Author Archives: Melody Wu

“I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”

Age: 19

Date: 02/22/2025

Language: English

Nationality: Chinese American

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States

Post 6: Riddle

Text:

“I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”

(Answer: An echo)

Context:

I first heard this riddle from my uncle when I was about eight. We were on a family trip in the mountains, hiking through a canyon with rock walls. At one point, my uncle shouted my name, and a few seconds later, we heard it bounce back. I was surprised because I had never experienced an echo so clearly before. That’s when he turned to me with lowkey an evil smile and asked, “Alright, kid, riddle me this: I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. What am I?” I remember standing there, deep in thought, staring at the rocks trying to figure it out. After a few failed guesses, A ghost?” “The wind?” then he finally revealed the answer: an echo. I just thought it was funny so from then on, echoes always reminded me of that moment, and I’ve kept the riddle in the back of my mind ever since.

Analysis:

This riddle plays with the idea of personification—giving human-like qualities to something non-human. An echo is described as “speaking” and “hearing,” even though it is simply a reflection of sound. The clever wording forces the listener to think abstractly, which is a key characteristic of riddles. It also has a mystical quality, making it feel like something out of folklore or legend.

Riddles like this one are more than just fun brain teasers, they often serve as a way to pass down knowledge in an engaging way. In many ancient cultures, echoes were seen as mysterious, sometimes even supernatural. Greek mythology, for example, tells the story of Echo, a nymph cursed to only repeat the words of others. This riddle subtly reflects that sense of wonder, inviting the listener to reconsider something as simple as sound in a new and poetic way. Even today, riddles remain a form of intellectual play, encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving. The fact that I still remember this one years later speaks to the lasting power of a well-crafted puzzle.

Why don’t skeletons fight each other

Age: 19

Date: 02/22/2025

Language: English

Nationality: Chinese American

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States

Text:

“Why don’t skeletons fight each other? Because they don’t have the guts!”

Context:

I first heard this joke at a Halloween party when I was a kid. One of my classmates, dressed as a vampire, was going around telling halloween themed jokes to literally anyone who would listen. When he got to me, I remember laughing, partly because I actually found it funny and partly because he delivered it with such confidence, like it was the greatest joke ever told. Later that night, I repeated it to my parents, and they laughed too (probably more at my enthusiasm than the joke itself). From that point on, it became my go-to Halloween joke I’d tell it every year to my friends, and even now, I still think of it whenever October rolls around.

Analysis:

This joke relies on a classic pun, playing with the phrase “having the guts,” which means both possessing courage and literally having internal organs. It’s simple, clever, and lighthearted, qualities that make it a great joke for kids. Puns like this often appear in children’s humor because they introduce wordplay in a way that’s easy to understand and repeat.

Beyond just being a fun Halloween joke, it also reflects the way humor can be tied to specific cultural moments. Skeletons are a common symbol of both horror and comedy, appearing in everything from spooky stories to animated films. The joke takes something that might otherwise be creepy—a skeleton—and makes it silly and harmless, showing how humor can reframe fear. This is a common pattern in folklore and storytelling: turning the eerie into the amusing as a way to make the unknown feel less intimidating. The fact that jokes like this persist over time, especially around Halloween, shows how humor can become part of seasonal traditions, passed down from one generation to the next.

🐝 + 🍯 = “Be Honey” → “Be Happy”

Age: 20

Date: 02/22/2025

Language: English

Nationality: Singaporean

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States

Text:🐝 + 🍯 = “Be Honey” → “Be Happy”

Growing up, I remember seeing rebuses in kids’ books and classroom activities, and they always felt like a game. They made learning words exciting because instead of just memorizing letters, you had to decode the meaning through pictures. But rebuses aren’t just for kids—they’ve stuck around in all kinds of ways. You can find them in logos, ads, and even internet memes, where visuals and text blend together to say something clever in a way that’s quick and eye-catching.

At their core, rebuses show how creative language can be. They prove that communication isn’t just about words—it’s about how we interpret meaning from symbols, sounds, and context. Even though they come from ancient times, they still feel fresh and modern, which is probably why we keep using them. They tap into something universal: the joy of figuring things out.

chili crab gesture

Age: 20

Date: 02/22/2025

Language: English

Nationality: Singaporean

Occupation: Student

Primary Language: English

Residence: United States

The “Chili Crab” gesture—holding up both hands with fingers spread wide and moving them like crab pincers.

Context:

Growing up in Singapore, I’ve always known the “Chili Crab” gesture. It’s something my friends and I would do whenever we were craving chili crab or planning a seafood feast. We’d hold up both hands, spread our fingers like crab pincers, and snap them in the air while saying, “Wah, chili crab time!” I remember my cousins doing it at family dinners, and even my parents would use it occasionally when deciding where to eat. It’s such a simple but fun way to reference one of our most famous dishes, and even now, if someone makes that gesture, I immediately know what they’re talking about, no words needed.

Analysis:

This gesture reflects how deeply food is woven into Singaporean culture. Chili crab isn’t just a dish; it’s a national favorite, a shared experience that brings people together. The existence of a hand sign for it shows how much significance it holds beyond just being something to eat.

Unlike more universal gestures like the thumbs-up, the “Chili Crab” gesture is specific to Singapore, making it a unique cultural marker. It represents not just a love for food but also the way Singaporeans express themselves, through humor, playfulness, and a strong connection to local traditions. For those unfamiliar with it, the gesture might seem unusual at first, but for locals, it instantly conveys a craving, an inside joke, or an invitation to enjoy a classic dish together. In this way, it serves as both a symbol of cultural identity and a reminder of the shared experiences that define Singaporean life.