# This is one of those riddles that don't make sense and you just can't figure it out **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504 "2002-11-13T00:37:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MTNGIRL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MTNGIRL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTNGIRL)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/1 "2002-11-13T00:37:04Z")
I am of many colors; People need me; At the end of the day, I am short; I do not cost much; What am I?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/2 "2002-11-13T00:48:21Z")
Chalk! ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/3 "2002-11-13T01:04:37Z")
Light? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/4 "2002-11-13T02:01:48Z")
Change. Colour changes People always need change Most are short on change at the end of the day and change isn’t worth much (i.e. a penny is just worth a penny) Did I get it? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/5 "2002-11-13T02:22:32Z")
The One Ring! You’ve got it in your pocketsssssss, doesn’t sssshe, my Precioussss? I’ve been spending too much time in the basement lately, haven’t I? ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/6 "2002-11-13T04:13:45Z")
chapstick? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/7 "2002-11-13T04:16:08Z")
A candle? ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/8 "2002-11-13T04:54:49Z")
Temper. ---
**Author:** ![MTNGIRL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MTNGIRL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTNGIRL)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/9 "2002-11-13T05:16:12Z")
I think it’s something like chalk, lip-stick, lip-gloss, or one of those that have many colors and are shortened from use and are cheap. IT JUST SEEMS TOO OBVIOUS. Does anyone know the real answer? Has anyone heard this one before? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/10 "2002-11-13T05:31:09Z")
There aren’t enough details given to name a specific answer. You could come up with any number of plausible responses, as people in this thread have done. The riddle doesn’t even ryhme or have any poetic value at all. ---
**Author:** ![Linear\_Crack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Linear\_Crack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linear_Crack)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/11 "2002-11-13T05:45:43Z")
A prostitute? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/12 "2002-11-13T05:54:57Z")
Can you provide us with some context, such as, where did you pick up this riddle; how old is it; what part of the world does originate in? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/13 "2002-11-13T08:04:16Z")
A raven! No, wait…a writing desk! ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/14 "2002-11-13T13:17:41Z")
waitress - maybe short means “short tempered” ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/15 "2002-11-13T13:26:00Z")
The word **SHORT**. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/16 "2002-11-13T13:31:14Z")
But who needs short? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrLiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DrLiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrLiver)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/17 "2002-11-13T20:14:11Z")
I think Scarlett67 got it: light right, light is actually all the colors together, people need light, at the end of the day there’s no more light so I guess you could say it’s short, and it doesn’t cost much…I guess but of course it could be a rainbow …everybody needs a rainbow! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/18 "2002-11-13T20:19:16Z")
Blue! No, green! AAUHHHGH! ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/19 "2002-11-13T20:28:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MTNGIRL \* > **I am of many colors; > People need me; > At the end of the day, I am short; > I do not cost much; > What am I?** pro-bono Munchkinland civil rights lawyers? No? OK ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504/20 "2002-11-13T20:34:43Z")
I prefer The Edge, personally… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-one-of-those-riddles-that-dont-make-sense-and-you-just-cant-figure-it-out/136504.md?page=2)