Imagine Johnny, a party clown, is carrying three pieces of gold each piece weighing one kilogram. While taking a walk he comes to a bridge that has a sign posted saying the bridge could hold only a maximum of 80 kilograms. John weighs 78 kilograms and the gold weighs three kilograms. Johnny reads the sign and still safely crossed the bridge with all the gold. How did he manage this?
Think about the state of Johnny when he's not carrying the gold...
Johnny is a clown so he has mastered juggling. When he came to the bridge he juggled the gold, always keeping one piece in the air.
Dorothy is not a violent person, yet she carries a hard, round object in her purse which she occasionally throws at people. She thinks others find her actions amusing, and they do for the most part; but many people flinch when she does throw the object directly toward them. The danger is minimal however, as the object returns to her, most of the time, and she never throws the object with the intention of harming anyone. Dorothy considers herself to be an entertainer of sorts, using the round object and some string to amuse anyone willing to watch her. She uses the object to perform some amazing, gravity-defying stunts. Dorothy says she got the idea for this attention-grabbing activity while working part time as a dog walker. Is Dorothy a menace to society who should be reported to the authorities, or is she just providing a little innocent fun for those who watch her? Just what is the hard, round object Dorothy carries in her purse?
Think "leisure activity" and "skillful manipulation"...
Dorothy carries a yo-yo in her purse, and puts on a dazzling display of various tricks for onlookers. She even performs classic yo-yo moves such as the famous walk-the-dog maneuver.
Marge and Terry are both looking intently at a 4-inch X 4-inch musical symbol, but neither of them is thinking about music. Marge initiates their activity by placing a letter of the alphabet into the upper left quadrant of the symbol. Terry counters by putting a different letter of the alphabet into the lower-right section of the figure. Marge retaliates by inscribing the same letter she used the first time, into the lower-left section of the musical emblem. Terry responds by placing the same letter he just used, into the middle-left area of the image. Marge begins to smile brightly and places the same letter she has been using into the upper-right quadrant of the figure. Terry then grimaces and writes the exact same letter he has been using, placing it in the center of the symbol. Marge then gives a gleeful laugh and puts her same letter into the top-middle of the emblem. She then draws a line and shouts out three words to Terry, which make him feel a bit sad and disappointed. What are the three words Marge shouts at Terry, and exactly what has been going on here?
Think about a common game that involves placing letters in a grid, and the three words Marge shouts at Terry might be a familiar phrase often heard at the end of such a game.
Marge and Terry have been playing the game of “Tic-Tac-Toe”, and these are the three words she shouts at him after beating him. The musical symbol called a Sharp, looks just like a Tic-Tac-Toe grid.
A butterfly flies to a rock in the middle of a huge lake and stops to rest. If it swims North, it's five minutes to the mainland. If it swims East, it's four minutes to the mainland. If it swims South, it's three minutes to the mainland. And if it swims West, it's two minutes to the mainland. In which direction should the butterfly swim?
Think about the shape of the lake and the rock's location...
The butterfly shouldn't swim in any direction because butterflies don't swim; they fly!
Ron and Terry are both dressed in camouflage clothing and are completely surrounded by dead bodies. As veterans of the Army, they are both on a mission to locate some of their comrades. Neither Terry nor Ron are carrying any weapons, but they have no fear of being harmed. They look about the terrain which surrounds them, but all they see are grass and large and small stones. Terry jumps up on one of the large stones to get a better view of their surroundings, but Ron suggests to Terry that his standing on the big stone might be viewed as disrespectful, and Terry jumps down. "I counted 27 flags while I was up there," says Terry to Ron, "so let's go check them out." In what activity are Ron and Terry engaged?
Think about a place where you'd typically find flags, grass, and stones...
Ron and Terry are veterans who are looking for the grave sites of some of the soldiers they served with in the Army. The large and small stones are tombstones, and the American flags mark the graves of the veterans who are buried in that cemetery.
Robert and Emma are a couple living together. Robert is rich, while Emma is broke. One day, Robert places a $50 bill on the table in their living room and leaves to go to the bathroom. Emma sees the bill and takes it for herself. When Robert comes back, he doesn't see the $50 bill; he asks Emma what happened. The woman said that a gust of wind had blown into the room and the bill flew out of the window. Robert didn't believe Emma and asked her to give him the money back. Why?
The hint is: Think about the circumstances in which the "gust of wind" occurred...
If a gust of wind flies into a room, nothing can possibly fly out of the window. The $50 bill would have just flown from the table to the floor, not the other way around.
Taylor was walking home from the gym when someone ran up in front of the woman and hit her on the right side of her face. The woman went right to the police station to report the attack. The detectives had found three people-Mike, Jerry, and Jack-and arrested them. How can the detectives figure out who really attacked Taylor?
Pay attention to the pronouns used in the story, particularly when referring to the victim and the attackers.
The detectives should give each suspect a marker and ask them to write their names on a whiteboard. Taylor was hit on the right side of her face, which means that the person who attacked her is left-handed. The detectives just need to observe which of the three suspects writes with his left hand, and that person should be arrested.
Terry lives part-time in a mobile home, but it is a most unusual place. Terry's mobile home has no front or back door, so Terry can only enter his home through the roof. His home has no kitchen or basement or attic; and most importantly, his home has no bathroom! Considering all of these basic housing deficiencies, it is no wonder Terry's mental health has again come into question, as he often feels compelled to start shooting at strangers from within the confines of his mobile home. It doesn't seem possible, but the authorities are 100% supportive of Terry's actions! Has Terry snapped mentally? Is he in need of immediate psychiatric treatment, or is his mental health more normal than it appears? And why do the authorities permit Terry to shoot at others? Just what is going on here?
Think about a place where people often gather to watch a specific activity, and the "mobile home" is not a typical residence, but rather a vehicle of sorts...
Terry is a soldier in the U.S. Army. He operates an armored Tank in the service of our country.
A man has to take a dog, a cat, and a mouse across a river. He can only take one of the animals across at a time. If he takes the mouse, the dog will eat the cat. If he takes the dog, the cat will eat the mouse. How does he get the three animals across the river?
Think about the order in which the man takes the animals across the river, and how he can ensure that the dog and cat are never left together, and the cat and mouse are never left together.
1. The man takes the cat across and goes back to get the mouse. 2. The man then takes the mouse across and returns with the cat. 3. The man leaves the cat on the shore and takes the dog across. He leaves the dog with the mouse. 4. The man goes back to get the cat and all of the animals have made it across the river!
Within, I clean all that is bad and old. I make juice that's the color of gold. Should I die, a filter machine would you need to assemble to replace me, and a bean I resemble... What am I?
Think about a common household item that's used for a specific task, and its shape and function might remind you of a type of bean...
Dynamite is a tool that can be used to cut down trees. Cutting a tree 18 inches in diameter requires five sticks of dynamite: one on the north, south, east and west sides of the tree, and the fifth stick on the side to which the tree should fall. During the construction of a dam, a tree 18 inches in diameter was completely covered by water. Since the treetop was fouling the boat's propellers, it had to be cut down. A diver went down and put a stick of dynamite on the four sides of the tree. Since the current is flowing south at 2 knots per hour, on which side of the tree would you instruct the diver to put the fifth stick of dynamite if you wanted the tree to fall north?
Think about the current's direction and how it will affect the tree's fall...
It doesn't matter where the fifth stick is placed, since the tree won't fall in any direction. Being wood, it will float and rise to the surface.
Three American military veterans: Ron(Army), Terry(Army), and Ron(Marines) retired from their military careers and decided to go into business together. Using all of their engineering knowledge and expertise, the three veterans have revamped an idea for an old device, made many improvements to it, and are now trying to patent it under the name: The Ron - Terry - Ron device, or (R.T.R). They advertise it by saying, "The R.T.R is designed only for those who want to move forward in life, but never backward. It is guaranteed to get your heart pumping, your blood pressure rising, and your armpits sweating"(classy advertising by these veterans). The advertising continues: "The R.T.R. is for the person who tries to move ahead, but always ends up exactly where they started." The only problem with the R.T.R device is, to use one, you will have to ignore the Gadsden flag(i.e., the one with the coiled rattlesnake pictured on it) and its famous motto. Forrest Gump would be very proud of these veterans. Just exactly what is the Ron - Terry - Ron (R.T.R.) device, and why must the Gadsden flag motto be ignored by its users?
Think about a device that helps you move forward, but you always end up back where you started... and consider what the Gadsden flag's motto is...
The three veterans have made some innovative improvements to a basic Treadmill design, and are trying to patent these improvements in the hope of selling their newly created device. Of course, these veterans realize that anyone who uses their new product will be violating the early Continental Marine message and motto of the famous Gadsden flag which states, "Don't Tread on Me". Just as Forrest Gump was encouraged to "Run - Forrest - Run", we wish success to these three veterans with the words, "Ron - Terry - Ron".
A wealthy wise old woman feared that her daughter was lazy and as a result rather stupid. When the old woman died, her will stipulated that her assets were to be liquidated and a check was to be written for the full amount. The check was to be placed in one of three envelopes. The other two envelopes would contain a blank piece of paper. If the daughter could determine from the writing on the envelope which envelope contained the check, she would inherit her mother's fortune. Otherwise, the fortune would go to the old woman's favorite charity for animals. The daughter was not allowed to touch the envelopes. Her decision had to be made based on the writing on the envelopes. The daughter was told that only one envelope had a true statement and that the other two statements were false. The envelopes had the following writing: 1. This envelope does not have the check 2. This envelope has the check 3. The second envelope does not have the check Which envelope should the daughter pick?
Think about it this way: if an envelope says something true, what would it say? And if an envelope says something false, what would it say?
The daughter should pick envelope 1. Unfortunately she picked envelope 3. Statements 1 and 2 were false, and the only true statement was statement 3. If the check was in envelope 1, that would make statement 1 false, statement 2 false and statement 3 is the only true statement. If the check was in envelope 2, statements 1 and 2 would both be true. If the check was in envelope 3, statements 1 and 3 would both be true.
Someone stole $20 off your desk at school. You find 4 suspects: Gina, Kelly, Peter, and Liam. You ask them all about the money: Gina: Hey, I didn't take it! Kelly: I'm pretty sure Peter took it! Peter: No way! Kelly is lying! Liam: Gina's telling the truth! One of these people is telling the truth. Who took your money?
Gina took the money. She, Kelly, and Liam are lying while Peter is telling the truth. If any of the other people had taken it, then there would be only 1 liar and 3 people telling the truth.
Four friends-Chloe, Evelyn, Francesca, and Grace-went out for lunch. Someone asked them about their ages, and this is what they said: "Evelyn is three times older than Francesca. But three years ago, Francesca was a year younger than Chloe is now. And Grace is two times older than Francesca,". Can you rank the girls in order of their ages?
Think about the relationships between the girls' ages in terms of simple equations, and try to find a common link between them. Focus on Francesca's age, as it seems to be the central piece of the puzzle.
From oldest to youngest, the order is as follows: Evelyn, Grace, Francesca, and Chloe. Evelyn is three times older than Francesca, and Grace is two times older than Francesca. Evelyn is older than Grace because multiplying a number by three will result in a greater number than multiplying the number by two. Both of them are older than Francesca, but if it was three years ago that Francesca was a year younger than Chloe is now, then Francesca is two years older than Chloe. Therefore, Evelyn is the oldest, followed by Grace, then Francesca, and then Chloe.
The only thing you can use for this riddle is your brain! Add 1,000 to 40. Now, add 1,000. Then, add 30. Add 1,000 again. Now, add 20. Add 1,000 once more. Now, add 10. What is your answer?
Think about the pattern of additions and how the numbers being added are related to each other...
Is it 5,000? Sorry, but that's wrong! The right answer is 4,100. Four 1,000s do add up to 4,000…but 40 + 30 + 20 + 10 is 100, not 1,000. And 4,000 + 100 is not 5,000; it's 4,100; therefore, the correct answer is 4,100.
Jim was examining an angle measuring 14 and 1/2 degrees, using his magnifying glass that magnifies everything two times. Under the glass, how large would that angle measure?
Think about what happens to the angle when it's magnified, not just the number...
14 and 1/2 degrees. Explanation, angles remain constant when magnified. A square has 4-90 degree corners, if you zoom in (magnify) a square, it's still a square.
If 10 bags of jelly beans and 6 licorice sticks cost $1, and 10 licorice sticks and 6 jelly bean bags cost 92 cents.
How much does one licorice stick cost?
Think about the ratio of jelly beans to licorice sticks in each scenario, and how that ratio relates to the cost.
A hunter met two shepherds, one of whom had three loaves and the other, five loaves. All the loaves were the same size. The three men agreed to share the eight loaves equally between them. After they had eaten, the hunter gave the shepherds eight bronze coins as payment for his meal. How should the two shepherds fairly divide this money?
Think about the value of each loaf in terms of bronze coins...
The shepherd who had three loaves should get one coin and the shepherd who had five loaves should get seven coins. If there were eight loaves and three men, each man ate two and two-thirds loaves. So the first shepherd gave the hunter one-third of a loaf and the second shepherd gave the hunter two and one-third loaves. The shepherd who gave one-third of a loaf should get one coin and the one who gave seven-thirds of a loaf should get seven coins.
Two camels were facing in opposite directions. One was facing due East and one was facing due West. They were in the desert so there was no reflection. How can they manage to see each other without walking around or turning around or moving their heads?
Think about the camels' positions relative to each other, rather than their directions...
The two camels were facing each other the entire time. Hence facing in opposite directions.
Two blondes were going to Disneyland and came to a fork in the road. One way said Highway 93 right and the other said Disneyland left.
Why did the blondes go home?
Think about the typical characteristics associated with Disneyland...
Because they thought that Disneyland actually left.
There was a man who wanted to prove his love to his wife. So, he climbed the highest mountain, swam the deepest ocean and walked the biggest desert. What do you think his wife said?
Think about what would be a humorous, yet fitting response from the wife, considering the husband's over-the-top efforts to prove his love...
Nothing. She divorced him for never being at home.
Four cars come to a four-way stop, all coming from a different direction. They can't decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. They do not crash into each other, but all four cars go. How is this possible?
Julie is going on an extended trip for three weeks. She lives in a remote area where there are frequent electrical power outages which can last up to three or four days. Julie has quite a bit of food in her freezer which would go bad if it thawed and then re-froze. She does have digital clock and a VCR which would flash 12:00 if the power went out. Unfortunately the clock and VCR flash even if the power only goes out for a few seconds. What can Julie do so that when she returns home she will be able to determine whether the power was out long enough to thaw her food? Asking a neighbor whether the power was out, isn't a reliable option because the nearest house is half a mile away, and one house may have power, while another house may have no power. She won?t be able to have a neighbor check on her house every day, and has no one to house sit.
Think about using a device that can measure the passage of time, but is not affected by short power outages...
One thing Julie could do is freeze a tray of ice-cubes, and turn the tray of ice upside down in her freezer. When she comes home, she should check the tray. If the ice cubes are still in the tray, the food is safe to eat. If the trays are empty, it's time to clean out the freezer. She will have to make a judgment call if the ice-cubes are only slightly thawed.
There was a farmer making his way to the market with a fox, a chicken, and some grain. He came to a clearing with a stream. He saw a boat nearby, but he could only take one of his items with him. He knew if he took the grain, and left the fox and chicken, the fox would eat the chicken., and if he took the fox, the chicken would eat the grain. How do you get all of them across?
Think about making multiple trips across the stream, and consider the order in which you transport the items to ensure the fox, chicken, and grain are never left together unsupervised.
You take the chicken across, and then go back for the fox. While you are dropping off the fox, take the chicken back, and then get the grain, and take it across. Then go back and get the chicken. Share this with your friends!
White we are, strong we are; but can be easily shaken and weakened, easily stained and dirtied; None was found at first, then one appeared; afterward, more are seen and thirty-two appear at last, we all stand waiting for our prey. The food you eat is our prey and we all are in you. What are we?
Think about something that starts out pure and strong, but can be affected by external factors. It's related to the human body, and there's a specific number of them that you might find in a healthy adult...
I am strongest when you see me as round, but I am often viewed in other forms. I lift and drop the sea with my tremendous strength, and a man with a name like 'powerful bicep' was the first to tread on me.
What am I?
Think about a natural phenomenon that can appear in different shapes and forms, and is associated with the ocean's tides...
People make jokes about me running. I store items for you so they don't go bad. I light up when you open the door. What am I?
Think about a common household item that's often the butt of jokes about speed, has a specific purpose for preserving things, and has a distinctive feature that illuminates when you interact with it...
I am treated with great care until I reach my end by being torn in half. I'm a traveler. I bring both good and bad news. What am I?
Think about something that people often handle carefully, but ultimately discard or separate, and is often associated with conveying information or messages...
I possess a halo of water, walls of stone, and a tongue of wood. Long I have stood; what am I?
Think about a structure that's often found near a body of water, has a stone foundation, and features a wooden component that "speaks" or provides information...
I purge all that is evil and keep all that is true. Unless you speak, I can delete what you said. My usefulness has faded with the use of a pen. I am usually made of rubber, yet I am not a toy. I am both pink, and white, but also blue, or green. Do not forget me, as I can be your best friend. What am I?
Think about something you often find on a desk, used to correct mistakes, but has become less necessary with the advent of digital writing tools...
I feel your every thought. I feel your every move. I'm with you from birth and I'll see you rot. What am I?
You're looking for something that's always with you, from the moment you're born, and will stay with you until the end. Think about something that's closely tied to your existence, something that's always "feeling" your emotions and movements...
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...
One way I'm loose, one way I'm tight;
Out with left, in with right.
What am I?
Think about something you use every day, that has a specific way of being turned or moved, and its "looseness" or "tightness" depends on the direction of that movement...
It is a 5 letter word if you take away first letter it is something you get from sun, if you remove second letter you will get something to eat, if you remove third letter you get a word you use in pointing at and if you remove the fourth letter you get something to drink. What is it?
The word you're thinking of is a common, everyday thing that you might find in a kitchen...
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"...
Three Brothers share a family sport, a nonstop marathon. The oldest one is fat and short And trudges slowly on. The middle brother's tall and slim, and keeps a steady pace The youngest runs just like the wind, going swiftly through the race "He's young in years, we let him run," the other brothers say. "Though he is surely number one, he's also second in a way. What are we?
Think about a type of "race" that involves movement, but not necessarily physical running...
One day, a scientist was down in his lab. It was around 11 o'clock. He was working late on poisons and their antidotes. He was hungry, so he went to get a snack. Suddenly, he found himself tied to a chair. There was a nasty-looking robber in front of him. The robber had his wife. He said,' I will only leave you and your wife if you feed her 1 whole teaspoon of poison of your choice, if you don't, then I will kill you both'. The scientist fed his wife an entire teaspoon of a type of poison from his lab, but the wife did not die, how? There were blue, red, white, green, yellow, and pink-colored poisons in his lab. All of them were deadly. Which one did the scientist choose?
Think about the situation and the fact that the scientist is a expert in poisons and their antidotes...
The white one, since sugar is known as 'White Poison'.
Joe has ten coins totaling $1.19. From these coins, he cannot make exact change for a dollar, half-dollar, quarter, dime, or nickel.
What are the coins?
A half-dollar, a quarter, four dimes, and four pennies.
A guy was waiting at home, he swung a metal pole then took 3 left turns and on his way back home there was a masked man waiting for him. What is he doing and who is the masked man?
Think about a common outdoor activity that involves swinging a metal pole and taking turns...
He is playing baseball and the masked man is the Catcher.