A man wanted to enter an exclusive club but did not know the password that was required. He waited by the door and listened. A club member knocked on the door and the doorman said, "twelve." The member replied, "six " and was let in. A second member came to the door and the doorman said, "six." The member replied, "three" and was let in. The man thought he had heard enough and walked up to the door. The doorman said ,"ten" and the man replied, "five." But he was not let in. What should have he said?
Think about the relationship between the numbers the doorman says and the numbers the members respond with...
Three. The doorman lets in those who answer with the number of letters in the word the doorman says.
Three men, three women, and six young children are all seated around a table, staring at a dead body. This is neither a wake nor a funeral, and no one at the table appears to be distressed or sad. In fact, everyone appears to be smiling. The oldest of the three men, an elderly man with a grizzled, white beard, stands up and instructs everyone at the table to lower their heads, as he proceeds to say a few words over the deceased. The old man then says one final word, picks up a long, sharp knife, and plunges it into the corpse on the table --- much to the delight of the onlookers! Will the evils of this world never cease?! Must children be forced to watch these types of twisted, warped proceedings; or are these events less horrid than they appear? What is the one final word said by the old man with the white beard, and just what exactly is going on here?
"Think about a special occasion where people gather around a table, and a ritual is performed with a specific object..."
The family members are all sitting around a table waiting for the man with the white beard to say his prayer of thanks for all of God’s blessings to them. The last word of his prayer is, “Amen”, after which, he proceeds to carve the Thanksgiving turkey, which is the dead body laying on the table.
The fight is almost coming to an end after a five minute battle. Team one lost all of the members, except for leader Joe who carries a big hammer, which is very dangerous and strong. Team two had two remaining people with no leader but one person who uses a bat and one person that uses an axe. Team two tried cornering Leader Joe, who then surrendered. Despite the fact that leader Joe had a bigger and much more dangerous weapon than the two on the other team, why did he surrender?
Hint: Think about the context of the "five-minute battle" and the type of competition where teams with leaders and various weapons might be involved.
The Mills family had traveled to their vacation cabin which was next to a large, beautiful lake in the mountains. Mr. and Mrs. Mills and their three children, Brock (age 6), Cindy (age 7), and Susan (age 8) had come to the lake to relax for the weekend. They were all looking forward to taking a long, relaxing swim in the lake, and to try out the brand new boat Mr. Mills had just purchased for some family fun. As they were swimming near the middle of the lake, it dawned on Mr. Mills that their son Brock was not in the water with them. Suddenly, with no warning, the family heard motor sounds and saw their newly-purchased boat speeding directly toward them, accompanied by the maniacal laughter of their missing child, Brock. Again and again, Brock drove the boat directly at his vulnerable family, laughing insanely each time it passed near them. "I told Brock not to go near that boat unless I was with him," shouted Mr. Mills, "and now he's trying to kill us with it!" However, Mrs. Mills nonchalantly responded, "Oh, boys will be boys." Considering the circumstances, why was Mrs. Mills so cavalier concerning her son's disobedient and reckless behavior, and why did she seem unconcerned about her six-year-old driving a boat without supervision?
Think about the context of the situation and the fact that the family was "swimming near the middle of the lake"... what does that imply about Brock's ability to operate the boat?
Mr. Mills had bought the family a new remote controlled boat, but bad boy Brock decided to ignore his father’s instructions, and sent the two-foot long boat on its maiden voyage as a mischievous prank on his family. I don’t envy Brock when his father reaches shore.
One evening, Sabrina was walking in the park when she found her friend Steven, as well as his bike, on the ground. Sabrina helped the guy up, and she asked him what had happened; Steven said, "I was riding my bike when someone threw a stone at me. I lost control of my bike and fell,". Sabrina decides to question three other people who were in the park at the time. Camilla said that she was having her morning run and didn't see anything. Adam said that he was sitting on a nearby bench, reading a book. And Oliver said that he was having a barbecue with his friends; they could confirm this. Who is lying?
Hint: Pay attention to the time of day mentioned in the story...
Camilla couldn't have her MORNING run because it was EVENING. Therefore, she is lying.
Mrs. Fortini has been married for 10 years. For her 10th wedding anniversary, she got a pair of beautiful diamond earrings. Mrs. Fortini also has two daughters–Beatrice and Ivy–who always touch her stuff. One day, Mrs. Fortini was going to put on the earrings, when she found out that they had been stolen. She concluded that it must have been one of her daughters, so she asked them, "I've told you two so many times to not take my things! Who took my jewelry this time?". Beatrice said, "I never touch your jewelry box!". Ivy also denied taking her mom's stuff; "I don't wear earrings!", she said. Who stole the earrings?
Think about what each daughter said, and how it might relate to their actions...
It was Ivy who stole the earrings. Her mother didn't specify which piece of jewelry was missing.
Mrs. Harris went to the police station to file a report. She said that someone had attacked her. Here is her story: "I was in the restaurant bathroom, fixing my makeup. Suddenly, a stranger hit me on the head! I didn't see what this person looked like because he approached me from behind!". The police officer refused to file the report and sent Mrs. Harris home. Why?
Think about where Mrs. Harris was when she claimed to have been attacked...
If Mrs. Harris was fixing her makeup, she was most likely looking in the mirror (after all, she wouldn't want to ruin her makeup, right?). If someone had approached the woman from behind, she would have DEFINITELY seen what he or she looked like. Therefore, Mrs. Harris lied, and made up the whole story.
Teresa found her friend Andy unconscious on the floor of his studio in the attic. The girl called the police; when the officer arrived, she told him her story. Teresa said, "I was walking past Andy's house when I saw, through the window, that the light was on. I also found that Andy was lying in his room; he didn't look too good, so I rushed inside and immediately called the police,". The officer didn't believe Teresa. Do you?
Think about the physical location of the studio and how Teresa claimed to have seen Andy...
No; Teresa's story doesn't sound quite right. Andy was found in the attic; it's on the TOP floor of a house. Teresa couldn't possibly see the guy through the window.
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...
Ryan and his son Ralph go to a pet store. Ralph sees a very cute rabbit, and asks Ryan to buy it for him. Ryan seems unsure about it, and tells Ralph, "Oh, Ralph, these rabbits can breed every two months, and each time, they will produce four bunnies. We're going to have so many rabbits in our house after a year, and I don't want to take care of them! They'll be too much to take care of!". Ralph laughs at Ryan and says,"Don't be so silly, Dad! We're not going to have that many rabbits in our house after that long!". Who is correct, and how many rabbits will Ralph and Ryan have in a year?
Think about the initial condition: Ryan and Ralph are buying ONE rabbit.
Ralph is correct; they will only have one rabbit after a year. Ralph and Ryan only saw one rabbit in the pet store, but a single rabbit simply can't breed on its own; it takes TWO rabbits to breed. Therefore, after one year, the two of them will only have that one rabbit…if they choose to buy it, that is.
Your grandma baked three cupcakes for you, and she's letting you eat one of them. She knows that you don't like strawberries, so she lines the cupcakes in a row and tells you, "The orange cupcake is not in the middle. And the apple cupcake is not next to the orange cupcake,". Which cupcake is strawberry-flavored?
Think about the process of elimination and the clues your grandma gave you. Focus on the apple cupcake's position...
The orange cupcake is not in the middle, and the apple cupcake can't be in the middle either because it would contradict your grandma's second statement. Therefore, the orange and apple cupcakes are on the ends, and the strawberry cupcake is in the middle.
Hidden in the poem below, a female's name you'll seek; just read and listen to the rhyme, but please, don't take a week! MYSTERY POEM: A pig that is not dirty, I might just one day see; but pigs and soap suds do not mix, in bathtub history! What is the female name you hear?
Pay attention to the words that sound similar to a female name when read aloud, especially in the first and last lines of the poem.
What six letter word when you take one letter away there is still a word, take another letter away and you still have a word and do that until you have one letter left?
Think about a word that refers to a sequence of events or a story...
A man buys a rope from a woman for $3.00 and hands the woman a $10 bill. The woman goes into the grocery store next door to get change. She returns and gives the man $7.00. After the man leaves, the clerk from the store comes and says, "Hey, that was a counterfeit bill you gave me." The woman gives the clerk a good bill.
How much has the woman lost?
Think about the flow of money and what the woman is left with at the end...
A young man decides to buy a collector's baseball card. He pays $60 for it. After a month, the value of the card has increased to $70 and he decides to sell it. But already a few days later he regrets his decision to sell the collector's item, and he buys it again. Unfortunately he has to pay $80 to get it back, so he loses $10. After a year of owning the baseball card, he finally decides to sell it for $100. What is his overall profit?
Think about the sequence of transactions and how they affect the young man's profit, rather than focusing on the individual prices of the baseball card.
Try deciphering this code - S T O E E I T A E S S S I N O Y (Hint - count and you will have the answer!)
Here's a hint: Look for a pattern in the frequency of each letter in the code.
Did you count the number of letters? There are 16 of them. Divide them in groups of 4. Then, put each group below the other, and read column wise. Here's how you do it... S T O E E I T A E S S S I N O Y The answer to the code is See it is not so easy.
Place three piles of matches on a table, one with 11 matches, the second with 7, and the third with 6. You are to move matches so that each pile holds 8 matches. You may add to any pile only as many matches as it already contains. All the matches must come from one other pile. For example, if a pile holds 6 matches, you may add 6 to it, no more or less.
You have three moves. How can you do it?
Think about the "balance" of matches between the piles...
First pile to second; second to third; third to first:
Pile
Initial number
First move
Second move
Third move
First
11
11-7=4
4
4+4=8
Second
7
7+7=14
14-6=8
8
Third
6
6
6+6=12
12-4=8
How can you measure nine minutes with have two hourglasses, one four minute and one seven minute?
Think about how you can use the two hourglasses in a sequence, rather than simultaneously, to measure out the desired time...
Turn over both hourglasses at once. When the four-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over. When the seven-minute hourglass runs out, turn it over. When the four-minute timer runs out this time (eight minutes have elapsed), the seven-minute hourglass has been running for one minute. Now turn over the seven minute timer back over. When the timer runs out, nine minutes have elapsed.
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.
You are in a haunted house. But this is an advanced haunted house. The haunted house has electricity. There are three doors. One door leads to a tiger that hasn't eaten for 3 months. Another door leads to an electric chair that has electricity this time. And the last door has a man waiting to chop your head off. Which door do you go through?
Think about the condition of the tiger...
Duh, the door that leads to the tiger that hasn't eaten for three months because wouldn't he have starved to death by now?
There was a man who everybody called Batman he knew nothing about bats and thought they were gross. He still loved it when people called him Batman! How could this be?
Think about the name "Batman" and how it might be related to the man's profession or characteristics, rather than his knowledge of or affinity for bats.
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...
Made of ten but two are we. Five apart and we are weak. Five together havoc wreak. What am I
"Think about something that has ten parts, but is often referred to in terms of two. The key to this riddle lies in the way these parts are arranged..."
Play my music, if you dare. Turn my crank, although I'm square. Stand back, or get a scare, when you see my surprising glare.
What am I?
Think about something that produces music, has a crank, and can be square in shape... but also has a surprising and potentially startling effect when activated!
I build up castles. I tear down mountains. I make some men blind, I help others to see. What am I?
Think about something that can be used to create grand structures, yet also has the power to destroy or alter the natural landscape... and has a profound impact on human perception.
I'm a spy but I have no eye. I bake a nice pie but I have no tongue. I float downward but everything goes up. What am I?
Think about something that can be found in the kitchen, but isn't a living thing...
The riddle "I'm a spy but I have no eye. I bake a nice pie but I have no tongue" is unanswered. Do you know the answer? If so, click ANSWER and add your answer in the comments section.
'Tis found in our troubles, 'tis mixed with our pleasures, 'Tis laid up above with our heavenly treasures; 'Tis whispered in heaven, and 'tis muttered in hell, And it findeth a place in each sybilline spell; In Paradise nestled, 'mid Eden's fair flowers, It has sported with Eve in rose-perfumed bowers; 'Tis muttered in curses, yet breathed in our prayers; From the path of our duty it tempts us in snares. Deep, deep in our hearts you will find it engraved; Though in misery sunk, yet from sin it is saved. 'Tis found in the stream that flows on to the ocean; Though in bustle forever, 'tis ne'er in commotion. 'Tis wafted afar o'er the land in each breath; In the grave 'tis decaying-you'll find it in death. It is floating away on the broad stream of time, Yet it findeth a place in eternity's clime. In the legends of nations it holdeth a place; There's no charm without it to the beautiful face. In thunder you'll hear it, if closely you listen; In moonbeam and sunbeam forever 'twill glisten. In the dew-drop it sparkles; 'tis found in the forest; It whispers in peace when our need is the sorest. What am I?
Pay attention to the words that describe its presence and behavior, such as "whispered", "muttered", "breathed", "wafted", and "sparkles". It's something that can be found in various forms and is often associated with sounds and movements.
A mother gave birth to six kids. The first daughter's name is July. The second daughter's name is August. The third daughter's name is September. The fourth daughter's name is October. The next child was a boy, therefore, she named him November. The mother was planning on having a girl named December, but it turned out that she got a boy. If she didn't name him December, what is his name?
Think about the pattern of the names and the reason behind the boy's name being November...
Jason. She took the first letter of the names of her children. July, August, September, October, November.
What is the thing that is painful to fall on yet soft to walk on?
Think about something you might find in a park or a backyard, something that can be uncomfortable to land on, but feels gentle beneath your feet when you're strolling along...
As a whole, I am both safe and secure. Behead me, and I become a place of meeting. Behead me again, and I am the partner of ready. Restore me, and I become the domain of beasts.
What am I?
Think about a word that has multiple meanings and can be modified by removing its "head" (first letter) to form new words with different meanings.