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1

I'm the shortest of all my brothers and sisters

I've never won first

I'm known to love the water

And I leap with a burst

I also like it colder

What am I?

Hint:

I don't leap far

share|improve this question
    
Reminds me of this riddle that I posted a few months ago. (No I'm not considering your's to be a duplicate, just a very clever re-imagining) – dcfyj 13 hours ago
    
Does the underscore in your name happen to represent a D? – Gareth McCaughan 13 hours ago
    
Maybe you should finish it into a six line poem with something like "And my heart is often versed." or "Yes cold, but not the worst." – Keeta 11 hours ago
up vote 39 down vote accepted

I think you are

February

I'm the shortest of all my brothers and sisters

February is the shortest month of the year.

I've never won first

It's also the second month.

I'm known to love the water

In astrology, the star signs Aquarius and Pisces overlap in February - both water signs.

And I leap with a burst

Every four years an extra day gets added for a leap year.

I also like it colder

February is usually counted as being at the end of Winter/beginning of Spring so is a bit colder (in the Northern hemisphere at least).

Title

February was one of the last months to be added to the Roman calendar

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(Trying to phrase this without giving anything away...) I'm not sure if it's the last one added, but it's the last one in their cycle. (That is, theirs started two after ours.) – DonielF 9 hours ago
    
Yup yup! Correct – Jason_ 3 hours ago
up vote 3 down vote

Are you

Oxygen?

I'm the shortest of all my brothers and sisters

I guess it's rather light / small / whatever

I've never won first

Second common atom (after Iron (FE))

I'm known to love the water

H2O as common join

And I leap with a burst

Big blast when ignited

I also like it colder

Probably something I missed out in chemistry classes

As for the title:

I can't find a match there, since it was probably discovered early

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2  
Welcome to Puzzling. This is a really good answer. Trying adding smallest chalogen( to second hint), and for 'colder' look for cryogenic plants. – ABcDexter 12 hours ago

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