enigma

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
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • a riddle wrapped in an enigma
  • riddle
  • a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma
  • by any stretch
  • good riddance
  • good riddance (to bad rubbish)
  • good-bye and good riddance
  • double Dutch
  • (one) has made (one's) bed
  • (one) made (one's) (own) bed
References in periodicals archive
"Enigma" reportedly was a pet project for Mick Jagger, whose Jagged Films co-produced with Lorne Michael's Broadway Video.
ENIGMA
is a collaboration between Enigma Biomedical Group, Inc.
ENIGMA BIOMEDICAL GROUP AND CBD SOLUTIONS SIGN MOU
This is the first time anyone has been able to look inside the Enigma with this level of detail, using a technique that does not damage the machine."
Inner secrets of Enigma: Unique images from inside an Enigma machine have revealed new insights about its complex mode of functioning
He was to play a peripheral role in the seizing of the first Enigma codebooks from a captured German U-boat.
Man who dodged bullets to seize Enigma codes; BOOK RECOUNTS THE THRILLING MISSIONS OF SECRET AGENT
Armed with them, the so called Home Waters Enigma code used by Germany's surface ships, and by her U-boats in the Arctic, was broken more or less continuously during the rest of the War.
From travel agent to a secret agent; Today Bletchley Park celebrates the 75th anniversary of the breaking of the Enigma code, thanks to the capture of a German U-boat with her codebooks on board. Author and historian HUGH SEBAG-MONTEFIORI highlights the part played by a naval intelligence officer from Newcastle
Author Hugh Sebag-Montefiore has included the declassified documents in the updated anniversary edition of his book Enigma: The Battle For the Code.
Enigma of the 'forgotten' hero of Bletchley Park; The little known Birmingham genius who broke German codes BEFOREALANTURING but failed to win the accolades
The Enigma was used to encode and decode messages sent by the various branches of the Nazi military, but the British mathematician Alan Turing and his team at Britain's wartime codebreaking centre, Bletchley Park, cracked the codes.
Bought for ,e1/4100, World War Two Enigma machine sells for 45,000
Dan Cvrcek, CEO and co-founder of Enigma Bridge adds, "We have progressed the scanning methods to pinpoint how organisations, including blue chip companies, government departments or other companies, which are part of critical infrastructures manage their encryption keys using only publicly available information and identify potential weaknesses in their defences."
Secure Web Sites Leak Information
Andy Clark, chairman of the trustees at the Bletchley Park museum, said: "Everybody knows about Enigma but the Lorenz machine was used for strategic communications.
Hitler code machine is PS10 bargain
Zeeshan Sher stroked 102 for Royal Gymkhana to thrash Enigma by 174 runs in another lopsided encounter.
Sultan takes seven as Alubond Tigers maul Environment Agency
Summary: Debuting not only as the first in the Middle East, but in the world, Enigma at Palazzo Versace Dubai is a new avant-garde restaurant that will mesmerisingly change its dining concept and chef four times a year.
Interview - The Untold Story
Enigma, the restaurant at Palazzo Versace Dubai which changes its chef and concept every few months , has revealed the identity of its second chef: Bjorn Frantzen.
Nordic chef next at Enigma, Palazzo Versace Dubai
THE MYSTERIES of the famous code machine Enigma and how its secrets were broken are set to be unravelled for Teessiders.
Cracking the Enigma; THE CODEBREAKERS, .MIDDLESBROUGH THEATRE
The Modular Fighting Vehicle Enigma, which was unveiled by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces at the defence show, is 100 per cent locally designed and built, a masterpiece of engineering.
Emirates Defence Technologies' armoured vehicle ready for trials