A man is trapped in a room. The room has only two possible exits: two doors. Through the first door, there is a room constructed from magnifying glass. The blazing hot sun instantly fries anything or anyone that enters. Through the second door, there is a fire-breathing dragon. How does the man escape?
Think about the time of day...
He waits until night time and then goes through the first door.
Ralph is a very controlling person who totally dominates his partner, Sam. When Sam is in Ralph's presence, Sam is never allowed to speak, eat, or drink anything without Ralph's permission. Perhaps this is because Ralph is 6 feet six inches tall, and Sam, being less than 5 feet tall, is intimidated by Ralph's stature. Whatever the cause, most people hearing these facts would think this situation is nearly criminal; but not Sam. In fact, there are certain times when Ralph gives him permission, that Sam speaks some very sarcastic words right to Ralph's face, and sometimes even verbally abuses Ralph. In retaliation, Ralph once again silences Sam, deciding when and if Sam should ever be allowed to speak. Ralph, when in the presence of others with Sam, appears to put on a good front by putting his hand on Sam's back, hoping to show his friendship and concern for Sam. Why hasn't anyone called DCFS on behalf of poor Sam --- and what about Sam's right to free speech; or are things not quite what they appear to be? Just what is going on here?
Think about a situation where someone's "permission" is necessary for another person to "speak, eat, or drink" - but it's not about abuse or control. Consider a context where Ralph's "stature" is relevant, but not just because of his height.
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!
A thief was in the process of robbing the house of a wealthy widow. As he was rifling through the dresser drawers where her jewelry box was located, he came upon a bunch of diamonds. He knew the diamonds were genuine because he had seen the same type many times before, but he left them untouched in the drawer and continued searching the room. When he heard police sirens approaching, he ran from the home empty-handed, not retrieving the diamonds. Did this thief flunk out of crook college? Why didn't he grab those diamonds when he had the chance?
The thief's occupation is not what you think it is...
The diamonds he spotted in the dresser drawer were a bunch of playing cards with the suit of 13 diamonds facing up where he could see them.
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.
A man rode his horse to the top of a high hill. He tied his horse to a large birch tree, and removed a blanket, a flint and steel for making fire, and a small hatchet to cut down a bunch of green saplings. He then gathered a bunch of dried leaves and took them, along with the green saplings, to an open area near some smaller rocks. Using the flint and steel, he tried to start a fire with the leaves and green wood. As the fire struggled to burn, the man did something remarkable. He suddenly took his blanket and covered the fire with it. Apparently, regretting his actions, he removed the blanket from the smoldering fire; but then, a few seconds later, he placed the blanket back over the fire. Again and again he repeated his actions of throwing the blanket on and off the fire. Was this man an obsessive-compulsive pyromaniac, or was there some kind of method to his madness?
Think about the man's profession and how his actions might be related to his work...
The man was a Native American Indian in the old West who was sending smoke signals to his tribe.
If someone were to write a biography about us, the following could be reported: #1 - A golfer faces many of us when playing 18 holes. #2 - we are frequently served with fish. #3 - On T. V., from 1977 to 1983, we enforced the law --- but only in California. #4 - Some of us have ridges, but we are not associated with mountain ranges. #5 - Gamblers love getting their hands on us as often as possible. Based on the biographical information above --- Who/what are we?
Here's a hint: Think about something you might find in your pocket or purse, and how it relates to the various clues mentioned.
A retired zookeeper owned a huge house with a very large and beautifully landscaped yard. The neighbors of the man drove past his home daily, and admired his arrangement of all the large trees and numerous healthy bushes which adorned the front yard. One day, a neighbor drove by the former zookeeper's house, and was astonished to see a living, fully-grown ostrich standing in the yard. A week later, neighbors reported seeing a live, fully-grown bear standing near the ostrich. As the next few weeks passed, the neighbors saw a tiger, a lion, a hippopotamus, and finally an elephant appear in the yard of the retired zookeeper --- all fully- grown and alive, but without any cages or bars to protect the neighborhood from them. Amazingly, not one person who lived in that area ever expressed any fear of the uncaged animals, and no one ever called the police for protection. Were these people living in the Twilight Zone? What exactly was going on here, and why weren't any of these people afraid for their lives?
Think about the profession of the homeowner...
The retired zookeeper was also a professional topiary expert. Mixing together the best of his two worlds, he sculpted zoo animals from his fully-grown, healthy, living bushes in his front yard, much to the delight of his neighbors.
A certain large animal lives happily and thrives here on Earth. One day, every single one of these critters is wiped out by a mysterious disease that affects only this particular animal. There are none left anywhere on earth -- they are all gone. About a year or so later, they begin to reappear on Earth again. How can this be?
Think about a type of animal that has a unique life cycle, where its young are born in a very different environment than where they will eventually live and thrive...
The animal is the Mule. Since all Mules are born sterile, you can only get a Mule by crossing a donkey with a horse. That is how the species is able to repopulate itself.
Three men sitting in a small motorboat one mile from the shoreline. The first is afraid of water, the second is afraid of drowning, and the third is afraid of sharks. The boat's motor is not operational and there is nothing to row with. How do they get to the shoreline?
Think about the fears of each man... are they really relevant to the solution?
I Make Reading A Challenge, And That Can Cause Some Damage. I Am Difficult To Manage, But When That Happens, The Passage Is Much Less Savage. I Make Many People Frown, But The Answer Is Just To Slow Down. I Know This Is Not What You Had Planned, I Just Hope You Will Understand. What Am I?
Think about something that can make reading more difficult, but when controlled, makes the text more pleasant to read. It's often associated with a pace or speed...
Rearrange all the letters in each of the sentences to form, in each case, a well-known proverb.
1. I don't admit women are faint.
2. It rocks. The broad flag of the free.
3. Strong lion's share almost gone.
What are the proverbs?
Here's a hint:
Think about phrases that offer advice or words of wisdom, and pay attention to the word order and letter arrangements. You might need to "rearrange" your thinking to uncover the well-known proverbs hidden within!
1. Time and tide wait for no man.
2. Birds of a feather flock together.
3. A rolling sone gathers no moss.
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...
Ronald is a chef. He is going to cook a meal. He has three stoves in front of him-a gas stove, a wood stove, and a coal stove–but he only has one match. What should Ronald light first?
Think about what you need to light in order to light any of the stoves...
Ronald should light the match first because the match needs to be lit up before he can light up anything else. After all, I never said that the match was lit in the first place!
Imagine that you have three eggs. Now, I give you four eggs. And your rooster lays two more eggs. How many eggs do you have now?
Think about the role of a rooster in an egg-laying scenario...
You have four eggs–the ones I gave you. Those three eggs from the start don't count because they're imaginary (IMAGINE that you have three eggs). And those two eggs your rooster lays don't count either because roosters don't lay eggs.
Two mothers and two daughters went to the grocery store to buy watermelons. Strangely, they only walked out of the grocery store with three watermelons, but this was enough for each of them to have one watermelon. How is it possible?
Think about the relationships between the mothers and daughters... are they all distinct individuals?
Only three people went grocery shopping: a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter. The grandmother is also a mother (she is the mother's mother), and the mother is also a daughter (she is the grandmother's daughter).
Three cars had driven into a parking lot at the same time, and the three drivers left them all for the attendant to park. Unfortunately, he isn't too good at remembering exactly which driver drove which car. However, he is sure of these 6 facts: a. Colin drove the BMW if and only if Mr. Cooper drove the Avenger. b. Alan drove the Cortina if and only if Mr. Cooper drove the BMW. c. Colin is Mr. Brown if and only if Mr. Andrews drove the BMW. d. Brian is Mr. Andrews if and only if Colin drove the BMW. e. Mr. Cooper drove the Avenger if and only if Alan is Mr. Brown. f. Colin is Mr. Brown if and only if Alan drove the Cortina. Who arrived with which car?
Pay close attention to the names and the cars, and notice that each fact is an "if and only if" statement, which means you can swap the two parts of the statement without changing its meaning. Also, try to find a pattern or a loop in the statements that can help you figure out the correct combinations.
Brian Brown drove the BMW, Alan Andrew drove the Avenger, and Colin Cooper drove the Cortina.
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?
Look closely at the mirror...
You look in the mirror you see what you saw, you take the saw and you cut the table in half, two halfs make a whole, and you climb out the hole.
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.
(A) Use two digits to make the smallest possible positive integer.
(B) Five 3s can express 37: 37=33+3+3/3
Find another way to do it.
(C) Use six identical digits to make 100. (Several solutions are possible.)
(D) Use five 4s to make 55.
(E) Use four 9s to make 20.
(A) 1 X 1; 1/1;2/2;ect....;1-0;2-1;and many others.
(B) 37=333/3X3; 37=3 X 3 X 3 + 3/.3
(C) 99 + 99/99; 55+55- 5- 5; (666-66)/6
(D) 44 + 44/4=55.
(E) 9 + 99/9=20.
A famous chemist was murdered in his own lab. There was no evidence except for a piece of paper with the names of chemical substances on it. On the day he was murdered, the chemist had only 3 visitors: his wife, Mary, his nephew Nicolas, and his friend Johnathan. The police arrested the murderer right away. How did they know who it was?
Think about the names on the piece of paper... are they just random chemical substances, or could they be something more?
The piece of paper had a clue on it. If you combine the short names of the chemical substances on the paper, you’ll get a name: Ni-C-O-La-S.
The pet shop starts with some dogs, then someone comes and takes 1 of the dogs, then another person and their child take 4 dogs. After that a mother, father and their 18 kids adopt 12 dogs. Then the pet shop receaves 3 dogs and someone takes 1, now the pet shop has 2 dogs. How many dogs did they have at the beginning?
"Work backwards from the end, and think about how the numbers of people relate to the number of dogs taken..."
I come in many colors and I am very thin, I am found in every country, even in your home, I am very important, you can be very creative with me, I can even help you learn.
What am I?
Think about something you might find in a box or on a desk, used for a variety of purposes, from art projects to taking notes...
I'm found in the sea and on land but I can't walk or swim. I travel by foot but I'm toeless. No matter where I go I'm never far from home. What am I?
Think about something that can be found in both sea and land, but doesn't have the ability to move on its own. It's often associated with human activity, and its "foot" is not a living part.
I sail an ocean you'll never swim, and I voyage seas with white-cotton ease yet my hold is filled with water. What am I?
Think about something that "sails" through a medium, but not in the classical sense, and what "white-cotton ease" might be referring to in a more figurative way...
Sometimes I shine, sometimes I’m dull, sometimes I am big, and sometimes I am small. I can be pointy, I can be curved, and don't ask me questions because even though I'm sharp, I’m not smart enough to answer you. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a pencil case or a desk drawer...
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
My host thinks I'm an irritation, a bother, a pain. But he can't evict me, so here I will remain. Then one day I'm taken and ranked among my peers. Can you guess just what I am? Then you might call me dear.
Think about something that is often unwanted, but cannot be removed, and is later sorted and categorized with others like it, earning a new level of appreciation.
I'll take you. I'll take two, once I'm taken by you. You lose. I'm chance, a devil of a dance, climbing a tree, the very next branch. I'm unforgiving, fast-lane living, quite a soul gripping. For once I have you, I won’t leave your mind. And I'm not at all kind. I'll break your home, the bank I'll comb, until you're left with nothing, all alone. The highs and the lows, the deception, and woes, why'd you bet your own toes? I’m greedy, if I’m to be believed, I'm a need that will crush you until you cannot breathe. What am I?
You're being tempted by a sly and cunning foe... Think about something that can be gambled with, and can lead to a downward spiral of losses and troubles.
Only one color, but not one size, Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies. Present in sun, but not in rain, Doing no harm, and feeling no pain. What is it?
Think about something you often see on a sunny day, attached to the ground, yet seemingly weightless...
I walked through a field of wheat,
I picked up something good to eat,
It was white and had no bone,
In twenty-one days it walked alone.
What did I pick up?
Think about something that grows in a field of wheat, is white, and has no bone... and can surprisingly move on its own after a certain period of time!
There is a bomb on top of a computer. Around the computer there is a phone, a hairbrush, keys and a cup. When the explosion comes which item is destroyed first?
A man goes out drinking every night, returning to his home in the wee hours of every morning. No matter how much he drinks, he never gets a hangover. This drink is very well known, but is rarely consumed, served warm and taken straight from its source. The man is a sucker for a free drink, especially since he can't live without it. What is his favorite drink?
Think about a daily routine that involves a "drink" that's essential for survival, and the "source" is something you might find in every home...
I am a seven-lettered word; my first three letters refer to a place a driver sits in a bus. My first five letters refer to a small room on a ship; my middle three letters are a container people put waste in. My last three letters refer to one that catches fish. My whole refer to a furniture with doors. What am I?
Think about different modes of transportation and how they relate to enclosed spaces...
I heard of an invading, vanquishing army sweeping across the land, liquid-quick; conquering everything, quelling resistance. With it came darkness, dimming the light. Humans hid in their houses, while outside spears pierced, shattering stone walls. Uncountable soldiers smashed into the ground, but each elicited life as he died; when the army had vanished, advancing northward, the land was green and growing, refreshed. What is it?
"Think about a natural phenomenon that can be destructive, yet ultimately brings new life and growth."
They are scenes of madness, grief, gaiety, seeming purpose, confusion and queerness often appearing in the dark hours of night. They stretch through time, seeming only but a few moments, yet when reality is not as kind. When appearing they are logical, but when reminiscing they are strange and odd. What is it?
I am a 5-letter word. Take away the first letter and I am a place's name. Take away the first two letters and I become the opposite of the 5 letter word. What am I?
Think about a common, everyday word that can be associated with a location, and consider the concept of "opposites" in your answer.
Our dinner guests cry that we are evil, when they notice their place in the meal. But its no big deal why; we are just one big happy tribe! And we get reall fed up with people!
Who, What or Are we?
Think about a type of creature that is often associated with food, and whose name is also a wordplay on a phrase that means "to be annoyed or disgusted"...