You're on a bus. 20 people get on at the first stop. At the next stop 45 people get on. At the 3rd stop 48 people get off. Then at the next stop 5 people get off and 9 get on. At the last stop 21 people get off 2 people are left. How is this possible? (Who's still on the bus)!?
Think about the person who's been on the bus the entire time...
This is possible because you and the bus driver are still on the bus!
A retired couple had just completed construction on a brand new house. The husband had worked in construction, and his wife had been an interior decorator, so the finished house looked great. They were so proud of their new house, they invited their 12 grandchildren over to see it. Within an hour of their visit, however, the 12 children had broken several windows, pulled decorations from the walls, smashed parts of the white fence surrounding the house, and somehow even managed to destroy parts of the new roof. Shockingly, the retired couple did not try to set any behavioral limits on their grandchildren, and in fact, were observed smiling and laughing as their grandchildren inflicted damage on the house the couple had so carefully created together. Has the world gone mad? What kind of insanity was going on here?
Think about the type of "construction" the husband was involved in...
The retired couple had constructed a small gingerbread house for their grandchildren, and invited them over to eat it.
Leslie bought some ice cream on Friday. She kept all of the flavors a secret from her friends, although she wanted to enjoy it for dessert the next day. When Leslie woke up on Saturday, she didn't find the ice cream; someone had eaten it! The girl decided to ask her friends if they had eaten the ice cream. Geoff said that he was about to leave for work, and hadn't seen anything. Christian said that he was excited to try the new butterscotch ice cream on Saturday, albeit afraid that he was going to miss it. And Margot said that she didn't even know about the ice cream, but was also willing to try it. Who knows something?
Pay close attention to the alibis and what each friend says about the ice cream...
Christian couldn't be sure that there was a butterscotch taste among the ice cream flavors because Leslie kept all of the flavors in secret. Therefore, he knows something about the stolen ice cream.
Ron and Terry are both dressed in camouflage clothing and are completely surrounded by dead bodies. As veterans of the Army, they are both on a mission to locate some of their comrades. Neither Terry nor Ron are carrying any weapons, but they have no fear of being harmed. They look about the terrain which surrounds them, but all they see are grass and large and small stones. Terry jumps up on one of the large stones to get a better view of their surroundings, but Ron suggests to Terry that his standing on the big stone might be viewed as disrespectful, and Terry jumps down. "I counted 27 flags while I was up there," says Terry to Ron, "so let's go check them out." In what activity are Ron and Terry engaged?
Think about a place where you'd typically find flags, grass, and stones...
Ron and Terry are veterans who are looking for the grave sites of some of the soldiers they served with in the Army. The large and small stones are tombstones, and the American flags mark the graves of the veterans who are buried in that cemetery.
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.
On a bright and sunny day, a powerful and evil wizard locked Karen on the top floor of his tower. Then, the wizard set a huge magic fire around the base of the castle, so Karen would not be able to get out. The room had a small window. Karen looked around and saw three potions on the table. The first potion would give Karen incredible human strength. The second potion would turn Karen into a vampire. The third potion would let Karen summon any animal she'd like. Which potion should Karen choose to escape?
Think about what would allow Karen to escape the tower without having to physically break through the flames or walls...
Karen should choose the potion that allows her to turn into a vampire (the second potion). Even if she has all of the strength in the world, she wouldn't be able to do anything to the magic fire. And no animal can help Karen escape. If Karen turns into a vampire, though, she can transform into a bat and fly away through the window. And I know what you're thinking, but no–even though it's a sunny day, bats cannot die in the sun.
Megan was looking for a guy to go out with. She found a guy named Henry, and she found out that the guy loved detective stories. Megan texted Henry later that day, asking about his affinity for those kinds of stories, and he said, "Detective stories are SO cool! My grandmother even knew Sherlock Holmes!". Megan responded, "I'm not going to date a liar like you!". Why did she think Henry was lying?
Think about the timeline of Sherlock Holmes' existence...
Henry's grandmother couldn't have known Sherlock Holmes in real life because Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character.
A poor, elderly woman lived alone with her dog. One day she noticed her dog appeared to be very hungry, so she went to her food storage area where she kept her dishes and cups, to search for food to serve to him. She was surprised to find she had no food whatsoever for either herself or her dog ------ not even so much as a bone to serve to her starving pet. And so, neither she nor her dog had anything to eat. How often had these same circumstances occurred to this lady and her pet? Why had no one called Senior Services or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (S.P.C.A.) to report these dreadful conditions? Incidentally, do you happen to know this woman's last name?
The hint is: Think about the woman's occupation and the phrase "dishes and cups" in a different context.
Her last name was Hubbard. Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard to get her poor dog a bone....
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...
The marathon man timed himself and found out that if he wore a bright white outfit he ran 20 miles in 80 minutes, but when he wore a dark outfit, he ran 20 miles in one hour and twenty minutes. What does this mean for his next race?
Think about how the marathon man's outfit might be affecting his running time, and it's not because of the physical properties of the outfit itself...
Absolutely nothing, as 80 minutes equals an hour and twenty minutes.
Four people are sitting around a campfire after a long day of recreation when one man comments: "Do you realize that around this campfire, the four of us include a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle and a couple of cousins"?. If everyone is related by blood (with no unusual marriages) how is this possible?
Think about the different relationships that can exist between family members, and consider the possibility that some individuals might fit into more than one category...
The campfire circle includes a woman and her brother. The woman's daughter and the man's son are also present.
Shirley's two-year-old granddaughter carries around with her something Shirley recently purchased for her in the produce section of a local supermarket. The little girl has the item wrapped in a blanket, pretending it is her baby. She carries her "baby" with her everywhere she goes, and even sleeps with it at nighttime. However, the "baby" has no body, but consists of a brown head with two eyes and a mouth; or is it two eyes and a nose? Sometimes it is difficult to tell, but only the face of the baby peeks out from the surrounding blanket. What type of produce is this "baby" that Shirley's granddaughter carries around with her?
Think about a type of produce that has a "head" with features that resemble a face, and is often brown in color...
The two-year-old’s “baby” is actually a coconut which she wraps in a blanket, with the three circular indentations of the “face” turned outward.
If you like pretty gems that sparkle and shine, I invite you to dig in my virtual mine. My first is purple, fit for a king, My second is green where Dorothy did her thing. My third is red, July's birthstone as well, My fourth is seen in strings and is found inside a shell. My fifth is hard, pure Carbon, and expensive to buy, My sixth is Crocidolite, striped like the big cat's eye. Seventh is two words, a man-made fake of April's stone, Eighth is very dark and found at Lightning Ridge alone. Now take from each gem, one letter in its turn, And you will find the stuff for which even the gods yearn. What am I?
Here's a hint:
Pay attention to the birthstones mentioned in the riddle, and think about what the gods yearn for in mythology. The answer is a substance, not a gemstone itself.
Answer: Ambrosia The gems are: Amethyst Emerald ( Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz ) Ruby Pearl Diamond Tiger's eye Cubic Zirconium (Fake diamond) Black Opal Taking the first letter of Amethyst, second of Emerald, etc.. gives Ambrosia - The food of the gods.
Lauren has a lemon tree. The number of lemons on the tree doubles every week. In 28 weeks, Lauren should expect the tree to be completely covered with fruit. How many weeks will it take for the tree to be half-covered with apples?
Pay close attention to the type of fruit mentioned in the question...
Zero. If I asked you about lemons, the answer would be 27 weeks because the number of lemons on Lauren's tree doubles every week. However, I asked you about APPLES, and they don't grow on lemon trees; therefore, the answer is zero.
You walk up to a mountain that has two paths. One leads to the other side of the mountain, and the other will get you lost forever. Two twins know the path that leads to the other side. You can ask them only one question. Except! One lies and one tells the truth, and you don't know which is which. So, What do you ask?
Think about what you can ask that would get a consistent answer from both the truth-teller and the liar...
You ask one twin, "Are you twins?". If he says "Yes", he is telling the truth. Therefore, you ask the other twin which way to go and go the opposite way because he is lying. If he says "No", he is the liar and you ask the other twin which way to go because he is telling the truth.
At a children's party, 10 kids had juice, 8 kids had cake, and 6 kids had juice and cake.
How many kids were there at the party?
Think about overlapping sets!
Tweleve kids. Six kids had juice and cake, leaving two out of the cake eaters that didn't have juice. As there were ten juicers, there must be twelve kids in total.
Janie's friends were chipping in to buy her a wedding shower present. At first, 10 friends chipped in, but 2 of them dropped out. Each of the 8 had to chip in another dollar to bring the amount back up. How much money did they plan to collect?
Think about it this way: If 8 people had to chip in an extra dollar each to reach the original amount, how much would 10 people have had to chip in if they hadn't dropped out?
(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.
Lily is a lilypad in a small pond. Lilly doubles her size each day, On the 20th day she covers the whole pond. On what day was Lily half the size of the pond?
Think backwards!
Day 19, it's not 10 because on day 20 she doubled from day 19, so 19 must be half the size of the pond.
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.
A magician was boasting one day about how long he could hold his breath underwater. His record was 6 minutes. A kid that was listening said, "That's nothing, I can stay underwater for 10 minutes using no type of equipment or air pockets!" The magician told the kid if he could do that, he'd give him $10,000. The kid did it and won the money. Can you figure out how?
Think about the words "underwater" and "no type of equipment or air pockets"... are they being used in the most obvious way?
The kid filled a glass of water and held it over his head for 10 minutes.
When in hot water I get harder. I am only useful once broken. Some people eat only the white part for its low fat, high protein nutritional content. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, but isn't always edible in its original form...
Dark with white markings, And smooth like a rock. Where learning occurs, I help convey thought. What am I?
Think about something you often find in a classroom or a library, used for writing or drawing, and has a specific appearance that matches the description...
I'm hard as a rock, and as light as a feather. I'm passed on to one another. Poor people need me, and rich people have me.
What am I?
Think about something that can be both physically rigid and effortlessly carried, yet is also often shared and valued by people of all socioeconomic backgrounds...
I have three colors, each with a different meaning. When I'm old they become dull, but when I'm new they are gleaming. I help keep people safe, but sometimes they hate me. You won't see me in a forest, but you will in a big city. Some of me have short lengths, and some of me have long. And in the time that the longest of me take, you could sing a very long song. When my colors change, people get happy or sad, and when you guess what I am, you will be very glad. What am I?
Think about something you see every day in a city, that serves a purpose, has different lengths, and its colors convey important information that can evoke emotions...
I have many purposes for everyone, maybe a home, maybe some fun. I grow really tall and live a long time but once I get too old I just fall down and die. What am I?
Think about something that serves multiple purposes, provides shelter, and can be a source of entertainment... and don't forget to consider its life cycle!
I sit here collecting dust, I can wait forever to open me and you will not be disappointed, I can make you laugh, cry, and sad, I contain all the knowledge of the world, let me take you to a faraway land. What am I?
Think about something that can evoke emotions, transport you to different places, and hold a vast amount of information, all while often being found in a dusty, forgotten state...
Made of ten but two are we. Five apart and we are weak. Five together havoc wreak. What am I
"Think about something that has ten parts, but is often referred to in terms of two. The key to this riddle lies in the way these parts are arranged..."
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.
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."
I am not found on any ground, But always in the air; Though charged each cloud with thunder loud, You can not find me there. Now, if from France you choose to dance Your way just into Spain, I there am seen, and near the queen, In hail, in mist, and rain.
What am I?
Look for something that is often associated with weather, but isn't a physical entity that can be found on the ground or in a specific location...
I was born in the 18th century, yet still live on today. Appearing on TV when I have something to say. Called everything from "honest" to a dirty rotten "crook", I used to wear a wig, but have had several looks. I've always had a party, but never disturb the neighbors. I've been shot at many times - major stories for the papers. What am I?
Think about a figure that has been represented in various ways over the centuries, often in a theatrical or dramatic sense, and has been associated with both positive and negative qualities...
Lynn likes grapes but not potatoes. She likes squash but not lettuce, and she likes peas but not onions. Following the same rule, will she like pumpkins or apples?
Think about the color of the food...
Pumpkins. Lynn only likes things that grow on vines.
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.
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 murdered on Sunday morning. His wife immediately called the police. The police questioned the wife and staff and got these alibis: The Wife said she was sleeping. The Cook was cooking breakfast. The Gardener was picking vegetables. The Maid was getting the mail. The Butler was cleaning the closet. The police instantly arrested the murderer. Who did it and how did they know?
Pay close attention to the activities mentioned and think about what time of day it is...
It was the Maid. She said she was getting the mail. There is no mail on Sunday! (next day air and email doesn't count)
Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete fell out, who was left on the boat?
Think about the names...
Repeat! Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete fell out, who was left on the boat? Repeat! Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete fell out, who was left on the boat? Repeat! Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete fell out, who was left on the boat? Repeat! Pete and Repeat were on a boat. Pete fell out, who was left on the boat? Repeat! Ex
Four citizens were accused of robbing a store. Suspect A says, "I didn't rob the store,". Suspect B says, "Suspect C robbed the store,". Suspect C says, "Suspect B is lying,". And Suspect D says, "Suspect A is telling the truth,". Only one suspect is telling the truth. Who robbed the store?
Think about it this way: if Suspect A is telling the truth, then who would Suspect D be supporting?
Suspect A robbed the store; Suspect C is telling the truth. If Suspect B was the thief, then A, C, and D would all be telling the truth. If Suspect C was the thief, then A, B, and D would all be telling the truth. If Suspect D was the thief, then Suspects A, C, and D would all be telling the truth again. Therefore, only Suspect A can be the thief.