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.
A world-famous magician and his young assistant were observed walking slowly along in a department store when suddenly they both stopped walking and began to slowly rise from the floor. The two continued to rise majestically until they had reached a height of 20 feet. Numerous store customers and a security guard witnessed the event, but no one seemed shocked by what they had seen, and no report of the occurrence ever reached the news media. The secrets of magic are not supposed to be revealed, but how would you speculate the magician and his assistant accomplished this feat, and why didn't the onlookers express amazement?
Hint: Think about the department store's layout and a common feature often found in them...
The magician and his assistant were simply using an escalator to go up to the next floor in the department store.
I have seven yellow pencils, seven red pencils, and seven blue pencils. I have to divide them into two groups; the first group has to have three fewer yellow pencils than the second group, the second group should have one more red pencil than the first group, and the first group should have five more blue pencils than the second group. How many blue pens would be in each pile?
Think about the constraints on the yellow and red pencils, and how they might "balance out" in each group. The question is asking about blue pencils, but the answer might not be a straightforward division of the 7 blue pencils...
Ainsley was having breakfast at her favorite café. She went to the bathroom, leaving her smartphone near her food. When Ainsley returned to her seat, she realized that her device was gone; she also looked just in time to see a man rushing out of the café. When she reached the man, Ainsley asked him to give her her device, but the man said, "I know nothing about your smartphone!". As soon as Ainsley heard these words, she took her device back and called the police. Why?
The hint is: Pay attention to the man's words, literally.
How did the man know that Ainsley's device was a smartphone?
A mad chef forces you to cook breakfast for him; if he likes it, he'll set you free, but if not, you'll stay with him forever. While you're at the stove cooking something up, the chef dumps an entire container of salt into the pot you're cooking with. But when you serve breakfast, the chef realizes he'll have to let you go. What did you cook for him?
Think about something you can cook that would actually benefit from a large amount of salt being added to it...
You cooked some boiled eggs. No matter how much salt is added to the pot, the boiled eggs won't be salty.
A story was recently reported by a non-newspaper periodical concerning a residential invasion committed by a man and a woman. The couple was observed to be wearing blue jeans, work gloves, and straw hats as they carried out their dirty deed. These two perpetrators reportedly entered the residence (which was surrounded by a protective fence), pulled the inhabitants from their beds, and then carried them away. To protect these innocents, only the nicknames of the victims were listed in the article. The nicknames given were as follows: Bea, Tom, Gus, Elery, Cab, and Kale. No one ever called the police to report these events, even though several of the neighbors were aware of it, and the incident was never covered by any TV or radio station. In fact, when all of the neighbors learned of this occurrence, they warmly congratulated the couple who had performed this deed. How callous these neighbors must be. Have they no hearts or compassion; or is there some less sinister explanation for the events described above?
Think about a common, harmless activity that involves removing people from a specific place, and the nicknames might just give it away...
The nicknames of the victims were Bea (beans), Tom (tomatoes), Gus (asparagus), Elery (celery), Cab (cabbage), and Kale (kale). The perpetrators were a couple who were harvesting vegetables from their garden.
Hannah became very tired while driving. She decided to stop at a nearby two-story hotel and stay there for the night. The receptionist said that her hotel room number is 604; he even offered to show Hannah where it was. Hannah didn't believe him; she rushed back to her car, hopped inside, and sped away. Why?
Think about the physical characteristics of a two-story hotel...
The first digit of a hotel room number usually indicates the floor it is on. Room 604 is supposed to be on the sixth floor, but the hotel only has two floors.
A man has to take a dog, a cat, and a mouse across a river. He can only take one of the animals across at a time. If he takes the mouse, the dog will eat the cat. If he takes the dog, the cat will eat the mouse. How does he get the three animals across the river?
Think about the order in which the man takes the animals across the river, and how he can ensure that the dog and cat are never left together, and the cat and mouse are never left together.
1. The man takes the cat across and goes back to get the mouse. 2. The man then takes the mouse across and returns with the cat. 3. The man leaves the cat on the shore and takes the dog across. He leaves the dog with the mouse. 4. The man goes back to get the cat and all of the animals have made it across the river!
Name a five letter word which has three consonants all the same and two different vowels. Every now and then you see this while running a Windows 95/98 on your PC. What is it?
Think about a common graphical element you'd see on an old Windows desktop...
Whether the weather is hot or cold, I will take you wherever you need to go. The direction you take will determine the place. There may be the most difficult roads, but they often lead to the most beautiful destinations. What am I?
Think about something that can be used in various weather conditions, and its purpose is to guide or direct you to a specific location...
I Make Reading A Challenge, And That Can Cause Some Damage. I Am Difficult To Manage, But When That Happens, The Passage Is Much Less Savage. I Make Many People Frown, But The Answer Is Just To Slow Down. I Know This Is Not What You Had Planned, I Just Hope You Will Understand. What Am I?
Think about something that can make reading more difficult, but when controlled, makes the text more pleasant to read. It's often associated with a pace or speed...
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."
Tom and his younger sister were fighting. Their mother was tired of the fighting and decided to punish them by making them stand on the same piece of newspaper in such a way that they couldn't touch each other. How did she accomplish this?
Tom's mother slid a newspaper under a door, each sibling standing on each side.
Mr. Green, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Black meet up for coffee one Monday morning. Mr. Green says, "Hey, do you realize that we're all wearing shirts of colors that don't match our names?". The man wearing the brown shirt says, "Wow, Mr. Green, you're right"! What colored shirt is each man wearing?
Think about what the man wearing the brown shirt says...
Mr. Green cannot be wearing the green shirt, because his statement that all three men are wearing shirts that don't match their names is correct. And he cannot be wearing the brown shirt, because the man wearing the brown shirt replied to his words, and let's be honest–it doesn't make sense to reply to your OWN words, right? This means Mr. Green can only be wearing the black shirt. Mr. Brown can either be wearing a green or a black shirt. The black shirt is already taken, so Mr. Brown is wearing the green shirt. And Mr. Black is wearing the brown shirt.
If you were to put a coin into an empty bottle and then insert a cork into the neck, how could you remove the coin without taking out the cork or breaking the bottle?
Think about using something you might find in a kitchen to help you out...
Push the cork into the bottle and shake the coin out!
A man buys a rope from a woman for $3.00 and hands the woman a $10 bill. The woman goes into the grocery store next door to get change. She returns and gives the man $7.00. After the man leaves, the clerk from the store comes and says, "Hey, that was a counterfeit bill you gave me." The woman gives the clerk a good bill.
How much has the woman lost?
Think about the flow of money and what the woman is left with at the end...
James ordered a fishing rod, priced at $3.56. Unfortunately, James is an Eskimo who lives in a very remote part of Greenland and the import rules there forbid any package longer than 4 feet to be imported. The fishing rod was 4 feet and 1 inch, just a little too long, so how can the fishing rod be mailed to James without breaking the rules? Ideally, James would like the fishing rod to arrive in one piece!
Think outside the box (or package)! Consider the orientation of the fishing rod during shipping...
Insert the fishing rod into a box which measures 4 feet on all sides, the fishing rod will fit within the diagonal of the box with room to spare.
A man ordered a length of rope by telephone from his nearest hardware shop. But when he went to collect the rope, he found that the assistant had miswritten the order by interchanging feet and inches. As a result of this, the rope was only 30 percent of the length that the man wanted. What length did he want and what length did he get?
Think about the relationship between feet and inches, and how swapping them would affect the length...
The man ordered 9 feet 2 inches of rope, and got 2 feet 9 inches.
A boy has as many sisters as brothers, but each sister has only half as many sisters as brothers.
How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?
When completed in 1889 the Eiffel Tower was something of a sensation. Designed by the French engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel its height is 492 feet plus half its own height.
How high is the Eiffel tower?
Two wine merchants arrive at the gates of Paris. One has 64 and the other 20 barrels of wine. Since they have not enough money to pay the custom duties, the first pays 40 francs and 5 barrels of wine. The second pays 2 barrels of wine but receives 40 francs in change.
What is the value of each barrel of wine and what is the duty payable?
"Think about the total value of goods and duties paid by each merchant, and how they relate to each other..."
The value of a barrel is 120 francs and the duty is 10 francs a barrel.
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.
A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him underwater for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?
Think about a profession that involves developing photographs...
The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.
Simon Simpleton was born in London, England. His mother was Welsh and his father Scottish. When Simon was eight his mother died. When Simon was ten his father married an Irish women and suddenly Simon had an Irish sister. When Simon was twenty four he graduated as a lawyer and took a job in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is now sixty six. Why can he not be buried on the banks of Loch Lomond in his favourite village of Luss, in Bonnie Scotland?
Think about Simon's nationality and the laws that govern burial in Scotland...
Two teams were playing soccer against each other. One player from Team One scored a hat trick (triple goal). Their teammates were very happy. But when he scored the fourth goal, their teammates scolded him instead. How could this be possible?
A girl walked into a bar and ordered some water. The bartender then threw a big hairy spider at her. A few minutes later, the girl thanked the man and walked out. Why?
Think about phobias and what might have happened before the girl walked into the bar...
The girl had the hiccups and the man scared them away by throwing the big hairy spider at her.
Some are Precious, Some are Plain, Some Used for Building, Some Used for Pain. What am I?
Think about something that can be valuable and coveted, yet also ordinary and unremarkable. It's something that can be used to create and construct, but also to hurt and harm. The answer is something you might find in a treasure chest, a construction site, or a medicine cabinet...
I wiggled and cannot see, sometimes underground and sometimes on a tree. I really don't want to be on a hook, and I become a person when combined with a book. What am I?
Think about something that can be found in nature, has a wiggly movement, and is often associated with being hidden or buried...
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...
I'm used for a lot of things, I'm used for flowers, plants, food and sometimes for decoration, I come in different colors and shapes and I break if you don't take care of me. What am I?
I am a word of three syllables, each of which is a word; my first is an article in common use; my second, an animal of uncommon intelligence; my third, though not an animal, is used in carrying burdens. My whole is a useful art. What am I?
Think about a type of skill or craft that involves carrying or holding things, and pay close attention to the words that make up the description - they might be more literal than you think!
My dress is tranquil when I tread the earth, or dwell at home, or drift on the water. Sometimes my wings and this wide sky lift me over the dwellings of men, and then strong clouds carry me over the people. My ornaments echo loudly and melodiously, Illustriously sing when I am not near the earth and stream, a sailing spirit.
What am I?
"Think about something that can move through different environments (land, home, water, air) and makes a beautiful sound when it's not grounded..."
I build up castles. I tear down mountains. I make some men blind, I help others to see. What am I?
Think about something that can be used to create grand structures, but also has the power to destroy or alter the natural landscape. It's something that can be both constructive and destructive, and its effects can be felt by people in different ways...
A time when they are green, a time when they're brown, but both of these times, cause me to frown. But just in between, for a very short while, They're perfect and yellow and cause me to smile!
What am I talking about here?
Think about something you might find in a fruit bowl, and how your emotions change depending on its ripeness...
One of the four words does not belong with the other three. Which word does not belong? What is it that the others have in common?
1. Green, yellow, red, blue. 2. April, December, November, June. 3. Cirrus, calculus, cumulus, stratus. 4. Carrots, radishes, potatoes, cabbages. 5. Fork, comb, rake, shovel.
Think about the categories that each group of words belongs to, and look for the one word in each group that doesn't fit the common theme or characteristic shared by the other three words.
1. Green. Yellow, red and blue are primary colors, green is not.
2. December. The other months have only 30 days.
3. Calculus. The others are cloud types.
4. Cabbage. The others are vegetables that grow underground.
5. Shovel. The others have prongs.
Think about something that can be present in a room, yet doesn't occupy any physical area... It's not a living thing, but it can be felt by everyone in the room.
My name is Jeff. I changed my name to Joe. Then I changed my name to Dilly Bar. I then changed my name to Jimmy. I changed my name once again, it was John. What is my name?
Think about a popular brand that sells frozen treats, and how their product names might be related to the names mentioned in the riddle...
Jeff, because at the top it says my name is Jeff, and my name WAS John. Which implies I changed it again.
Out of a man's mouth it comes forth, lightening hearts and inspiring souls to be steadfast. Tales of old it tells, of warriors and kings, of castles and dungeons. It tells of sunshine and hills, flowers and grass. Of food and drink it encourages you to press on, of fantasies it gives you rest and delight. It carries on through ages and never an ending does it find. 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?
There were four friends. Joff, Sarah, Edward, and Peter. One day, Peter was found dead in the living room. Before dying, he wrote 11022 with blood. Edward called the police. The suspects were Sarah: I was swimming in the swimming pool. Edward: I was painting. Joff: I went to grab a snack, when I can back Peter was already dead. Who the killer?
The hint is: Pay attention to the numbers Peter wrote in blood...
It was Joff. 1:January 10:October 2: February 2:February Take the first letters and you get Joff