Braingle: 'One Who Yawns' Riddle

One Who Yawns

Riddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.

Puzzle ID:	#27788
Fun:	(2.94)
Difficulty:	(1.83)
Category:	Riddle
Submitted By:	sgtammo
Corrected By:	boodler

I have been called a savage, a chief and oft times a leader.
Some have called me the embodiment of courage, although to a Crook I did surrender.

Where I was born, there were no enclosures.
In the end, to bring me down, it took 5000 soldiers.

As the "terror of the country", I had a reputation of cruelty and cunning.
My tactics consisted of hitting and then running.

Many movies and stories of me were made.
The memories of me, the most famous of my people, will never fade.

People have spoken ill of me so many times it would give your throat a lump.
Yet sometimes, my name is the last word said when people make a big jump.

Now it's time to give it a try.
Do you know my name; who am I?

Hint

My birth name, Goyathlay, did not last long.
Of me, words were written and put to a medicine song.

The meaning of my birth name is the title of this riddle.
I have but one name for my first, last and middle.
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Comments

froggygg Dec 31, 2005	Great teaser and I'm the first to comment in your very first teaser on site! Congratulations there sgt!
metallicman Dec 31, 2005	great teaser sarge! I loved this one. Beat froggy and come out with more
WJSMama Dec 31, 2005	Very cool teaser
cb123 Dec 31, 2005	nice one sgt first one do another one like that
cb123 Dec 31, 2005
smarty_blondy Dec 31, 2005	A fun and hard chalenge -- great job! This was brilliant for a first teaser, and I am looking forward to many many more coming from you. Keep them coming!
sgtammo Dec 31, 2005	Thank you Smarty Blondy. I've got a few in the works. I hope they are of the same quality.
Swordoffury1392 Dec 31, 2005	Wow sgt, that was your 1st teaser? Amazing! Please come out with more as good as or better than this!
Sunrose Dec 31, 2005	Very well written. Hope to see more from you soon.
Brainy_1 Dec 31, 2005	Great teaser! Especially being your 1st one! Keep them coming!
sgtammo Dec 31, 2005	You know, I think I may be smarter in my teasers than I am in person. I should not have left out my heart felt thanks to Tinman, Froggy, CB, WJSMama, Swordoffury, Sunrose and Brainy. Your coments mean a lot to me and encourage me to write more.
ChattyMonkey Dec 31, 2005	Very, very nice! Keep em coming! Love it!
metallicman Dec 31, 2005	Aren't we all smarter in teasers?
stephiesd Dec 31, 2005	the big jump clue gave it away for me. i didn't know there were any movies about him.
mr_brainiac Jan 01, 2006	The last clue made all the other clues fall in order. Without it, I wouldn't have gotten it.
sgtammo Jan 01, 2006	Thanks for your input. I am glad it's still solvable.
jlvsbeks Jan 01, 2006	that was an aewsome 1st teaser keep it up
kimberlykay Jan 01, 2006	FANTASTIC JOB!! Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but I think this was a really great teaser. Thanks for your hard work and effort!
sgtammo Jan 02, 2006	Thank you so much. I'm glad it's so enjoyable.
brandiMcBride20 Jan 02, 2006	This one I got right off, but it was fun.. Good job!
acidgoddess Jan 02, 2006	I had no idea who it was until the part about saying the name before jumping, lol. Good one!
Rhodes Jan 02, 2006	Nice teaser. Clever. It was the jump that gave it to me. Got me thinking, why?, i.e., what is the origin of the jump yell, anyone know?
sgtammo Jan 02, 2006	Good question. Could it be simply to give us the courage to overcome our initial fear of something and take action anyway? I certainly don't know it's origin but would be very curious to find out.
emily103 Jan 03, 2006	great teaser! I was confused at first, but the "big jump" gave it away. it was well written though. good job! to Rhodes: I found this online - it may answer your question. The custom of yelling "Geronimo!" is attributed to Aubrey Eberhardt, a member of the U.S. Army's parachute "test platoon" that demonstrated the feasibility of parachute troop drops at Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1940. To speed up the drops, the brass decided to try a mass jump, in which the chutists would jump from the plane in quick succession. The men were nervous about this, and to relieve the tension a group of them went to see a western at the post movie house the night before the jump. The movie featured the cavalry mixing it up with the famous Apache chief Geronimo. None of our sources said exactly what movie this was, but one supposes it was Geronimo (1939) with Andy Devine and Gene Lockhart. After the movie the men went to the post beer garden to further calm their nerves, and after a few hours were feeling pretty courageous. Strolling back to camp, Private Eberhardt announced that he expected the next day's jump to be no different than any other. His friends immediately began to razz him, saying he'd be so scared he'd barely remember his name. This ticked off the six-foot-eight Eberhardt, who was known for his confidence and powers of concentration. According to Gerard M. Devlin, author of Paratrooper! (1979), he declared, "All right, dammit! I tell you jokers what I'm gonna do! To prove to you that I'm not scared out of my wits when I jump, I'm gonna yell `Geronimo' loud as hell when I go out that door tomorrow!" Next morning half the platoon strapped on their chutes and boarded planes while the other half sat by the edge of the jump field to watch the drop. By now everyone had heard about Eberhardt's promise. The lead plane flew over the field at low altitude and the men began spilling out as planned. As the chutes popped open, the guys on the ground could clearly hear a shout of "Geronimo!" followed by an Indian war whoop. Eberhardt had made good on his boast and the unofficial yell of U.S. airborne troops had been born. Some people claim that jumpers yell "Geronimo!" because if their main chute hasn't opened by the time they're done, they know it's time to deploy the reserve chute. Not true. Official U.S. Army practice is to count out loud "one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand" (or higher, depending on the type of aircraft). If you're still dropping like a rock after that, deploying your reserve chute is strongly advised. Regardless of what you say, yelling on exit is a good way to calm the jitters and stay focused on what you're supposed to do.
sgtammo Jan 03, 2006	Thanks a lot. That was really nice and interesting on how Geronimo originated prior to a jump.
luvias Jan 08, 2006	that was a challenging but fun teaser
SPUTNIK2 Jan 15, 2006	GREAT TEASER!, I loved this one not because I got the answer right, because it wa nicely written and about one of my favourtie subjects History!! Thanks!
sgtammo Jan 15, 2006	I glad this one is still enjoyable. It was my first teaser written and also my personal favorite.
bluehawk Feb 02, 2006	THANX SGTAMMO, MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER KNEW GERONIMO. I LIKED THIS ONE. AGAIN THANK U.
saucie Feb 02, 2006	i have to say that i was stumped til the end, this was a very good teaser and hopr to find more like them.I also love history and guess i should of known this one! , Thanks again!
pating Feb 02, 2006	its pretty hard except for the clue about making a big jump. and because of that clue, i remembered that i had read this riddle somewhere before.
coachpisco Feb 02, 2006	Well thought out. It was easy but fun.
sgtammo Feb 02, 2006	Thanks!
mitzimesser Feb 02, 2006	Fun & educational at the same time. You can't beat that with a stick. Fantastic teaser. P.S. I figured it out from the jump too.
churchlady Feb 02, 2006	I missed this one - but it was good.
ragethe3rd Feb 02, 2006	Yay! I got it from the jump thing too. The origin was intresting.
shawneeo Feb 02, 2006	What's "one who yawns"? Is that what geronimo means? Anyway, I knew it was to do with Native Amer., but only got Geronimo after the jump clue. I liked reading emily's post about the origin of the jump yell too! You know, there is an absolutely INCREDIBLE autobiography by Geronimo's grandson, called something about Red Rock something or other, I think... sorry. I think its out-of-print, but these days that's no big deal with borders and amazon. If you are "into" either Geronimo or Nat. Am. stuff, you've got to read this amazing autobiography. I am a huge fan of Nat.Am. "stuff" myself, although I shy away from the "New-Age-y" tendency to idealize them as all highly spiritual, deep, profound, and wise. They were very in touch with the land, the Earth, and nature, but were not all spiritual, I mean not in a new-age sense of spiritual. My fondest dream, though, would be to view the US and the "indians" before the Europeans ruined everything. Something to keep in mind when we think of other occupied or invaded lands, like Israel and Palestine, to mention only one.
sgtammo Feb 02, 2006	Thanks for the information and I'm glad you enjoyed the teaser. I'm not so much in Native Americans as I am history in general. I find the older I get, the more I get into history.
OldChinaHand Feb 02, 2006	We are a product of our history. And just for the books, I know no NA that yells CROOKS when they jump. Cool teaser.
rachellanders Feb 02, 2006	I'm kind of embarrassed. Because I'm 3/4 Native American and I didn't even know the answer!
zaya Feb 02, 2006	Riddles that require specific knowledge to answer are a waste of time, either you know it or you don't. Give me something that requires a thought process based on generally known info.
christine77 Feb 02, 2006	very very good teaser!! what a challenge. thanks...i cant wait to see more of yours.
iteachkids Feb 02, 2006	sgtammo - you and emily and shawneeo certainly have put a lot of thought and time and quality into this teaser and what has followed. This site provides such a fun way to LEARN! Bravo to ALL!
iteachkids Feb 02, 2006	ps.s to BLUEHAWK. That is too cool that your great grandma knew Geronimo. Wish we could hear the tales she could tell! (Maybe you had this privilege...)
Vigo95 Feb 02, 2006	i didn't realize that some people didn't know geronimo was yelled when you jumped out of a plane . i would have gotten it if that were the only clue .
sequoia-mom Feb 02, 2006	I had a few ideas until I read the line about yelling it before you jump--then I knew it for sure. Great teaser and well written! Have a great day everyone!
raff Feb 02, 2006	that one was too easy geronimo was the answer for a teaser last week! COME ON DUDE!!
azbee123 Feb 02, 2006	i actually didn't get it. sorry!
chupashuevos Feb 02, 2006	lame
xolilangel827ox Feb 02, 2006	I didn't get it !! i should have known with the big jump part but i guess i am in need of caffeine cuz im really tired!! it was very well written and if this is your first then woah! keep em coming!!
verngog Feb 02, 2006	Loved it. As a history buff I got it in the frist line. also thanks for the history
choptlivva Feb 02, 2006	You really had me digging deep into my mental archives, trying to firgure out which chief you were referring to, but the last line gave it away!! Still a great history lesson!! GREAT job, Frogbo!!
sgtammo Feb 02, 2006	Thanks everyone. I glad it was enjoyable and educational.
wordlover Feb 02, 2006	awesome. i got it.
hockeygirl Feb 02, 2006	that was very good and i didnt even get it so obviosly it was a very good one
smosaka Feb 02, 2006	At first I thought it was a dragon, but the "big jump" told me. A little too much information, but still good.
ScoutMan Feb 02, 2006	Nicely thought out riddle, Sarge. I had it narrowed down to Crazy Horse or Geronimo in the first four lines, and the jump gave it away. Just goes to show what a lifelong interest in Military history will give you: lots of occasionally useful trivia!!
sgtammo Feb 02, 2006	Sad but true. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
jabdr Feb 02, 2006	Fun and well written. I didn't get the yawn clue either, but enjoyedit a lot.
mogur Feb 02, 2006	Where is everyone getting Geronimo means 'one who yawns'? Sarge said in the hint- Great teaser ! ! ! It didn't hurt my brain.
mogur Feb 02, 2006	Quote - My birth name, Goyathlay, did not last long.....my birth name means the title of this riddle - Unquote
clevelandrm Feb 02, 2006	Got this one in the first line. Good one for us history buffs. Love the other comments and bits of interesting things they said. Good Job!!!!
Jemmy Feb 02, 2006	This was the first teaser I've tried to do...I was suprised at how easy it was!! Well I suppose it had something to do with my indian heritage, but I really enjoyed it! It's good to see someone paying a little more attention to the people whose land this was before we came.
vlerma Feb 02, 2006	Sarge, what a great job you did, first with your teaser, it was easy when you wrote about the big jump. But you managed to get people to be nice to one another and share their knowledge. History, unleanred, repeats itself so you have done well on your first outing. This summer I bought an old, old book at an auction which had a picture of Geronimo, a lithograph cut from some newspaper which was glued into the front cover. I'm not usually into antiques, but this one fancinated me. Looking forward to more from you SGT.
sgtammo Feb 02, 2006	Thank you very much. That book you picked up might have a few stories behind it on it's own. As for the rest, well this site is full of good people and surprises. Compared to dealing with young soldiers all day who think their indestructable and trying to teach them that they're not, this site is a god send.
yesenia8rivera Feb 03, 2006	Awesome!
tigergirl99 Feb 03, 2006	that was great! I'm new and this was the 1st 1 i read! It's great!
Aarghonauts Feb 03, 2006	got it on jump...otherwise I would have been lost, lost lost Still, it was fun, fun, fun
whoseaskn Feb 03, 2006	I also got it on the jump part. Ihave heard many stories about Geronimo, my uncle has the same name. Great teaser had fun doing it
sgtammo Feb 03, 2006	Thanks! I'm glad you all enjoyed it.
mitzimesser Feb 06, 2006	Entertaining & educational! Good job!
special_gurl Feb 06, 2006	u call that funny
riddlelover Feb 06, 2006	The one who yawns? right....Anywho, I got it (yayayay) Rather good!
bisqueet814 Feb 07, 2006	Thanks! It was interesting!
zonarita Mar 23, 2006	Sarge, so many good comments, almost didn't leave one myself. Is there such a thing as too much praise? NO, of course not. Being this was your first teaser I just had to comment. GR8 JOB! I know there are more like this one - fun and educational from you on the site.
sgtammo Mar 23, 2006	Thank you. I have found that these type of teasers have become my favorite. I still have three drafts in my files that I'm working on. Maybe now I'll finish them.
GebbieRose Jun 12, 2006	Keep the history riddles coming. Great job!
anion Feb 02, 2007	I am definately NOT a history buff. This teaser was an awesome way to get me thinking. I took a history course last year in college and tried really hard to remember which Indian leader you were talking about. I got it wrong but I had lots of fun trying to recall all the history I learned. This is a great way to learn and it was an excellently written teaser. Great Job!!!
OldChinaHand Feb 02, 2007	This was a well-written teaser. It's a good thing Eberhardt didn't stutter. It's been kind of interesting to me how time readdress how people and events are seen. Geronimo was seen in his times as, what today we would call, a terrorist. Now historians look deeper into motivational factors and Geronimo has gained a near heroic position. How will we be seen?
coachpisco Feb 02, 2007	I should have known that one.
lmurray Feb 02, 2007	GOOD TEASER! GERONIMO IS DEFINITELY AN ICON IN AMERICAN HISTORY SORRY TO HEAR SO MANY PEOPLE DID NOT SOLVE IT BEFORE THE "JUMP."
saleprice Feb 02, 2007	got it straight after `jump` but was on the right track leading up to that line........ good one, nice way to start the day thx
bradon182001 Feb 02, 2007	Nice poem, easy answer. Good lesson in history. Can;'t beat that combo.
Qrystal Feb 02, 2007	Now I wanna jump... I had no clue. I'm thinking I'm more of a history "debuff". Oh well. Nicely written, and I wish I knew it and got it right!
campfirecutie Feb 02, 2007	Excellent teaser!! I like having my brain stimulated in the morning from something other than a cup of coffee!! My niece is such a brain and I will have to share this one with her to see if she can come up with the answer!! Keep up the good work!!
Pizzazz2u Feb 02, 2007	A very unique and entertaining history teaser. The jump clue gave it away to me, right away! History does help when you can relate it to actual events. (True or not, some stories are too entertaining to want to forget. Keep up the terrific work!
craniac Feb 02, 2007	Thanks, sarge, for a fun teaser, and thanks to Emily103 too for the interesting history of the first mass parachute jump. Geronimo starts as terrorist, ends as hero of sorts -- makes you wonder.
marschie Feb 02, 2007	I got it. Great teaser!! True story follows: In the fifties I was in the Army Security Agency (ASA) stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina -- which was the home of the 82nd Airborne Division. Once, when flying back from a leave I spent in NYC, I sat next to a paratrooper in uniform. He was terribly nervous as we got closer to Fort Bragg. I asked him why he was so nervous. He said, "I've never landed before."
katjojo Feb 02, 2007	I did not get it. But a very interesting teaser!!
wandering_goat Feb 02, 2007	I didn't know much about him (perhaps because I'm not an American) but I guessed the name because of the "jump" clue.
scallio Feb 02, 2007	Beautifully written...
CharleneFaye Feb 02, 2007	that was good. i enjoyed that one
alfred19 Feb 02, 2007	neva heard of him
nightpuppy Feb 02, 2007	Wow that was kinda hard but I liked it and i learned some new facts. Thanks 4 that lol
jacstop Feb 02, 2007	For me, this was easy. Nothing wrong with an easy one but it just was. For the many that expressed how difficult this was exposes that US History is recorded and taught in a fragmented, exiguous, limited, and short sighted manner. It promotes the fallacy of what some consider "standard" American truisms.
Trishgal Feb 02, 2007	first off, I squeaked through history. Thought it was Custer ,but after seeing the line about the jump ,i did guess it right. Have to admit i enjoyed the teaser THX
breathesunshine Feb 02, 2007	I love teasers like this because if you don't know the answer beforehand then you learn something new from it!
Skydragon Feb 02, 2007	The last line gave it away
MelkorDCLXVI Feb 02, 2007	I randomly guessed Geronimo and obviously i was right! I would have thought it was sitting bull except that means sitting bull, not one who yawns.
notsosmart111 Feb 02, 2007	I loved your teaser
curious_george Feb 02, 2007	I like this one! I din't get it untill the last clue about jumping, but I still thought it was really fun!
Shikamaru Feb 02, 2007	pretty good but who is geronimo?
sepherocity Feb 02, 2007	the jump was a very good hint. keep up the good work.
phyllisa Feb 02, 2007	Fantastic and I learned something! I got it from the "jump"!
matthewmurch Feb 02, 2007	I was thinking Samson until the last few lines. Excellent job.
driter425 Feb 02, 2007	I was so stuck on this one that I was guessing Robin Hood...I'm no good at these brain teasers, especially this one.
SPUTNIK2 Feb 03, 2007	this was a very nice teaser! Fun too!
WhiteBrain Feb 05, 2007	Sorry but it was seriously easy !!!!!! But congrats on giving it ago.
mosca Jul 28, 2007	Agree with 99% of the comments - great teaser! Hope you've done more since!
sgtammo Apr 04, 2008	Thanks for your encouraging words. I'm glad you enjoyed this.
cacepc Feb 02, 2010	Excellent teaser!!! I "got it" in the first stanza. A very good start in teasers. Now, I have to look up more of your work. I call this one BTE (Best Teaser Ever).
TallTimber Feb 02, 2010	Nicely done, well written.
auntiesis Feb 02, 2010	Loved this one Sarge. I got it just before the jump line, then I knew for sure I got it right. The comments were also great, thanks everybody.
avonma Feb 02, 2010	I was lost until the jump clue. I had figured out that the "Crook" was somebody's name, but didn't get Geronimo until the last of the riddle. Thanks, sgt. For the post. A great riddle and lots of wonderful information!
choirgirl926 Feb 02, 2010	I thought it was a Native American. It would kinda make sense.
beyonce123 Feb 02, 2010	i was gonna get it wrong but the jump gave it away nice
patiencewithaP Feb 02, 2010	Nicely written!
racoonieboy Jul 21, 2010	I don't know if anyone caught this, but autobiographies are biographies written by the people who it describes. So if he didn't write it, it's not an autobiography.
Babe Feb 02, 2013	Good to know! Loved all the comments!
cutebug Feb 02, 2013	The jump line made it very easy. This was well written,and I enjoyed it. GGFW have a great day.
gaylewolf Feb 02, 2013	Well written - interesting facts! Thanks for posting! DH good to connect with you!
iggy39 Feb 02, 2013	I found it very interesting and fun. The facts they just added to a very good quiz. Thx!
allythebuterfly Feb 02, 2013	No one really says that where I'm around, so I was completely baffled haha. Actually the only time I think I've ever even heard that name is on a cartoon when someone was doing a cannonball into a pool Great teaser anyway though!