Riddle: I make things short, but I am quite long myself. What am I?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle uses descriptive language to hint at an everyday tool without naming it directly. The object "makes things short" yet is "quite long" itself. The idea is not that it physically cuts objects, but that it is used to measure length and thus to make other things shorter in a planning or cutting process. The riddle tests your ability to connect these clues to the properties of common tools like a tape measure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The mystery object "makes things short".
• It is itself "pretty long".
• Options include a tape measure, pencil, ruler, knife and scissors.
• We assume ordinary uses of these tools in measuring and cutting.

Concept / Approach:
A tape measure is a long, flexible strip marked with units of length. It is used to measure objects so that they can be cut or adjusted to the desired, usually shorter, size. Although the tape measure itself can extend to several metres, we use it to create accurate short lengths for wood, fabric or other materials. The riddle describes this role indirectly: the tape measure "makes things short" by helping you cut them to the correct short size, while the tape itself is long when extended.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret "make things short" as helping to reduce or trim objects to the correct length, not necessarily cutting them directly. Step 2: Recognise that tools like knives and scissors cut things, but they are not particularly long themselves. Step 3: Consider rulers and tape measures, which are used to measure lengths. Step 4: A ruler is usually 15 or 30 centimetres long, but a tape measure can stretch out to several metres and is stored rolled up. Step 5: In practice, you use a tape measure to decide where to cut wood, cloth or cables so that the final pieces are shorter and exactly the length you want. Step 6: Therefore, a tape measure fits both parts of the riddle: it is long but used to make other things short.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check each option carefully. A pencil can make a word "short" by writing the word "short", but that explanation is less direct and not implied in the wording. A ruler is also a measuring tool but is not especially long compared to a tape measure and is not as strongly associated with shortening things. Knives and scissors physically cut items, but they are not primarily known for being long. Only the tape measure matches the image of something long that is used repeatedly when you want to cut or trim materials down to shorter pieces.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, a pencil, could be considered in some versions of similar riddles, but it is typically not described as "pretty long" in comparison to its function.

Option C, a ruler, is usually short enough to fit on a desk and is not as strongly linked to altering lengths.

Option D, a knife, cuts things but does not inherently make them short; it could cut something into many pieces, not necessarily shorter lengths.

Option E, scissors, work like a knife and are not especially long objects.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to focus only on cutting and immediately think of scissors or knives, ignoring the clue about length. Another is to remember different versions of the riddle where the answer might be a pencil or a ruler, and to choose those without checking if they truly match the exact wording here. Always match each clue carefully: in this version, the emphasis on being "pretty long" yourself fits a tape measure best.

Final Answer:
The object that makes things short while being long itself is a tape measure.