We Occasional Post Puzzles,

and for today we came across a book of them,

a very old book, compiled and arranged by Frederick D’Arros Planché; 1879, printed by Pott, Young and co. in New York titled Guess Me, 

 illustrated by George Cruikshank among others, this book offers a collection of enigmas, conundrums, acrostics, “decapitations”, and a series of incredibly tricky rebuses,

 the preface explains that an enigma can have many solutions whereas a conundrum only has one, and that “The essence of a good conundrum is to be found in its answer, which should be itself something of a pun, a puzzle, or an epigram, an inversion of the regular and ordinary meaning of the word.” some of the 631 conundrums included in the book:

Why is a clock always bashful? – Because its hands are ever before its face.

Why are persons fatigued, like a wheel? – Because they are tired.

Why are good resolutions like fainting ladies? – They want carrying out.

When is a kiss like rumour? – When it goes from mouth to mouth.

 perhaps the highlight of the book are the rebuses, called here “hieroglyphics” the solving of which vary from difficult to near on impossible,

but this last one is so easy, anyway if you like puzzles click on the link and puzzle away!