Riddle: The shorter I am, the bigger I am – what abstract thing does this describe?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle uses a paradoxical sounding statement to describe an emotional quality rather than a physical object. It says that when something is shorter, it is actually bigger. The aim is to test awareness of idiomatic expressions and the way English uses size related adjectives in figurative ways.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The subject becomes bigger or more intense when it is shorter.

- Bigger here is clearly not about physical length, but about severity or strength.

- The options include temper, candle, pencil, and queue.

- The riddle appears in a puzzles section and is intended to point to a well known phrase.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase short temper refers to a person who becomes angry very quickly. When someone has a shorter temper, it means their anger comes faster and is often more intense. In that figurative sense, a shorter temper is a bigger problem. Thus, when the riddle says the shorter I am, the bigger I am, it is describing a temper that becomes more serious as its shortness increases.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that the riddle cannot be about a physical object where shorter simply means smaller. Step 2: Think of expressions where short is associated with quick anger or limited patience. Step 3: Recall the term short temper, which describes a person who gets angry very easily. Step 4: Understand that a shorter temper means the person reacts even more quickly, making the problem bigger in effect. Step 5: Compare this with a candle, pencil, or queue, where shorter usually does not imply bigger importance or impact.

Verification / Alternative check:
Test each option. A candle or pencil physically becomes smaller when shorter. A queue that is shorter means fewer people, which is smaller, not bigger. Only temper is naturally linked to short and can be described as bigger or worse when it is shorter. This confirms that the riddle is using emotional metaphor, not physical measurements.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Candle: As it burns, it becomes shorter and also weaker, not bigger. Pencil: A shorter pencil has less lead and is less useful. Queue: A shorter queue is better for waiting and is not considered bigger in any sense.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may initially think of candles or fuses because of the common link between length and time. However, the riddle focuses on the language pattern used in phrases like short temper, not on combustion or burning. Remember that many word puzzles are based on idioms rather than strict physics.

Final Answer:
The thing that is bigger in effect when it is shorter is a temper.