Which word is the odd one out: BAIL, FAIL, PAIL, RAIL, SAIL, TAIL?
Think about the words in a different context, like a physical object or a situation...
FAIL is the odd one out because it does not have a homophone. BAIL has BALE (like a bale of hay), PAIL has PALE, SAIL has SALE, TAIL has TALE, and RAIL has RALE. FAIL has FALE, which is not a real word, and therefore cannot be a homophone.
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...
Vanessa is a bilingual student; she speaks English and German. However, she hasn't been preparing for her exams. She decides to complete all of her exams in German. When most of her teachers see her exams, they don't understand what she's written and give her the tests back. However, one of Vanessa's teachers figured out what she was doing and gave her an F-. Which teacher was that?
Think about the one teacher who would likely be familiar with the language Vanessa chose to write her exams in...
It was Vanessa's math teacher who failed her. Math is mostly numbers, so the girl's math teacher could understand everything and check the exam.
A man is sitting in a room along with a group of mostly women. The man suddenly begins shouting out a list of letters and numbers, alternating between the two, (e.g., letter - number - letter - number - letter - number, etc.). This goes on for some time, with the man shouting, and those in attendance remaining silent. Eventually however, one of the women in the room shouts a one word response to the man, which causes some in the room to feel disappointment, while the woman who shouts out, feels happiness. What is happening here?
Think about a common social event where a group of people, mostly women, gather and a man plays a key role in it...
The man is calling a Bingo Game for a group of mostly women. The woman who shouts out says, "Bingo!", and feels happy, while the rest of the people feel disappointment.
A purveyor of baked goods is approached by a man with a very low I.Q. who wants to buy some of the baker's creations; however, the man with the low I.Q. has no credit or debit cards, no checks, and in fact, doesn't even have one red cent in his pocket to buy anything, so he is flatly denied any of the seller's goods. Who is this dolt who is trying to get something for nothing?
Think about a character from a classic nursery rhyme...
Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair. Says Simple Simon to the pieman, "Let me taste your ware." Says the pieman to Simple Simon, "Show me first your penny." Says Simple Simon to the pieman, "Indeed, I have not any."
A horse is tied to a five-meter rope in front of an old saloon. Six meters behind the horse is a bale of hay. Without breaking his rope, the horse is able to eat the hay whenever he chooses.
How is this possible?
Think about the position of the horse and the saloon...
There were two mothers and two daughters, and they all went fishing. All of them caught a fish but when they counted there were only three fish. How was this possible?
Think about family relationships and generations...
There were only three because there was a grandmother a mother and a daughter. The mother was the daughter to the grandmother and she was the mother to the mother and the daughter was the daughter to the mother.
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...
The title of the problem tells you how to approach these four questions.
(A). A bus leaves Moscow for Tula at noon. An hour later a cyclist leaves Tula for mosco, moving slower than the bus. When the bus and cyclist meet, which one of the two will be farther from Moscow?
(B). Which is worth more: a pound of $10 gold peices or half a pound of $20 gold pieces?
(C). At six o'clock the wall clock struck 6 times. Checking with my watch, I noticed the time between the first and last strokes was 30 seconds. How long will the clock take to strike 12 at midnight?
(D). Three swallows fly outward from a point. When will they all be on the same plane in space?
Now check the answers. Did you fall into any of the traps which lurk in these simple problems?
"Read the title of the problem carefully... it's more than just a title."
(A). Neither
(B). A pound of metal is always more than half a pound of the same metal.
(C). Six strokes took 30 seconds, therefore 12 strokes will take 60 seconds. But when the clock struck six, there were only 5 intervals between strokes, and each interval was 30/5=6 seconds. Between the first and twelfth strokes there will be 11 intervals of 6 seconds each, therefore 12 strokes will take 66 seconds.
(D). There is always a plane that contains any 3 points
Three pirates, One Eye, Long John, and Peg Leg, were gambling with pieces of gold. All the winnings were piled up on the table. One Eye said, 'I have won 1/2' and took a large handful or two. Long John said, 'I have won 1/3' and took a handful. Peg Leg said, ' I have won 1/6' and took a small handful. One Eye said, ' I have taken too much' and returned a half. Long John said, 'I have taken too much' and returned a third. Peg Leg said, 'I have taken too much and returned a sixth. The money on the table was then shared out equally and they had 42 pieces each. One Eye said, 'I have now 1/2 of the total originally.' Long John said, ' I now have 1/3 of the originally.' Peg Leg said, 'I have now 1/6 of the originally.'
How much was on the table originally?
You are floating in cold freezing water in the ocean after a shipwreck. Suddenly, out of the blue, you see an island. You quickly swim towards the island and sleep on the cold sand. The next day you see a boy, a woman, and a man who had claimed they had been poisoned and they need your water to cure them you ask them "What poison can be killed by water?" Then, you feel thirsty take out your water bottle and before you drink you realize it is some sort of potion then understand why they went to you. You see a note which tells that two are vampires while one is an actual human and tells you a secret code that could be a hint. The code was manacure. Who should you save?
Hint: Look closely at the code "manacure" and think about what it could be related to in the context of the story. It's not just a random word...
Answer: The man if you spell the words back word it spells cure a man the steps are here normal: manacure 1st step - separate them into words: man a cure 2nd step - rearrange them: cure a man 3rd step - you got your answer
You're sitting down for breakfast and realize you have 4 bagels left. You know you'll run out in four days so you cut them in half. How many bagels do you have now?
Think about the action of "cutting in half" rather than the quantity of bagels...
You are in a room that is completely bricked in on all four sides, including the ceiling and floor. You have nothing but a mirror and a wooden table in the room with you. How do you get out?
You look in the mirror you see what you saw, you take the saw and you cut the table in half, two halves make a whole, and you climb out the hole.
You and four other people robbed a bank for 200,000,000 dollars you evenly split the money for every person you get 25% of the money how much do you get.
Think you can solve it? Here's a hint: You're not one of the five people who robbed the bank...
The things I bite, they don't bleed,
I don't bite until you push me;
I bring my victims together each time I bite,
But they'll come undone if you pull it just right.
What am I?
Think about something you use every day, often without even realizing it, and which has a very specific purpose...
With pointed fangs, I sit in wait, With piercing force, I dole out fate, Over bloodless victims proclaiming its might, Eternally joining in a single bite. What am I?
"Think about a common object that is often used to 'join' things together, and has a 'bite' that can be quite strong..."
It is hard for me to live, but easy to die. I am only present when I am not given away. Many people know about me but not what I am. You can keep me, but it is hard. What am I?
Think about something that is often desired, but its existence is fleeting...
I am dead but alive, I eat but am never satisfied, I consume knowledge but gain none. What am I?
Think about something that is often associated with death, but still has a sense of existence or presence. It's something that "eats" or consumes things, but never feels full or content. And although it takes in knowledge, it doesn't truly understand or learn from it...
You can hear me and feel me but you can't see me or smell me, yet everyone has a taste in me. I can be created, but after that only remembered. What am I?
"Think about an experience that evokes emotions and sensations, but is intangible and fleeting..."
I can provide a blessing, a curse, or clarity. I am always running, but I am stuck in a loop. And though I will rule you for most of your life, you will always look up to me. What am I?
Think about something that can have a profound impact on your life, influencing your decisions and emotions, yet remains constant and unchanging in its own nature...
"A Clock" - Reasoning: Seeing the time on a clock can bring you relief, (e.g. your work shift nearly being over), a curse, (e.g. how long you still have left of a work shift), or simple clarification of what time it is. A clock is always running but always returns to where it began, to repeat. Thus, it is stuck in a loop. And as punching at work, appointments, taking to children to daycare, watching a film at the cinema, et cetera, all require you to be at a place at a certain time, time, which you read on a clock, does rule your life. The only exception is when you do not have a schedule to keep. And traditionally, clocks are usually placed on a wall, above eye level, so many people can look at it to see the time
What goes up, but at the same time goes down, up to the sky and down to the ground, my present tense and my past tense too, lets go for a ride just me and you...
what am I?
Think about something that changes direction, has a connection to time, and can be experienced with someone else...
My dress is tranquil when I tread the earth, or dwell at home, or drift on the water. Sometimes my wings and this wide sky lift me over the dwellings of men, and then strong clouds carry me over the people. My ornaments echo loudly and melodiously, Illustriously sing when I am not near the earth and stream, a sailing spirit.
What am I?
"Think about something that can move through different environments (land, home, water, air) and makes a beautiful sound when it's not grounded..."
I'm done with a hand, one at a time;
A motion to make words, but not to make lines;
I'm known as correct, and as a way, in a way;
And even if you don't take me away, none of me would be left.
What am I?
Think about an action you perform with your hand that helps you communicate, but isn't about drawing or writing.
The letters of the alphabet but only just a few;
It's hard to say if I was invented or just discovered by you.
What am I?
Think about a fundamental concept in language that is based on a subset of alphabet letters, and its origin is still a topic of debate among scholars...
What is Greater than God, worse than evil, the poor have it, the rich require it and if you eat it you die?
Think about something that is often associated with power, yet can be a burden to those who have it, and is desperately needed by those who don't. It's a paradoxical concept that can be both coveted and feared.
Nothing. Nothing is better than God. Nothing is worse than evil. The poor have nothing. The rich don't have anything they have everything. If you eat nothing you die.
White bird, featherless, flyin' out o' paradise, flyin' over sea and land, dyin' in my hand. What is it?
Think about something that's often associated with paradise, and is typically white, but doesn't have feathers. Also, consider the phrase "dying in my hand" quite literally...
What starts with 'E', ends in 'L', and for all nearby, disaster it spells?
Think about a word that is often associated with chaos, destruction, and catastrophic events, and is commonly used to describe a severe and intense situation.