’t know the answer… and those that are sick of hearing about it. 🙂 -Kori “If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.” -Winnie the Pooh ---
**Author:** ![FortMarcy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9de053/32.png) [@FortMarcy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FortMarcy)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/8 "2001-11-21T21:18:02Z")
Good work Talula. Do you have a cite for the original form of the riddle, though? ---
**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/9 "2001-11-21T21:20:01Z")
Damn. Now I’m angry…and hungry. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/10 "2001-11-21T21:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TalulaMoonFairy \* > I was hoping to help cease the question by posting the correct response to it. I have never posted before, and noticed this question asked quite frequently. No problem, **TalulaMoonFairy**. In fact, that’s what fighting ignorance is all about. In response to your e-mail, let me assure you that all I meant by my smart-alec comment was that more lurking (and some searching) would have revealed that this question has been answered to death. Which is, of course, why we don’t ask it here any more. 😉 It’s strictly an SDMB culture thing to get all puffed out of shape over this question. In part because it’s on the list of [Questions Only Idiots Ask](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/idiots.html), and in part because it’s symbolic of all the rest of the questions on that list. The thing to keep in mind is that anyone who gives you a hard time about this kind of thing is playing around. Until they prove themselves to be a jerk for some other reason, anyway. Hope this helps. **Weedeater** ’s angry and hungry … everybody guard your lawns!!! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/11 "2001-11-21T23:56:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Weedeater’s angry and hungry … everybody guard your lawns!!! I read this as “gird your loins” which probably has nothing to do with Weedeater’s preferences… ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-gry-thread/94635/12 "2001-11-22T00:59:26Z")
Tthank you so much for resurrecting this epic question. And now say goodbye to it. Jill