I am found in the sea and on land, but I do not walk or swim. I travel by foot, but I am 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, and is often associated with "foot" but doesn't have toes... and is always close to "home" no matter where it goes. Consider a feature that is common to both sea shores and land surfaces.
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.
Imagine Johnny, a party clown, is carrying three pieces of gold each piece weighing one kilogram. While taking a walk he comes to a bridge that has a sign posted saying the bridge could hold only a maximum of 80 kilograms. John weighs 78 kilograms and the gold weighs three kilograms. Johnny reads the sign and still safely crossed the bridge with all the gold. How did he manage this?
Think about the state of Johnny when he's not carrying the gold...
Johnny is a clown so he has mastered juggling. When he came to the bridge he juggled the gold, always keeping one piece in the air.
Once upon a time, in a temple, there were three deities: Truth, Lie, and Wisdom. The Truth Deity always told the truth. The Lie Deity always told the lie. The Wisdom Deity sometimes told the truth, sometimes told the lie. Unfortunately, those three deities looked exactly the same, so no one could distinguish them. One day, a sage came by and he differentiated them by the following trick: He asked the deity sitting on the left: "Who is the middle deity?"- "Truth", said the deity. He asked the deity sitting in the middle: "Who are you?"- "Wisdom", replied the deity. He asked the deity sitting on the right: "Who is the middle deities?"- "Lie", the deity answered.
How could the sage distinguish the three deities?
Think about what each deity would say about the middle deity, considering their nature: Truth would tell the truth, Lie would lie, and Wisdom would give a mixed answer...
The left deity is Wisdom; the middle one is Lie, and the right one is Truth. Explain: The left deity (L) said that the middle one (M) is Truth; therefore, L cannot be Truth (because there cannot be two Truth Deities!). M said he was Wisdom; therefore, he cannot be Truth. Thus, R is Truth. According to him, M is Lie and as a result, L is Wisdom.
A group of men are suddenly awakened by a loud, piercing, continuous sound. They all scramble out of their beds, get dressed, grab a pole, and disappear into a hole. What in the world are these men doing?
Think about a profession that requires a sudden response to a loud alarm, and a tool that's essential for their job...
They are firemen who were sleeping in their fire station. When they heard the fire alarm, they quickly got dressed, slid down the fire pole, and got in the fire engine to head to the reported fire.
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.
Ella and Mason went camping one day, but both of them got themselves in danger. Ella was bitten by a rattlesnake, and she tried to suck out the venom. Mason came face to face with a black widow spider, and he tried to attack it. Who was in more danger?
Think about the actions they took to respond to the threats...
Black widow spiders rarely bite, and their bites are rarely fatal, but it's never a good idea to suck out snake venom. Therefore, Ella was in more danger.
One day, a famous king and a famous queen each moved to the same small, rural town, and each built their own house there. The king and the queen were not married, but they were related. The report was they were not very fond of one another, despite being related, and in fact, were both well-known for having highly competitive natures. Both the king and the queen sent out invitations to the townspeople to visit their new houses, each secretly hoping the people would come only to see them, and not the other. On the given day, residents of the town lined up outside both the king's and the queen's new houses; but the people showed no outward signs of respect by bowing or curtsying to either of them. In return, the king presented a stone-faced appearance to his visitors, while the queen offered a cold and frosty reception to everyone who entered her place. To top things off, both the king and the queen both provided food and drink to all the people who came to visit them, but the townspeople were all made to pay for everything they ate and drank that day. However, the people all left both houses that day --- satisfied and happy!!! Why did the people show no outward signs of respect to the famous king and queen, and why weren't the townspeople upset and angry about being invited, and then having to pay for their meals?
Think about a different kind of "king" and "queen" that are not royalty, but still have a sense of grandeur and competitiveness. The key to this riddle lies in the type of "houses" they built and the nature of their "hospitality".
The famous king and the famous queen were: The Burger King and The Dairy Queen. Both had just built new franchises in the small town, and each was hoping to gather the most new customers from the townspeople who lived there. Neither franchise was about to give free food away to everyone, so all the people bought their burgers, fries, and ice cream treats at one or the other, and all were happy to have both of these fast-food options available to them in their community.
Six glasses are in a row. The first three are filled with milk, and the last three are empty. By moving only one glass, can you arrange them so that the full and the empty glasses alternate?
Think about moving a glass from one end to the other, but not just to the adjacent position...
Pick up the second glass and pour the milk into the fifth glass and then put it back in the second position.
Draw four rectangles on a piece of paper. Put nine x's in the four rectangles so that there is an uneven number of x's in each rectangle.
Think about how you can distribute the 9 x's among the 4 rectangles in a way that each rectangle has a different number of x's, and none of them have an even number...
Draw one large rectangle. Then draw the three smaller rectangles within the large rectangle. Place three x's in each small rectangle. There will be nine x's in the large rectangle.
Which clock works best, the one that loses a minute a day, or the one that doesn't work at all?
The one that doesn't work is best. It will always be correct twice a day, but the one that loses a minute a day will not be correct again for 720 days (losing 720 minutes or 12 hours).
Your friend invites you to a party. She says you have to bring something. To get inside have to go through a green. Only certain things go through. You can bring a poodle but you can't bring a dog. You can bring a stool but you can't bring a chair. You can bring a rabbit but you can't bring a hare. What is three examples of something you could bring?
A woman is at her mother's funeral when suddenly she sees a man so handsome, she instantly falls in love with her. Unfortunately, she never got a chance to talk to the man. The next day, the woman kills her sister. What was the motive?
The woman was hoping to see the man again. If you got this correct on the first try, you have the mind of a psychopath.
The police are called to a roundhouse where a man is found dead with a knife wound to the chest. The police investigate and narrow down the suspects to three people: The maid, the wife, and the butcher. When questioned for alibis, the wife said, "I was out buying a dress with my friends, and I found my husband dead upon my return." The butcher said, "I was searching the cupboards for some vegetables to serve for lunch." The maid said, "I was in the other room, dusting the corners." The maid was then arrested. How did the police know it was her?
It was a round house, so there were no corners to dust.
1. Thomas was caught stealing 27 times in one year, yet he was never arrested. How come?
2. A truck driver went three blocks the wrong way down a one-way street without breaking the law. How come?
3. Not a single parent objected when the teacher spanked every child in the class. How come?
Here are the hints for each riddle:
1. Think about the type of "stealing" that might not be illegal...
2. Consider the condition of the truck driver's vehicle...
3. What if the teacher wasn't spanking the children in the classical sense...?
1. Thomas was a baseball player and was stealing bases.
2. The truck driver was walking.
3. The teacher was in an orphanage school.
Where does tomorrow come before yesterday, and where does today come before yesterday?
Think about a place where words are arranged in a specific order, and the answer might become clear!
The answer is in dictionary. Explanation: Well the logic used to solve this riddle is that in the dictionary, words or letters are organized Alphabetically and hence Today comes before Yesterday because in the alphabet order alphabetically, the letter T comes before the Letter Y. I hope this helps
Some people see me to be linear, to others I'm not. I'm always marching forward and can never stop. I watch you in your days until we have to part ways. What am I ?
Think about something that moves in a straight line for some people, but not for others, and is always progressing forward... It's something you can't escape, and it's always observing you until a certain point in time.
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 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 possess a halo of water, walls of stone, and a tongue of wood. Long I have stood; what am I?
Think about a structure that's often found near a body of water, has a stone foundation, and features a wooden component that "speaks" or provides information...
In old age I'm lost, in trauma I'm tossed. What am I?
Think about something that's often forgotten or misplaced as people get older, and also something that can be disturbed or dislodged due to a sudden shock or accident...
I am the runner, The pencils the chaser. I eat up the lead, I choke on the eraser. When I am done, I become another one, To be used again. I am white And blank as well. I can be folded, Into a bell. My corners are cut perfectly, My lines are straight and blue. Me having black marks or not, Fully depends on you. What am I?
Think about something you use to write or draw on, and how it interacts with pencils and erasers...
I talk, but I do not speak my mind I hear words, but I do not listen to thoughts When I wake, all see me When I sleep, all hear me Many heads are on my shoulders Many hands are at my feet The strongest steel cannot break my visage But the softest whisper can destroy me The quietest whimper can be heard. What am I?
Pay attention to the contrast between "wake" and "sleep" in the riddle, and think about something that is visible to all when it's "awake", but is heard by all when it's "asleep".
A mother gave birth to six kids. The first daughter's name is July. The second daughter's name is August. The third daughter's name is September. The fourth daughter's name is October. The next child was a boy, therefore, she named him November. The mother was planning on having a girl named December, but it turned out that she got a boy. If she didn't name him December, what is his name?
Think about the pattern of the names and the reason behind the boy's name being November...
Jason. She took the first letter of the names of her children. July, August, September, October, November.
You use me to clean, but the powerful take me for a ride. What am I?
Think about something that's used for cleaning, but also has a connection to a mode of transportation that's often associated with people in positions of power...
My name starts with "rain" and ends with the first letter of my name. I get mistaken for other things a lot. I am usually present in children's stories. I am usually flying in mid-air too. What am I?
Think about something that is often depicted in children's stories and is commonly mistaken for something else... and pay attention to the wordplay in the riddle, especially the part about the first letter of the name!
There's a land where there are mummies and daddies but no babies. Books but no libraries. Mirrors but no reflections. Kittens but no cats. Cattle but no cows. Lollipops but no candy and trees but no forests. It's the land of what?
Think about a place where words are broken down into their individual parts, and the whole is not always present...
Half-way up the hill, I see thee at last. Lying beneath me with thy sounds and sights - A city in the twilight, dim and vast, With smoking roofs, soft bells, and gleaming lights. What is it?
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...
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?