Confusion Abounded
Riddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
Before I came, confusion abounded.
I'm late, I'm late was frequently sounded.
I'm not average, but was based on a mean.
My size, in theory, is constant: fifteen.
I'm two dozen steps, again in theory.
But walk my length and you'd get weary.
I take half and quarter steps at times.
In reality, I don't follow the lines.
I shrink to nothing in two cold extremes.
Over a thousand miles wide in the betweens.
What am I?
HintA Canadian proposal, a fix,
Proposed to the world in 1876.
Eventually it was adopted in time,
In most major countries by 1929.
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Answer
Time zones.
Before the invention of standard time zones, each city or region could have its own local time. This became increasingly awkward as railways and telecommunications improved.
Originally, time zones based their time on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Mean solar time is defined by the rotation of the Earth, which is not constant in rate. Starting January 1, 1972, a new system was used, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which used a fixed rate and added leap seconds when necessary to compensate for variations in the rotation of the Earth.
In theory, there are 24 time zones, making each a constant 15 degrees of longitude apart. A time zone varies in width from zero miles at both poles to over 1000 miles at the equator.
In reality, there are about 40 time zones, and the border between time zones is irregular, following political or geographical boundaries. The island of Newfoundland, India, and parts of Australia use half-hour deviations from standard time, and some nations use quarter-hour deviations.
Canada's Sir Sandford Fleming first proposed time zones for the entire world in 1876. Most major countries had adopted hourly time zones by 1929.
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Comments
TheEarthling    
May 29, 2006
| Loved it.  |
GebbieRose  
May 29, 2006
| Very informative. |
boodler 
May 29, 2006
| I second both the above comments.   |
AwwwSweet
May 29, 2006
| In my opinion (not that it's worth much, hehe) this was a perfect teaser. Two thumbs up! |
brainster
May 30, 2006
| Good one Marc! And it's right up there in popularity right now! |
patm
Jun 03, 2006
| Cleverly written--I concluded it had to be something with longitude and time, but didn't zero in on it exactly. The explanation is a good teaching tool. Good job.  |
bluehawk
Jun 30, 2006
|  So logical that I didn't get it.
Enjoyable and I learned something new, even @ my age.
good Job.
 |
mmmcla01
Jun 30, 2006
| That was pretty complicated...but also very informative. After the first two lines I thought: alarm clock. But then the rest didn't work with that answer...finally I just gave up...but that's just because I'm lazy...this was an excellent teaser!! |
OldChinaHand
Jun 30, 2006
| There's always time for a good teaser. |
vlerma
Jun 30, 2006
| This time you really aced it. Great teaser, which I did get, YAH! Nice work |
Badger
Jun 30, 2006
| Great teaser. Well written. Fun facts. |
(user deleted)
Jun 30, 2006
| Hats Off! A Great one! |
shawneeo
Jun 30, 2006
| HA HA, OldChinaHand!  btw, is your hand made of china, or are you a Chinese Farmhand, or what?
Anyway, I kinda got it, I thought it must be 'Greenwich mean time" or something like that, I didn't think of times zones in general. I liked the answer, which makes learning fun! heheheh (ok mr rogers) Thanks!
|
underherfeet
Jun 30, 2006
| Didn't have a clue till the last 2 lines, that is when i finally figured it out.
That was a tough one, bet not a lot of people got it?
John |
Karyn
Jun 30, 2006
| Definite food for thought in a timely fashion
Karyn |
kacsing
Jun 30, 2006
| That was a great one!
I looked at it after watching
"So You Think You Can Dance," so I could not get some sort of dance out of my head. Anyway, thanks for the explanation at the end. That made it really fun to do.
Best one yet! |
cyberstar5150
Jun 30, 2006
| This is an EXCELLENT teaser! Nice! |
bradon182001
Jun 30, 2006
| Not much I can add to what has already been said. Super great teaser. |
locutus13ds
Jun 30, 2006
| Good one. I got the answer after the hint. |
marschie
Jun 30, 2006
| I "figured out" LATITUDE and felt very proud of myself. Of course I meant LONGITUDE ...and I didn't really get it right.  |
kistin14
Jun 30, 2006
| Clever! :-) |
karikscheid
Jun 30, 2006
| Great one! I'd have never gotten it, but it was good! |
iteachkids
Jun 30, 2006
| Because of the counted steps, I was thinking a degree of longitude ... close & related, but NO CEEEEGAR!
Thanks for all the extra info in the answer. (Will this be on The Test? :wink |
nu_rob_roy 
Jun 30, 2006
| I had the time angle figured until I read the hints...I must stop that... then I thought of navigational devices and chronometers, even the 'rose line'...day light savings and finally back time zones. Good mental work out...thanks. |
Golfman072
Jun 30, 2006
| Super Teaser: Didn't have a clue. Good Job to the Canadians. |
kman613
Jun 30, 2006
| At first I though latitude line for navigation, etc. This was a great teaser! |
kcheer2493
Jun 30, 2006
| infomative, correct, and fun. Great Job!! |
scallio
Jun 30, 2006
| It was pretty easy, but very well written. I enjoyed this very much.
|
monkeygrl99
Jun 30, 2006
| Well, I have to say that this one was FUN, but I was totally of track. Like, I was thinking of the Sahara Desert! But, at the end, I got the answer without looking!
|
coachpisco
Jun 30, 2006
| Nice job |
doka13
Jun 30, 2006
| wowie... that was tough... it was confusing for me but that's prolly cuz i knew nothing about this subject. so very informative and nicely written! |
Pizzazz2u
Jun 30, 2006
| Quite a professionally worded teaser! And a fantastically awesome learning tool for the schools, too. It could help youngsters to understand the times, in a yet rhyming manner. And, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Keep up the superb work. |
syracuse945
Jun 30, 2006
| i gest the world... close enuf, ryt?
good job! |
POPS
Jun 30, 2006
| Did not get it But it was very informative, Nice job |
Bastet
Jun 30, 2006
| Your title pretty much covered it for me. I thought it might have something to do with time, but didn't come close to getting it. Rereading the clues, it was so obvious, so I'm chagrined.
Still, this was one of the most delightful ridddles I've read yet. Outstanding! |
Stuff1
Jun 30, 2006
| That was great. Good learning info |
ava199345
Jun 30, 2006
| too much thinking. my head hurts on the up side, it was a great teaser |
jabdr
Jun 30, 2006
| First I thought time, then Greenwich Mean time..but never connected to time zones.  Great teaser. |
Musikman212
Jun 30, 2006
| Good teaser. I got hung up on the International Date Line, but at least I was on the right track. |
el-gniarb
Jun 30, 2006
| Hmm. I think I've heard this one before...I liked this one. I thought it was some form of equatorial circumference at first, but then I realized with the 24 it must be related to time zones. Lots of interesting information in that answer. Well done. |
bandnerdnproud7
Jun 30, 2006
| Very cute. |
carouselsb3
Jun 30, 2006
| Thought it might be DST, but figured it out without looking! THX |
tdbrsun
Jun 30, 2006
| very intellegent Much thought in this one I like it. |
Nellem
Jul 02, 2006
| Great one, fun and informative - perfect! |
RRAMMOHAN
Jul 06, 2006
| Could figure out that this related to rotation of earth, difference in time, etc., but couldn't zero on to Time Zones! 
The details given about time zones are excellent education material for those from countries where no time zones are observed. A super teaser! Thanks for all the information. |
freefromdesign
Oct 26, 2006
| One of my favorites perfectly put together, got it but it took a bit |
Natrix
May 20, 2008
| thanks for the facts even though i knew them |
VitalStatistic
Jun 30, 2009
| Excellent teaser. Loved it. I had absolutely no idea |
doehead 
Jun 30, 2009
| This was the very best teaser this year. Beat my brain up,and I didn't solve it.Congrats to the writer. |
wordmama
Jun 30, 2009
| I got it!! I got it!! and without the hint!! I don't usually get riddles at all, so this is exciting for me! I needed the last two lines for it to all come together. What a perfectly well-written riddle!!! Congrats to both of us! |
patiencewithaP
Jun 30, 2009
| I had an idea but needed the hint. Great teaser and well written! |
here2
Jun 30, 2009
| I really enjoyed this. Especially the explanation. I learned something today. Thanks!! |
precious1026
Jun 30, 2009
|  This is a good teaser, actually I had no idea or clue even having read the Hint. But, Mark do you think before the invention of Time Zones, people thought of lateness as you have related lateness abound by time zones? Perhaps time itself, but time zones this is still a good teaser and I rated it as such. |
auntiesis
Jun 30, 2009
| Very good teaser, really good explanation. I was close, but didn't get it even with the hint. |
jfilar3
Jun 30, 2009
| Very good riddle! I really appreciate the in-depth explanation! |
tahomac
Jun 30, 2009
| I enjoyed this one,I did'nt figure it out but I learnrd something new |
princess0611
Jun 30, 2009
| Very well written and informative. Not to easy ..... just right |
UptheHill
Jun 30, 2009
| Loved it!!!! |
Babe
Jun 30, 2012
| I am not telling what I thought it was. It is too silly, but it made me laugh when I saw the answer compared to mine! |
Maggiethe8th
Jun 30, 2012
| Really fun!! Got bits and pieces as I went along-good workout & interesting!! Thanks!! |
mejajones
Jun 30, 2012
| Well done. I guessed the concept of the day -- needed to take it further to the division of time zones. |
HABS2933
Jun 30, 2012
| Another great teaser Marc. Always enjoy your submissions.. The answer jumped at me pretty easily, but I credit the "A Part of our Heritage" commercials with teaching me who proposed the idea of time zones. |
iggy39
Jun 30, 2012
| Too hard for me. I of course didn't get it at all. Not canadian. |
iggy39
Jun 30, 2012
| Too hard for me. I of course didn't get it at all. Not canadian. |
TallTimber
Jul 02, 2012
| Nice teaser, enjoyed it. |
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