conundrum

conundrum
noun /kəˈnʌn.dɹəm/
a) A difficult question or riddle, especially one using a play on words in the answer.

“Why should I understand that, or anything else?” asked the girl. “Don’t bother my head by asking conundrums, I beg of you. Just let me discover myself in my own way.”

b) A difficult choice or decision that must be made.

And while I am more concerned about the well-being of others than for myself, more hurt for them and for their losses than for my own, more worried for their futures than for the future of Martha Stewart the person, you are faced with a conundrum, a problem of monumental, to me, proportions.


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  • Conundrum — Co*nun drum, n. [Origin unknown.] 1. A kind of riddle based upon some fanciful or fantastic resemblance between things quite unlike; a puzzling question, of which the answer is or involves a pun. [1913 Webster] Or pun ambiguous, or conundrum… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • conundrum — (n.) 1590s, Oxford University slang for pedant, also whim, etc., later (1790) riddle, puzzle. Also spelled quonundrum. The sort of ponderous pseudo Latin word that was once the height of humor in learned circles …   Etymology dictionary

  • conundrum — puzzle, riddle, enigma, problem, *mystery …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • conundrum — is a 16c word of unknown origin, perhaps a facetious invention. It has a plural conundrums …   Modern English usage

  • conundrum — [n] puzzle brain teaser, closed book*, enigma, mystery, mystification, poser*, problem, puzzlement, riddle, why*; concepts 532,666,690 …   New thesaurus

  • conundrum — ► NOUN (pl. conundrums) 1) a confusing and difficult problem or question. 2) a riddle. ORIGIN originally in the sense «a crank or pedant»: of unknown origin …   English terms dictionary

  • conundrum — [kə nun′drəm] n. [16th c. Oxford University L slang for pedant, whim, etc.; early sp. quonundrum] 1. a riddle whose answer contains a pun (Ex.: “What s the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?” “One sells watches and the other watches cells …   English World dictionary

  • Conundrum — Contents 1 Literature 2 Other fields Conundrum may refer to: A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun or unexpected twist A logical postulation that evades resolution, an …   Wikipedia

  • Conundrum — «Даллас» Conundrum …   Википедия

  • conundrum — [16] Conundrum originally appeared in all manner of weird and wonderful guises – conimbrum, conuncrum, quonundrum, connunder, etc – before settling down to conundrum in the late 18th century. It bears all the marks of one of the rather heavy… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • conundrum — [[t]kənʌ̱ndrəm[/t]] conundrums N COUNT A conundrum is a problem or puzzle which is difficult or impossible to solve. [FORMAL] ...this theological conundrum of the existence of evil and suffering in a world created by a good God …   English dictionary

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