Near a castle without a moat, a well-known queen was captured and held hostage by a dark and powerful enemy force. Several of her loyal servants tried to break through enemy lines to free her, but most of them were eliminated during battle. However, one of her servants was able to break through the enemy's defenses to free the queen-at the cost of his own life; but he knew he could never go back once he had started. Can anyone identify this well-known queen and the lowly servant who performed the greatest sacrifice to save her?
Think about a game, not a historical event. The "castle" and "queen" are not what you might expect.
The queen was the white queen, and the servant who was sacrificed was a white pawn who had reached the back row of the black chess pieces—and was subsequently promoted/exchanged for the captured white queen.
Many years ago, a group of friends and I were hiking through a dense forest near my home, when one of the group stopped and made a suggestion to everyone. Just as the last words left his mouth, we all scattered, and for the very first time, I saw It! It was bigger than most of us, and It was fast -- too fast for my friends, unfortunately. As I ran to try to hide from It, I heard the screams of my comrads behind me. It quickly closed in on them, eventually rendering each of them motionless, and helpless -- and at Its mercy! As I was hiding myself from It, I saw It grab and totally immobilize three more of my closest friends. It was relentless in Its pursuit. My heart raced within my chest as It approached my hiding place. I realized I was the last survivor, but was overmatched by Its speed and power. As It grabbed me, It growled three words at me!!! What were those three words?
Here's a hint:
Think about a common activity people do in a forest, and how it might relate to the "suggestion" made by the friend at the beginning of the story.
The three words were, “Tag, you’re It!” We stopped on our hike to play a game of Freeze Tag, and since I was the last one caught, my turn to be It was due.
A man took a walk in the park. While on his walk, he came across a stray dog who began growling at him and nipped at his heels. The man pulled a crooked stick from his knapsack, told the dog to, "Fetch!", and then threw the stick. The dog made a mad dash for the stick, then suddenly made a u-turn and ran back to the man ----- without the stick. The man laughed loudly. He then said to the dog, "Let's try this again." Throwing the same stick, the man again yelled, "Fetch!", and the dog took off as before, suddenly made a u-turn, and ran back to the man ----- again without having obtained the stick. The man laughed louder. This same series of events happened over, and over, and over again until the dog finally ----- bit the man on the leg. What was going on here that so infuriated the dog to cause him to bite the man?
Here's a hint:
Think about the word "crooked" in the story, and how it might be more than just a physical description of the stick.
The man had tormented the dog in the park in the past by telling the dog to fetch the crooked stick (wooden boomerang) he carried with him in his knapsack. The dog could never catch the boomerang, which always returned to the man after he threw it, thus frustrating the dog who only wanted to play. What goes around comes around, as they say, with boomerangs and in life.
Clayton grew up in a very large, very poor family. With a dozen children(six boys and six girls) to care for, his parents had a hard time providing food and clothing for everyone. Also, as hot water had to first be boiled on the stove to mix with cold water for baths, Clayton and his siblings were lucky to be able to take a bath even one time a month. As he grew older, Clayton was able to obtain a good-paying job, and could afford to move into better housing where he had enough food and clean clothing for himself; but his habit of rarely taking a bath stuck with him. In fact, Clayton now only takes a bath once every two years or so, but no one at his office job(where he has to wear a suit and tie) has ever complained of his having any body odor, or made any negative references concerning his personal hygiene. They say old habits die hard, but this one grew by leaps and bounds!! Refusing to take even a sponge bath, how does Clayton manage to keep his job without offending any of his co-workers?
Here's a hint: Think about Clayton's job and the specific requirements of his profession. It's not about his personal habits, but about the nature of his work.
I have seven yellow pencils, seven red pencils, and seven blue pencils. I have to divide them into two groups; the first group has to have three fewer yellow pencils than the second group, the second group should have one more red pencil than the first group, and the first group should have five more blue pencils than the second group. How many blue pens would be in each pile?
Think about the constraints on the yellow and red pencils, and how they might "balance out" in each group. The question is asking about blue pencils, but the answer might not be a straightforward division of the 7 blue pencils...
Sheila baked a batch of delicious peanut butter cookies for dessert later in the day. She couldn't eat them while near her husband, though; he was severely allergic to all types of nuts. Plus, the couple's three kids–David, Amanda, and Frank–were all grounded and not allowed to eat sweets for a week. When Sheila went to get the cookies later in the day, she noticed that all of them were gone. She knew it must have been one of her kids who ate the cookies, so she interrogated them. David said that he was helping Dad to bake an apple pie in the kitchen. Amanda said that earlier in the day, she and Dad were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. She didn't have time for cookies. Frank said that he was doing his homework upstairs. Sheila instantly knew who was lying, and grounded that child for another week. Who was the cookie thief?
Pay close attention to Amanda's alibi...
Amanda stole the cookies. She couldn't be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with Dad earlier in the day; after all, Sheila's husband is severely allergic to all types of nuts.
When summer break ended, Mila told her friends about her vacation in Africa. Mila said, "Oh, it was great! But on the last day of my trip, a massive volcanic eruption happened; it didn't spoil my vacation only because I flew home that day,". Mila's friends didn't believe her. Why?
Think about what happens when a massive volcanic eruption occurs...
All flights must get canceled when a volcanic eruption occurs, so Mila couldn't have flown home on the last day of her vacation; she's lying.
Janet is a janitor of a large museum. One day, while cleaning the ladies' room, she spots a precious ring with red gems. When Janet leaves the ladies' room, three people–Sarah, Catherine, and Harold–show up to claim it. Sarah said that the ring belonged to her grandmother; emeralds fit her green eyes perfectly anyway. Catherine asked if the ring had an engraving etched inside, and if it was damaged in any way. Harold said that he lost the ring while washing his hands; he was going to propose to his girlfriend in a few days. Janet decided that the ring belonged to Catherine. Why?
The hint is: Pay attention to the questions each person asks, rather than their stories.
If the ring belonged to Sarah, then she wouldn't have mentioned emeralds, because the stones on the ring are red, not green. And Harold wouldn't have been allowed in the ladies' room. Catherine was the only one who knew about the engraving on the ring, as well as how precious it is, so the ring must be hers.
Angela had a disease that required her to take pills. One day, her doctor prescribed her three pills that would help to cure her of her disease. She needed to take one pill every 30 minutes. How much time will pass before Angela takes all of the pills?
Think about the timing of each pill...
One hour will pass. Once Angela takes the first pill, she'll wait 30 minutes. After that, she will take the second pill and wait another 30 minutes. And then she will take the last pill after that. After all, the first pill doesn't take 30 minutes to take.
Beverly is generally considered to be a very practical and emotionally stable woman, but once each year at the beginning of March, she spends $4,000 of her personal savings on her favorite hobby -- watching dog butts. Over the course of a ten-day period, she closely observes the rear ends of at least 16 different dogs. She is so utterly obsessed with her hobby, that she watches these dog butts day and night, stopping only 26 times during the ten-day period to sleep and eat. During this dog butt-watching marathon, she is compelled to carry the following items with her: a bag, an ax, and a special pair of shoes. What kind of a whacked-out hobby is Beverly involved in which creates such an obsession for her each year?
Think about a popular outdoor activity that takes place in early March, involves dogs, and requires specific gear...
Beverly enters the Great Alaskan Iditarod Race each year with her 16 Husky mushing dogs. Each competitor must carry a sleeping bag, an axe, and a pair of snow shoes. Of course, being on her sled at the back of her dog team, she has no choice but to see the rear ends of her dog team.
It's a little-known fact that one of Batman's deadliest enemies, The Riddler, got married after his days of crime were behind him. The Riddler's wife enjoyed riddles even more than her husband, and she often tried to baffle him with riddles around the house. One day his wife, whose name was Riddlina, saw an opportunity to try to stump her husband with an old riddle she had first heard as a child. "My husband!" Riddlina exclaimed, "We have an extreme emergency! I just discovered we don’t have even one circle with a thousand squares left in the entire house!" The Riddler was shocked, at first, until he figured out what was distressing his wife. Do you know to what object Riddlina was referring to, which caused her emotional outburst? Incidentally, as soon as the Riddler solved his wife's riddle, he immediately got into his car and drove to a local store. What was he planning to get?
Think about a common household item that has squares, but not circles... and consider what the Riddler might need to buy to alleviate his wife's distress!
The old riddle his wife used (a circle with a thousand squares) to indicate an emergency item that was missing from their house, was a roll of toilet paper. Needless to say, the Riddler immediately went out to purchase some.
A wife called to her husband from the front door of their home stating, "Don't forget to raise the flag, but please don't be goofy and salute it afterward." Her husband responded by saying, "Don't you love your country?" The wife replied, "I am very patriotic, but I would never salute that flag. You embarrass yourself when you do it, especially when the neighbors see you." "Well, all I know is if I don't raise the flag, we'll lose our electricity, our car will be towed away, and eventually we will be evicted! Being a veteran of the Army, as long as the flag is red, white, and blue, I will always salute it!" "Oh, have it your own way, answered his wife, "but it's not the raising of the flag to which I object, it's you're saluting it afterward that bothers me!" What were the circumstances behind this couple's bizarre-sounding argument?
Think about a specific situation where a flag needs to be raised, and it's not necessarily related to patriotism or national pride...
The flag on the couple’s mailbox in front of their home was painted red, white, and blue to resemble the American flag. When the husband put their outgoing bills and other mail in the mailbox, he had to raise the flag to be sure their outgoing mail would be picked up by their mail delivery person. Being a veteran and a patriotic person, he felt compelled to salute the flag each time he raised it.
Three families from the hills of eastern Kentucky decided to pull up stakes, form a wagon train, and head for the state of Nevada to seek their fortunes in the gold and silver mines located there. Each family took the bare essentials with them, and packed only their most precious belongings into the three wagons they were using for the journey. On their 2,000 mile trip to Nevada, the wagon train encountered no hostile Indian attacks from the Apaches or the Comanches, and they had no difficulty crossing any of the many rivers they came to, even though the spring flooding season was upon them. One might expect a journey of this magnitude, moving three families with all of their possessions packed into three wagons on a 2,000 trip, to take at least two or three months, but miraculously, the wagon train arrived in Nevada after only four days. How is this possible?
Think about the words "pack" and "train" in a different way...
This trip for the three families took place in the 1960s. The wagon train consisted of three station wagons.
I believe my brother Sam may secretly be an actual mad scientist! In his home, he keeps several odd animals confined behind heavy, glass walls -- walls designed to never allow these creatures to escape! The most grotesque thing about these beasts is the fact that they have no stomachs -- that's right -- no stomachs!! And yet, he feels compelled to feed them every day-- so they will grow! Sam appears to have no fear of these beasts, but should they ever find a way to gain their freedom from their glass prison, things would get very, very messy! Is Sam in danger from these creatures? Should the authorities be contacted to stop Sam from feeding these stomach-less creatures and helping them to outgrow their restraining enclosure? Just what exactly are these beasts without stomachs, and could they be a danger to society?
Think about a common, everyday activity that people do to help things "grow"... and consider what type of "creatures" might be involved in that process.
My brother Sam has an aquarium in his home where he keeps several Koi fish. Koi fish have no stomachs, and are known to grow quite large.
A man goes to work at the same time each day and travels part of his journey facing forwards and the remainder facing backwards. When he returns at the end of his working day, he only faces forwards.
How can this be?
Think about a mode of transportation that involves facing different directions, but the person's physical body remains facing forward...
He works in the engine room of a liner! To get to work, he walks along the decks from his cabin facing forwards, and down the ladders between decks facing backwards. However, when he finishes, he only needs to face forwards to climb the ladders again and walk along the deck back to his cabin.
A black dog stands in the middle of an intersecton in a town painted black. None of the street lights are working due to a power failure caused by a storm. A car with two broken headlights drives towards the dog but turns in time to avoid hitting him. How could the driver have seen the dog in time?
Two men are in a desert. They both have packs on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his pack open, the guy who is dead has his pack closed. What is in the pack?
Think about a common activity people do in a desert, and what they might need to do to survive...
I know what my job is, The point has been made. You say I have a big head, And you're right, I'm afraid. Put me in my place, And then leave me alone. What I need most, Is someone to drive me home. What am I?
Think about an object that has a "head" or a prominent top part, and is often associated with a particular profession or activity. The phrase "put me in my place" might be a literal instruction...
Four people are sitting around a campfire after a long day of recreation when one man comments: "Do you realize that around this campfire, the four of us include a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle and a couple of cousins"?. If everyone is related by blood (with no unusual marriages) how is this possible?
Think about the different relationships that can exist between family members, and consider the possibility that some individuals might fit into more than one category...
The campfire circle includes a woman and her brother. The woman's daughter and the man's son are also present.
A traveling circuit judge and a local constable had friendly discussions about how to handle misbehavior in their city. This involves burglars, robbers, cattle rustlers, drunks, and ladies of the night. The options they discussed were to put them in jail, run them out of town, warn them, or try to rehabilitate them with books, music, and art. Since the circuit judge traveled, much of this correspondence have to be by telegraph. One day the constable apprehended a lady of the night and telegraphed the circuit judge asking what to do. He described her as being young and having just taken the wrong path. The circuit judge wanted to respond to the constable. But when he got to the telegraph office realized he had only enough money to send one word. What one word did he send?
There is a common English word that is nine letters long. Each time you remove a letter from it, it still remains an English word - from nine letters right down to a single letter. What is the original word, and what are the words that it becomes after removing one letter at a time?
Here's a hint: The original word is a type of activity that people often do in their free time.
The base word is Startling - starting - staring - string - sting - sing - sin - in - I
Your friend invites you to a party. She says you have to bring something. To get inside have to go through a green. Only certain things go through. You can bring a poodle but you can't bring a dog. You can bring a stool but you can't bring a chair. You can bring a rabbit but you can't bring a hare. What is three examples of something you could bring?
I have three envelopes, into one of them I put a $20 note. I lay the envelopes out on a table in front of me and allow you to pick one envelope. You hold but do not open this envelope. I then take one of the envelopes from the table, demonstrate to you that it was empty, screw it up and throw it away. The question is would you rather stick with the envelope you have selected or exchange it for the one on the table. Why? What would be the expected value to you of the exchange?
Hint: Think about the probability of the $20 note being in each envelope initially, and how that probability changes when one envelope is eliminated. It's not 50/50!
The answer might seem a little counter intuitive at first but we'll see... The short answer is that it is in your advantage to exchange. But why? Well initially there was a 1/3 chance that you were holding the envelope with the note in it and a 2/3 chance that the note was on the table. This is still the case after one of the envelopes on the table has been removed, there is still a 1/3 chance that you have the note and a 2/3 chance of it being on the table. If this is confusing then it may help to think that the questioner knows which envelope the $20 note is in, though in practice it doesn't actually matter. The questioner would always be able to demonstrate that the note was not in one of the envelopes on the table regardless of where the note was, so the fact that he was able to do this changes nothing. Consider a different example.... Say there are a 1000 envelopes on the table, 1 with a note inside. You pick 1 envelope, the chance that this has the note in it is clearly 1/1000, where as the chance that it is still on the table is 999/1000. Odds are its on the table. Now the questioner could, assuming he can remember where the note is demonstrate to you that the note is not in 998 of the envelopes on the table. In this case nothing would have happened to change the fact that there is only a 1/1000 chance of you having the note. That is why you exchange. What is the value of the exchange? Simply before the exchange you have 1/3 of $20 and afterwards you will have 2/3 of $20, ie the advantage to you is about $6.66
In a certain city, 5% of all the people in town have unlisted phone numbers. If you select 100 names at random from that city's phone directory, how many people selected will have unlisted phone numbers?
Think about what "selecting from the phone directory" means...
None. If their names are in the phone directory, they do not have unlisted phone numbers!
The head of a whale is six feet long; his tail is as long as his head and half his body, and his body is half of his whole length. How long is the whale?
"Think of the whale's body as a fraction of its whole length, and use that to help you find the length of the head, tail, and ultimately, the entire whale."
A frog fell into a 12-foot-deep well. He could jump 3 feet, but every time he jumped 3 feet, he fell back 2 feet. How many times did he have to jump to get out of the well?
Think about the pattern of the frog's progress: up 3, down 2, up 3, down 2... Focus on the net progress the frog makes with each jump.
10. On the tenth jump he cleared the edge of the well and thus did not fall back two feet.
A rubber ball is tossed off the top of a 90 foot building. Every time it bounces, it goes back up half way. How many bounces will the ball take before it stops?
Think about the ball's journey in terms of the total distance it travels, not just the height it reaches...
The answer is infinite, in a gravity free world. But of course gravity will eventually stop it.
How many times does the long hand of the clock pass the short hand between midnight one day and midnight the following day? As both hands are together at the starting time of midnight this does not count as a pass.
Think about the short hand's movement and how often it "gets caught" by the long hand...
Two grandmothers, with their two granddaughters; Two husbands, with their two wives; Two fathers, with their two daughters; Two mothers, with their two sons; Two maidens, with their two mothers; Two sisters, with their two brothers; Yet only six in all lie buried here; All born legitimate, from incest clear. How can this be?
Think about a family tree, and consider the different relationships that can exist between people. Focus on the words "two" and "their" to help you understand how these relationships can be intertwined.
Two widows each had a son, and each widow married the son of the other and then each had a daughter.
There are 30 cows in a field, and 28 chickens. How many didn't?
Think about the question being asked... it's not about the number of cows or chickens, but rather about the action of doing something. What is it that some of them didn't do?
10. Listen closely: 30 cows and twenty-eight chickens. Say EIGHT and ATE. They sound the same. Therefore, it means 20 ATE chickens. 30-20=10, so 10 cows didn't eat any chickens.
I am a fruit. If you take away the first letter of my name I become a crime. Take away the first two letters of my name I become an animal. Take away the first and last letter of my name and I become a form of music. What am I?
Think about a fruit that has a name that starts with a letter that is also a word, and when removed, reveals a type of crime...
You are driving a car. On your right is a steep cliff. Right in front of you there is a horse and right behind an elephant, both of which travel at your own speed. On your left there is a fire truck blocking you. How do you stop your car?
Think about where you are, and what's NOT moving...
I am needed to survive, but when am here there is evil and good, when am gone others come in, you don't seek me you die. What I am?
Think about something that is essential for human existence, but its presence can bring about both positive and negative consequences. It's a delicate balance, and without it, others will take its place, but if you don't have it, you'll perish.
A little pool with two layers of wall around it. One white and soft and the other dark and hard, amidst a light brown grassy lawn with an outline of green grass. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a backyard or a park, and consider the different textures and colors mentioned in the riddle...
Pronounced as one letter, And written with three, Two letters there are, And two only in me. I'm double, I'm single, I'm black, blue, and gray, I'm read from both ends And the same either way. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a dictionary or a book...
I can hold you prisoner Or set you free I can swing with ease (Though not from a tree) I have many shapes I have many sizes Yet, 'til we shake hands I'll hide my surprises. What am I?
Think about something you might find in your pocket or purse, and how it can be used to both restrict and liberate...
When liquid splashes me, none seeps through. When I am moved a lot, liquid I spew. When I am hit, color I change. And color, I come in quite a range. What I cover is very complex, and I am very easy to flex. What am I?
Think about something you might find in an art studio...
The fuel for life, Important parts of the day, Even if it is a long time away. Long lasting use, Long lasting fuse, Until my explosive death day. What am I?
Think about something that provides energy, is often associated with daily routines, and has a "shelf life" before it eventually "burns out" in a dramatic way...
I am a type of room you cannot enter or leave. Raised from the ground below, I could be poisonous or a delicious treat. What am I?
Think about a space that's often found in a house, but you can't physically enter or exit it. The "raised from the ground below" part might be a literal clue...
I have three colors, each with a different meaning. When I'm old they become dull, but when I'm new they are gleaming. I help keep people safe, but sometimes they hate me. You won't see me in a forest, but you will in a big city. Some of me have short lengths, and some of me have long. And in the time that the longest of me take, you could sing a very long song. When my colors change, people get happy or sad, and when you guess what I am, you will be very glad. What am I?
Think about something you see every day in a city, that serves a purpose, has different lengths, and its colors convey important information that can evoke emotions...
I'm tall and thin and balanced on a ball. I am i upside down. People use me when I get excited. Mathematicians use me even when they aren't. What Am I?
Think about a symbol that is often written in a way that makes it look like it's balanced on a ball, and when you turn it upside down, it remains the same...
I can carry many though I have no body; I can often be weak but am hard to kill; I shine brighter than any light but you cannot see me; I sing the sweetest music but you cannot hear me; I can bring warmth to anyone no matter how cold it gets. What am I?
Think about something that can be felt, but not seen, and is often associated with emotions and sensations...
People who want to get rid of me forever, there are dreamers, there are ignorant people; people who are happy to greet me, there are indifferent people, there are crazy people; most people fear me, but I will come eventually. What am I?
"Think about something that is inevitable, yet people have different attitudes towards it..."
I know a place where fellows go without a shoe or stocking. And no one tells them, "Go away!" Or thinks their costume is shocking. Each year I spend much of my time In that delightful place, And while I'm there, they don’t expect a boy to wash his face. What am I?
Think about a place where people often go to have fun, and where dress codes are relaxed...
In shadows it dances, in daylight, it gleams, Found in the echoes of both waking and dreams. It lingers in whispers, a secret untold, In the tapestry of tales, its threads unfold. It weaves through the chapters of joy and despair, A silent companion in the heart’s deep lair. From the mountain’s proud peak to the valley so low, It flows with the rivers that steadily grow. It’s sung in the songs of the ages gone by, A constant companion, though silent, oh my! What am I?
Soldiers line up spaced with pride, Two long rows lined side by side. One sole unit can decide If the rows will unite or divide. Tell me, tell me, scream it out. What's the thing I talk about?
Think about a common object that is often divided or united, and is closely related to the concept of "lines" or "rows"...
The king of the jungle, rare as gold, black as night, in light not there and night not seen. Goes in water, goes on trees, goes in caves, goes on the ground. Claws of knives, teeth of swords, roar of death but silent as a mouse. What is it?
Think about something that has a "golden" value, but appears black in certain conditions, and is not visible in both light and darkness. Its ability to adapt to different environments is key to its identity...
This poor man refused to eat, and was extremely sad ever since, cause of death? Think: Starvation, or depression... he felt nothing inside. So what was the cause of death?
A very famous chemist was found murdered in his kitchen today. The police have narrowed it down to six suspects. They know it was a two-man job. Their names are Felice, Maxwell, Archibald, Nicolas, Jordan, and Xavier. A note was also found with the body: '26-3-58/28-27-57-16'. Who are the killers?
Think about the periodic table of elements...
Felice and Nicholas are the murderers. The numbers correspond to atomic numbers on the periodic table of elements: 'Fe-Li-Ce/Ni-Co-La-S'.
There are eight people who like each other? Rhonda likes Jim. Tom likes Amber. Cameron likes Britney. Will likes Katie. They all know that they're liked by at least someone. The question is, who is loved? *Hint think about the *words in this statement...
Pay attention to the verb "likes" vs. the verb "is loved" in the statement.