A wealthy man lives alone in a small cottage. Being partially handicapped, he had everything delivered to his cottage. The mailman was delivering a letter one Thursday when he noticed that the front door was ajar. Through the opening, he could see the man's body lying in a pool of dried blood. When a police officer arrived he surveyed the scene. On the porch were two bottles of warm milk, Monday's newspaper, a catalog, flyers, and unopened mail. The police officer suspects it was foul play. Who does he suspect and why?
Hint: Pay close attention to the deliveries and the day of the week...
The police officer suspects the newspaper delivery person. The absence of Tuesday's and Wednesday's newspapers indicates that the delivery person knew there was no one there to read it.
A young woman enjoys riding around on a large machine which has huge tires on the back and smaller tires on the front. She rarely carries any passengers. At times, she takes her machine on the highway, but she prefers to drive off-road to accomplish her missions. Her machine is not built for speed, as she can only reach a top speed of 25 mph. The strange thing about this woman is her hatred of grass --- she allows only a small patch of grass to exist on her property. To accomplish this, the young woman loves to use her large machine to tear up the ground on her property, until only a small portion of grass remains around her home. What is this woman's occupation, and what is the machine she uses in her profession?
Think about a profession that involves working on land, removing unwanted growth, and having a specific goal in mind for the terrain...
The young woman is a farmer, and the machine she uses is a tractor.
"May Day! May Day! May Day! May Day!" shouted an angry wife to her cringing husband. "This is my official warning for you to remove that dead plant from this house before the stroke of midnight tonight!" "But it holds a lot of sweet memories from last year for me," responded her husband. His wife fired back with, "Today is the first of May, and you should have removed your precious plant from the premises months ago. Besides, it is both dead and brown and is now as sharp as a cactus, and to top it off, it has become a genuine fire hazard." Her husband sheepishly answered her by saying,” Well, I was hoping to set a Guinness world record for the family; but if I must dispose of it, the least you can do is help me remove all the shiny stuff from it first. What kind of a plant do you suppose this was which could create such a strange-sounding argument between this husband and wife?
Hint: Think about a type of plant that is often associated with a specific holiday or celebration, and consider what "shiny stuff" might be attached to it.
The husband was having trouble parting with his beloved Christmas tree which was still standing in all of its tinseled glory in their living room, since it was erected in December of the previous year.
Farmer Egbert has a cow, two horses, and a cat. The farmer drives up to the farm accompanied by his dog Fluffball. How many feet are there on the farm?
Think about the number of legs each animal has, but don't forget to consider the farmer himself!
The task was to count the number of FEET, so the correct answer is just two. Cows and horses have HOOVES; dogs and cats have PAWS; only Egbert, a human, has FEET.
In the home where Mabel resides, she has a reputation for walking very slowly, even though she is only 40 years old. Her slowness doesn't appear to be related to arthritis or to other medical ailments, but is more likely due to heredity, as her parents both had the same condition. Mabel does not use a walker or a cane to move about, and a wheelchair would be out of the question. Mabel is an extreme introvert who basically stays in her home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Although it sounds a bit strange, you could say, even when Mabel leaves her home --- she stays at home. Although she frequently leaves the front door to her home open, she is easily frightened, causing her to immediately shut that front door when she feels threatened in any way. Mabel's caretakers frequently laugh at her and sometimes point their fingers at her as she struggles to move along. The caretakers allow Mabel only small rations of food and water each day, and they never give her a shower. Where are the abuse investigators? Where is the justice? Or are things not as bad as they appear to be for Mabel?
Think about a "home" that's not a traditional house or building, and consider what kind of "caretakers" might be responsible for Mabel's well-being.
Mabel is a Box Turtle who is the house pet of a family with several children. She is well cared for, but instinctively closes the front door of her shell and pulls her legs in if she senses danger, which includes inquisitive children.
A young sailor boy from Chicago by the name of Jack, and his little Jack Russel terrier named Bingo, stood guard over a well-known treasure for 100 years, but neither Jack nor his dog ever experienced any kind of aging during that time. Perhaps the secret of Jack and Bingo's miraculous defiance of the aging process can best be explained by revealing Jack's famous motto: "The more you eat, the more you want." What is this famous treasure Jack and Bingo guarded for 100 years, and how did they manage to defy the aging process?
Think about a type of "treasure" that is often associated with being sweet and tempting, and where Jack's motto "The more you eat, the more you want" makes perfect sense...
Young Sailor Jack and his little Jack Russel terrier have adorned every box of Cracker Jack that contained a hidden treasure (a prize) from 1916 until 2016. The company stopped putting little material prizes in each box in 2016, much to the chagrin of baseball fans everywhere.
As you are getting off your plane, you are met by two animal quarantine officials who work for one of the 50 United States. They inform you that your pet squirrel, "Nut Job", is not allowed in their state, as their state is squirrel-free. They further inform you that ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, and snakes also do not exist in their state, and will never be welcome there. What kind of southern hospitality is this, and what is the name of this state?
Think about a state that's known for its unique wildlife and has a name that's closely related to a type of animal...
The state is Hawaii, and the animals listed in the puzzle above do not exist in the state, because it is illegal to own or bring them onto any of the Hawaiian islands.
Here's a hint: Think about the things you wear, use, or find in pairs in your daily life. You might be surprised at how many common items are sold in twos!
Donny was driving his semi under an overpass when suddenly he came to a screeching halt. Donny wasn't paying enough attention and inadvertently drove under the overpass that was just barely as high as his truck. The semi was wedged so tightly that he could not go forward or backward. A fellow trucker came by and told him how he could easily get the semi out from under the bridge. What did he suggest?
Think about what's not nailed down on a semi-truck...
He told Don to let some air out of his tires. This would make the truck lower and allow him to pass through.
There were 5 children in a room. Iris drew a picture, Barry played video games, Andrew played chess, and Trina read a book. What is the fifth child, Mindy, doing?
Mindy is playing chess with Andrew. You can't play chess alone!
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 man enters an expensive restaurant and orders a meal. When the waiter brings him his meal the man takes out a slip of paper and writes down 102004180, then leaves. The cashier hands the slip of paper to the cashier who understood it immediately.
What did the slip of paper say?
Think about the format of a common restaurant bill...
I =1, 0=Ought, 2=To, 0=Owe, 0=Nothing, 4=For, 1=I, 8=Ate, 0=Nothing. I Ought To Owe Nothing For I Ate Nothing. 102004180
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.
I'm first found in caves, now prolific online; I'm a depiction, a drawing, a symbol, or sign. I'll convey whichever mood you could wish; or for that matter, a fist, flask, or fish. What am I?
Think about ancient forms of communication that have evolved into modern digital expressions, and consider the versatility of a particular representation that can convey a wide range of emotions and objects.
I am a puzzle with a wordy facade. There's always an answer, even if it seems odd. Only the clever can understand my code. If you don't answer, then you'll never know. What am I?
Think about a type of puzzle where the answer is always there, even if it's not immediately clear, and the cleverness required to solve it lies in deciphering a hidden meaning or pattern...
I am a tale in children's minds. I keep their secrets and share them inside. I blur their thoughts into fantasies kept Like a canvas of art or a submarine depth. Though an illusion, occurs every night; I give them a fantasy, I give them a fright. Nor good or bad, but It's interesting to tell.
What am I?
I'm a killing machine used again and again;
I bend a little, but way less than my friend;
For many years I was number one,
But I've been replaced by my modern son.
What am I?
Think about something that's been used for a long time, especially in the past, to accomplish a certain task, and has since been replaced by a newer, more efficient version...
How you describe me is what I am. Poets might hate me, but sailors should love me. I can't give them the sea, but only something that sounds like it. What am I?
Think about a word that is a homophone for "sea" and is often used in poetry and navigation...
An orange. (Note: orange doesn't rhyme with anything, and it gives sailors vitamin C (a homophone of sea))
Take two numbers, such that the square of the first, plus the square of the second, shall equal 8; while the first, plus the product of the first and second, shall equal 6. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically, and consider a system of equations involving x and y, where x and y are the two numbers. Pay close attention to the relationships between x, y, x^2, and y^2.
When you don't know what I am, I am something. When you know what I am, I am nothing.
What Am I?
Think about a situation where your understanding or knowledge of something changes its significance or existence...
The answer was what that question was! The answer would be a riddle! a riddle would be nothing if you knew it and if you dunt know the answer to the riddle, it's still something.
A headless man had a letter to write; It was read by a man who had lost his sight. The dumb repeated it word for word, And deaf was he who listened and heard. What is it?
Think about a scenario where communication happens, but not in the classical sense...
The letter in question is the letter "O". It is zero. The man had nothing to write. The blind could read nothing. The person who was dumb could repeat nothing. The deaf man listened and heard nothing.
My first is a very uncomfortable state,
In cold weather it mostly abounds.
My second's an instrument formed of hard steel,
That will cause the stout foe to stagger and reel,
And when used, is a symptom of hate.
My whole is an author of greatest renown,
Whose fame to the last day of time will go down.
Who am I?
Think about a famous author who wrote about war and conflict...
Mr. Steve lives in a mansion. He is very rich. He's so rich that he has a maid, a cook, a butler, and a lifeguard. Yesterday, Mr. Steve was found dead. The chief detective was coming from Sunday church to investigate. The police were already there. They caught 6 suspects. The maid, the butler, the cook, the lifeguard, the postman, and Mrs. Steve. The maid said she was dusting. The butler said he was playing a board game with Mr. Steve's sons. The cook said he was making dinner. The lifeguard said he was watching Mr. Steve's daughter swim in the pool. The postman said he was delivering mail. Mrs. Steve said she was watching TV. Who is lying? You only have one chance because if you choose incorrectly, you accuse the wrong person and the true killer gets away.
Here's a hint: Think about the circumstances of Mr. Steve's death and the activities each suspect claims to have been doing at the time. Ask yourself: Who is the one person who couldn't have been doing what they claim, given the fact that Mr. Steve was found dead?
The postman was lying. If the chief detective was coming from church, then you know that the post office doesn't deliver mail on Sunday.
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.
A man was found dead out in a field of snow. The only tracks that were left was a set of footprints between two parallel lines. Who should the police be looking for?
Think about a mode of transportation that often travels between two parallel lines, and consider how the victim might have been on it when they died...
A woman went to visit her bank manager and she took her young daughter with her. The bank manager said that the woman's daughter could stay with his secretary during the meeting. When the woman and her daughter left, the secretary turned to the other secretary and said to her, "That little girl was my daughter." How could that be?
Three employees–A, B, and C–get called into the office. One of them is fired, another one is promoted, and the last one wants to resign at first, but changes his mind. You know that one, the employee who is fired is older than the rest and single, and two, Employee B is younger than the employee who stays, and he doesn't know C's wife. Who is fired?
Think about the relationships between the employees and how the clues about age and marital status can help you figure out who is fired...
C can't be fired because he's married (i.e. he has a wife). B can't be fired either because he's younger than the employee who stays (B can't be younger than A because nobody was fired and decided to stay at the same time, and he can't be younger than himself either, so B is the youngest). It means that A has been fired.