It's that bloody man on a bridge

[DappledThings]

I guess this is technically a TAAT but it might be allowed to stand.

There was that thread a while ago when someone said they'd been told a riddle as a child, couldn't work it out, suddenly got told it and "couldn't" give the answer.

Today this came up on Facebook. Isn't this the same riddle?

Most comments saying it's written wrong and "cane" should be "name" so his name is Andrew.

The "and drew" is where the name is his hidden so it could be "and drew a boat"

I agree. It should be name not cane, otherwise it doesn't make sense.

I had forgotten all about that bloody thread again. Why did I click this!?

Fucking boswell.

No, it's not the same, that was something like there was a man called boswell, bos for short, he walked up the post office steps. There wasn't even a question.

It was a time wasting exercise, nothing more.

Bugger, yes it was. I remembered it wrong.

Andrew.

Aman

His name is What.

What is the man's name...

There is no question mark at the end of that last sentence.

Oh yes! It is What.

Andrew that's his name And drew his cane

But "told" is past tense and appears before the answer, so it must have already been mentioned before that for it to make sense.

And What isn't a name. I think Aman or Andrew is more likely.

I saw that on FB this morning runs away screaming

Cane, Don, Anddrew, What

Most comments saying it's written wrong and "cane" should be "name" so his name is Andrew.

I think "I told you his name" just means "his name appears in the text", not "I explained that some of the text also forms his name". It's a bit grammatically off, though.

Don't remind me of that bloody Boswell post office steps thread!

His name is 'What'.

'What is his name'. Geddit?

I hate Boswell. There is a chain of cafes near me called Boswells and it always makes me remember that wretched thread.

One thing that cheers me up about Armageddon is that the stupid 'who's on first' sketch will vanish permanently into the ether.

A Russian stood on Nevski Bridge
Chewing his beard for lack of food
He said 'It's tough this stuff to eat,
But it's a damn sight better than Shredded Wheat'.

Another Boswell survivor here, I get flashbacks every time I have to walk up our post office steps.

Andrew doesn't have two d's in it.

It’s definitely What!

It's definitely What