The question

Why is a raven like a writing desk?
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
What is the sound of one hand clapping?
When would when never happen?
Why are some words the same but different?
When can importance be irrelevant?
At what point does new become old?
How, when it’s warm, can you feel cold?
How, when time flies, can it stand still?
Can it be easy to roll uphill?
Do night and day exist at once?
Can there be truth in utter nonsense?
Who’s more artistic, the painter or dancer?
And what is the question that has no answer?
*****

The main question is: what is this all about? Well, I’ll tell you! It’s a response to Sideview’s Weekend Theme this week: The Question.

I started to research the history of the word question, which I discovered was first used around the year 1300. This instantly brought to mind the question what word did they use before then? Incidentally, the word ‘query’, when used in reference to a question, was first used around 1630. The early Seventeenth Century had to make an appearance in here somewhere!

There’s no town, anywhere on the planet, named Question (unless you know otherwise!), although my research did inform me that there’s a place called Why, and another called Whynot.

And the way to spot the constellation Leo is to look for a backward question mark in the skies… which brings in the old faithful lion again… and another question…

Mar 30, 2013

Abilities, Confusion, Direction, Feel GOOD!, Mystery, Questions, Random, Words

41 responses to “The question”

Visionkeeper

Mar 30, 2013

Love the history lessons TL….Also the clever way you got the question mark into the post. Well done! Happy Bunny day….. VK

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Glad you like it, VK… have a great Easter Sunday!
  
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CMStewart

Mar 30, 2013

I’m a fan of unusual place names, and this post inspired me to go on a quest(ion)! I didn’t find an actual place called Question, but I found a few other unincorporated communities in the USA: yep, there’s a Why in Arizona, a Whynot in Mississippi, and another Whynot in North Carolina. A couple more interrogatives in the USA: the city What Cheer in Iowa, and the town How in Wisconsin. How is also a hamlet in the English county Cumbria. Back in the USA, I found the unincorporated communities of Wonder in Kentucky and Oregon, and the town Wonder in Nevada. And now I’m back where I started – in the ambiguous region of Lost (not to be confused with the hamlet Lost in the Scottish council area Aberdeenshire).

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  We’ve a place in Wiltshire called Nomansland, CM. I’ve never been, but have passed the road signs for it on a couple of occasions! I wasn’t aware of Lost, though!
  
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penpusherpen

Mar 30, 2013

Good questions,… shame there are no straight forward answers Sir Aquatom…(I shall continue to use that moniker methinks 🙂 )… Leo…that’s what my star sign is, I have been know to roar now n’ again… usually when something goes wrong with this infernal laptop…but saying that, I roared before I got it…so must be my infernal nature… Questions, Questioning, too is imbedded in my nature… (another question … is it imbedded or embedded? …. I have googled and both appear so one is not wrong- er than t’other 😉 ) … I think time flies ‘cos you’re standing still… Just an idea…
(just had a look at some questions and wondered what would happen if I applied myself ) … anyway… off to catch up on your back issues… xPenx

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  I think you should, Lady P, after all it was you who knighted me (use the moniker, that is!).
  Speaking of time, how’s your knee after your epic battle with the pyracantha?
  
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  1. penpusherpen
    
    Mar 31, 2013
    
    ’twas my left ankle methinks. Sir A, and it took ages to get better… The Pyracantha is still going strong, it scored a victory that day ‘cos I’ve given up on ‘topping’ it…just give a short back and sides when I feel the urge… It has very sharp spurs which it uses to good effect… Mayhap I could borrow your armour one day? 🙂 xx
    
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    1. Tom Merriman
      
      Mar 31, 2013
      
      Ah, I was debating between knee and ankle and chose the wrong one! The armour’s a bit clunky for fiddly jobs, Pen, and it may be slightly on the large side, but yes, you can borrow it! 😉 I’m now trying to think if I’ve ever seen a knight in ill-fitting armour…
      
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      1. penpusherpen
        
        Mar 31, 2013
        
        now you’ve done it, Sir A … I’ve a piccie in my mind …with a li’l fella wearing an oversized suit… Clunk click every trip…kinda thing… Heh!! xx
        
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        Tom Merriman
        
        Mar 31, 2013
        
        😀
        I think I’ve got that same image!!!
        
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aFrankAngle

Mar 30, 2013

Love this post. Some would call this meaningless trivia, but me … fascinating!

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Frank. I don’t think any trivia is meaningless… it always comes in handy one day!
  
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  1. aFrankAngle
    
    Mar 31, 2013
    
    I’m right with you … but my wife would be one on the other side. 😉
    
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    1. Tom Merriman
      
      Mar 31, 2013
      
      🙂
      
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SidevieW

Mar 30, 2013

hmmmm, all questions with some interesting possible answers

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Indeed, Sideview… they make you think though!
  
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  1. SidevieW
    
    Mar 31, 2013
    
    I am always amazed at how cunningly some are done, but they deliver the desired answer and not always the truth
    
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    1. Tom Merriman
      
      Mar 31, 2013
      
      Ah yes, the questions that make you feel you need to answer a certain way…
      
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      1. SidevieW
        
        Mar 31, 2013
        
        Exactly!
        
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prenin

Mar 30, 2013

Clever! 🙂

It’s amazing how many questions have no real answer… 🙂

God Bless!

Prenin.

P.S: Had a lot of problems with WordPress this morning, so I’m hoping that they’ve fixed it! 🙂

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Prenin. The first few questions were ones I found during research, and the latter ones I made up, but there are loads of them!
  I too had problems with WordPress yesterday, getting a 502 error, but that was only in the morning. When I returned later all was fine. And today it seems OK, I say as I touch a handy piece of wood!
  
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Let’s CUT the Crap!

Mar 30, 2013

Love the questions with red inserted question mark. Most ingenious.

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Tess. Pleased you like it.
  
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Carol

Mar 30, 2013

Clever, the Question mark!

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Carol. I like to ‘dress up’ the words I use on occasions!
  
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Andra Watkins

Mar 30, 2013

Interesting, Tom. I never knew this history.

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Neither did I, Andra. Questions being around for longer than there’s been a word for them is an odd concept to ponder…
  
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Deb

Mar 30, 2013

This one is very clever, Tom….I like it! 🙂
Hope your enjoying your Easter weekend!
xo

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Deb, I’m glad you like it!
  
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The Hook

Mar 30, 2013

Fascinating post, Tom!

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Hook!
  
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Soma Mukherjee

Mar 31, 2013

OMG my head is still spinning by the whirlwind of the question i just encountered 😀
what a fun post Tom 🙂

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Mar 31, 2013
  
  Thanks, Soma. Those questions certainly make you think!
  
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nrhatch

Apr 1, 2013

I think I’d like to live in Why . . . or Whynot?

FUN post.

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Apr 1, 2013
  
  Whynot sounds better, I think, Nancy!
  And thank you!
  
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Sue Dreamwalker

Apr 3, 2013

Very Clever Tom, 🙂 ~great History lesson 🙂

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Apr 3, 2013
  
  Thanks, Sue. I like a bit of research every now and again!
  
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shreejacob

Apr 6, 2013

Dang….this post is awesome at so many levels!!!!! Love the way you red fonted the question mark in your little poem…loved the questions as well. The one about the sound of one hand clapping is a type of koan…which is a zen type question!! (I learned that from someone else..hehe). And of course your history lesson is cool as usual!
“Hello there! I’m from Why”
“Are you? How awesome! Whynot!” *gaily waving arm*
“Eh?”
“Oh sorry…that’s where I’m from..Whynot!”

Hmmm…oooookay…maybe that didn’t sound as funny as when one is referring to the band “The Who”..lol

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1. Tom Merriman
  
  Apr 6, 2013
  
  Thanks, Shree… I’m glad you liked it!
  Yes the koan is a interesting one, and I think I’ve got the answer to it; although with koans isn’t the answer the act of starting to think about it rather than the actual answer? I may be wrong there, but it’s just something I seemed to pick up along the way…
  And when did someone from the Who live in Why, Shree? 😉
  
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  1. shreejacob
    
    Apr 6, 2013
    
    When did the what..who in why? hahahahaha.
    
    Not sure about the Who in Why…but I think they must have originally come from Whynot to only realize that the Who may not be quite the name and therefore wondered (to) Why? LOL.
    
    As for the koan, yes..it’s not the answer that matters but it’s like a form of meditation I think? To focus on a question with no answer…so it empties your mind which then leads to it opening up!
    
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    1. Tom Merriman
      
      Apr 6, 2013
      
      My mind just made a fzzztplclkl noise, Shree. When, why, how, here, huh, fzzztplclkl?!?!? There it goes again!
      I actually like the koan type questions (if that’s how you describe them… zen is an area I’m ‘circling’ at the moment, although I’ve a lot to learn!)
      
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