"Figure it out yourself! was the answer in quite a few cases for those bold enough to ask.

"One day, everybody in the dojo got into spring cleaning. We were really going at it, tearing the place apart. It was a gorgeous day and I found myself alone with Osensei on the Veranda. We had just finished a job and it was obviously time for a break, so we sat down together.
I thought, what the hell, one question in six years ain't so bad. I asked him, "Sensei, I notice when you teach you frequently mention circle,square, and triangle. I've thought about a while and I don't understand the meaning of these symbols. I wonder if you could help me solve this problem. Please explain." He looked down, he looked up, and he looked around. And I'm waiting, right?
He said,"Terrusan,you know you should go find out yourself." Then he got up and walked away. And I thought, "That's a piss-off, you know? All you have to do is say a couple of words, you don't have to be so Zen all over the place."-Terry Dobson