I never live on land - What am I?

Question

You'll often find me in a book

You can catch me if you can hook

And smoke me red.

If you follow me, you will be a lost boy.

I like to tinker with your attention, ahoy

I never live on land.

What am I?

score 36 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 11 '16 at 15:39

36

You are

Peter Pan

You'll often find me in a book

Peter Pan was a book

You can catch me if you can hook

Captain hook tries to catch Peter

And smoke me red.

Smoking the pipe with the "red man"

If you follow me, you will be a lost boy.

The Lost Boys follow Peter

I like to tinker with your attention, ahoy

An allusion to Tinkerbell, and Peter's taunting nature

I never live on land.

Neverland is Peter's home land.

answered Jul 11 '16 at 15:39

Matt

3

Pretty sure this is right.. flies above my answer! – Arth Jul 11 '16 at 15:41
3

That is logical reasoning, but it was the misleading answer :) – hypern Jul 11 '16 at 15:42
3

Arg, I've been deceived! – Matt Jul 11 '16 at 15:43
@hypern Love it! Said fish caught me like a fish! – Arth Jul 11 '16 at 15:43
@Matt, think he was referring to my answer.. :( – Arth Jul 11 '16 at 15:44
4

Surely not. My answer is your answer, in a manner of speaking ... haha. Yours is correct, @Arth – Matt Jul 11 '16 at 15:45
8

Haha, I secretly prefer yours... Love the idea of a red herring actually being a red herring and the explanations have a lovely cryptic feel to them! – Arth Jul 11 '16 at 15:50
1

This works so much better than the accepted answer. – Brian Risk Jul 11 '16 at 19:14
2

My mind has just been blown. The red herring was a red herring. – Mirror318 Jul 11 '16 at 22:05
@Mirror318 Sadly it wasn't, it was the answer... I'd happily give up the 15 rep for a good ol' mind melt though :) – Arth Jul 12 '16 at 13:37
1

Both answers are red herrings! my brain ... – Matt Jul 12 '16 at 13:38

Arth · Accepted Answer · 2016-07-11T15:46:41.340

31

A (red) herring

You'll often find me in a book

You can find misleading red herrings in mystery books, they may also be in a fish encyclopedia!

You can catch me if you can hook

Can be fished with a hook and line

And smoke me red.

Can be cooked by smoking, making the flesh red

If you follow me, you will be a lost boy.

A red herring will lead one away from the answer

I like to tinker with your attention, ahoy

Carrying on from above

I never live on land.

Herrings live in the water

edited Jul 11 '16 at 15:46

answered Jul 11 '16 at 15:40

Arth

2

This is the correct answer, very quick! If you could just add a justification for the first line and I'll accept. I promise its not difficult to figure out – hypern Jul 11 '16 at 15:43

2 Answers2