# Invisible Idiots **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968 "2003-03-21T02:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/301 "2003-03-24T04:43:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Actually, The Diet of Worms has nothing tro do with either, dieting (as we know it) _or_ worms. See [this](http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english233/Luther-Diet_of_Worms.htm) for further details. \*\* Ohhhh! THAT Diet of Worms. Sure. We were talking about that, in school, just the other…um…millenium. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/302 "2003-03-24T04:46:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*Yep, nicely done, **Dave**. 😃 \*\* I had a secret advantage. I was lighting a Winston as I was reading the first clue. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/303 "2003-03-24T04:48:30Z")
:o Oh, wait! That’s embarrasment. _yawn_ Time I toodled off. - non-prescription sleeping tablet ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/304 "2003-03-24T04:53:24Z")
There’s a million of those. Nytol, Sominex? Anywho, I’m off too. Oh, now I get it. Heh. Night all! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/305 "2003-03-24T05:28:44Z")
I think I got 2 from **jsgoddess**. Divine Comedy - Irish parent, very nice; barber’s tool, a famous mister, nearly failing Pride and Prejudice - sound of pleasure, beware them then pare them; article; before, Kentucky’s Ashley, cold vanilla ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/306 "2003-03-24T05:54:42Z")
One more, if the definition is a bit off – Paradise Lost - - they paved it; they’re often broken, the Concorde is one ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/307 "2003-03-24T06:50:31Z")
Yay! I think I have the hang of designing these. - pursuit, face’s nadir: eat away; past action; doze, exclamation, common Chinese name, atop; retain; male possessive; appendage, soften? - crawling bug, term of respect: not out; snake sound; blouse section, facilitate ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/308 "2003-03-24T07:11:01Z")
:eek: Too rich for my blood. I don’t even understand them when you’ve explained them! Where does the Irish parent come into “Divine”? And how does “Lost” = “they’re often broken, the Concorde is one”? I need another drink… ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/309 "2003-03-24T07:17:19Z")
tho’ having said that: I think **js** ’s first one is “Canterbury Tales”. But don’t ask me how the “shortest form of yes” fits into that… ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/310 "2003-03-24T07:32:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aspidistra \* > **Where does the Irish parent come into “Divine”? > And how does “Lost” = “they’re often broken, the Concorde is one”?** Irish parent = Da they’re often broken, the Concorde is one = laws+SST ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/311 "2003-03-24T07:37:15Z")
_light dawns_ SST = “Super Sonic …errm…Thingy”? ---
**Author:** ![elfje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19b73/32.png) [@elfje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfje)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/312 "2003-03-24T13:07:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*In one of a series of short stories about a bar called Callahan’s, Spider Robinson introduced a type of puzzle he called Invisible Idiots, so named because of a story about a language-translation program that when fed the phrase “Out of sight, out of mind” returned “invisible idiot”. In this type of puzzle, the clues are separated by commas for parts of a word, and words are separated by semicolons. An example will clarify this: > > incorrect, ancient; laser pistol = wrong, old; ray gun = Ronald Reagan. > > So, here’s a few to start. Enjoy! > > - dwelling, not him; whiny person, male heir > - baby cow, dried grass; fourth note, central Scotland river > - _chiroptera_ member, powered up; shade of red > > Feel free to make up your own. \*\* the other one was: “the spirit is strong but the flesh is weak” came out as: “the drinks were ok but the meat was awful” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/313 "2003-03-24T14:55:54Z")
Bwaaaaahahaha! I love that one! I haven’t heard it in years. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/314 "2003-03-24T16:04:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peri \* > \*\*I think I got 2 from **jsgoddess**. > > Divine Comedy - Irish parent, very nice; barber’s tool, a famous mister, nearly failing > > Pride and Prejudice - sound of pleasure, beware them then pare them; article; before, Kentucky’s Ashley, cold vanilla \*\* Well done! Julie ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/315 "2003-03-24T16:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aspidistra \* > \*\*tho’ having said that: > > I think **js** ’s first one is “Canterbury Tales”. But don’t ask me how the “shortest form of yes” fits into that… \*\* Well, it probably doesn’t. At least not as well as it should. Sorry. I was thinking of “k.” I should have put “slang” in the clue. Not being able to edit is a bummer. Apologies. So: shortest form of yes (slang), bury, small fruit; famous Josephine, hollers I was going to be _really_ annoying and have shortest form of yes, entomb, entomb… But that seemed too mean, even for me! 🙂 Julie ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/316 "2003-03-24T16:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by peri \* > \*\*Yay! I think I have the hang of designing these. > > - pursuit, face’s nadir: eat away; past action; doze, exclamation, common Chinese name, atop; retain; male possessive; appendage, soften? > > - crawling bug, term of respect: not out; snake sound; blouse section, facilitate \*\* Hey, **peri** , Can you tell me what the colons signify? Are they typos for semi-colons, or do they mean something else? Julie ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/317 "2003-03-24T16:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jsgoddess \* > \*\*Hey, **peri** , > > Can you tell me what the colons signify? Are they typos for semi-colons, or do they mean something else? > > Julie \*\* Sorry about that, should have clarified. It is a 2-part puzzle. The colons are punctuation. Necessary in this case, as will be evident when someone solves. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/318 "2003-03-24T16:58:59Z")
Oooo…those are hard ones, **peri**! I’d say you’re pretty good with these. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![peri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/67e7ee/32.png) [@peri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peri)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/319 "2003-03-24T17:30:54Z")
You may hold your nose and run away when you solve it. ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968/320 "2003-03-24T17:49:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aspidistra \* > \*\*_light dawns_ > > SST = “Super Sonic …errm…Thingy”? \*\* Transport, I think. So, **Aspidistra** , maybe you can answer a question for me, about your namesake. If you water a cast-iron plant, doesn’t it rust? - decides discretion is the better part of valor, and head quickly for the door…but with dignity, of course\* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/invisible-idiots/162968.md?page=17)