"I was walking to my local grocery store to pick up some stuff when I saw that my neighbor Rachel's house had been burgled! It was very cold outside, and I saw some frost on the window. I breathed on the glass to get rid of the frost, and I saw that Rachel's safe had been open and that her money was stolen!". That was Hank's story. An officer who was investigating asked Hank, "And where did you hide the money you stole from your neighbor?". How did the officer come to this conclusion?
Pay close attention to what Hank did when he breathed on the window...
Windows become frozen over from the inside, not the outside, so Hank couldn't have wiped off the frost from the window to find the money stolen.
A young man became famous one day when he gathered a quarter of a bushel (8 dry quarts) of a certain type of fruit, which many people call a vegetable. Evidently, this youth, whose first and last name both start with the same letter, was able to harvest these fruits (vegetables) after they had been placed into a solution of vinegar or brine while still on the vine. So, the questions which have never been answered concerning this story are #1: How many of these fruits/vegetables did he actually harvest, and #2: Where is the work of his labor now? Can you name this famous person who has the same first and last initials?
Here's a hint:
Think about a famous American figure from the 19th century, and consider a type of fruit/vegetable that's often pickled. The answer might be more "historical" than you expect!
Zack invented a game for him and his friend Dan to play. They would take turns saying numbers between one and 10. The next player would have to say a number that is greater than the previous one by a number between one and 10. The first player to say 50 would be the winner. Zack decides to let Dan start. How can Dan win?
Think about the optimal starting number that would give Dan the most flexibility for his next move...
If Dan wants to say 50, then he needs Zack to say a number between 40 and 49, so right before 50, Dan needs to say 39. If he wants to say 39, then Zack needs to say a number between 29 and 38, so right before 39, Dan needs to say 28. If Dan wants to say 28, Zack has to say a number between 18 and 27, so right before 28, Dan has to say 17. And if he wants to say 17, he has to let Zack say a number between 7 and 16, so right before 17, Dan has to say 6. In order to win, Dan needs to say 6, then 17, then 28, then 39, and finally 50.
There were five men going to church and it started to rain. The four that ran got wet and the one that stood still stayed dry. How did the one stay dry?
Think about the situation where someone is more likely to be already "prepared" for the rain...
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"!
Four letters form me quite complete, As all who breathe do show; Reversed, you'll find I am the seat Of infamy and woe. Transposed, you'll see I'm base and mean, Again of Jewish race; Transposed once more, I oft am seen To hide a lovely face.
What are the five words?
Think about words that are closely related to human identity and can be rearranged to convey different meanings or characteristics. The answer is a set of four-letter words that can be anagrammed to reveal distinct aspects of a person.
Since a person uses about the same amount of energy walking 2 miles as they would run for 2 miles, would a person use more energy running for 10 minutes, walking for ten minutes, or the same amount of energy?
Think about the pace, not the distance!
Since a person running for 10 minutes would cover more distance than that same person would walking for 10 minutes, he would use more energy running for 10 minutes.
The king dies and two men, the true heir and an impostor, both claim to be his long-lost son. Both fit the description of the rightful heir: about the right age, height, coloring and general appearance. Finally, one of the elders proposes a test to identify the true heir. One man agrees to the test while the other flatly re-fuses. The one who agreed is immediately sent on his way, and the one who re-fused is correctly identified as the rightful heir. Can you figure out why?
The key to this riddle lies in the nature of the test itself, rather than the physical characteristics of the two men. Think about what kind of test would be proposed that one man would willingly agree to, while the other would refuse...
The test was a blood test. The elder remembered that the true prince was a hemophiliac.
You're a bus driver. At your first stop, you pick up five people. At the second stop, you pick up two people. At the third stop, you drop off three people. At the fourth stop, you pick up three more people. At the fifth stop you drop off 8 people. How old is the bus driver?
The answer has nothing to do with the number of people or the stops... think about the question being asked!
I'm invisible to the eye. I can never die but without me, you will die. People keep me in jars and boxes but when will they realize that I'm as close as thin air. I'm never easy to be found but sometimes caught lurking around. What am I?
"Think about something that is essential for human survival, yet it's not a living thing and can't be seen with the naked eye. It's often stored in containers, but it's also all around us, and sometimes it can be felt or sensed, even if it can't be directly seen."
A logician with some time to kill in a small town decided to get a haircut. The town had only two barbers, each with his own shop. The logician glanced into one shop and saw that it was extremely untidy. The barber needed a shave, his clothes were unkempt, and his hair was badly cut. The other shop was extremely neat. The barber was freshly shaved and spotlessly dressed, his hair neatly trimmed. Why did the logician return to the first shop for his haircut?
Each barber must have cut the other's hair. The logician picked the barber who had given his rival the better haircut.
You entered a Formula 1 race and are starting last of the 20 cars. By the final lap, you are in first place, passing all 20 cars. But this is actually not possible. Why?
You didn't pass all 20 cars...
There are 20 cars including yourself. You can’t pass yourself.
If you go to the movies and you're paying, is it cheaper to take one friend to the movies twice, or two friends to the movies at the same time?
Think about the number of tickets you need to buy in each scenario...
It's cheaper to take two friends at the same time. In this case, you would only be buying three tickets, whereas if you take the same friend twice you are buying four tickets.
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.
Emily wants to become a professional chef, but the cooking school she wants to apply to only accepts applicants over 17. Here's what you know about Emily's siblings' ages: 1) Emily's brother Patrick's age is two times that of Emily, and; 2) Emily's sister Nicole's age is one-half of that of Patrick. Nicole turned 17 this year. Using this information, can Emily apply to the cooking school this year?
Think about the age chain: Nicole → Patrick → Emily. If Nicole is 17, what can you say about Patrick's age, and then about Emily's age?
No, she cannot. If Nicole is 17, and her age is one-half of that of Patrick, then Patrick must be two times Nicole's age. Therefore, Patrick is 34. If Patrick is 34, and his age is two times that of Emily, then Emily must be one-half of Patrick's age. Therefore, Emily is 17. Emily and Nicole are of the same age because they are twins. However, the cooking school only accepts applicants "over 17", not "17 and over". Therefore, Emily cannot apply to the cooking school this year.
Two cops walked into a room with no windows and found a dead man who obviously hung himself from the ceiling, though they couldn't figure out how. There was no chair beneath him that he might have jumped off of, or a table. Just a puddle of water. How'd he do it?
Think about the puddle of water... it's not just a random detail.
A man was shot to death while in his car. There were no powder marks on his clothing, which indicated that the gunman was outside the car. However, all the windows were up and the doors locked. After a close inspection was made, the only bullet holes discovered were on the man's body. How was he murdered?
Think about a specific situation where a man might be in his car, but not necessarily driving or parked on the road...
The victim was in a convertible. He was shot when the top was down.
There is a man, with his horse he is going to a town. The man went to the town on Monday. He stayed there for 3 days and then he came back on Friday. How? His horse was not tired, he wasn't sleepy and took rest.
There is a green house. Inside the green house, there is a white house Inside the white house there is a red house. Inside the red house, there are lots of babies. What is it?
It is a watermelon. Explanation: The skin of the watermelon is green (green house), the watermelon rind is white (white house), the watermelon flesh is red (red house), and the watermelon seeds located in the red flesh are the babies.
Three lives have I. Gentle enough to soothe the skin, Light enough to caress the sky, Hard enough to crack rocks. What am I?
Think about something that can exist in different forms or states, and how its properties change depending on those states...
Water. Explanation: Water can be in the form of a liquid, solid (ice), and/or a gas (water vapor) which is represented by "three lives". As a liquid, it is used to bathe, as a gas it creates clouds that float in the sky, and as a solid (ice), it can split rocks or create glaciers that scour the earth as they move downhill.
I'm in the book, but not on any leaf; I'm in the mouth, but not in lip or teeth; I'm in the atmosphere, but never in the air; I wait on every one, but never on a pair; I am with you wherever you may go; And every thing you do I'm sure to know; Though when you did it I should not be there, Yet when 'twas done, you'd find me in the chair.What am I?
Think about words that are often associated with presence, observation, and recording, and how they might relate to the different scenarios described in the riddle.
I am a food that explodes. But long before I explode, I am already dead. I can be small, I can be big, and I can be fragrant. My name is literal. What am I?
Think about a type of food that is often associated with a strong, pungent smell, and whose name is a literal description of its eventual fate...
You use me everyday but let me rest at night. I have an identical twin beside me all the time. For some reason you always cover me up. I am not alive but I have a soul. What am I?
Think about something you use daily, has a "twin" or duplicate part, and is often concealed or protected...
Face with a tree, skin like the sea. A great beast I am, yet vermin frightens me.
What am I?
Think about an animal that has a "face" or a distinctive feature resembling a tree, and its skin is reminiscent of the sea. Also, consider what kind of "vermin" might scare a large and powerful creature...
I came to prominence in the world during a time of trouble. I brought people together but helped keep them apart. I sound like I should go fast, but I am well known for taking too long to finish. What am I?
Think about a mode of communication that emerged during a time of global crisis, facilitated connection while maintaining physical distance, and has a name that suggests speed but is often associated with delay...
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...
One day, the police found a man dead inside a hut. In his left hand, he's holding a gun. In his right hand, he has a recording. When the recording is played, the police hear the man talking about how horrible life is and how he wants it to end. The recording ends with a gunshot. The police are about to call it a suicide until you point out a very important clue. What is it?
Pay close attention to the physical position of the man's hands...
The recording played a gunshot inside it. If the man committed suicide, he wouldn't have been able to stop the recording after he pulled the trigger.
Around the world, a wingless thing flies, and on the way it whistles and cries. Sometimes it helps destroy towns and trees, but sometimes it relaxes humans and beasts. It can fly through holes so tiny, so small. It can fly through plains that are big and wide. From the north, to the south, it is feared when it comes. But also enjoyed by the people around. What is the thing?
Think about something that can travel long distances, make sounds, and have both positive and negative effects on the environment and living things. It's not a living creature, but it can be found almost everywhere...
Say "silk" five times. Now, spell "silk." What do cows drink?
Think about the sounds you just made when saying "silk" five times...
Cows drink water. If you said "milk," Your brain is obviously over-stressed and may even overheat. It may be that you need to content yourself with reading something more appropriate such as "Children's World." Just Kidding.
There are four brothers in this world that were all born together. The first runs and never wearies. The second eats and is never full. The third drinks and is always thirsty. The fourth sings a song that is never good. What are the four brothers?
Think about the different elements of nature that are always present, yet never seem to change or be satisfied...
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...
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...
White bird, featherless, flyin' out o' paradise, flyin' over sea and land, dyin' in my hand. What is it?
Think about something that's often associated with paradise, and is typically white, but doesn't have feathers. Also, consider the phrase "dying in my hand" quite literally...
What is something you don't own but can give to anyone you meet? You only have one, but you can give it away as many times as you want without losing it. What is it?
Be you ever so quick, with vision keen, by your eyes, we are never seen. Unless perchance it should come to pass, you see our reflection in a looking glass. What are we?