First tell me who lives in disguise, who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies. Next, give me the sound often heard during the search for a hard-to-find word. Finally, what is always the last thing to mend; the middle of middle, and the end of end? Now string them together and answer me this: Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?

Why this works

This riddle cleverly plays with word associations and sounds to lead us to the answer. The first line refers to a "spy," someone who lives in disguise and operates in secrecy, often bending the truth. The second part prompts us to think of the sound "er," which resembles the sound people make when they're searching for a word—like "uhh" or "erm." Lastly, the phrase "the last thing to mend; the middle of middle, and the end of end" highlights the letter "d," which is indeed the last letter in "mend," the middle letter in "middle," and the final letter in "end." When you string these components together—spy + d + er—you get "spider," which fits perfectly as a creature many people would hesitate to kiss!