Cryptic who am I?

Are the personas described American?
Or they are world figures?

Or are they not personas at all?

They are world figures and American, but I'm not giving any other clues. :)

Ok I couldn't resist... some more clues... BUT THAT'S ALL! heehee

1) I love to jump on the trampoline, Sometimes I loose all sence of direction.

2) Some of my hobbies are going to the movies, and painting. I like to paint people without faces.

1) Almost sounds like an actor.  Don't quote me on that, though.  I was going to say a dog/animal actor, but most dogs don't last to their late teens.

2) Sounds like a television/movie/comic strip character.  The "painting people without faces" line reminds me of Rene Magritte, but he's not American, and he wouldn't consider painting a "hobby."

How far west is west, and how far east is east?

1) Cameron Diaz - Grew up in San Diego, moved to various other locations at ages 16-21, went back home at 21  [ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000139/bio ]
But, I suppose the answer you are looking for is William H. 'Bill' Gates [founder of M$FT]

Gates was born in Seattle, Washington; Moved out to harvard where he met his friends, Jobs, Wozniak, and later Allen; then he moved back to Seattle to place his company in that area -- Redmond

Sorry people I stuffed up... the person in clue (1) is English. *embarrassed* give me a break. I'm an Auzzie ;o)

ok, everyone is on the wrong track anyway.. This is a cryptic who am I and I guess I should have explained a bit better. The clues are not NECESSARILY literal. They are purely hints to find out these famous peoples names.

Steven Spielberg

Like Phil is a half a filter, and Norman is a northman. But I still have no clue.

m8rix - Not intended to be rude but why should we care who you are - it surely doesn't matter in the least who you are. That is surely the advantage of working this way. We are almost anonymous. If you happen to be someone who is known very publicly I guess the last thing you would want in this forum is to be recognised. So you are m8rix - no more no less.

Who you are is less important than what you are. You are a Yorshireman who moved first to Grimsby and then to Viginia - to grow tobacco there. In due course you returned to your east coast town, Grimsby and expanded your family's tobacconists to run Grimsby's largest importer of Virginian cigarettes.

And you are certainly not Keanu Reaves!

nsstone is on the right track

Here are some more clues:

1) I feel like a new man, like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

2) Can you read the oil cans and see their age?

This is getting too easy now... Someone should get it.

Norm MacDonald?

@ CrYpTiC_MauleR > No, but I can see how you got it. very good guess.

1) Sure, I sacked Norman, He sounded like the WRONG MAN for the job.

2) I lost my coin down the drain... All I could do was look at it through the bars.

Paul Newman?
Ben Dover?

No. but on the right track.
No.

Only three guesses so far? smart folk like you will get it if you try.

Norman Lost?

No, The man in clue 1 is often refered to by his last name only.

1) Franklin
2) Wachowski

not yet people... :)

1) Newman from Seinfeld? (I never watched the show)

I was just about to say that john...

As for #2...

Mel Gibson?

JohnK813, keep trying! Read the clues again.

EvilAardvark, Mel Gibson is not right.

Here is all the clues again (I have emphasised SOME clues)

1)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Was born up NORTH, and lived there for many years. I will always think of that place as HOME. Later I moved to the EAST coast with my family.
In my late teens, I landed a job in the WEST and helped the business expand back TO my HOME town. Who am I?

1) I love to jump on the trampoline, Sometimes I loose all sence of direction.

1) I feel like a new man, like a WEIGHT has been lifted from my shoulders.

1) Sure, I sacked Norman, He SOUNDED like the WRONG MAN for the job.

2)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) I smoke half strength cigarettes, and I am cutting down all the time. My wife tries to lock my cigarettes away. Who am I?

2) Some of my hobbies are going to the movies, and painting. I like to paint people without faces.

2) Can you read the oil cans and see their age?

2) I lost my coin down the drain... All I could do was look at it through the bars.

or norton

Norman --or-- Lost?

Is that Charlie Chaplin

Southright?

I agree - Gotta be Newton.  Well done radianb

Well done radianb! 200pts is coming your way!

1) = NEWTON

Here are the clues explained:

1) Was born up NORTH, and lived there for many years. I will always think of that place as HOME. Later I moved to the EAST coast with my family.
In my late teens, I landed a job in the WEST and helped the business expand back TO my HOME town. Who am I?
## Here we are taking the directions of North (home), East, West, back to home (North) this spells out N.E.W.to.N

1) I love to jump on the trampoline, Sometimes I loose all sense of direction.
## trampoline was hinting towards gravity (Newton invented the theory of Universal Gravitation)
## including direction was just a hint to look at the directions in the first clue

1) I feel like a new man, like a WEIGHT has been lifted from my shoulders.
## He feels like a "NEW" man is pretty self explanatory now
## The weight is of course a "TON"
## NEW + TON = Newton

1) Sure, I sacked Norman, He SOUNDED like the WRONG MAN for the job.
## Sure, I sacked Norman SOUNDS LIKE Sir Isaac Newton
## "WRONG MAN" meant simply that his name is not Norman


Ok, so well done to everyone for getting #1 out of the way. Now we have to guess #2!!

I will post a new clue soon!

A dwarf gnome holding a midget

LOL.. Wrong.. but some of those letters are used.. Ha Ha

PS. no, this is not a clue

Ok I'll emphasise the clues for #2
This will make it too easy

2) I smoke HALF strength CIGARETTES, and I am CUTTING DOWN all the time. My wife tries to LOCK my cigarettes away. Who am I?

2) Some of my hobbies are going to the MOVIES, and painting. I like to paint people WITHOUT FACES.

2) Can you READ the OIL CANS and SEE their AGE?

2) I LOST MY COIN down the drain... All I could do was look at it through the BARS.

Correct!

>> Nicholas Cage

Just curious. How??

Half strength cigarettes = half of nicotine = nico
Cutting Down = smoking less = less (I should have just said smoking less)
Lock = cage

Movies = he is an actor
Without Faces = he was in a movie called "face off"

The easyest clue was:
Can you READ the OIL CANS and SEE their AGE?
Oil cans is an anagram for Nicolas + See = "C" and "age"

Coin = Nickel
Lost it so = Nickel - less
looking through the bars = jail/cage

This was the first time I have made up cryptic clues so sorry if they were too hard or too obscure.
constructive criticism is welcome.

Cool.

I think  always the puzzles should be cryptic. Then only we can put some work to our Brains. he he he :-)