Two women sit staring and glaring at each other across a small table. Although the two women don't appear to be friendly toward each other, they do eventually hold each other's hands. A man approaches, puts his hand on top of theirs, and says to them, "I hope I don't have to use the strap on you two." A few seconds later he quickly removes his hand, and shouts out one word to the women. Both women immediately become very tense. What is the word the man shouts to the women, and what in the world is going on here?
Think about a situation where two people might be in a tense, competitive relationship, and a third person is overseeing their interaction...
The word the man shouts to the women is, "Go!" This is the way most women's arm wrestling competitions start, and hopefully the wrist straps, to keep their hands from slipping apart, won't have to be used.
Ralph is a very controlling person who totally dominates his partner, Sam. When Sam is in Ralph's presence, Sam is never allowed to speak, eat, or drink anything without Ralph's permission. Perhaps this is because Ralph is 6 feet six inches tall, and Sam, being less than 5 feet tall, is intimidated by Ralph's stature. Whatever the cause, most people hearing these facts would think this situation is nearly criminal; but not Sam. In fact, there are certain times when Ralph gives him permission, that Sam speaks some very sarcastic words right to Ralph's face, and sometimes even verbally abuses Ralph. In retaliation, Ralph once again silences Sam, deciding when and if Sam should ever be allowed to speak. Ralph, when in the presence of others with Sam, appears to put on a good front by putting his hand on Sam's back, hoping to show his friendship and concern for Sam. Why hasn't anyone called DCFS on behalf of poor Sam --- and what about Sam's right to free speech; or are things not quite what they appear to be? Just what is going on here?
Think about a situation where someone's "permission" is necessary for another person to "speak, eat, or drink" - but it's not about abuse or control. Consider a context where Ralph's "stature" is relevant, but not just because of his height.
"May Day! May Day! May Day! May Day!" shouted an angry wife to her cringing husband. "This is my official warning for you to remove that dead plant from this house before the stroke of midnight tonight!" "But it holds a lot of sweet memories from last year for me," responded her husband. His wife fired back with, "Today is the first of May, and you should have removed your precious plant from the premises months ago. Besides, it is both dead and brown and is now as sharp as a cactus, and to top it off, it has become a genuine fire hazard." Her husband sheepishly answered her by saying,” Well, I was hoping to set a Guinness world record for the family; but if I must dispose of it, the least you can do is help me remove all the shiny stuff from it first. What kind of a plant do you suppose this was which could create such a strange-sounding argument between this husband and wife?
Hint: Think about a type of plant that is often associated with a specific holiday or celebration, and consider what "shiny stuff" might be attached to it.
The husband was having trouble parting with his beloved Christmas tree which was still standing in all of its tinseled glory in their living room, since it was erected in December of the previous year.
"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.
You place a cup of coffee in front of your friend. You then ask your friend, "What's before you?". Your friend answers, "Tea,". Why is this answer correct?
Think about the words, not the objects.
If the answer to your question was "coffee", you would have never asked such a simple question. In fact, the question and answer were a play on words; you were asking your friend what comes before the letter U (you) in the alphabet. The letter T (tea) comes before the letter U, so your friend's answer was correct after all.
A rookie police officer was working his assigned beat, but to make his job a little more interesting, he decided to bring his radar gun along with him. He began testing the gun by pointing it at various moving objects to determine their speed. He noted people were moving between one and three miles per hour; however, when he pointed his radar gun away from the crowd of people there, the gun suddenly read 80 M.P.H. Again he pointed it in the same direction, and he got a speed reading of 85 M.P.H. He continued pointing the radar gun toward the same general area for the next 30 minutes and recorded speeds ranging between 60 and 95 miles per hour. Considering the fact there were numerous people milling about the area he was patrolling, why do you suppose he never once reported any of these high speeds to his department? For the safety of all of these people, shouldn't a speed trap be set up or speeding tickets issued? What exactly was going on here?
Think about where the police officer might be standing, and what might be nearby that could be moving at such high speeds...
The rookie police officer was assigned to patrol a minor league baseball game. Most of his radar readings came from his pointing the gun at the various pitches the opposing pitchers were throwing during the game.
In 2000, a 40-year-old doctor told his son that when a little boy he decided to be a doctor by seeing a internet web site about performing a heart transplant on a puppy with a defective heart so that the puppy would live a normal life. I then thought that I would be a doctor so that I could help people in a similar way. What is the defect in this story?
Think about the timeline: when did the internet become widely available, and when was the first heart transplant performed?
The internet did not exist when the doctor was a little boy.
I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg, I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole, I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole. What am I?
Think about something that's often associated with breakfast, has a structural component, and can be found in various lengths...
Two women and two doctors walk into an ice cream parlor. They each order an ice cream cone. When their ice creams come, there is only 1 strawberry,1 chocolate and 1 vanilla.
How come they didn't complain?
Think about the relationships between the two women and the two doctors...
Carl is trying to find solutions to a geometric puzzle. He has a square plot of land that he needs to reserve 1/4 for himself and divide the remaining 3/4 equally and in a similar shape, among his 4 children. There are two possible solutions. Can you solve the puzzle?
Think about dividing the square into smaller squares, and then rearranging those smaller squares to create four equal shapes for the children...
Solution #1 - Squares
First, Carl divides his as to reserve to himself one-fourth in the form of a square.
Then, Carl takes the remaining 3/4 shape and scales it down by 1/4. He then, multiplies the shape into 4 identically shaped pieces, and aranges them so that they fit into the original 3/4 shape.
Solution #2 - Rectangles
First, create a triangle that is 1/4 the size of the square.
Now, with straight lines, create two squares.
Proceed to disect the two squares with horizontal lines creating 4 triangles.
Then, disect one of the resultuing triangles from each square. The shape of land for each of his four children is divided evenly and is the same shape.
Find the four digit number in which the first digit is one fourth of the last digit, the second digit is 6 times the first digit, and the third digit is the second digit plus 3. What is it?
Think about a simple multiplication table to crack the code...
A man was found murdered in his own house on a Sunday morning. His wife called the police. The police questioned the wife and got the following alibis: The wife said she was sleeping. The Cook said he was making breakfast. The gardener said he was picking vegetables. The maid said she was getting the post. The Butler (a personal assistant) said that he was cleaning the closet. The police instantly arrested the murderer. Who did it and how did they know?
Pay close attention to the day of the week mentioned in the riddle...
A little girl named Sasha was left home alone with her butler, chef, and gardener. Sasha's parents went out on a date night and came home and found their daughter stabbed to death. The police questioned the chef first the gardener second and the butler last. The chef said, "I was in the kitchen preparing dinner for my little Sasha I would never do anything to hurt my princess". The gardener said, " I was outside working on the plants...I was about to come in and take a shower". And the butler said, " I was cleaning Sasha's room...I didn't even have a knife on me anyway so I couldn't of killed her". Automatically the cops knew who it was and arrested them. Who and How?
Here's a hint:
Pay close attention to the statements made by each suspect, and think about what they say about their activities and locations at the time of the murder. In particular, consider what the butler says about not having a knife on them...
The butler because the cops never mentioned that she was stabbed with a knife.
There are 10 people in an empty, square room. Each person has full sight of the entire room and everyone in it without turning his head or body or moving in any way (other than the eyes). Where can you place an apple so that all but one person can see it?
A guy bet his neighbor 50 bucks that his dog could jump higher than a house. Thinking this was not possible, the neighbor took the bet and lost.
Why did he lose the bet?
The things I bite, they don't bleed,
I don't bite until you push me;
I bring my victims together each time I bite,
But they'll come undone if you pull it just right.
What am I?
Think about something you use every day, often without even realizing it, and which has a very specific purpose...
I can be any color you can imagine. You see me in everyday life. I have been around for many, many years, look around, you can probably see some of me right now.
What am I?
Think about something that surrounds you, something you might be sitting on, walking on, or even wearing...
Sometimes I'm in an onion, sometimes I'm in a lamp. Sometimes I'm in the form of garlic, sometimes I'm in the form of asparagus. And I'm usually very bright. What am I?
Think about the different forms mentioned, and how they're all related to a specific aspect of food...
Sometimes I shine, sometimes I’m dull, sometimes I am big, and sometimes I am small. I can be pointy, I can be curved, and don't ask me questions because even though I'm sharp, I’m not smart enough to answer you. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a pencil case or a desk drawer...
What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word?
"Start with a common, everyday activity..."
The word is "starting". Remove the middle "T" and you have "staring", Remove the "A" and you get "string", remove the "R" then you have "sting", remove the "T" and you get "sing". Remove the "G", and you get "sin", remove the "S" and you're left with "in", and finally, remove the "N" and you're left with "I".
Never resting, never still. Moving silently from hill to hill. It does not walk, run or trot, All is cool where it is not. What is it?
Think about something that can move across the landscape without making a sound, and its presence is often associated with a decrease in temperature...
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?
As destructive as life, As healing as death; An institutioner of strife, Just as prone to bless. It is all that is good, Yet with an evil trend; As it was the beginning of things, It can also be the end. What is it?
"Think about a force that can bring both creation and destruction, and is often associated with contradictory qualities."
A riddle in which the answer is a 6 letter word.
A monument - men all agree - am I in all sincerity. Half cat, half hindrance made. If head and tail removed should be, then most of all you strengthen me; replace my head, then stand you see on which my tail is laid. What is it?
Think about a structure that people often agree to visit or admire, and consider how the words "head" and "tail" might have different meanings in this context.
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