'A riddle wrapped up in an enigma' - the meaning and origin of this phrase Famous Last Words Browse phrases beginning with: A riddle wrapped up in an enigma more like this... A puzzle - difficult to solve. Origin A form of Winston Churchill's quotation, made in a radio broadcast in October 1939: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." International Assessment and Strategy Center > Research > The Russian Enigma Published on January 4th, 2005 LOOKING FORWARD To call Russia an �enigma,� while accurate enough, is a journalistic clich�, drawn from Winston Churchill�s celebrated phrase �a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.� Properly speaking, Churchill, in wartime, was referring not to Russia at all but to the mighty Soviet Union, almost nine million square miles in area�three quarters of the size of the United States, China, and Canada combined.

Today that �unbreakable union� (to quote its national anthem) had been gone for thirteen years, as of last Christmas, replaced by the Russian Federation, somewhat smaller at 6,592,800 square miles, but still formidable and more enigmatic than ever. How she develops in the next ten to twenty years, however, will nevertheless be a key to questions ranging from the success of European integration to peace in East Asia. We Americans should therefore be paying close attention�which of course we are not. I say Russia is now more enigmatic than ever because our usual recourse, history, at first glance at least, has little to tell us. For the question is not how do Moscow or her neighbors handle expansion, but rather how do they deal with a contraction, unlikely to be reversed, that creates a novel situation. Loss of empire can be humiliating and disorientating: just look at Britain or France, both relegated to the second tier of powers after World War II. It has undoubtedly shaken the Russians more than anyone, for who could ever have imagined that the Red Flag would really be lowered over the Kremlin?

But as Britain attempted to show, loss of empire can also present an opportunity: namely, the chance to be genuine friends with states that one previously held in servitude. Russia has the same opportunity, for good relations with her are among the highest priorities of her neighbors and former subjects. But as was demonstrated by her attempted intervention in the Ukrainian election, some at least in Moscow do not see things that way, and dream instead (like the European states after World War II) of reconstructing something along the lines of the old USSR, both geographically and, at least to the extent that it is authoritarian and not democratic, politically as well. Other actions, however, undercut this analysis. Moscow has cultivated far better ties with the West than the USSR ever enjoyed, and by and large has been welcomed. She has moved closer to Japan by choosing the more sensible option of an energy pipeline terminating at the Russian Pacific port of Nakhodka over the Chinese alternative, and offering to return some�but not all�of the northern Japanese islands seized at the end of World War II. She has entered the world economy. So what are the possibilities?

A straight line projection based on current trends in Russia will find the country, in twenty years time, with a smaller population than she has today and a burdensome ratio of old to young citizens. Her economy will be far from having realized its potential, not only because of lack of labor, but also because increasing Kremlin centralization and intervention will have lowered her growth rate from the very respectable numbers of the past few years. Under such conditions, maintaining authoritarian control will become more and more difficult over a territory that is still only a little smaller than the United States plus China and which still stretches from the Black and Baltic Seas to the Pacific. Furthermore, the Soviet Union lacked genuinely troublesome neighbors. Russia, by contrast, has issues with nearly every state on its periphery, and many of these states are becoming assertive. In Siberia meeting Chinese, or Korean refugees (and slave laborers) is not unusual. The border with the Turkic world, once inside, is now mostly outside Russia, but the potential problems remain. What we are describing in this first scenario sounds a bit like a shrunken Soviet Union, and although Mr Putin might not put it that way, the description is not inaccurate.

The state is demographically stagnant, economically increasingly shackled, beleaguered by problems within and without�and problems that cannot be solved by military force, even were that force available, which it is not. Now recall what happened to the USSR. Mr Gorbachev attempted to reform it, but while allowing for democracy, decided that his own job at the top should not be elective. Accumulating internal problems and the legacy of a failed war returned to roost on the Kremlin wall, and in short order the USSR had collapsed, although without bloodshed and by semi-consensual processes, into something called the Commonwealth of Independent States�propelled, not least, by people in the streets of Moscow. To the extent they were shrunken Soviet Unions, however, the members of the CIS continued to suffer from the problems that had brought down the larger entity. Nowhere did real democracy take hold. Belarus is synonymous with dictatorship, Turkmenistan with the cult of personality. Russia itself is freer than at any time since 1917 but still uneasily hesitating at the sign pointing the way to full democracy, and Ukraine . . .

Well, Ukraine showed that just as the central power of the USSR could lose power, so too could the Soviet-looking post-Soviet regimes in the CIS. Ukraine had become a sovereign nation and gained freedom undreamed of in Soviet times, but she was still oppressed by the thuggish rule of Soviet officials continuing in office, and their new collaborators, many thugs and economic criminals. So, in Ukraine, began what may well be the second wave of post-Soviet change in the CIS. Given the Ukrainian example, in fact, it is not at all difficult to imagine an �orange revolution� in Belarus or in one of the Central Asian States, or even in Russia herself�each, of course, having its own coloration, in former Soviet Central Asia probably green, the color of Islam. So the first point as we try to solve Churchill�s riddle of Russia and her future, is to understand that domestic developments will be fundamental�and that none of the post Soviet states has yet reached anything like a sustainable form and structure. But because the new structures are freer and more open to public opinion and dissent, they make the task of internal change easier, and thus its occurrence more likely.

Or to sum up: the rest of the world should be thinking carefully about the various courses of change now open to Russia and her former Soviet neighbors, and how each would affect their interests and the world. Few things are more unwelcome to foreign policy bureaucrats worldwide, as well as to pundits, than �instability.� That is why the first President Bush had no idea what to do as the old USSR began to wobble�nor did any of his colleagues. That is why the current President Bush has evidently decided not to pay too much attention to Ukraine�though what has happened there is pivotal for Eurasia�lest relations with Moscow suffer. What the administration�and the Europeans�should be asking is: what do we do if and when in the Russia of 2005 or later, a new Father Gapon (as in 1905) leads protesters against the current weak autocracy, the attempt at forcible suppression fails, and things begin to unwind. This is the riddle on which we all should be working. To conclude, let us recall Churchill�s quote in full. It responded to the question of Russia�s future course. And it claimed to find a key: �I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia.

It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interests.� But what, one asked then, were Soviet interests, and did the post-war really serve them (the regime perished half a century later, after all, while even places like Greece kept going)? What are Russian national interests today? Are they being served now? How might they be otherwise served? A future column will consider these questions. IASC vice-president Arthur Waldron first visited the then USSR more than thirty years ago, and spent a semester at the then Leningrad State University. He most recently returned as part of a track two delegation sponsored by the American Foreign Policy Council. Riddle - Idioms by The Free Dictionary Riddle - Idioms by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Thesaurus , Legal , Financial , Acronyms , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . a riddle wrapped in an enigma That which is so dense and secretive as to be totally indecipherable or impossible to foretell. It is a shortened version of a line used by Winston Churchill to describe the intentions and interests of Russia in 1939: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia.

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." Many versions, variations, and appropriations of the quote, its structure, and its meaning have since been in use. I can't make any sense of this calculus textbook, it's like a riddle wrapped in an enigma. I just don't have any idea what Mary expects from me; she's a riddle wrapped in an enigma. See also: enigma , riddle , wrap a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma That which is so dense and secretive as to be totally indecipherable or impossible to foretell. It is from a line used by Winston Churchill to describe the intentions and interests of Russia in 1939: "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." Many versions, variations, and appropriations of the quote, its structure, and its meaning have since been in use. Political campaigns make my head hurt. They're just a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

See also: enigma , inside , wrap riddle someone or something with something to fill someone or something with small holes, such as bullet holes. Max pulled the trigger of the machine gun and riddled Lefty with holes. The police riddled the wall with holes trying to shoot the escaped convict in the house. to talk in a way that is difficult to understand Usage notes: A riddle is a difficult and confusing description of something. She keeps talking in riddles, instead of just coming out and saying what she means. riddle with v. 1. To pierce something in many places, especially with bullets or some other projectile: The troops riddled the side of the tank with gunfire. 2. To be permeated with some kind of puncture or hole. Used in the passive: The side of the house was riddled with bullet holes. 3. To be permeated in many places by something, especially by flaws. Used in the passive: That report was riddled with errors. The Future of Russia – Part 1 What Is Russia’s Endgame? By Samuel C.

Baxter January 1, 2017 While the Eurasian nation has long befuddled the West, it wants what it always has: an idealized state that plays a powerful and prominent role on the world stage. Grand setting: Russian President Vladimir Putin leads members of the Council for Civil Society and Human Rights during a session at the Kremlin in Moscow (Dec. 8, 2016). Source: Sergei Karpukhin/AFP/Getty Images The images of November 9, 1989, were immediately seared into the world’s collective memory. On that day, all eyes were on Germany—specifically the Berlin Wall. The graffiti-laden structure was overwhelmed with curious onlookers from the western portion of the city. Westerners climbed on top of the wall and conversed with eastern border guards—an unthinkable act just weeks earlier. Armed with sledgehammers, citizens vented decades of pent-up emotions by taking swings at the concrete barrier. Travel bans were lifted and thousands of East Berliners poured across the border and into the welcoming arms of their counterparts on the other side. The wall came down; the Iron Curtain began to lift.

In the following years, as the USSR dissolved, the Cold War threat vanished, and the decades-long Soviet reign was over—a new era appeared on the horizon. The United States and Europe hoped Russia and its former satellite states would, as the East Berliners basking in newfound freedoms, sprint from communism to the warm embrace of Western-style democracy. Eye on energy: Russia’s President-elect Vladimir Putin (right) listens to Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin (left) while visiting an oil terminal in St. Petersburg, Russia (March 23, 2012). Source: Alexei Nikolsky/AFP/Getty Images Fast-forward 20 years after the USSR collapsed. Things have not gone as the West envisioned. Russia has failed to blossom into a carbon-copy of European governing models, let alone model itself after the United States. Persistent problems wear on the nation. While the country has a rapidly growing middle class, they are still largely politically irrelevant.

The New York Times reported on a World Bank study of Russia: “A number of factors are weakening the Russian economy…The aging population, unproductive workers, and business executives who are reluctant to invest over the long term, fearful of risk in general but with specific concerns about Russia.” The state once again is under the rule of Vladimir Putin, whose leadership style has been labeled authoritarian. He was elected for a third presidential term in early March 2012, and may remain in office for up to 12 more years. To the West, Russia’s return to such a governing style raises concerns. Yet for many of its citizens, Mr. Putin’s decisive actions brought stability after the rampant political chaos, weak economy, high inflation, hunger, war and crime of the 1990s. The Economist wrote that the West failed to take into account the country’s “ruined economy, depleted and exhausted human capital and the mental and moral dent made by 70 years of Soviet rule. Nobody knew what kind of country would succeed the Soviet Union, or what being Russian really meant.” Russia has long befuddled Western powers.

Discussing the nation during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated, “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma…” (The Churchill Society). Being misunderstood has been a historical problem for the former Soviet republic. In pre-USSR days, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, brother-in-law of Russian Emperor Nicholas II, said, “I have never met anyone who understood Russians” (From Nyet to Da: Understanding the New Russia). Outsiders tend to paint the northern Eurasian nation with a broad brush, and in doing so, miss what it really means to be Russian. Today, many in the West view the country simplistically as still overcoming the effects of a failed communist state—including holding onto Soviet-style authoritarian control. Other countries, where certain democratic freedoms are guaranteed, assume the only logical way to solve the nation’s problems is for it to make a clean break from its past. For Russia, however, this is no easy task. Change in the Air? Parliament elections held in December 2011 seemed to herald a shift in Russia’s public mood.

After the vote, thousands of demonstrators, outraged about suspected electoral rigging and at Vladimir Putin’s bid for president, crowded Moscow to voice their discontentment. Similar events also occurred in the weeks prior. Protesters at these gatherings, which were the largest demonstrations since the Soviet Union’s fall 20 years prior, cried “New Elections, New Elections” and “Russia without Putin.” A main point of dissatisfaction was Vladimir Putin’s return as president. He held the position from 1999 to 2008, after which he backed Dmitry Medvedev as his successor, and Mr. Putin then became the prime minister. Due to changes in the Russian Constitution and Mr. Putin’s recent re-election, it is possible that he could retain his position in the Kremlin until 2024. Mr. Medvedev may then again switch to prime minister (a position that is appointed in Russia). “It’s absolutely unacceptable that the man who’s in power [already] for 12 years will be here for 12 years more!” one demonstrator told NBC News.

He later stated, “We don’t want another revolution, or bloodshed, but if Putin is going to win then there may be a ‘Russian Spring’—not an Arab Spring but a Russian one.” Western media latched on to such comments as hope of significant change for the nation. The Telegraph quoted Sergei Mironov, who ran against Mr. Putin in the recent presidential election: “Whoever wins the presidency, if he does not immediately begin deep political and social reforms including a clearer articulation of our foreign policy objectives, my prediction is that Russia will [be] shaken by a kind of Arab Spring within two years.” An “anti-corruption crusader” told the International Herald Tribune, “We have something to say to Mr. Putin…Change is coming. Let democracy spring from the city of Yaroslavl.” In reality, however, these comments come from the vocal minority. Mr. Putin remains popular with most of Russia. A February opinion poll showed that before his official election, he held at least 50 percent of the vote. The European Voice stated that “most participants hold few illusions about the efficacy of their protest. They want to express to Russia’s rulers the extent of their frustration and determination.

They may not expect regime change, but they expect at least some minimal reforms.” Western media think they can easily understand what protesters are saying and paint their plight as similar to that of Arab Spring revolutions across the Middle East. Yet when most journalists try to comprehend why the majority of the nation voted in favor of Vladimir Putin, the Russian mindset remains “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma…” Political Theater The Russian Federation currently has many pressing problems. It has the second-highest death rate in the world, after South Africa. Due to a declining number of births, the workforce is rapidly aging. Russian news agency RIA Novosti cited a report by sociologists who had created an index of overall well-being for nations around the world. While the global average score was 57 out of 100, Russia was 37—a number on par with North Korea. During his presidential run for a third term in March 2012, Vladimir Putin proffered ways to tackle these issues.

A Time magazine editorial summarized his proposals: “He promised to double the wages of doctors, [policemen] and college professors, triple stipends for many students, and boost the program of ‘maternal capital’ that pays mothers to have more children. (This last provision was to help solve Russia’s demographic crisis, which has seen the population drop by 5 million people since the fall of the Soviet Union.) Putin also promised to ‘completely re-arm’ the military at a projected cost of $777 billion over the next decade and to build new housing for veterans.” The only way to fund these efforts is a dramatic increase in oil production. Critics of this approach warn that Russia needs to diversify its exports instead of putting all its eggs in the energy basket. While Mr. Putin handpicked Mr. Medvedev for the presidency in 2008, his protege did break with his counterpart on certain important issues—including the nation’s economic future.

He stated in a 2009 essay published by Russia Today, “Should we continue sticking to the primitive economy based on natural resources, to the deep-rooted corruption, to an outdated habit to rely only on the state, on foreign countries, on any kind of a cure-all, on anyone but on ourselves? Does Russia, overloaded with such burdens, have a future?” Mr. Medvedev stated that a “technological revolution, strong civil society, efficient parliament and reformed judicial system are the key components for a prosperous, powerful and free Russia…” While Messrs. Putin and Medvedev belong to the same political party, their tactics are markedly different. Yet their goal always seems to be the same—a proposition that resonates well with the vast majority of Russians. The nation wants what it always has: an idealized state that plays a powerful and prominent role on the world stage. National Idealism Idealism has long been deeply ingrained in the Russian national psyche. American historian Albert Jeremiah Beveridge noted this characteristic in his 1904 book The Russian Advance: “No matter how casual his observation, every traveller through Russia will run across evidences of Russian idealism.

On the other hand, men who have given their lives to the study of this curious people declare that the Russian is, first of all, an idealist.” Beveridge especially saw this idealism in the nation’s literary works from Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenieff, and Maxim Gorky, which all contain the “characteristic of ideality in spite of their realism.” In the end, he concluded that Russians believe it is their duty to preserve “order, form, and authority in civil affairs” and then “to restore to the confused, hopeless, struggling peoples of the earth those forms of social order and political authority which the [Russian] thinks are, after all, the foundation-stones of civilization.” Put another way, Russians want to export/expand the Russian empire in order to spread their ideals. The same mindset persists today. In his 2001 book Does America Need a Foreign Policy? Henry Kissinger wrote, “Both Russia and the United States have historically asserted a global vocation for their societies. But while America’s idealism derives from the concept of liberty, Russia’s developed from a sense of shared suffering and common submission to authority.

Everyone is eligible to share in America’s values; Russia’s have been reserved for the Russian nation, excluding even the subject nationalities of the empire. American idealism tempts isolationism; Russian idealism has prompted expansionism and nationalism.” Mr. Kissinger quoted what Mr. Putin wrote the day before taking on the responsibilities of Russia’s presidency in early 2000: “It will not happen, if it ever happens at all, that Russia will become the second edition of, say, the United States or Great Britain…For Russians, a strong state is not an anomaly, which should be got rid of. Quite the contrary, they see it as a guarantor of order and the initiator and the main driving force of any change.” In Letters from Russia, French traveler Astolphe, marquis de Custine, wrote that a person could journey the entire country and “return home without having surveyed anything but a series of facades.” Custine believed that on the surface Russia appeared to be much like any European nation. Yet he felt that whenever he looked past these outward shows, he invariably found something entirely different, something uniquely Russian. A similar statement could be applied to any period in Russia’s history.

At its heart, the nation does not change—whether under Czarist rule, the Soviets, or a sort of authoritarian democracy today. Its people are ready to sacrifice and suffer inconvenience for “the greater good.” This formula has time and again bred success for the country. As a united nation backing one ruler, Russia has repeatedly expelled and repelled military advances from the Mongols, France, Poland and Germany. The nation took on the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler. It continues to maintain a firm stance on certain global issues, even when opposed, and has vehemently defended its borders. French Historian Francois Guizot famously remarked, “When nations have existed for a long and glorious time, they cannot break with their past, whatever they do…they remain fundamentally in character and destiny such as their history has formed them. Even powerful revolutions cannot abolish national traditions…therefore it is most important, not only for the sake of intellectual curiosity, but also for the good management of international relations, to know and understand these traditions” (The Mind of Modern Russia). Russia’s unchanging ideals and ability to stand on its own have everything to do with where the modern nation is headed.

Unknown to most, the country’s history reveals more about its future than meets the eye. Perhaps surprisingly, the picture it paints is bright—and inspiring—for those who fully examine it. To understand more, do not miss part two of this series in next month’s Real Truth. More on this Subject: What Would Churchill Think?: Ukraine, the Crimea, and Russia | The National Churchill Museum What Would Churchill Think?: Ukraine, the Crimea, and Russia March 14, 2014 This week, Dr. Rob Havers looks at the current situation in the Ukraine and wonders if we can learn anything from Winston Churchill about this complex situation. With the apparent growing crisis over the future of the Crimea and the Ukraine, and the actions of Russia’s leader Putin, the media has inevitably pondered what exactly Winston Churchill might make of recent events. Given that last week saw the 68th anniversary of Churchill’s clarion call to action as he warned of ‘an Iron Curtain descending across the Continent’ , many have jumped up to try and highlight similarities or continuities with the past and the present. What lessons can we take from that speech in 1946 in terms of the present?

In 1946 the world was war weary, to say the least, and neither the populace of the USA or the UK was keen to hear Churchill’s warnings about the need to stand resolute in the face of the obvious ambitions of Josef Stalin, the erstwhile ally of the Anglo-Americans in WWII. Churchill, of course, knew the reality of life in Stalin’s Russia as well as anyone. But he underscored his pragmatism when he noted, in a speech to the House of Commons after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, that had Hitler invaded hell, he (Churchill) would have at least made a favorable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons . That pragmatism of course extended the other way too; Churchill knew when to play his hand and when not to do so. The ‘infamous’ percentages agreement attest to that. But Churchill, an implacable foe of ‘Bolshevism’ didn’t mince his words when he spoke at Westminster College asserting about the need to remain firm in light of the obvious westward ambitions of the USSR.

He said that that ‘From what I have seen of our Russian friends and Allies during the war, I am convinced that there is nothing they admire so much as strength, and there is nothing for which they have less respect than for weakness, especially military weakness’. With all that being said, what lessons might we take away that might inform decisions with regard to the current situation in the Ukraine and Russia’s belligerent attitude? Undoubtedly, there is a strand of continuity here: Czarist Russia practiced a cordon sanitaire as a buffer with the rest of Europe and Stalin’s actions post WWII can also be seen in that vein, although with the more deliberate and insidious intent of spreading Communist influence. Putin today is in some respects carrying on that tradition and pressuring a Ukraine that seemed keen to look more towards the West and the EU; an act that was hardly to be unexpected. As for the curious oblast that the Crimea represents the presence of vital Russian naval bases, there was always going to be something the Russians would seek to preserve. The bigger questions, though, are what does the West do in response and what are the implications of their actions?

Denunciations were significant in 1956 and 1968 when first the Hungarians and then the Czechoslovakians felt the full force of Soviet disapproval. Not much else followed, however. What might Churchill make of today’s developments and does the past give us any pointers as to the future? These days unilateral military action is beyond any of the European powers, and even the USA is careful to act within wider coalitions beyond formal arrangements such as NATO. While some of the more specious ‘lessons of history’ will certainly be trotted out with regard to parallels such as the Sudetenland, it is hard to see any western action being considered, or plausible, that would give Putin pause for thought. Two major military commitments, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a diminution of military resources (for Britain and the USA) have left both nations lacking both the will and means for any more. Sanctions and strongly worded notes of ‘disapproval’ seem to be in the cards. What would Churchill do? The world he knew and acted within was a very different one to that which we know. It was a larger world in almost all respects.

Churchill knew the importance of standing strong and inflexible, when the time was right but he also knew when to yield when his hand was weak. The agreements at Yalta showed us that much. Just as he called for a unified front in 1946 so too, today, can little be achieved unless those in the west and beyond can agree upon a course of action. When it is principles at stake, rather than solid and tangible national interests, that can be easier said than done. In 1939, just months after the Soviet Union allied herself with Nazi Germany, in the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact, Churchill famously noted that ‘I cannot forecast to you the actions of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma’. That much, and probably little else, we can agree upon. Russia - Wikiquote Russia Jump to: navigation , search Russia is a new phenomenon... A state defined and dominated by former and active-duty security and intelligence officers... There is no historical precedent for a society so dominated by former and active-duty internal-security and intelligence officials; men who rose up in a professional culture in which murder could be an acceptable, even obligatory, business practice.

~ Reuel Gerecht Russia ( Russian : Росси́йская Федера́ция), also known as the Russian Federation, is a country extending over much of northern Eurasia. A former member of the Soviet Union before its collapse and dissolution in 1991, Russia is a semi-presidential republic comprising 83 federal subjects and shares land borders with the following countries (counterclockwise from northwest to southeast): Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (via Kaliningrad Oblast), Poland (via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan , Kazakhstan, China , Mongolia and North Korea . It also borders the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Caspian Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea. Russia also has maritime borders with the United States of America via Alaska and Japan . . Quotes[ edit ] I find it tragic how badly misgoverned Russia has been for so long, literally back to Ivan the Terrible. Russia has so much human capital. If only it was governed properly, it could be a serious emerging market player like China. But instead it's one megalomaniac czar after another.

Whether they be imperial, Soviet, or Putin, wrecking the economy for their own vanity and nationalist unwillingness to accommodate the west. ~ Robert E. Kelly You know what impresses me more about Russia than its T-80 tanks and MiG-31 fighters? The writing of Tolstoy, Pushkin, and Dostoyevsky. The music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky. The scientific achievements of Lomonosov and the engineering genius of Tsiolkovsky. What these brilliant Russians achieved will still be spoken of long after... ~ Jeffrey Evan Brooks A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. ~ Winston Churchill In a Russian tragedy, everybody dies. In a Russian comedy, everybody dies, too. But they die happy. ~ Barry Farber The Autocrat of all the Russias will resign his crown, and proclaim his subjects free republicans sooner than will our American masters voluntarily give up their slaves. ~ Abraham Lincoln We have now seen the weakness of Russia's democratic institutions, the ease with which a Russian leader can stoke nationalist hysteria. ~ Stephen Sestanovich Russia is not corrupt.

Corruption is what happens in all countries when businessmen offer officials large bribes for favors. Today’s Russia is unique. The businessmen, the politicians, and the bureaucrats are the same people. They have privatized the country’s wealth and taken control of its financial flows. ~ Andrei Pionkovsky Elections are not a viable means of ensuring democratic change in Russia. ~ Boris Berezovsky The Russians are liars; you can't trust them... They agreed to everything and broke their word. It's too bad the second world power is like this, but that's the way it is. ~ Harry S. Truman You don't fight Russia and America. You get Russia and America to fight each other, and destroy each other. ~ Richard Dressler You know, I never planned to leave. I was not extremely patriotic about Mother Russia. You know, I played their game, pretending, of course. ~ Mikhail Baryshnikov Russian society as a whole does not care if its leading scholars and scientists have a way to publish their research and discoveries and that nobody has the power to prevent abuses and torture by the police. ~ Ivan Sukhov Russia has become an assassination-happy state. ~ Reuel Gerecht Russia...

Where despotism can be take pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy. ~ Abraham Lincoln Russia’s economic, information, and diplomatic powers are highly contextual and often geographically limited. ~ Michael Kofman From the southern seas to the polar lands. Spread are our forests and fields. You are unique in the world, one of a kind. This native land protected by God! ~ National anthem of the Russian Federation Let a man find himself, in distinction from others, on top of two wheels with a chain — at least in a poor country like Russia — and his vanity begins to swell out like his tires. ~ Leon Trotsky Look at Russia. They keep trying help each other out, extend a hand to a neighbor, and guess what? Every ten years, some one is invading, burning down their homes and taking their toilet paper. ~ Pastor Richards Lying is not a side effect of what RT does; it is the channel's heart. ~ Masha Gessen Racism is a serious problem in the Russian... ~ Sarah Rainsford A[ edit ] I did more for the Russian serf in giving him land as well as personal liberty, than America did for the negro slave set free by the proclamation of President Lincoln .

I am at a loss to understand how you Americans could have been so blind as to leave the negro slave without tools to work out his salvation. In giving him personal liberty, you have him an obligation to perform to the state which he must be unable to fulfill. Without property of any kind he cannot educate himself and his children. I believe the time must come when many will question the manner of American emancipation of the negro slaves in 1863. The vote, in the hands of an ignorant man, without either property or self respect, will be used to the damage of the people at large; for the rich man, without honor or any kind of patriotism, will purchase it, and with it swamp the rights of a free people. Alexander II , emperor of Russia, conversation with Wharton Barker, Pavlovski Palace (17 August 1879); reported in Barker, "The Secret of Russia's Friendship", The Independent (March 24, 1904), p. 647. To make America the greatest is my goal... So I beat the Russians... Muhammad Ali , poem written after winning the gold medal in the 1960 Olympic Summer Games in Rome, Italy, p. 35.

Under Russian Federation President and former career foreign intelligence officer Vladimir Putin, an 'FSB State' composed of chekists has been established and is consolidating its hold on the country. Its closest partners are organized criminals. In a world marked by a globalized economy and information infrastructure, and with transnational terrorism groups utilizing all available means to achieve their goals and further their interests, Russian intelligence collaboration with these elements is potentially disastrous. Julie Anderson, "The Chekist Takeover of the Russian State" , International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence (May 2006), Volume 19, Issue 2, pp. 237–288. Richard Dressler : You don't fight Russia and America. You get Russia and America to fight each other, and destroy each other. C[ edit ] The Russians have sometimes said one thing and done another... The Russians have been way off track since the very beginning. They have not done what they said they were going to do and they are not doing what is in their interest to do in terms of fighting... Thinking of Russia as a competitor was not something that we had to do, and now... We are going to have a competitor in Russia...

Sadly, Russian conduct in Europe makes that necessary... But, I don't think that's in the long-term interest of the Russian people... Russia's a country I've worked with a lot over the years. D[ edit ] Russia was a slave in Europe but would be a master in Asia. Fyodor Dostoevsky , reported in Dominic Livien (April 1999). "Dilemmas of Empire 1850-1918: Power, Territory, Identity". Journal of Contemporary History 34 (2): p. 180. Charge of inferiority is an old dodge. It has been made available for oppression on many occasions... When Russia wanted to take possession of a part of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks were “an inferior race.” E[ edit ] We are inclined to overemphasize the material influences in history. The Russians especially make this mistake. Intellectual values and ethnic influences, tradition and emotional factors are equally important. If this were not the case, Europe would today be a federated state, not a madhouse of nationalism. F[ edit ] In a Russian tragedy, everybody dies. In a Russian comedy, everybody dies, too. But they die happy.

Barry Farber , radio talk-show host in New York City, during a program on radio station WMCA; reported in Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations (1989). Russian leaders and regular citizens have felt increasingly insecure... They have a sense that Russia is under siege from without and has been robbed of its rightful status as a world power... Europeans at least have recourse at the ballot box; they can angrily vote in or out whoever they like. Russians do not enjoy the luxury of democracy. Russians do not enjoy the luxury of democracy... The U.S. is many times more powerful and influential than Russia. G[ edit ] Russia is a new phenomenon in Europe: a state defined and dominated by former and active-duty security and intelligence officers. Not even fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, or the Soviet Union – all undoubtedly much worse creations than Russia; were as top-heavy with intelligence talent... There is no historical precedent for a society so dominated by former and active-duty internal-security and intelligence officials; men who rose up in a professional culture in which murder could be an acceptable, even obligatory, business practice... Those who operated within the Soviet sphere were the most malevolent in their practices.

These men mentored and shaped Putin and his closest friends and allies. It is therefore unsurprising that Putin's Russia has become an assassination-happy state where detention, interrogation, and torture; all tried and true methods of the Soviet KGB; are used to silence the voices of untoward journalists and businessmen who annoy or threaten Putin's FSB state. H[ edit ] Authoritarian state capitalism, seen today in China and Russia. While both countries have introduced elements of a market economy, private companies there operate side-by-side and at a significant disadvantage to state owned entities favored by government regulators. This mixed economy is not paralleled on the political side. What is emerging is an increasingly authoritarian political system with decreasing space for civil society, free media, and dissent. This model is attractive to authoritarian leaders around the world who see it as way to maintain power while still growing their economies... We are also seeing a diffusion of power and competition at the nation state level. This competition comes not just from Russia and China , but also from emerging countries like Brazil , India, Indonesia, and the other ASEAN states. These states are also beginning to organize themselves into structures outside of and somewhat in competition.

K[ edit ] I think Russian people are learning that democracy is not an alien thing; it's not a western invention. It's probably the most affordable mechanism to solve problems inside the country, inside the society because Putin proved to all of us that democracy has a world of alternatives, security forces and police and power abuse and that's why I think eventually the people of Russia will embrace democracy as the least costly institution to help them to solve their daily problems. Garry Kasparov , statement in interview: Monica Attard (April 3, 2005). " Gary Kasparov ", Sunday Profile, Australian Broadcasting Company. L[ edit ] If I see that the Russians are amassing their planes for an attack, I'm going to knock the shit out of them before they take off the ground. Curtis LeMay , conversation with presidential commissioner Robert Sprague (September 1957), quoted in Kaplan, F. (1991). The Wizards of Armageddon. Stanford University Press, p. 134.

Complete equality of rights for all nations; the right of nations to self-determination; the unity of the workers of all nations—such is the national program that Marxism, the experience of the whole world, and the experience of Russia, teach the workers. Vladimir Lenin , "The Right of Nations to Self-Determination", reported in Vladimir Lenin; Doug Lorimer (2002). Marxism & Nationalism. Resistance Books, p. 125. ISBN 1876646136 . The Autocrat of all the Russias will resign his crown, and proclaim his subjects free republicans sooner than will our American masters voluntarily give up their slaves.

Abraham Lincoln , letter to George Robertson (15 August 1855) As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty — to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be take pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy. Abraham Lincoln , Letter to Joshua F. Speed (24 August 1855) M[ edit ] Russia has nothing, no successful politics or economy. Angela Merkel , as quoted in "The Quiet German" (1 December 2014), by George Paker, The New Yorker. From the southern seas to the polar lands. Spread are our forests and fields. You are unique in the world, one of a kind. This native land protected by God! O[ edit ] Moscow has changed.

I was here in 1982, during the Brezhnev twilight, and things are better now. For instance, they've got litter. In 1982 there was nothing to litter with. P[ edit ] They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska. Sarah Palin , to Charles Gibson, ABC News, September 11, 2008. This was parodied as "I can see Russia from my house", on "Saturday Night Live", a comedy television show, two days later, by Tina Fey . Fey resembled Palin in appearance, and was portraying Palin, and so the latter quote is often misattributed to Palin. Russia is not corrupt. Corruption is what happens in all countries when businessmen offer officials large bribes for favors. Today’s Russia is unique. The businessmen, the politicians, and the bureaucrats are the same people. They have privatized the country’s wealth and taken control of its financial flows. T[ edit ] After weeks of dancing around the issue, the Obama administration has expressed concern about “heightened military activity” by Russia in Syria.

But what if we are facing something more than “heightened military activity?” What if Moscow is preparing to give Syria the full Putin treatment? For years, Russia has been helping Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad cling to a diminishing power structure in a shrinking territorial base without trying to impose an overall strategy. Now, however, there are signs that Russia isn't content to just support Assad. It wants to control Syria. The Putin treatment is reserved for countries in Russia’s “near neighborhood” that try to break out of Moscow’s orbit and deprive it of strategic assets held for decades. In such cases, unable to restore its past position, Russia tries to create a new situation in which it keeps a sword dangling above the head of the recalcitrant nation. Russia’s military intervenes directly and indirectly, always with help from a segment of the local population concerned. Russia starts by casting itself as protector of an ethnic, linguistic or religious minority that demands its military intervention against a central power vilified with labels such as “fascist” and “terrorist.” A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma - TV Tropes A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma You need to login to do this.

Get Known if you don't have an account Share A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma × — The Riddler, The Long Halloween A Stock Phrase typically used to describe something that is immensely puzzling to figure out or extraordinarily complex to fully understand, often relying on hyperbole and, occasionally, sarcasm. The phrase is often open to great interpretation and variation. Its three distinct-yet-related nouns allow for a variety of setups and gags related to The Triple and dependent on the Rule of Three . Frequently, the last item of the phrase is changed to something completely different and irrelevant to mystery for Rule of Funny , and the exact order of what's wrapped and inside what varies with almost every separate occasion the phrase is evoked. Sometimes, one of the three parts may be dropped for gags and line deliveries that require a faster pacing; conversely, additional clauses can be added for greater exaggeration . The trope name originates from a statement made by Sir Winston Churchill in 1939 about what role The Soviet Union might play in World War II : "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key.

That key is Russian national interest." Not to be confused with Riddle for the Ages . Examples open/close all folders American Newspapers An article from January 2008 in The New York Times that explains why fortune cookies are absent from Chinese restaurants in China was titled "Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie." Fanfic At one point in the Homestuck fanfic Moirallegiance Is Science, Vriska is described in this manner. You're complicated. You're like a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, sealed with obscurity, and shipped through the WTF postal service. That's just the package you come in .'' Films — Animated In Monsters vs. Aliens , General Monger refers to the top-secret prison Susan is taken to as "an X-File, wrapped in a cover-up, and deep-fried in paranoid conspiracy." Films — Live-Action In Oliver Stone's film JFK , David Ferrie refers to the Kennedy Assassination as "a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma" when trying to convince Jim Garrison to drop his investigation during a paranoia-fueled rant.

In Holy Flying Circus , the character Alan Dick uses the phrase "he's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a shit" to describe Malcolm Muggeridge's unpredictability. Literature From Tiassa , two guardsmen conversing, as rendered by Paarfi of Roundwood: "An Easterner with an Imperial Title!" "Well," said Nill, "this is an enigma wrapped in, ah..." "Another enigma?" "Precisely." In Heat Rises, Jameson Rook claims "What can I say? I'm an enigma inside a conundrum inside a condom." Used by Verin Sedai in The Wheel of Time (namely, in The Dragon Reborn): "Name hidden within name shrouded by name. Secret buried within secret cloaked by secret." Live-Action TV In one episode of Seinfeld , Elaine and Jerry get into a discussion about the nature of Newman. Elaine: Maybe he's an enigma—a mystery wrapped in a riddle. Jerry: He's a mystery wrapped in a Twinkie.

The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Riddles" sees The Doctor refer to the Vulcan brain as "a puzzle wrapped inside an enigma housed inside a cranium." In the Supernatural episode "Free To Be You And Me," when Sam takes a 10-Minute Retirement and tries to live a "normal" life, a girl curious to learn about Sam's past but at a loss of words to describe his peculiarity gives Sam the opportunity to quip that he's "a riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a taco." On Everybody Loves Raymond , Robert once described himself as "an enigma wrapped in a mystery." Ray promptly replied that Robert was more of "an idiot wrapped in a moron." On Eureka , when the characters are trying to shut down an extremely powerful Death Ray Doomsday Device in the episode "Dr.

Nobel," Henry calls the weapon "a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in ten inches of titanium alloy." On Homicide: Life on the Street , when Munch and Kellerman work on a case involving a suicide jumper killed by a stray shotgun blast on the way down from a tall building, Munch describes it as "a riddle, surrounded by a mystery, wrapped inside an enigma, and stuffed inside a body bag." On NewsRadio , Jimmy James once referred to himself, saying: "I am a cipher—a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, and smothered in secret sauce." A male-to-female transsexual Liz befriends on the first season of Nip/Tuck is called "a conundrum wrapped in a riddle." On One Tree Hill , Lucas once observes that despite Peyton's desire to express herself through her art, she doesn't want anyone to know it's her. Peyton responds to this, "I'm just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch," but Lucas sees something else: A troubled artist.

Shawn on Psych once spoke of Juliet as being "an enigma wrapped in a little blonde riddle." In an early episode of Will & Grace , Grace say to Will: "You know, I thought I knew everything about you. But you're a mystery. Wrapped in a riddle. Surrounded by enigma. Growing boobies." On the Doctor Who episode A Nightmare in Silver , the Doctor refers to Clara as "a mystery wrapped in an enigma squeezed into a skirt that's just a little bit too... tight. " In Elementary , Sherlock Holmes' description of Moriarty from the episode "The Diabolical Kind". Sherlock: The woman is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma I've had sex with. I would be lying if I said I was the strongest assessor of her motives at this point. In an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun , Dick describes an imagined conspiracy as "a riddle wrapped around an enigma fried up in a conundrum with Chinese mustard dipping sauce". A segment of the "La Leyenda del Tio la Vara" series of sketches from La Hora De Jose Mota had Father Tornices saying the trope name word for word.

Magazines One white-paper front cover for MAD greatly exaggerated this trope for laughs . Music The song '"For You" by Barenaked Ladies : "An enigma wrapped in a mystery" "Or a fool consumed by fear" Tabletop Games In Werewolf: The Apocalypse , both the Uktena ( Magical Native Americans ) and the Stargazers (ascetic Far Eastern monks) have been referred to as such. Videogames Valve 's description of The Spy on the Team Fortress 2 website begins, "He is a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in riddles, lovingly sprinkled with intrigue, express mailed to Mystery, Alaska..." Wario's official profile in Mario Kart : Double Dash!! states that he is "a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in yellow." One of the title screen quips that appears after starting up the indie game Minecraft is, "A riddle wrapped in a mystery!" From MOTHER 3 , during Chapter 2: Wess: The Hummingbird Egg is a ball of secrets inside secrets that are inside even more secrets... Or something like that, supposedly, apparently.

Sturm's description in the Advance Wars games is "A riddle within a shadow, revealing nothing." In Spectrobes , this is the description for Mossax. In Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction , Zephyr describes the Lombax Secret as "a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in super secret sauce!" The Dragonborn expansion for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has Neloth sending you on a Fetch Quest for a Black Book that he believes he has located: Neloth: Now, it's only a rumor of a whisper of a conjecture...

Webcomics In Questionable Content , when someone references Raven's indecipherable status (Is she just a Ditz given to being unusually insightful, or a Genius Ditz with Obfuscating Stupidity ?), Raven responds, "I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in an AWESOME rack!" In Narbonic , when Helen explains to Artie that she hopes sparing Dave what she went through will make up for the terrible things she's done, before adding "And then I can destroy those fools at the Symposium and RULE THE WORLD!", Artie comments "You're just a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a peculiar sense of ethics, aren't you?" The Director's Cut commentary says that while there's a backstory explaining why Helen is the way she is, Mell is "a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a very short skirt".

Web Originals In one Weebl & Bob short, Bob describes the flat-packed pie they bought from Piekia as "a conundrum wrapped in an enigma wrapped in pastry, wrapped in a lie." Bunchies, the memetic four-legged green llama-like creature, was described on its official website (now defunct) as "a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a glossy green skin." In Homestuck , WV comments to himself that women are "a riddle draped in a mystery wrapped in post-apocalyptic shroudwear." In WrestleCrap 's induction for TNA's Last Rites Match from 2007, on the matter of Sting describing death as a "choice" where one of those choices is, in fact, life , RD calls the meaning and exact point of Sting's remarks a "riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a crummy TNA storyline".

Western Animation The Simpsons episode "Lisa's Date With Density" sees Lisa describe Nelson as "a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest." On The Penguins of Madagascar , Skipper calls Alice "a riddle, wrapped in mystery, and dunked in nasty sauce" in the cartoon short "All Choked Up." Parodied in Histeria! . Winston Churchill is shown saying the trope quote, and then we zoom out to reveal that he's behind the counter of a fast food restaurant. In The Tick he says something is "a riddle, wrapped in an enigma and smothered in secret sauce" In Duck Dodgers , The Eager Young Space Cadet describes the title character this way. Cadet: He's so complicated, l-l-l-like a mystery wrapped in a r-r-r-riddle inside an enigma. Manobrain: I'd say he's more like a halfwit wrapped in a hot dog bun inside a coloring book. In one My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episode, Rainbow Dash parodies this phrase to describe Pinkie's sister Maud Pie, whose only outstanding characteristic seems to be her obsession with rocks. Rainbow: That pony is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an igneous.

Rarity: Don't you mean 'inside an enigma'? A Riddle Wrapped In Mystery Inside An Enigma - TV Tropes A Riddle Wrapped In Mystery Inside An Enigma Name Space: Page Type: Trope "It's a mystery. Broken into a jigsaw puzzle. Wrapped in a conundrum. Hidden in a Chinese box. A riddle." --The Riddler, The Long Halloween A Stock Phrase typically used to describe something that is very difficult and immensely puzzling to figure out and fully understand, often relying on hyperbole and, occasionally, sarcasm. The phrase is often open to great interpretation and variation. Its three distinct-yet-related nouns allow for a plethora of setups and gags related to The Triple and dependent on the Rule of Three . Frequently, the last item of the phrase is changed to something completely different for the Rule of Funny , and the exact order of what's wrapped and inside what varies with almost every separate occasion the phrase is evoked. Sometimes, one of the three parts may be dropped for gags and line deliveries that require a faster pacing; conversely, additional clauses can be added for greater exaggeration .

The [Trope Name] originates from a statement made by Sir Winston Churchill in 1939 about what role Russia might play in World War II . "I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest." Examples In one episode of Seinfeld , Elaine and Jerry get into a discussion about the nature of Newman. Elaine: Maybe he's an enigma--a mystery wrapped in a riddle. Jerry: He's a mystery wrapped in a Twinkie. The Star Trek: Voyager episode "Riddles" sees The Doctor refer to the Vulcan brain as "a puzzle wrapped inside an enigma housed inside a cranium." On Eureka , when the characters are trying to shut down an extremely powerful Death Ray Doomsday Device in the episode "Dr.

Nobel," Henry calls the weapon "a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in ten inches of titanium alloy." In the Supernatural episode "Free To Be You And Me," when Sam takes a 10-Minute Retirement and tries to live a "normal" life, a girl curious to learn about Sam's past but at a loss of words to describe his peculiarity gives Sam the opportunity to quip that he's "a riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a taco." On Homicide: Life On The Street , when Munch and Kellerman work on a case involving a suicide jumper killed by a stray shotgun blast on the way down from a tall building, Munch describes it as "a riddle, surrounded by a mystery, wrapped inside an enigma, and stuffed inside a body bag." On One Tree Hill , Lucas once observes that despite Peyton's desire to express herself through her art, she doesn't want anyone to know it's her. Peyton responds to this, "I'm just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch," but Lucas sees something else: A troubled artist.

On Everybody Loves Raymond , Robert once described himself as "an enigma wrapped in a mystery." Ray promptly replied that Robert was more of "an idiot wrapped in a moron." On NewsRadio , Jimmy James once referred to himself, saying "I am a cipher--a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, and smothered in secret sauce." In The Pilot for the Witchblade television series, after the titular artifact gauntlet bonds with Sara, she has the following exchange with Kenneth about what the artifact is. Sara: What is this thing? What is the Witchblade? Kenneth: A mystery, wrapped in a riddle, and cloaked in a conundrum. Sara: That doesn't help very much.

Shawn on Psych once spoke of Juliet as being "an enigma wrapped in a little blonde riddle." When Stephen Colbert uncovered "lost footage" from an interview with Bill O'Reilly on The Colbert Report , Stephen introduced it as "a conundrum wrapped in a riddle covered with a spicy enigma sauce." A male-to-female transsexual Liz befriends on the first season of Nip/Tuck is called "a conundrum wrapped in a riddle." Web Comics In Questionable Content , when someone references Raven's indecipherable status (Is she just a Ditz given to being unusually insightful, or a Genius Ditz who uses Obfuscating Stupidity ?), Raven responds, "I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in an AWESOME rack !" Western Animation The Simpsons episode "Lisa's Date With Destiny" sees Lisa describe Nelson as "a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest." In Monsters vs.

Aliens , General Monger refers to the top-secret prison Susan is taken to as "an X-File, wrapped in a cover-up, and deep-fried in paranoid conspiracy." On The Penguins of Madagascar , Skipper calls Alice "a riddle, wrapped in mystery, and dunked in nasty sauce" in the cartoon short "All Choked Up." Parodied in Histeria! . Winston Churchill is shown saying the trope quote, and then we zoom out to reveal that he's behind the counter of a fast food restaurant. Needs More Examples , Rolling Updates ->''"It's a mystery. Broken into a jigsaw puzzle. Wrapped in a conundrum. Hidden in a Chinese box. A '''riddle'''."'' -> --'''The Riddler''', ''TheLongHalloween'' A StockPhrase typically used to describe something that is very difficult and immensely puzzling to figure out and fully understand, often relying on hyperbole and, occasionally, sarcasm. The phrase is often open to great interpretation and variation. Its three distinct-yet-related nouns allow for a plethora of setups and gags related to TheTriple and dependent on the RuleOfThree.

Frequently, the last item of the phrase is changed to something completely different for the RuleOfFunny, and the exact order of what's wrapped and inside what varies with almost every separate occasion the phrase is evoked. Sometimes, one of the three parts may be dropped for gags and line deliveries that require a faster pacing; conversely, additional clauses can be added for greater [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggeration]]. The TropeName originates from a statement made by [[WinstonChurchill Sir Winston Churchill]] in 1939 about what role Russia might play in WorldWarII. -->''"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but perhaps there is a key.

That key is Russian national interest."'' ---- !Examples [[AC:AmericanNewspapers]] * An article from January 2008 in ''The New York Times'' that explains why fortune cookies are absent from Chinese restaurants in China was titled "Solving a Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside a Cookie." [[AC:{{Film}}]] * In Oliver Stone's film ''JFK'', David Ferrie uses the exact phrasing from Churchill's original quote when trying to convince Jim Garrison to drop his investigation into the [[WhoShotJFK Kennedy Assassination]] in a paranoia fueled rant. [[AC:{{Literature}}]] * In ''Discworld/TheFifthElephant'' Lord Veternri describes Uberwald as "a mystery inside a riddle wrapped in an enigma." [[AC:LiveActionTV]] * In one episode of ''{{Seinfeld}}'', Elaine and Jerry get into a discussion about the nature of Newman. -->'''Elaine:''' Maybe he's an enigma--a mystery wrapped in a riddle.

-->'''Jerry:''' He's a mystery wrapped in a ''Twinkie.'' * The ''StarTrekVoyager'' episode "Riddles" sees The Doctor refer to the Vulcan brain as "a puzzle wrapped inside an enigma housed inside a cranium." * On ''{{Eureka}}'', when the characters are trying to shut down an extremely powerful DeathRay DoomsdayDevice in the episode "Dr.

Nobel," Henry calls the weapon "a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in ten inches of titanium alloy." * In the ''{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Free To Be You And Me," when Sam takes a TenMinuteRetirement and tries to live a "normal" life, a girl curious to learn about Sam's past but at a loss of words to describe his peculiarity gives Sam the opportunity to quip that he's "a riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a taco." * On ''[[HomicideLifeOnTheStreet Homicide: Life On The Street]]'', when Munch and Kellerman work on a case involving a suicide jumper killed by a stray shotgun blast on the way down from a tall building, Munch describes it as "a riddle, surrounded by a mystery, wrapped inside an enigma, and stuffed inside a body bag." * On ''OneTreeHill'', Lucas once observes that despite Peyton's desire to express herself through her art, she doesn't want anyone to know it's her. Peyton responds to this, "I'm just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch," but Lucas sees something else: A troubled artist.

* On ''EverybodyLovesRaymond'', Robert once described himself as "an enigma wrapped in a mystery." Ray promptly replied that Robert was more of "an idiot wrapped in a moron." * On ''NewsRadio'', Jimmy James once referred to himself, saying "I am a cipher--a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, and smothered in secret sauce." * In ThePilot for the ''Series/{{Witchblade}}'' television series, after the titular artifact gauntlet bonds with Sara, she has the following exchange with Kenneth about what the artifact is. -->'''Sara:''' What is this thing? What is the Witchblade? -->'''Kenneth:''' A mystery, wrapped in a riddle, and cloaked in a conundrum. -->'''Sara:''' That doesn't help very much.

* Shawn on ''{{Psych}}'' once spoke of Juliet as being "an enigma wrapped in a little blonde riddle." * When StephenColbert uncovered [[ "lost footage"]] from an interview with [[BillOReilly Bill O'Reilly]] on ''TheColbertReport'', Stephen introduced it as "a conundrum wrapped in a riddle covered with a spicy enigma sauce." * A male-to-female transsexual Liz befriends on the first season of ''NipTuck'' is called "a conundrum wrapped in a riddle." [[AC:{{Magazines}}]] * One white-paper front cover for ''MadMagazine'' greatly [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerated]] this trope [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]].

[[AC: VideoGames]] * {{Valve}}'s description of The Spy on the ''TeamFortress2'' website begins, "He is a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma, shrouded in riddles, lovingly sprinkled with intrigue, express mailed to Mystery, Alaska..." [[AC: {{Webcomics}}]] * In ''QuestionableContent'', when someone references Raven's indecipherable status (Is she just a [[TheDitz Ditz]] given to being unusually insightful, or a GeniusDitz who uses ObfuscatingStupidity?), Raven responds, "I'm a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in [[MostCommonSuperpower an AWESOME rack]]!" [[AC:WebOriginal]] * In one ''WeeblAndBob'' short, Bob describes the flat-packed pie they bought from [[FictionalCounterpart Piekia]] as "a conundrum wrapped in an enigma wrapped in pastry, wrapped in a lie." [[AC:WesternAnimation]] * ''TheSimpsons'' episode "Lisa's Date With Destiny" sees Lisa describe Nelson as "a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest." * In ''MonstersVsAliens'', General Monger refers to

 the top-secret prison Susan is taken to as "an X-File, wrapped in a cover-up, and deep-fried in paranoid conspiracy." * On ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', Skipper calls Alice "a riddle, wrapped in mystery, and dunked in nasty sauce" in the cartoon short "All Choked Up." * Parodied in ''{{Histeria}}''.

WinstonChurchill is shown saying the trope quote, and then we zoom out to reveal that he's behind the counter of a fast food restaurant. ---- NeedsMoreExamples, RollingUpdates Cancel Winston Churchill - Quotations Winston Churchill A Collection of Quotes by Winston Churchill British Conservative politician Winston Churchill. (April 1939). (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images) By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated May 31, 2016. Winston Churchill , prime minister of Great Britain during World War II , is well known for having been an amazing speaker as well as having been a prolific writer. That means that he left thousands upon thousands of pages of his spoken and written word behind. With such a large resource, there is no way to truly capture the wit and wisdom of the man in just a few quotes and yet one must try. Find below just a small sampling of quotes by Winston Churchill. Success and Self Improvement Quotes by Winton Churchill History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.

It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak, Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. continue reading below our video 10 Best Universities in the United States Never give in -- never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential. Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. Funny Quotes by Winston Churchill Bessie Braddock : "Winston, you are drunk, and what's more, you are disgustingly drunk." Churchill: "Bessie, my dear, you are ugly, and what's more, you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly ugly." A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. In those days he was wiser than he is now; he used to frequently take my advice.

There are two things that are more difficult than making an after-dinner speech: climbing a wall which is leaning toward you and kissing a girl who is leaning away from you. World War II Quotes by Winston Churchill An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile —- hoping it will eat him last. Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war. The problems of victory are more agreeable than those of defeat, but they are no less difficult. However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma: but perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest. Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can't smile, grin. If you can't grin, keep out of the way till you can.

Political Quotes by Winston Churchill Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Many forms of government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. Quotes by Churchill About Himself I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter. Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught. I always avoid prophesying beforehand, because it is a much better policy to prophesy after the event has already taken place. I am certainly not one of those who need to be prodded. In fact, if anything, I am the prod. My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me. We are all worms.

But I believe that I am a glow-worm.

Question: Who is accredited with saying "I cannot forecast the actions of Russia, it is a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma"?
Answer: SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL