Not far outside the town of Pottsville, a railroad track runs through a tunnel in a hillside. There's only one track, and the tunnel is wide enough for only one train. But one day, two trains went into the tunnel from opposite directions. Each train entered the tunnel exactly at eight o'clock. Three minutes later, each train came out at the opposite ends of the tunnel. Yet, there was no collision! How was this possible?
Think about the time of day and the fact that the trains entered the tunnel at exactly 8:00...
One train comes at 8am and the other train came at 8pm.
Josephine is a young, single woman who is gainfully employed. When working at her job, she dresses informally and wears comfortable shoes, including loafers and flats, but she hates clogs. Being single, she wears no wedding ring, but on the job, she carries many rings of various sizes with her. Josephine enjoys music, and to her job, she always brings several tapes with her, but she never listens to any of them. This woman possesses several tools, one of which bears the name of a tree-dwelling animal, and she uses this tool frequently. Finally, as part of her job, Josephine is a snake-handler, and she can proudly say she has never been bitten by one. What exactly is this young woman's occupation?
Think about a profession where rings, tapes, and tools are essential, and snakes are commonly found...
Josephine is a Plumber. She hates Clogs. She carries rubber O-rings to fix faucets. She uses plumbers Tape and a Tape measure. She uses a Monkey wrench. She also uses a Drain Snake to clear clogged pipes.
Monica took part in a furiously competitive race, which she won due to her speed and agility. Despite this, she was not allowed to collect the winning trophy.
Why?
Think about the type of "race" where speed and agility are important, but a human wouldn't be able to collect a trophy...
Monica is the name of the horse that won the race.
Chelsea works in a department store. One day, a mute woman walks up to her. The woman puts her finger in one ear, and makes a circular motion with her fist near her other ear. Chelsea immediately understands that the woman wants a pencil sharpener. Next, a deaf man comes up to Chelsea. How can he explain to her that he wants a pair of scissors?
Think about the actions the mute woman took to convey her message, and how the deaf man might use a similar approach to convey his own request...
The man can just say it. He's DEAF, not mute; the guy can't hear, but it doesn't mean that he can't SPEAK.
Two houses are on fire. The first one belongs to Mr. Richards–a wealthy, elderly man. And the second one belongs to Mr. Lawrence–an art dealer who just started his business. Which house fire should the police officers extinguish first?
Think about the value of what's inside the houses, but not just in terms of money...
The police officers shouldn't extinguish either house fire because it's not part of their job! Police officers don't fight fires; that's what firefighters do!
Shane is a young and talented scientist who always works in his lab alone. One day, he's found unconscious in his lab. Police officers question three other scientists. Ian claimed to be Shane's lab assistant, insisting that he would never hurt his lab partner. Travis said that he was doing research on a separate project. And Patricia said that she was cleaning the lab. Who hurt Shane?
Pay close attention to the statements and think about what it means to be "alone" in the lab...
Shane always worked in his lab alone, and he never had any assistants. Therefore, Ian lied about being Shane's assistant.
During the first week of July, Jenny came back from a business trip and saw that her house had been burgled. She called the police and told them the following story: "My business trip was supposed to be between the 29th and the 31st of the previous month, so I was supposed to be gone for three days. However, I returned just now and found my house in a huge mess! Someone must have robbed me!". Jenny was arrested for a false report. Why?
Hint: Think about the calendar...
Jenny came back during the first week of July, so the previous month was June. She couldn't be away for business between the 29th and the 31st of June because June 31st doesn't exist; there are only 30 days in June.
Jennifer is always late for work. One day, she comes to work late as usual, which angers her boss. But, her boss is more lenient today and gives Jennifer a chance to keep her job. If she solves his rebus puzzle, Jennifer won't be fired. The boss says, "I'm A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W X Y Z!". Luckily, Jennifer was a smart girl and managed to keep her job. What did the rebus puzzle say?
The hint is: Think about the alphabet, but not just the letters...
"I'm missing you". "A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W X Y Z" is missing the letter "U", which sounds like "I'm missing you (U)".
Lucille had recently received her real estate license and was out evaluating a bunch of properties in a certain neighborhood. As she traveled around the area, she saw some properties which were very expensive, and others that were more affordable. The area was sprinkled with a mixture of little greenhouses, a couple of hotels, a few businesses, and she noticed there was also some access to railway travel. Some of these properties were for sale but others were not. The bizarre thing is, Lucille ended up in jail three separate times that day and had to be bailed out on each occasion! She received no traffic citations and swears she did absolutely nothing wrong, and yet, she was incarcerated three times that day. What do you suppose happened that caused her to be locked up in jail three times in one day?
Think about the activities Lucille was doing that day, and how they might relate to the properties she was evaluating... and the game she was playing.
Lucille had indeed recently received her real estate license, however, that really had little to do with the fact she was playing a game of Monopoly with some friends; and unfortunately for her, landed in jail three times during the game, and had to bail herself out so she could continue playing.
Paul called his detective friend to report a theft. The man suspected his neighbor, Ms. Andrews, whom he thought stole his favorite figure. Paul said, "I was vacuum cleaning my room upstairs when I heard footsteps downstairs. I ran downstairs in time to see Ms. Andrews running away with my figure,". Ms. Andrews denied everything. Who should the detective believe?
Hint: Think about the physical act of vacuum cleaning and its implications on Paul's claim.
The detective should believe Ms. Andrews. Vacuum cleaners are usually very noisy, so Paul couldn't possibly hear anything, let alone any footsteps.
Every day, pilgrims make the journey to the temple of the wooden soldiers. Upon entering the temple, most of the pilgrims seek out a holey orb with which to do battle against soldiers who are dressed in red and white uniforms. Each orb is used to attack small groups of these passive soldiers — soldiers which have the unique ability to replicate themselves whenever their ranks are assaulted by the pilgrims. The mystic orbs, like boomerangs, have the uncanny ability to return to the hand of each pilgrim when cast at the soldiers during these skirmishes. What kind of a temple is this which promotes violence by allowing people to attack innocent soldiers?
Think about a common, everyday activity that people do, especially children, that involves a "battle" or competition, but is not actually violent or harmful.
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 wife called to her husband from the front door of their home stating, "Don't forget to raise the flag, but please don't be goofy and salute it afterward." Her husband responded by saying, "Don't you love your country?" The wife replied, "I am very patriotic, but I would never salute that flag. You embarrass yourself when you do it, especially when the neighbors see you." "Well, all I know is if I don't raise the flag, we'll lose our electricity, our car will be towed away, and eventually we will be evicted! Being a veteran of the Army, as long as the flag is red, white, and blue, I will always salute it!" "Oh, have it your own way, answered his wife, "but it's not the raising of the flag to which I object, it's you're saluting it afterward that bothers me!" What were the circumstances behind this couple's bizarre-sounding argument?
Think about a specific situation where a flag needs to be raised, and it's not necessarily related to patriotism or national pride...
The flag on the couple’s mailbox in front of their home was painted red, white, and blue to resemble the American flag. When the husband put their outgoing bills and other mail in the mailbox, he had to raise the flag to be sure their outgoing mail would be picked up by their mail delivery person. Being a veteran and a patriotic person, he felt compelled to salute the flag each time he raised it.
A store has on sale a computer and word processor small enough to fit in your pocket. It can add, multiply, subtract, divide, and write in all languages. A delete device will correct any error. No electricity is required to operate it. The price? Only a few cents! How can the store make a profit by selling it so cheap?
Think old-school, non-electronic, and something you might find in a stationery store...
Romeo and Juliet are found dead on the floor in a bedroom. When they were discovered, there were pieces of glass and some water on the floor. The only furniture in the room is a shelf and a bed. The house is in a remote location, away from everything except for the nearby railroad track. What caused the death of Romeo and Juliet?
Think about the environment and the objects in the room, but also consider the "stage" they're on...
Romeo and Juliet are fish. The rumble of the train knocked the tank off the shelf, it broke and Romeo and Juliet did not survive.
A black dog stands in the middle of an intersecton in a town painted black. None of the street lights are working due to a power failure caused by a storm. A car with two broken headlights drives towards the dog but turns in time to avoid hitting him. How could the driver have seen the dog in time?
Whether old Homer tippled wine or beer, Julep or cider, history is not clear; But plain it is-the bard, though want to roam, But for one liquid, never had left home.
What is it?
Think about something Homer, the ancient Greek poet, would always have with him, no matter where he went, and it's not a drink...
While exploring the wilds of Canada, Wild Man Dave was captured by hostile wood fairies. Brad, the powerful chief of the fairies told him he could make one final statement that would determine how he would die. If the statement he made was false, he would be boiled in water. If the statement were true, he would be fried in oil. Wild Man Dave found neither of these options to his liking, so he made a statement that got him out of this seemingly impossible situation. What is the one statement he could have made?
Think about a statement that, if true, would not allow him to be fried in oil, and if false, would not allow him to be boiled in water...
Wild Man Dave said: "You will boil me in water." The fairies were faced with a dilemma. If they boil him in water, that would make his statement true, which means he should have been fried in oil. They can only fry him in oil if he makes a true statement, but if they do, it would make his final statement false. The fairies had no way our of their situation so they were forced to set Wild Man Dave free.
A red house is made of red bricks. A yellow house is made of yellow bricks. A purple house is made of purple bricks. A brown house is made of brown bricks. A black house is made of black bricks. What is the greenhouse made of?
Think about the word "greenhouse" more literally...
I have a story about my friend Billy, and his morning routine: Billy woke up after a long sleep. He opened his closet door and began to get dressed. Then, he opened his bedroom door and went to the bathroom. There, Billy brushed his teeth and combed his hair. Afterward, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast. He opened up his fridge and took out a carton of eggs, a jug of orange juice, and a carton of milk. Billy then opened his cabinet and took out a bowl, a plate, and a box of his favorite cereal. Next, he opened the jug of OJ and a carton of milk, took two glasses, and poured himself a glass of OJ and a glass of milk. Then, Billy opened the box of cereal and poured it, as well as some milk, into the bowl. Next, he opened the carton of eggs, cooked one, and put it on the plate. Lastly, Billy closed the carton of eggs, the jug of OJ, and the carton of milk; he went to the open fridge and put the three items back. Billy could not wait to enjoy his breakfast. The question is: what did Billy open FIRST?
Think about the very beginning of Billy's morning routine...
Billy opened his eyes first. At the beginning of the story, Billy woke up, which meant that prior to the events of the story, he was sleeping. We don't sleep with our eyes OPEN; we sleep with them CLOSED, which means Billy woke up and opened his eyes first before doing anything else.
You have two coins, and their total value is 11¢. One of the coins is not a penny. What are the two coins?
Think about the possibilities for the non-penny coin...
The two coins are a dime and a penny. I said "ONE of the coins is not a penny"; if one of the coins is not a penny, then the other coin IS a penny. The coin that is not a penny has to be a dime because the total value should be 11¢.
There are four cards in front of you. You don't know the suits, but that's not important. Assume that all of the following statements are true: 1) There are no ace cards. 2) The difference between the third card and the first card is 8. 3) The difference between the fourth card and the second card is 7. 4) There are no face cards. 5) The card on the left cannot be greater than the card on the right. What are the four cards?
Pay attention to the "left" and "right" clues, and think about how the differences between the cards can help you determine their relative positions...
The card on the far left is a 2, the card next to it is a 3, then there is a 10, and there is a 10 next to the first 10 card. Hey, I didn't say there couldn't be any cards of the SAME value!
Morgan was making apricot jam. She put all the apricots in the pot and stirred them up. Then she remembered she had to add 1 ounce of lemon juice for every two apricots! How did she figure out how much lemon juice to put?
Counting is not the only way to solve this problem... Think about the apricots in pairs!
A forest exists somewhere on Earth. This forest has no life except for trees. After a storm, a tree was hit by lightning and falls.
What sound would it make?
Think about the phrase "no life except for trees"... what does that really mean?
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
There are two numbers whose product added to the sum of their squares is 109, and the difference of whose squares is 24. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically, and consider the two numbers as x and y. You'll need to form two equations based on the given conditions, and then solve for x and y. Focus on the difference of whose squares being 24, as this might help you find a crucial relationship between x and y.
5 and 7.
(5)² = 25(7)² = 49(5x7)+25+49=10949-25=24
Lazy Larry agreed to work on a job for his brother-in-law for thirty hours at eight dollars an hour, on the condition that he would forfeit ten dollars per hour for every hour that he idled. At the end of the thirty hours Larry wasn't owed any money and didn't owe his brother-in-law any money either. How many hours did Larry work and how many hours did he idle?
Think about the "break-even" point: if Larry didn't work at all, how much would he owe his brother-in-law?
Lazy Larry worked 16-2/3 hours and idled 13-1/3 hours. 16-2/3 hours, at $8.00 an hour amounts to the same amount as 13-1/3 hours at $10.00 per hour.
A watchmaker was telephoned urgently to make a house call to replace the broken hands on a clock. He was sik so he sent his apprentice.
The apprentice was thorough. When he finished inspecting the clock it was dark. Assuming his work was done, he attached the new hands and set the clock by his pocket watch. It was sic o'clock, so he set the big hand at the 12 and the little hand at the 6.
The apprectice returned, but soon the telephone rang. He picked up to his angry client:
"You didn't do the job right. The clock shows the wrong time."
Surprised he hurried back. He found the clock showing not much past eight. He handed is watch to the client and showed her that her clock was not even one second late. The client had to agree.
Early the nect morning, the client telephoned to say the clock has apparently gone berserk, hands were moving around the clock at will. The apprentice again rushed over, the clock showed a little past seven. After checking his watch he yelled:
"You are making fun of me! Your clock shows the right time!"
Have you figured out whats going on?
Here's a hint:
Think about the type of clock the apprentice was fixing, and how it might be different from a typical clock.
As the problem says the apprentice mixed up the hands so that the minute hand was short and the hour hand was long.
The first time the apprentice returned to the client was about 2 hours and 10 minutes after he had set the clock at six.The long had moved olny from twelve to a little past two. The little made two whole circles and an additional 10 minutes. Thus the clock showed the correct time.
The next day around 7:o5 a.m.he came a second time,13 hours and 15 minutes after he had set the clock for six. The long had, acting as the hour hand,covered 13 hours to reach 1. The short hand made 13 full circles and 5 minutes, reaching 7, So the clock showed the correct time again.
A doctor and a bus driver are both in love with the same woman, an attractive girl named Sarah. The bus driver had to go on a long bus trip that would last a week. Before he left, he gave Sarah seven apples. Why?
Think about the significance of the number of apples and how it might relate to the bus driver's absence...
Julie is going on an extended trip for three weeks. She lives in a remote area where there are frequent electrical power outages which can last up to three or four days. Julie has quite a bit of food in her freezer which would go bad if it thawed and then re-froze. She does have digital clock and a VCR which would flash 12:00 if the power went out. Unfortunately the clock and VCR flash even if the power only goes out for a few seconds. What can Julie do so that when she returns home she will be able to determine whether the power was out long enough to thaw her food? Asking a neighbor whether the power was out, isn't a reliable option because the nearest house is half a mile away, and one house may have power, while another house may have no power. She won?t be able to have a neighbor check on her house every day, and has no one to house sit.
Think about using a device that can measure the passage of time, but is not affected by short power outages...
One thing Julie could do is freeze a tray of ice-cubes, and turn the tray of ice upside down in her freezer. When she comes home, she should check the tray. If the ice cubes are still in the tray, the food is safe to eat. If the trays are empty, it's time to clean out the freezer. She will have to make a judgment call if the ice-cubes are only slightly thawed.
What's the only thing you know for sure is going to happen?
Think about something that is universally true, and is always going to occur, no matter what... It's not a specific event, but rather a general certainty...
I am needed to survive, but when am here there is evil and good, when am gone others come in, you don't seek me you die. What I am?
Think about something that is essential for human existence, but its presence can bring about both positive and negative consequences. It's a delicate balance, and without it, others will take its place, but if you don't have it, you'll perish.
I am everything. I am nothing. I can make you tremble in fear or make your sadness disappear. I've been with you since you arrived and I will be with you at the moment you die. We've known each other for our entire lives. I know you but you create me. What am I?
Think about the emotions and experiences that are universal to all humans, and how they can be both intensely personal and yet universally relatable.
I'm the motivation to live for some people, the source of pain for some people. Without me, you'll fall into the abyss; with me, you'll have courage. What am I?
Think about something that can inspire hope and drive in some, while causing fear and anxiety in others. It's often associated with a sense of risk and uncertainty, but also with the potential for great reward.
I was developed during the Manhattan Project. I was conceived by Einstein, and built by a team led by Robert Oppenheimer, in Los Alamos, New Mexico. I was built in 1942. The U.S. was the first to develop me, with the help of German, Italian, and American scientists. I work by converting mass to energy, by splitting Uranium with Neutrons, which creates fission. This creates an explosion. My explosion is the release of nuclear energy. There are four parts to my explosion 1) the blast wave, 2) the thermal radiation, 3) initial nuclear radiation, and 4) residual nuclear radiation. As a single explosion, I destroyed more lives and property and injured more people, than any other explosion during all of World War II. What am I?
"Think big, think powerful, think destructive... and think atomic."
My first is a creature whose breeding is unclear. My second, a price you must pay. My whole can be found in the river of Time and refers to events of today. What am I?
Think about the concept of "history" and how it relates to the river of Time...
Coffee can go in, but tea cannot.
Riddles can go in, but questions cannot.
Quizzes can go in, but surveys cannot.
Spoons can go in, but forks cannot.
Green can go in, but red cannot.
Glass can go in, but plastic cannot.
Doors can go in, but windows cannot.
Why can some go through the green glass door and others can not?
Green Glass Door all have double letters. Therefore, only the words with double letters can pass through the Green Glass Door!
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 am slim and tall, Many find me desirable and appealing. They touch me and I give a false good feeling. Once I shine in splendor, But only once and then no more. For many I am "to die for". What am I?
Think about something that people often crave, but can also be deceiving, and its appeal is short-lived...
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 can be modified by removing its first letter, and the resulting words have different meanings related to the descriptions in the riddle.
I have a heart that never beats, I have a home but I never sleep. I can take a man's house and build another, And I love to play games with my many brothers. I am a king among fools. Who am I?
Think about a game where strategy and power are key, and a piece that can capture others and control the board...
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.
I'm alive, but without breath; I'm as cold in life as in death; I'm never thirsty, though I always drink. What am I?
Think about something that exists in nature, is inanimate, and is often associated with water...
The riddle "I’m alive but without breath riddle" is unanswered. Do you know the answer? If so, click ANSWER and add your answer in the comments section.