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.
Janet is a janitor of a large museum. One day, while cleaning the ladies' room, she spots a precious ring with red gems. When Janet leaves the ladies' room, three people–Sarah, Catherine, and Harold–show up to claim it. Sarah said that the ring belonged to her grandmother; emeralds fit her green eyes perfectly anyway. Catherine asked if the ring had an engraving etched inside, and if it was damaged in any way. Harold said that he lost the ring while washing his hands; he was going to propose to his girlfriend in a few days. Janet decided that the ring belonged to Catherine. Why?
The hint is: Pay attention to the questions each person asks, rather than their stories.
If the ring belonged to Sarah, then she wouldn't have mentioned emeralds, because the stones on the ring are red, not green. And Harold wouldn't have been allowed in the ladies' room. Catherine was the only one who knew about the engraving on the ring, as well as how precious it is, so the ring must be hers.
Two men and two women, all carrying loaded shotguns, drove to a field where they planned to shoot as many birds as possible. The four had absolutely no desire to eat any of the birds they were planning to shoot, and they brought no dogs to retrieve any they happened to hit. Each of the four people in turn would loudly shout a one-word command, and when a bird would fly out in front of them, they would shoot to destroy it. When they were finished, the bodies of 99 birds lay mutilated in the field, as only one bird had escaped their deadly shooting skills. The two men and two women cheerfully exchanged high-fives, and congratulated each other on their excellent hour of destruction. Several onlookers, who happened to witness the onslaught, gave the four a loud round of applause for the entertainment. Why did no one report this incident to the authorities, and why was there such a calloused attitude toward the shooting of these defenseless birds?
Think outside the box: the shooters aren't hunting for food or sport, but for a very specific purpose...
The birds the four were shooting at were pigeons ——— clay pigeons. The four were at a public shooting range, and when each of them yelled “pull”, a clay pigeon was catapulted into the air for their target practice.
A man and a woman enter a crowded room where many people they have seen before are present. The man and the woman enter the room separately, but only one of them enters to a musical serenade. Another man speaks to each of them for a few minutes when the two get together in the room. The crowd has been quiet for the most part, and the familiar people seem to be in a happy mood, but when the man and the woman leave the room, they find the crowd is now outside waiting for them. When the crowd sees the man and the woman, they begin shouting and throwing food at the two as they try to depart the area. What was going on here, and why did the crowd pelt the man and the woman with food?
Here's a hint: Think about a specific type of event where people often gather, and a certain tradition that involves music, conversation, and food...
The man and the woman were getting married, and the food being thrown at them was rice.
Are the below statements True or False?
1. The Washington Monument is in Washington D.C.?
2. The Pacific Ocean is on the east coast of North America?
3. There are 12 months in every Gregorian year?
4. The color red is a primary color?
5. Lincoln was the the third president of the United States?
Here's a hint:
Look for the one statement that is NOT a fact, but rather a trick question. The answer is not necessarily "false", but rather "not entirely true".
A man walking along a railraod track sees a train thundering at high speed towards him. Instead of immediately jumpimg off the track, he charges directly at the train for about ten feet and only then gets off the track.
Why?
Think about the man's actions in relation to the train's speed and direction...
The man was on a bridge when he first saw the train so he couldn't jump off the track immediately.
A cop was walking past a restaurant when he heard someone scream - "No John, not the gun!" He ran inside and and saw a doctor, a lawyer, a milkman, and a dead body on the floor. He promptly walked over to the milkman and arrested him. He didn't witness the shooting and there was no apparent evidence to prove who shot the person and no one told him who the killer was.
How did the policeman instantly know it was the milkman?
The hint is: Think about the scream "No John, not the gun!" very carefully...
The milkman was the only male. The doctor and lawyer were females, so the cop knew that "John" was the milkman.
Two dogs are sitting on a porch - a fat dog and a thin dog. The little dog is the son of the fat dog, but the fat dog is not the father of the thin dog. Can you explain?
Think about the possibilities of canine family relationships beyond just "father"!
During WWII, there was a bridge connecting Germany and Switzerland, and on the German side, there was a sentry tower with a guard in it. He would come out every three minutes to check on the bridge, and he had orders to turn back anyone who tried to get into Germany, and shoot anyone trying to escape without a pass. There was a woman who desperately needed to get into Switzerland, and she knew she didn't have time to get a pass. It would take her at least six minutes to cross the bridge, but she managed to do it. How?
Think about the direction she was traveling...
When the sentry went into the tower, she would start to cross into Switzerland, and when he came out, she would start to walk back into Germany. When he saw her, he would tell her to turn back into Switzerland.
Two cars were involved in an accident in the center of town. The man who was driving a little green car, had overtaken a big black car. The driver had misjudged the distance between him and the on-coming traffic and had to swerve back in, causing the black car to swerve and crash into a shop window. When the occupants of the cars were examined everyone in the green car was okay, but in the black car was one dead man. However, the driver of the green car was not charged with manslaughter, why was this so?
Think about the gender of the drivers...
The black car was a hearse and was on its way to a funeral.
Charles called his wife to tell him that he would be home by 7:00. But when he arrived home three minutes past 7:00, his wife was furious! Why was she so mad?
Think about the wording of Charles' message... did he say "I will be home BY 7:00" or "I will be home AT 7:00"?
Charles' wife expected him to arrive by 7:00PM, but he arrived at 7:03AM the next morning. Oh, the classic "I forgot about ante meridiem and post meridiem".
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...
How old is your son? asked a man to his neighbour. My son is five times as old as my daughter and my wife is five times as old as my son. Iam twice as old as my wife whereas my grandmother, who is celebrating her eighty-first birthday is as old as all of us put togeather.
How old is the man's son?
Pay close attention to the relationships between the ages of the family members, and think about how the grandmother's age can be used to set up an equation that will help you solve for the son's age.
Taking that internship in a remote mountain lab might not have been the best idea. Pulling that lever with the skull symbol just to see what it did probably wasn't so smart either. But now is not the time for regrets because you need to get away from these mutant zombies...fast. Can you use math to get you and your friends over the bridge before the zombies arrive? Alex Gendler shows how.
Think about the concept of "rate" and how it can be used to solve a problem involving time, distance, and speed.
At first it might seem like no matter what you do, you're just a minute or two short of time, but there is a way. The key is to minimize the time wasted by the two slowest people by having them cross together. And because you'll need to make a couple of return trips with the lantern, you'll want to have the fastest people available to do so. So, you and the lab assistant quickly run across with the lantern, though you have to slow down a bit to match her pace. After two minutes, both of you are across, and you, as the quickest, run back with the lantern. Only three minutes have passed. So far, so good. Now comes the hard part. The professor and the janitor take the lantern and cross together. This takes them ten minutes since the janitor has to slow down for the old professor who keeps muttering that he probably shouldn't have given the zombies night vision. By the time they're across, there are only four minutes left, and you're still stuck on the wrong side of the bridge. But remember, the lab assistant has been waiting on the other side, and she's the second fastest of the group. So she grabs the lantern from the professor and runs back across to you. Now with only two minutes left, the two of you make the final crossing. As you step on the far side of the gorge, you cut the ropes and collapse the bridge behind you, just in the nick of time.
Can you combine plus signs and five 2's to get 28? Can you combine plus signs and eight 8's to get 1,000?
Think creatively about the different ways you can use the plus signs to group the numbers, and consider the mathematical operations you can perform beyond just simple addition.
The rungs of a 10-foot ladder attached to a ship are 1 foot apart. If the water is rising at the rate of one foot an hour, how long will it take until the water covers the ladder?
Think about the situation: the ladder is attached to the ship, which means it's moving with the ship...
It will never cover the ladder because as the water rises, so will the floating ship.
There is a brother and a sister. The boy wants to visit his father in jail, and the sister wants to visit her mother in the hospital. But they both are not allowed in the jail or hospital. All they have is a gun. What do they do?
Think about the situation where they are not allowed to visit their parents, but they have a gun... Perhaps they're not old enough to visit their parents alone?
The boy shoots the girl, and then the boy goes to jail for attempted murder and the girl goes to the hospital due to her injuries.
Chicago. The first three words out of seven of chicken are CHI, the first two words out of 3 of cat are CA, and the first two words out of goat are GO. Therefore making, (CHI)(CA)(GO).
I love to dance and twist and prance, I shake my tail, and as away I sail, wingless I fly into the sky.
What am I?
Think about something that moves with a flowing motion, often in a whimsical or carefree way, and is commonly associated with celebrations or joyful events...
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.
Ice melts when heated up. But I solidify when I'm heated up. What am I?
Think about something that changes its state from liquid to solid when its temperature increases, a process that's opposite to what happens with ice...
I am a feeling expressed by words. Truthfully told by few, lies from many. I can cause the greatest happiness, or the deepest sorrow. Yet one still comes back tomorrow. What am I ?
Think about something that can be conveyed through words, and is often associated with emotions, honesty, and repetition...
On my own, I am darkness, a black abyss. But, Life brings me light with its gentle kiss. I am quiet and cold, but warmth I can hold. Alongside beauties and wonders, sights to be told. My surface may be bare, this I'm aware. But, beautiful secrets I am eager to share. My mouth so large, I swallow you whole. To be in my belly is your goal. What may lie within can drive men to sin. Greed and desire, gluttony's kin. For some, I am fear. For others, hope. My perception shaped from life's scope. From the earth I have come, and forever will stay, even if parts of me crumble away. What am I?
"Think about a natural wonder that can be both beautiful and intimidating, with a duality of darkness and light, coldness and warmth. It's a place where people often strive to reach, but can also be driven by negative impulses."
I am not a person nor an animal. I was born from the death of something large and hot. I am capable of consuming anything and everything. I am very dark and exists in a place where there is no gravity. What am I?
Think about something that forms from the remnants of a massive, hot celestial body, and is known for its incredible appetite and dark nature...
I'm made for one but meant for two;
I can be worn for many years but usually just a few;
You won't ever need me unless you say you do.
What am I?
Think about something that's often shared, but initially intended for a single person, and its usage is closely tied to a specific event or milestone in life...
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'm a seed that's underground. Many like to spread me around. But my family it's said is quite insane. And if you've a low I.Q. you've this kind of brain. Eat me raw and I'll make you sick. Eat too much and your tongue will stick.
What am I?
Think about a common ingredient often used in cooking, especially in savory dishes, that's also known for its strong flavor and potential health effects if consumed excessively...
A big person and a small person are going to fish. The big person is not the small person's father but the small person is the big person's son. What is the relationship between the two?
The king of the jungle, rare as gold, black as night, in light not there and night not seen. Goes in water, goes on trees, goes in caves, goes on the ground. Claws of knives, teeth of swords, roar of death but silent as a mouse. What is it?
Think about something that has a "golden" value, but appears black in certain conditions, and is not visible in both light and darkness. Its ability to adapt to different environments is key to its identity...
There once was a book that was only owned by the wealthy, but now everyone can have it. You can't buy it in a bookstore or take it from a library. What book is it?
Think about something that was once a luxury item, but with the advent of technology, has become accessible to everyone...
Farmer Brown came to town with some watermelons. He sold half of them plus half a melon, and found that he had one whole melon left. How many melons did he take to town?
I soar without wings, I see without eyes. I've traveled the universe to and fro. I've conquered the world, yet I've never been anywhere but home.
Who am I?
Think about something that can explore and experience many things, yet remains in one place...
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.
Ray Whitcombe is found dead in his office at his desk. The police have narrowed the suspects down to three people: Mrs. Barbara Whitcombe, Ray's wife; Mr. Jason McCubbins, Ray's business partner; and Mr. Harold Nichols, Ray's best friend. All three visited Mr. Whitcombe the day of his murder, but all three provide the police with stories of explanation as to the reason for their visit. Police found Mr. Whitcombe with his wrist watch still on his right arm, a torn up picture of his wife laying on the floor beside the trash can, and an ink pen in his right hand. On the desk, the police found a name plate, a telephone that was off the hook, and a personal calendar turned to the July 5th page with 7B91011 written on it. After examining this evidence, the police knew their suspect. Who was it?
Pay close attention to the details of the crime scene, especially the personal calendar and the wrist watch. The key to solving this riddle lies in understanding the significance of the numbers and the orientation of the watch.
Jason McCubbins, Ray's business partner. The calendar is the clue to solving this murder. The police realized that since Mr. Whitcombe was wearing his watch on his right arm, he must be left handed. But the pen was found in his right hand. Realizing that the number on the calendar was written in a hurry and with his opposite hand, police matched the written number with the months of the year. So the B was an 8, thereby giving us 7-8-9-10-11: July, August, September, October, November. Use the first letter of each month and it spells J-A-S-O-N.
There are five acquaintances. One of them shot and killed one of the other five. Which man is the murderer? 1. Dan ran in N.Y. City marathon yesterday with one of the innocent men. 2. Mike considered being a farmer before he moved to the city. 3. Jeff is a top-notch computer consultant and wants to install Ben's new computer next week. 4. The murderer had his leg amputated last month. 5. Ben met Jack for the first time six months ago. 6. Jack has been in seclusion since the crime. 7. Dan used to drink heavily. 8. Ben and Jeff built their last computers together. 9. The murderer is Jack's brother; they grew up together in Seattle.
Here's a hint:
Focus on the clues that mention physical abilities or limitations, and think about how they might relate to each other.
1. Jack is not the murderer, because he is the brother of the murderer. 2. Dan can't be the murderer since he ran a marathon, and the murderer recently had his leg amputated, and wouldn't be running a marathon of any magnitude that quickly. 3. Ben is not the murderer if he just met Jack, since Jack and the murderer grew up together. 4. This leaves Jeff and Mike. Since Jeff is still alive (he wants to install a new computer next week, present tense) he must be the murderer. Mike also didn't grow up with Jack. It has been determined that Jack, Dan and Jeff are all alive. Ben must also be alive since Jeff plans to install Ben's computer next week. This means that Jeff killed Mike.