The Riddle Thread

[BigJohnson]

Also, this one hasn't been solved.
Three brothers share a family sport:
A non-stop marathon
The oldest one is fat and short
And trudges slowly on
The middle brother's tall and slim
And keeps a steady pace
The youngest runs just like the wind,
Speeding through the race
"He's young in years, we let him run,"
The other brothers say
"'Cause though he's surely number one,
He's second, in a way."
How is this possible?

[noopypoop]

Also, this one hasn't been solved.
Three brothers share a family sport:
A non-stop marathon
The oldest one is fat and short
And trudges slowly on
The middle brother's tall and slim
And keeps a steady pace
The youngest runs just like the wind,
Speeding through the race
"He's young in years, we let him run,"
The other brothers say
"'Cause though he's surely number one,
He's second, in a way."
How is this possible?

They had a sister?


Or he was in 2nd grade?

[NightrainSrt4]

Put them each on their sides with the bottoms equidistant from a point on the table in a circular formation.

I am still trying to figure this one out, but that wouldn't work, least I don't think so.

They would be equidistant from a point, but the distances between them would be different. The ones directly across from another would be farther away from each other than one adjacent.

[jdbnsn]

They would be equidistant from a point, but the distances between them would be different. The ones directly across from another would be farther away from each other than one adjacent.

excatly, that won't work. ever taken organic chem?

[noopypoop]

Anyone want me to say the answer? This is really bugging me.

[xRyokenx]

For the glasses you put one upside down, and then set the other three on top touching each other glass only once... hard to illustrate with words though...

[jdbnsn]

Anyone want me to say the answer? This is really bugging me.

sure, I guess I lost interest when you told me I'd be disappointed

The 3 brothers:
I see some clues here and some things that are not possible.
-a non-stop marathon: marathons are a set distance of 26 miles to commemorate the dash of phillipidies from marathon to athens to announce success against the persians, so a non-stop marathon is an oxy-moron.
-however, a non-stop race implies that they must be running in a circle.
-I think the deception here is the word brothers, people don't run non-stop, so maybe planets?
-also, the middle and oldest brothers are given physical descriptions, while the youngest is not described beyond the fact that he runs faster.
-this is a head scratcher, are they a machine? hour, minute, and second hands of a watch would make sense.

[jdbnsn]

For the glasses you put one upside down, and then set the other three on top touching each other glass only once... hard to illustrate with words though...

you are very close, but I'm not sure I entirely understand your answer

[xRyokenx]

Lemme draw something.

EDIT: Nevermind, I can't draw. Just imagine you have four atoms connected to each other, each with the ability to make three bonds. That's the only way I know how to explain it. I suck at drawing anything but abstract art.

[Omega]

Oh, A clock. "He is second in a way" means he's the second hand, and he's faster than the other two. The minute hand is the longest and second thinnest usually, and the hour hand is short and fat.

Basically: Jon got it.