Sally Johnson called 911 when she first noticed Theodore was missing, but the operator told her there was nothing the police could do until Theodore was missing for at least 24 hours. The 911 operator told Miss Johnson that Theodore would probably be found because, based on the description Sally had given of Theodore, the operator felt Theodore was not the type to run away from home. However, Miss Johnson wasn't willing to wait that long, so she sent her German shepherd dog out to look for him, after she had first let the dog have a sniff of the tiny sweater she had dressed Theodore in earlier that day. However, when the dog returned without Theodore, Sally considered calling the F.B.I., as she started thinking little Theodore might have been kidnapped. No ransom note or telephone call was received by Miss Johnson that day, however, so Sally began to systematically search her house. After frantically searching, Miss Johnson finally found Theodore in her basement --- in the washing machine --- still wet, after apparently having gone through a complete washing cycle! Why was the 911 operator so cavalier about the missing Theodore? Should D.C.F.S. be notified to investigate? Where was the adult supervision; or is there a simpler explanation for these events?
Here's a hint:
Think about the description of Theodore that Sally gave to the 911 operator...
Miss Sally Johnson was a seven-year-old child who watched a lot of T.V (especially police and detective shows), and had a vivid imagination. When she lost her teddy bear (Theodore), she never considered the possibility her mother had put him in the washing machine for a much-needed cleaning, as it had become soiled from Sally’s frequent use.
Peter likes tomatoes, but not potatoes; he likes cucumbers, but can't stand carrots; Peter also enjoys grapes, but not lettuce. And he likes squash, but not onions. Would Peter like pumpkins or apples more?
Think about the characteristics of the foods Peter likes and dislikes, and how they relate to the words themselves...
Peter would like pumpkins more, because he only likes fruits and vegetables that grow on vines. Pumpkins grow on vines, while apples do not.
Hidden in the poem below, a female's name you'll seek; just read and listen to the rhyme, but please, don't take a week! MYSTERY POEM: A pig that is not dirty, I might just one day see; but pigs and soap suds do not mix, in bathtub history! What is the female name you hear?
Pay attention to the words that sound similar to a female name when read aloud, especially in the first and last lines of the poem.
A famous magician and his daughter were seated inside a well-known establishment, along with a group of five other customers who were all waiting for service. The magician suddenly turned to his daughter, and told her to look through the window to her right where a bright blue car was parked. In majestic fashion, the magician then swept his arm toward the car and said, "Behold! I command you to rise!", and the car slowly began to rise to a height of one...two...three..., and finally stopped, suspended in mid-air, at a height of four feet! However, no one in the room appeared to be surprised or amazed by the magician's actions, and the magician's daughter was heard to say, "Daddy, you're a big ham." Why was no one in awe of the magician's abilities?
Think about where the magician and his daughter are seated...
The magician and his daughter were waiting in a local Firestone vehicle repair shop to have their car repaired. The magician noticed that a technician was about to raise a blue car on a hydronic lift to repair it, so he tried to take credit for the levitation. Needless to say, neither the other customers or his daughter were impressed.
1. Carnation, Peony, Tomato, Rose
2. North America, Australia, Asia, Canada
3. Dodgers, Cubs, Cowboys, Cardinals
4. Laugh, Giggle, Chuckle, Cry
5. Southeast, Southwest, Northeast, East
Which one does not belong to each line?
Here are the hints for each line:
1. Think about the common use of each item.
2. Consider the type of geographic entity in each option.
3. Notice the difference in the type of sports teams.
4. Pay attention to the emotions expressed by each word.
5. Look at the directions and think about what's missing.
1. Tomato because the others are all flowers.
2. Canada because the others are all continents.
3. Could be Dodgers because it starts with a D or could be Cowboys because the others are baseball teams.
4. Cry because the others are about happiness and being glad.
5. East because the others are intermediate directions.
Trains travel from one town to another town all day, always on the same track, always going nonstop and at the same speed. The noon train took 80 minutes to complete the trip, but the 4 PM train took an hour and 20 minutes. Why?
Think about the timing of the trains and how it might affect the duration of their trips...
There were two mothers and two daughters, and they all went fishing. All of them caught a fish but when they counted there were only three fish. How was this possible?
Think about family relationships and generations...
There were only three because there was a grandmother a mother and a daughter. The mother was the daughter to the grandmother and she was the mother to the mother and the daughter was the daughter to the mother.
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.
Even though the odds are always in favor of the gambling house, why does the establishment insist on a house limit on stakes?
Think about the impact of a single, extremely large bet on the house's finances...
Every casino in the world would go bankrupt without a house limit on stakes. Without it, gamblers would keep doubling their stakes until they won. No matter how bad a losing streak they were on, they would eventually win.
What starts with E, ends with E, but only contains one letter?
Think about something you might find in an envelope...
It's an envelope! You have to think about it literally; an "envelope" begins with E, ends with E, and only contains one letter–the "letter" is the letter you type/write. Some people believe it could be "eye" or "Eve" or "ewe", however, those things contain THREE letters (yes, you have to count the E's in each word because E is also a letter).
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.
How can this be true? Have a look at the picture. All the lines are straight, the shapes that make up the top picture are the same as the ones in the bottom picture so where does the gap come from?
"Think about the way the shapes are arranged, not just their individual forms..."
The green triangle has dimensions 2 x 5 and gradient 2 / 5 = 0.4 The red triangle has dimensions 3 x 8 and gradient 3 / 8 = 0.375 Hence the gradient of the green triangle is greater than that of the red triangle.
The distance from the Earth to the Sun is about 100 million miles. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, and light takes eight minutes to reach the Earth from the Sun. Let's say the Sun rose at 6am this morning, and that by some freak of physics the speed of light is suddenly doubled to 372,000 miles a second.
What time will the Sun rise tomorrow?
Think about what the speed of light has to do with the Sun rising...
6am again. After all, what diffrence does the speed of light make to the answer? It's irrelevant- only the speed of the roation of the Earth matters here.
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.
A triangle has sides of 13, 18 and 31 inches. What is the triangle's area?
Think Pythagoras!
Zero. The two shorter sides of a triangle, when added together (13+18=31), must be greater than the third or longest side (31) for it to be a triangle by definition. Therefore, the result would be two parallel lines with an area of 0.
A group of campers have been on vacation so long, that they've forgotten the day of the week. The following conversation ensues.
Darryl: What's the day? I don't think it is Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
Tracy: Well that doesn't narrow it down much. Yesterday was Sunday.
Melissa: Yesterday wasn't Sunday, tomorrow is Sunday.
Ben: The day after tomorrow is Saturday.
Adrienne: The day before yesterday was Thursday.
Susie: Tomorrow is Saturday.
David: I know that the day after tomorrow is not Friday.
If only one person's statement is true, what day of the week is it?
"Pay attention to the contradictions, and find the one statement that doesn't contradict any of the others."
It is Wednesday. If it was any other day of the week, more than one statement would be true. To solve the riddle, evaluate each person's statement and write down what day it could be according to the statement. David's statement indicates it could be any day of the week except for Wednesday. When you list the days that it could be according to everyone's statement, it turns out Wednesday is the day mentioned only one time. Darryl: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday Tracy: Monday Melissa: Saturday Ben: Thursday Adrienne: Saturday Susie: Friday David: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday
There is a bus full of people travelling to San Francisco and no one gets off the bus throughout the journey. But when it gets to the other side there is not a single person left. How is this possible?
Think about the purpose of the bus and the type of people on it...
It's 7:00 am. You are asleep and there is a sudden knock on the door. Behind the door are your parents, who came to have breakfast. In your fridge: bread, milk (pasteurized!), juice, and a jar of jam. What do you open first?
Think about what you need to do before you can even start preparing breakfast...
Four legs I do have, yet I never walk. I work not, yet I have food. All the food I get, none do I eat but you do. I cannot read yet many times I'm found with books. I am only but a carpenter's work. What am I?
Think about a common object found in a library or a study room, often associated with books, but not alive, and not capable of eating or walking...
You can hear me and feel me but you can't see me or smell me, yet everyone has a taste in me. I can be created, but after that only remembered. What am I?
"Think about an experience that evokes emotions and sensations, but is intangible and fleeting..."
I am a puzzle with a wordy facade. There's always an answer, even if it seems odd. Only the clever can understand my code. If you don't answer, then you'll never know. What am I?
Think about a type of puzzle where the answer is always there, even if it's not immediately clear, and the cleverness required to solve it lies in deciphering a hidden meaning or pattern...
I am an object. I move from left to right. Anytime I move, I bleed on what is below me. I can't move without you. I move only when you uses me. What am I?
Think about something you use to write or draw, and the "bleeding" might make more sense...
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...
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 center of gravity, hold a capital situation in Vienna, and as I am foremost in every victory, am allowed by all to be invaluable. Though I am invisible, I am clearly seen in the midst of a river. I could name three who are in love with me and have three associates in vice. It is vain that you seek me for I have long been in heaven yet even now lie embalmed in the grave. What am I?
"Think about a concept, not a physical object, and consider the multiple meanings of the words used in the riddle, especially those that can be interpreted as both literal and figurative."
People who can't see me never aspire, and people who feel me don't want to lose. I fit for a person, but not for a group. I was born into one's consciousness, and I was repressed into rules and order. If a person wants to get me, he has to abandon the views of others and find his true self. I endure, I don't die forever, because there will always be person willing to follow my trail. What am I?
Think about something that is deeply personal and individual, yet often influenced by the opinions of others. It's something that can be lost or found, and its existence is closely tied to one's sense of identity.
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.
In the land of forgotten past, where logic falters and chaos lasts, I whisper quietly through the veil, a cryptic message, delicate and frail. First, you'll seek the titan's home, where footsteps dwindle in silver foam. A cosmic dance of two in sync, their secret lies within the brink. Second, venture to the ancient tale, where elements meet and logic fails. The fifth in line, a metal's pride, with water's touch, it must divide. Third, within the sequence known, a pattern's end, infinitely grown. The first to break, the last to stay, it marches on, in ordered sway. Combine these three, a code is made; the answer hidden, a secret shade. Now, solve the riddle, if you dare, and seek the answer, hidden where?
**Hint:** "Pay attention to the celestial bodies and their movements, as well as the periodic table of elements. The answer lies at the intersection of astronomy and chemistry."
"A cosmic dance of two in sync" refers to Janus and Epimetheus, two moons of Saturn that share the same orbital path and swap positions, in what is sometimes referred to as a "cosmic dance." The fifth in line, a metal's pride, with water's touch, it must divide: The fifth element in the periodic table is Boron (B). It's a metalloid, so it shares properties with both metals and non-metals. Boron will react with water at high temperatures, dividing or breaking apart. The second clue points to Boron. The first to break, the last to stay, it marches on, in ordered sway: In the Fibonacci sequence, the first number to "break" the pattern is 4 because it doesn't fit the pattern of summing the two preceding numbers. This may be the third clue's answer. Combining these three answers, we get: Janus and Epimetheus, Boron, and 4. While this combination doesn't lead to a specific location or concept, we can interpret the riddle's last line: Combine these three, a code is made; the answer hidden, a secret shade. The riddle itself is the answer, a secret hidden in the veil of its cryptic language. The joy of the riddle lies in solving the clues and piecing together the puzzle. In this case, the destination is the journey itself.
Four kings of whom I am one lord. Often on deck but never on board. Though I have a large heart, I am always seen at war. During which I always wear a suit, but never a suit of armor. Who am I?
Think about a game where strategy and skill are key, and the "war" is more of a mental battle...
Mr. Steve lives in a mansion. He is very rich. He's so rich that he has a maid, a cook, a butler, and a lifeguard. Yesterday, Mr. Steve was found dead. The chief detective was coming from Sunday church to investigate. The police were already there. They caught 6 suspects. The maid, the butler, the cook, the lifeguard, the postman, and Mrs. Steve. The maid said she was dusting. The butler said he was playing a board game with Mr. Steve's sons. The cook said he was making dinner. The lifeguard said he was watching Mr. Steve's daughter swim in the pool. The postman said he was delivering mail. Mrs. Steve said she was watching TV. Who is lying? You only have one chance because if you choose incorrectly, you accuse the wrong person and the true killer gets away.
Here's a hint: Think about the circumstances of Mr. Steve's death and the activities each suspect claims to have been doing at the time. Ask yourself: Who is the one person who couldn't have been doing what they claim, given the fact that Mr. Steve was found dead?
The postman was lying. If the chief detective was coming from church, then you know that the post office doesn't deliver mail on Sunday.
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)
A wealthy man named Richard Ellis had been counting his money. When he finished, he accidentally left a $100.00 bill on his desk. But when he returned for it a short while later, it was gone. Only two other people could have seen the bill. One was the maid; the other was the butler. The maid told him that she had hidden it for safekeeping under a green book that was on the desk. But when they looked the bill was not there. The butler said he had found the bill where the maid had left it. He had placed it inside the book, where he thought there was less chance that somebody would find it. He had written down the page numbers so that he would not forget them. The bill was between pages 35 and 36, he said. But when they looked, there was no money in the book. After Mr. Ellis had talked to the maid and the butler, he called the police. He knew who had taken the money. Who was it, and how did he know?
Think about the butler's statement... Did he really write down the page numbers, or was he just trying to sound convincing?
The butler did it. Mr. Ellis knew the butler was lying because pages 35 and 36 in a book are always printed on opposite sides of the same piece of paper.