Thursday, May 5, 2011

Ravens and Writing Desks


Why is a raven like a writing desk?

According to history, Lewis Carrol's answer was "they are nevar turned the wrong way front". A writing desk is never used backwards, and "nevar" is "raven" backwards. But his brilliant editors thought it was a typo and changed it to "never", thus ruining the riddle.

But readers have posed their own answers:
"Because you can not ride either like a bicycle."
"Because they both come with inky quills."
"Because there is a B in both and an N in neither."

But my favorite, and by far the best answer is
"Because Edgar Allan Poe wrote on both."

And that is why a raven is like a writing desk.

5 comments:

  1. haha!!! awesome. sadly enough, i've always wondered XD

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  2. I've heard the question before but never the answer! Thank you for answering one of life's great mysteries! lol

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  3. My favorite answer is "Because the notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes."
    It was really a wonderful thing discovering your blog! I loved it as soon as I read "You have never met anyone else like me. I promise you that." I believe you.
    Please forgive me for the terrible English spoken by an Italian girl...
    Bye!!

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  4. That is brilliant...great post!
    ~Margaret

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