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Riddle
Riddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.Riddle
A lonely place with time to serve
A fate some claim they don't deserve
Your protesting will be futile
You're my prisoner for a while
You'd rather not be here, surely
Worse still if you get out early
But you committed the offence
And now suffer the consequence
You have nothing to do but sit
And hope your mates don't pay for it
Ironically, now put on ice
Perhaps next time you will think twice
Finally, no more time to wait
Your freedom lies beyond my gate
What am I?
A fate some claim they don't deserve
Your protesting will be futile
You're my prisoner for a while
You'd rather not be here, surely
Worse still if you get out early
But you committed the offence
And now suffer the consequence
You have nothing to do but sit
And hope your mates don't pay for it
Ironically, now put on ice
Perhaps next time you will think twice
Finally, no more time to wait
Your freedom lies beyond my gate
What am I?
Hint
Through your actions you have failedYou've been punished but not jailed
Answer
the penalty box in ice hockeylines 1-2: The player getting a penalty often disagrees with the call made by the referee, and may make this known on their way to the penalty box ("a lonely place"), where they will "serve" the "time" i.e. the prescribed number of penalty minutes.
lines 3-4: Despite any "protesting" by the penalized player, the trip to the penalty box is unavoidable.
lines 5-6: Although the player would "rather not be here" i.e. would rather not have incurred the penalty and thus be serving time in the penalty box, it would be "worse still" should he/she "get out early" because this would mean that the opposing team has scored on the ensuing "power play" (the advantage due to their consequently having more players on the ice). According to the rules of ice hockey, the penalized player must remain in the penalty box until either a) the full time of the penalty has been served, or b) the opposing team scores, whichever comes first. The latter is even worse than staying in the penalty box because, in this case, although the penalized player would "get out early", the reason for him/her getting out early is because of what his/her team does not want i.e. to be scored upon by the opposing team.
lines 7-8: "The offence" is the infraction for which the player has been penalized. "The consequence" is having to serve the penalty.
lines 9-10: The penalized player typically sits in the penalty box (although may stand if so desired). If this player's team is scored upon while being short-handed (i.e. while trying to "kill" the penalty), then his/her "mates" (team-mates) would "pay for it" (i.e. would suffer the negative consequence of being scored upon as a result of the penalty).
lines 11-12: "Ironically, now put on ice", the irony being that you've been "put on ice" i.e. confined temporarily off of the ice when normally you would be on the ice of the ice hockey rink. Since you may regret taking the penalty, "perhaps next time you will think twice" before you do the same kind of thing again in the future.
lines 13-14: After the penalty has been served, the player who had been penalized is "free" to exit the penalty box and return to the ice surface. He/she exits through a "gate" which is a door built into the surrounding boards of the ice hockey rink, which is the players' entrance to and exit from the penalty box.
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Comments
Really I could of never figure that out
Nice one, thanks!
Wonderful structure, meter, & rhyme.
I didn't do very well with it (other than enjoy the sheer poetry) because of my lack of familiarity with the sport.
But that was the challenge - and I enjoyed that. I gave it high marks for fun.
I didn't do very well with it (other than enjoy the sheer poetry) because of my lack of familiarity with the sport.
But that was the challenge - and I enjoyed that. I gave it high marks for fun.
good hockey riddle
I don't play hockey so I was very confused, then I read the answer. nice setup.
Thanks cali522. Glad you liked it!
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