# The -gry question **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 13, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273 "2001-05-13T01:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Squall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Squall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squall)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/1 "2001-05-13T01:12:52Z")
Ok, I just found this place out of sheer curiosity, so, I’m a newbie, ok? Well, about the -gry riddle, about how there are 3 words in the English language that end in -gry, and everything. Well, actually, gry is not the 3rd word. The entire riddle was worded wrong, it’s been that way for 20 years or so. The actual riddle went like this: “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.” The riddle was just worded wrong, that’s why it confused everyone. The answer to the riddle, the original one, is “language”. Think about it. There are only three words in “the English language”. Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/2 "2001-05-13T01:30:01Z")
And this is in Great Debates why? ---
**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:** [May 13, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/3 "2001-05-13T01:36:59Z")
You know, no one has mentioned that particular “riddle” within my hearing in months. I was rather hoping it had gone the way of Natalie Wood jokes. I still cannot honestly understand why so many otherwise harmless mouth-breathers were so obsessed with that “puzzler”. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/4 "2001-05-13T02:11:43Z")
mods lockituplockituplockituplockituplockituplockituplockituplockituplockituppleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssse ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/5 "2001-05-13T02:38:42Z")
\ “Who’s that trip-trapping upon my bridge?” \ 😃 Fenris ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/6 "2001-05-13T02:39:35Z")
People may or may not excuse this one because you’re a newbie, but asking this question is considered to be very, very, very rude. So is posting to the wrong forum (read the short discriptions on the opening webpage to find out where to go, and lurk for a while - you’ll get a sense of it). Generally, anything in the “why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways” category will earn you only scorn. Also, do a search for similar questions both in Cecil’s answers and from earlier threads - I know that this one has been covered a lot. Welcome to the boards (one newbie to another), but hang out first and try to figure out the rules before you open new threads. ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/7 "2001-05-13T02:50:52Z")
Tick-a-lock ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/8 "2001-05-13T03:30:27Z")
And The Master has already addressed this “problem” as a search at [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/index.html](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/index.html) would have shown. His answer may be found in the Archive thread: [What are the three English words ending in -gry?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_251.html) ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/9 "2001-05-13T04:21:07Z")
He’s new. Be nice to him. ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/10 "2001-05-13T04:36:20Z")
And its his first post too:) ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/11 "2001-05-13T04:50:35Z")
If you want to remain in the good graces of the SDMB, you would do well to go to the FAQ section at the homepage. In particular, pay attention to [the list of questions that Unca Cecil won’t touch](http://www.straightdope.com/faq/lamequestions.html). That pretty much means the Teeming Millions won’t touch them either. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/12 "2001-05-13T05:27:45Z")
The only reason I didn’t ask this question when I was brand new was: [ul] [li] I didn’t think to.[/li][li] I just by good chance happened to see some “anti-gry” stuff before I _did_ think to.[/li][/ul] … and I think the same applies for a lot of us. The occasional person mentioning the “gry” thing doesn’t bother me one little bit. The endless carping about it by experienced dopers on the other hand… GET OVER IT!! If you don’t like “gry” threads, don’t click on 'em. So where _are_ all the baby pigeons then? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/13 "2001-05-13T05:39:47Z")
I much prefer that Goddamned 27 dollar hotel bill question that you have to sit down and draw sentence diagrams for the idjits asking it, only to have them accuse you of twisting their words. At least that one is semi-clever. The “gry” thing always struck me as being humorless, without an ounce of wit, not clever by any definition. Sir ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2001, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/14 "2001-05-13T10:25:55Z")
I suggest the creation of a new “Gry” word, just to destroy the majesty of the number three. Thusly, I am proposing the institution of the word “SPOOFEgry”, which means “To be very egotistical, full of oneself, and humble.” ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2001, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gry-question/65273/15 "2001-05-14T02:45:17Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] Locked. Search the archives at [http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) if you wonder why. [Moderator Hat OFF]