My thunder comes before the lightning; My lightning comes before the clouds; My rain dries all the land it touches. What am I?
Think about a phenomenon that's not necessarily a natural weather occurrence, but rather a human-made event that can have a significant impact on the environment...
A volcano.
You are on an island in the middle of a lake. The lake is in a remote part of the country and there has never been a bridge connecting the island to the mainland. Every day a tractor and wagon gives hay rides around the island. Puzzled as to how the tractor had gotten onto the island, you ask around and find out that the tractor was not transported to the island by boat or by air. Nor was it built on the island. Explain how the tractor got there?
Here's a hint: Think about the island's past, not its present.
It was driven over in winter, when the lake was frozen.
Almost everyone sees me without noticing me, For what is beyond is what he or she seeks. What am I?
"Look closely at the edge of your attention..."
A window.
I can travel from there to here by disappearing, and here to there by reappearing. What am I?
Think about something that can be present in one place, then cease to exist, only to reappear in another place... It's not a living thing, but it's often associated with movement or travel.
The letter T.
Imagine you are in a room, with no doors windows, or anything. How do you get out?
Think outside the box... or should I say, think about the box itself?
Stop imagining.
A pipe, a carrot, and a couple sticks are lying together in a field. Why?
Think about a common activity people do in a field, especially during a specific season...
They're what is left of a melted snowman.
You're both in and outside of me; You guide me but don't ride me; I can make a statement with a tongue but no mouth. What am I?
Think about the words and language, and how they relate to the human body...
Shoes.
If two peacocks lay two eggs in two days how many eggs does one peacock lay in four days?
Think about the biology of peacocks...
Peacocks don't lay eggs.
You heard me before, Yet you hear me again, Then I die, 'Till you call me again. What am I?
Think about something that is repeated, has a life cycle, and is often summoned or initiated by humans...
I am an echo.
What never gets any wetter, no matter how much it rains?
Think about something that's always "exposed" to the rain, but its "essence" remains unchanged...
The sea.
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"!
The fat dog is the mother.
Which one of Santa's reindeer do you see at a competition?
Think about a type of competition where you might see a reindeer with a similar-sounding name...
Dancer.
I say everything I hear to others around. I'm not an animal, nor part of the human race. I will, immediately, repeat after you; But only if my tail is in place. What am I?
Think about something you often find in a public space, where people gather and converse...
A microphone.
I am born in fear, raised in truth, and I come to my own in deed. When comes a time that I'm called forth, I come to serve the cause of need. What am I?
"Think about a concept that is often associated with emergency situations, and the words 'fear', 'truth', and 'need' might give you a clue..."
Courage.
I have two arms, but fingers none. I have two feet, but cannot run. I carry well, but I have found I carry best with my feet OFF the ground. What am I?
Think about an object that is often used to carry or transport things, and is typically more stable or effective when it's not touching the ground...
A Wheelbarrow.
A man went on a trip with a fox, a goose and a sack of corn. He came upon a stream which he had to cross and found a tiny boat to use to cross the stream. He could only take himself and one other - the fox, the goose, or the corn - at a time. He could not leave the fox alone with the goose or the goose alone with the corn. How does he get all safely over the stream?
Think about the order in which the man transports each item, and how he can ensure that no combination of fox, goose, and corn is left together unsupervised at any point.
Take the goose over first and come back. Then take the fox over and bring the goose back. Now take the corn over and come back alone to get the goose. Take the goose over and the job is done!
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...
80 minutes is the same as an hour and 20 minutes.
What has no hands but might knock on your door, and if it does you better open up?
Think about something that can "knock" on your door, but isn't a living being...
Opportunity.
It goes up, but at the same time goes down. Up toward the sky, and down toward the ground. It's present tense and past tense too, come for a ride, just me and you. What is it?
Think about something that has a dual nature, where its direction or state seems to contradict itself. Consider an everyday activity that involves movement, and pay attention to the verb tenses used in the riddle.
A See-Saw.
How many months have 28 days?
Think about the minimum number of days a month can have...
All of them.
I move without wings, between silken strings, I leave as you find, my substance behind. What am I?
The hint is: Think about something that you might find in a spider's web.
A Spider.
What goes through a door but never goes in or comes out?
Think about the words on a door, rather than what passes through it...
A keyhole.
What has a spine, but no bones?
Think about something you might find on a shelf...
A book.
We capture light, and yet we don't. We reflect rays of sun, and yet we don't. Without us all the world is gray and dull for everyone. What are we?
Think about something that enhances the way we see the world, but doesn't actually absorb or hold onto light...
Colors.
Heart of stone within a tree, I'll help your words to outlive thee. But if you push me as I stand, the more I move, the less I am. What am I?
Think about a common object found in nature, often associated with writing and communication, that has a hard inner core and can be affected by external forces...
A pencil.
Why is a bad pin like a broken lead pencil?
Think about what makes a pin "bad" and what makes a lead pencil "broken"... Both have something in common that makes them useless for their intended purposes.
Because it has no point.
I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I'll make it lighter. What am I?
Think about something that takes up space, but doesn't add mass...
A hole.
Each morning I appear to lie at your feet, all day I will follow no matter how fast you run, yet I nearly perish In the midday sun. What am I?
Think about something that is always present, yet changes shape and form throughout the day, and is often affected by the sun's position...
Your shadow.
Late afternoons I often bathe. I'll soak in water piping hot. My essence goes through my see through clothes. Used up am I; I've gone to pot. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, especially around tea time...
I'm a tea bag!
One word in this sentence is misspelled. What word is it?
Look closely at the sentence itself, rather than the words within it.
MISSPELLED. It isn't spelled wrong, the one word in this sentence IS "misspelled."
Two sentries were on duty outside a barracks. One faced up the road to watch for anyone approaching from the North. The other looked down the road to see if anyone approached from the South. Suddenly one of them said to the other, "Why are you smiling?" How did he know that his companion was smiling?
Think about the sentries' positions and what they can see... or not see.
Although the guards were looking in opposite directions, they were not back to back. They were facing each other.
There are 3 apples for 2 sons and 2 fathers to eat. Each of them get their own apple. How is it numerically possible?
Think about family relationships...
They are one son, one father and one grandfather.
What is so fragile that when you say its name you break it?
Silence...
Silence.
A man goes out drinking every night, returning to his home in the wee hours of every morning. No matter how much he drinks, he never gets a hangover. This drink is very well known, but is rarely consumed, served warm and taken straight from its source. The man is a sucker for a free drink, especially since he can't live without it. What is his favorite drink?
Think about a daily routine that involves a "drink" that's essential for survival, and the "source" might be closer than you think...
Blood, he's a vampire!
Which clock works best, the one that loses a minute a day, or the one that doesn't work at all?
Think about the concept of "working best" in a more philosophical sense, rather than just literal time-keeping accuracy.
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).
I can slash but I have no knife, I can dash but I have no legs, I can pound but I have no hammer, I can star but I have no stage. What am I?
Think about the words "slash", "dash", "pound", and "star" in a context where they're not literal actions, but rather... keyboard inputs!
A Keyboard.
What is Greater than God, worse than evil, the poor have it, the rich require it and if you eat it you die?
Think about something that is abstract, yet universal, and can be perceived differently by different people...
Nothing. Nothing is better than God. Nothing is worse than evil. The poor have nothing. The rich don't have anything they have everything. If you eat nothing you die.
What does man love more than life Fear more than death or mortal strife What the poor have, the rich require, and what contented men desire, What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves And all men carry to their graves?
Think about something that is universally valued, yet often overlooked, and is present in every stage of life...
Nothing.
A man rides into town on Friday. He stays two nights. How does he leave on Tuesday?
Think about the name of the horse he rode into town on...
His horse was called Friday.
I have many teeth and sometimes they're fine, First I'm by your head, then I'm down your spine. What am I?
Think about something you use daily, often without even realizing it...
A Comb.
In spring I am gay in handsome array; in summer more clothing I wear; when colder it grows I fling off my clothes; and in winter quite naked appear. What am I?
Think about something that changes its appearance with the seasons, and its "clothing" is not what you'd typically wear...
A Tree.
You go in me for brushing, For flushing, For rushing; But please go in me one at a time, Or someone might be blushing. What am I?
Think about a common, everyday object that serves multiple purposes, but requires a certain level of privacy and discretion when used.
A bathroom.
A big person and a small person are going to fish. The big person is not the small person's father but the small person is the big person's son. What is the relationship between the two?
Think about the words "big" and "small"... are they necessarily referring to age or size?
The big person is the small person's mother.
I am always hungry, I must always be fed, The finger I touch will soon turn red. What am I?
Think about something you use every day, often without realizing it, and which can cause a physical reaction if not handled carefully...
I am fire.
What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?
Think about something you might find near a body of water...
A river.
What goes up and never comes down?
Think about something that changes over time, but once it changes, it can never change back...
Your Age.
Why can't you trust the law of gravity?
Think about the phrase "it's only a law"...
Because it will always let you down.
When I am filled I can point the way, When I am empty nothing moves me, I have two skins, one without and one within. What am I?
Think about an object that serves as a guide or direction-finder, and its functionality changes depending on whether it's full or empty...
I am a glove.
My voice rises above the din, sometimes catching all unaware. I never ask questions, yet get many answers. What am I?
"Think about a sound that can be loud and unexpected, and is often responded to..."
A doorbell.
Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
Think about a place where you might find a "bell" ringing in celebration...
At the bottom.
Metal or bone I may be, many teeth I have and always bared, yet my bite harms no one, and ladies delight in my touch. What am I?
Think about something that is often associated with beauty and fashion, and is commonly used by women.
A comb.
Sometimes I move fast, Sometimes I move slow; But my speed is truly constant, And nowhere I go. What am I?
Think about something that can be measured, but doesn't actually change its pace, and its "movement" is more of a concept than a physical action...
Time.
Iron roof, glass walls, burns, and burns and never falls. What am I?
Think about a place where you might find a "fire" that's contained, yet still "burns and burns"...
A Lantern.
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 day of the week...
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)
The marathon man timed himself and found out that if he wore a bright white outfit he ran 20 miles in 80 minutes, but when he wore a dark outfit, he ran 20 miles in one hour and twenty minutes. What does this mean for his next race?
Think about how the marathon man's outfit might be affecting his running time, and it's not because of the physical properties of the outfit itself...
Absolutely nothing, as 80 minutes equals an hour and twenty minutes.
There once was an evil wizard. He took 3 woman from their homes and turned them into rose bushes that looked exactly alike. He put them in his garden. One of the woman had a husband and children and begged the wizard to let her see them. He agreed. At night, he brought the woman to her house. In the morning he came and took her home. One day the husband decided to go rescue her. So he snuck into the wizard's garden. He looked and looked at the 3 identical rose bushes trying to figure out which could be his wife. Suddenly, he knew the answer and he took his wife home. How did he know which rose bush was his wife?
Pay attention to the wizard's nightly visits...
The wizard brought the rosebush to her home at night and returned her to the garden in the morning. Therefore, she was the only plant without dew.
Often held but never touched, always wet but never rusts, often bites but seldom bit, to use me well you must have wit. What am I?
Think about something that is often grasped or handled, but can't be physically touched in the classical sense...
Your tongue.
I am the only thing that always tells the truth. I show off everything that I see. I come in all shapes and sizes. So tell me what I must be! What am I?
Think about something that reflects reality, and its appearance can vary greatly...
I must be a mirror, of course.
You throw me away, I find my way back; Traditionally I'm wooden, With an arch in my back. What am I?
Think about something you might find on a desk or in a school supply box, and consider the multiple meanings of the word "back"!
A Boomerang.
I am seen in the water and seen in the sky, I am in the rainbow, a jay's feather, and lapis lazuli. What am I?
"Think about the colors of the spectrum..."
The color blue.
You are in a cold room and you want to get warm. How do you get warm?
Think about something you might find in a cold room that can be "undone" to produce warmth...
Go into the corner. It's always 90 degrees.
When do you see sheep in ink?
Think about a common writing tool...
When you draw them in pen!
There is a frog, dead in the middle of an island. If he swims north, the distance to the mainland is 2 meters. If he swims south, the distance to the mainland is 3 meters. If he swims east or west, the distance is 4 meters. Which way does he swim?
Think about the frog's current state...
He doesn't swim at all, he is dead.
There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of babies What am I?
Think about something you might find in a garden, and consider the colors and structures mentioned in the riddle...
A watermelon.
Used to threaten, used to defeat. Sometimes it grows, sometimes it shrinks. Used to conquer, used to protect. It marks your downfall, it marks your success. The true god of war, the creator of mess. What is it?
Think about something that can be wielded by both sides in a conflict, and its "size" can change depending on the situation...
Power.
All about, but cannot be seen, can be captured, cannot be held, no throat, but can be heard. What is it?
Think about something that surrounds you every day, is intangible, and can be perceived through your senses, but not with your eyes...
The wind.
What is that which every one can divide, but no one can see where it has been divided?
Think about something that can be shared or distributed, but leaves no visible mark or separation...
Water.
What do liars do after death?
Think about a common phrase associated with death, and how it might be "altered" for liars...
Lie still.
Mary's father has five children. They are Nana, Nene, Nini, and Nono. What is the fifth childs name?
Think about the person telling you the riddle...
Mary.
What can you put in a barrel, that will make the barrel lighter?
Think about something that takes up space, but doesn't add weight...
A Hole.
The cost of making only the maker knows, Valueless if bought, but sometimes traded. A poor man may give one as easily as a king. When one is broken pain and deceit are assured. What is it?
"A fragile thing, often given, yet rarely sold..."
Promise.
If a man carried my burden he would break his back. I am not rich, but leave silver in my track. What am I?
Think about something that's heavy, but not valuable in a monetary sense, and leaves a trail of silver behind it...
I am a snail.
What's the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?
One sells watches, and the other watches cells.
A jeweler sells watches and a jailer watches cells.
Poke your fingers in my eyes and I will open wide my jaws. Linen cloth, quills, or paper, my greedy lust devours them all. What am I?
Think about an object that is often associated with writing and creativity, but can also be quite destructive if not handled carefully...
Shears, or scissors.
Who always goes to bed with his shoes on?
Think about a specific occupation or activity where shoes are a crucial part of the "bed" they lie on...
A horse.
Two mothers and two daughters go shopping. They have $21, which they split equally between them. How can this be possible?
Think about the relationships between the mothers and daughters... Are there any family connections that could make this scenario work?
There are three people. There was the Grandmother, her daughter, and the daughter's daughter. Therefore: they each get $7.
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, is often overlooked, and can be found in various hues...
Paint.
I'm tempting, so it's said, I have a shiny coat of red, And my flesh is white beneath. I smell so sweet, Taste good to eat, And help to guard your teeth. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, often associated with oral health, and has a dual-colored appearance...
I am an apple!
I'm named after nothing, though I'm awfully clamorous. And when I'm not working, your house is less glamorous. What am I?
Think about a noisy, yet essential, part of your home that's named after a lack or absence of something...
A vacuum cleaner.
What eleven-letter English word does everyone pronounce incorrectly?
Think about a word that refers to the act of pronouncing itself...
Incorrectly!
I am only useful when I am full, yet I am always full of holes. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, used for a specific purpose, and having many holes despite being "full"...
I am a Sponge.
What can't be burned in fire, nor drowned in water?
Think about something that doesn't have a physical form...
Ice.
At the sound of me, men may dream, Or stamp their feet. At the sound of me, women may laugh, Or sometimes weep. What am I?
Think about a sound that can evoke different emotions and reactions in people, often depending on the context or personal experience...
I am Music!
What is often returned but never borrowed?
Think about something that is commonly given back, but nobody lends it to you in the first place...
Thanks.
I can be written, I can be spoken, I can be exposed, I can be broken. What am I?
Think about something that can take many forms, and its meaning or integrity can be compromised in various ways...
News.
What always was, yet can never be?
Think about something that exists in a state, but can never exist in a specific situation or circumstance...
Yesterday.
What is it that you ought to keep after you have given it to someone else?
Think about something that is often exchanged between people, but its value or importance only increases after it's been given away...
A promise, of course.
Which word in the English language becomes shorter when it is lengthened?
Think about a word that refers to a period of time, and how adding a suffix to it might seem to make it longer, but actually makes it shorter in meaning.
Short.
Without a bridle, or a saddle, across a thing I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?
Think about something you might find in an office or a school, used for a very specific purpose, and consider how it "rides" on top of something else...
Eye glasses.
One day, a thirty-story building was on fire. A man jumped out a window and nothing happened to him. Nothing was under him. How is this possible?
Think about the man's location within the building...
He was on the first floor.
Rock and roll, rock and roll. What rocks but does not roll?
Think about a type of "rock" that's not a music genre, but something you might find in nature...
A Rocking chair
Tear off one and scratch its head, what was red is now black instead. What is It?
Think about something you might find on a desk or in a pencil case...
A Matchstick!
I make you weak at the worst of all times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, and your heart grow cold, I visit the weak, but seldom the bold. What am I?
Fear is often associated with a racing heart, but in this case, it's mentioned that I "make your heart grow cold", which is an unusual effect. Think about a situation where fear would make your heart feel cold, rather than racing...
Your fears.
Duels of good and evil, A fighter of good am I, Revealed beside watched words, King of the black night sky. What am I?
Think about a character from a famous book series who is known for fighting against darkness and evil, and has a special connection to the night sky...
The dark.
I like to roam but I'll always stay home, I leave a silver track, If you carried what I could carry with the way I moved, You'd break your neck and back. What am I?
Think about something that can move around freely, but is always tied to a specific location, and leaves a shiny trail behind it...
A Snail.
I am large as a castle, yet lighter than air. 100 men and their horses cannot move me. What am I?
Think about something that can be enormous in size, yet has no physical weight or mass, and is unaffected by external forces...
The castle's shadow.
I only have two backbones and thousands of ribs. What am I?
Think about something you might find on a desk or in a library...
A railroad.
My tail is long, my coat is brown, I like the country, I like the town. I can live in a house or live in a shed, And I come out to play when you are in bed. What am I?
Think about a common household pet that is often found in both rural and urban areas, and is known to be active at night...
A Mouse.
Scientists have proven that cats have more hair on one side than on the other side. Some people believe that this is because when cats lay on their sides they need insulation from the cold on the floor or ground. Which side of a cat has more hair?
Think about the direction of a cat's whiskers...
The outside of the Cat of course!
A man moved into a new house and decided he was tired after the journey and turned off all the lights and went to bed. The next morning he killed 365 people, he does not sleep walk he slept like a baby. How could this be?
Think about the man's profession...
He lived in a light house.
You can use me to say hello, And to say goodbye. I'm no good when I'm too dry, I can be quick or I can be slow. What am I?
Think about something you use to communicate, and its effectiveness depends on a certain condition...
A Kiss.
Within, I clean all that is bad and old. I make juice that's the color of gold. Should I die, a filter machine would you need to assemble to replace me, and a bean I resemble... What am I?
Think about a common kitchen appliance that serves a dual purpose: purification and culinary creation.
A kidney.
You can't keep this until you have given it. What is it?
Think about something that is often exchanged or passed from one person to another...
Your word.
It's been around for millions of years, but it's no more than a month old. What is it?
Think about something that's constantly being renewed or replaced, yet its individual components have been around for a very long time...
The moon.
What dress does everyone have, but no one wears?
Think about a type of "dress" that is not something you put on your body...
An address.
A plane crashed and every single person on board this flight was killed, yet, there were survivors. Explain how?
Think about the word "on board"...
The married people lived; the singles died.
What has six legs, two heads, four ears, and two hands, but walks on four feet?
Think about a common, everyday object that you might find in a living room or a backyard...
A horse and rider.
My tongue is long, my breath is strong, And yet I breed no strife; My voice you hear both far and near, And yet I have no life. What am I?
Think about something that can be heard from a distance, has a powerful "voice", but isn't a living thing...
A bell.
What has eyes but can't see, a tongue but can't talk, and a soul but can never find love?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, often used for cooking, but not a living thing...
A shoe.
Everyone has me, Everyone needs me; When some people see me, They end up quite queasy. What am I?
Think about something that is universal, yet can evoke a strong physical reaction in some individuals...
I am Blood.
How do you make "one" disappear?
Think about a common, everyday action you might do to a certain object...
Add a "g" and your Gone !
My teeth are sharp, my back is straight, to cut things up it is my fate. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, used for a specific task...
A Saw.
I am strongest when you see me as round, but I am often viewed in other forms. I lift and drop the sea with my tremendous strength, and a man with a name like 'powerful bicep' was the first to tread on me. What am I?
Think about a natural phenomenon that can be depicted in different shapes and forms, and has a profound impact on the oceans...
I am the moon.
Where is the AD before BC, tomorrow before yesterday, and the eight is first?
Think about a place where time is often represented in a specific order...
In a dictionary.
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!
Dark with white markings, And smooth like a rock. Where learning occurs, I help convey thought. What am I?
Think about a common object found in a place where people often go to learn new things, and its appearance is described in the riddle...
Blackboard/chalkboard.
Two bodies have I though both joined in one. The more still I stand the quicker I run. What am I?
Think about an object that has two distinct parts, yet they work together in harmony. This object is often associated with speed, but its speed is ironically dependent on its ability to remain still...
I am an hourglass.
I have freedom from hate, but not from lies. I'm usually seen through clouded eyes. I come unexpected, though you wait for me all your life. I can't be brought yet some people try. What am I?
"Think about a universal human experience that is often associated with strong emotions, and is frequently misrepresented or misunderstood..."
I am true love.
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.
What has many rings but no fingers?
Think about something you might find in a backyard or a park, often associated with fun and recreation...
A telephone.
Old Mr. Tilly was found dead in his study by Mr. Foster. Mr. Foster recounted his dismal discovery to the police. "I was walking by Mr. Tilly`s house when I thought I would just pop in for a visit. I noticed his study light was on and I decided to peek in from the outside to see if he was in there. There was frost on the window, so I had to wipe it away to see inside. That is when I saw his body. So I kicked in the front door to confirm my suspicions of foul play. I called the police immediately afterward." The officer immediately arrested Mr. Foster for the murder of Mr. Tilly. How did he know Mr. Foster was lying?
Hint: Think about the season and the condition of the window...
Frost forms on the inside of the window, not the outside. So Mr. Foster could not have wiped it off to discover Mr. Tilly`s body.
If it takes 3 people to dig 1 hole how many people does it takes for 1/2 an hole?
Think about the concept of "half a hole"... Does it even make sense to dig half a hole?
You can't dig 1/2 an hole because once you begin to dig it is an hole.
When I left, I didn't know where I was going; when I got there, I didn't know where I was; when I returned, I didn't know where I had been. Who was I?
Think about a journey that involves a lack of awareness or understanding, and consider a type of traveler who might fit this description. The answer is not a person, but rather a thing that moves from one place to another.
Christopher Columbus - when he found the Americas.
Two men were playing tennis. They played five sets and each man won three sets. How can this be possible?
Think about the word "man" very carefully...
The two men were partners playing doubles.
A simple peasant bought a number of camels and is taking them to his farm. As he rides contentedly along he counts them - he counts 29. He was sure he had bought 30 camel, so in alarm he jumps off his camel and counted the camels again. To his delight, there are 30. Half an hour later, he counts his camels and once more there are just 29. Confused, he climbs off his camel and counts again. Once more there are 30. Can you explain?
Think about the phrase "he climbs off his camel" and how it relates to the counting...
When he is on the camel he omits to count it.
Crimson I am born, yellow I dance, ebony I die. What am I?
Think about something that goes through a transformation, changing its appearance at different stages of its life...
Fire.
What can climb mountains, cross streams, handle hundreds of feet each day, yet never moves? What is it?
Think about something you might find on a map or a trail guide...
A trail!
In what year did Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall in the same year?
Think about the calendar and how holidays are typically spaced...
It happens every year.
What can you break without hitting or dropping it?
Think about something that's often associated with promises, trust, or agreements...
A promise.
My name is two letters. You call many people by this name, but yet their first name is not this. What is it?
Think about a common way to address or refer to someone, rather than an actual given name...
Mr.
Why was the photographer arrested?
"Focus" on the photographer's actions, not their profession...
He shot his customers and blew them up.
Dave and Brad, two popular politicians, met at a club to discuss the overthrow of their party leader. They each ordered a vodka on the rocks. Brad downed his and ordered another. He then drank his second in a gulp and decided to wait before he ordered a third. Meanwhile, Dave, who was sipping his drink, suddenly fell forward dead. Both men were set up for assassination. Why did Dave die and Brad live?
Think about the ice...
Both Dave and Brad were given drinks with poisoned ice cubes. Brad drank his drinks so quickly that the ice didn't have time to melt and release the poison.
A new medical building containing 100 offices had just been completed. Mark was hired to paint the numbers 1 to 100 on the doors. How many times will Mark have to paint the number nine?
Think about the numbers that contain the digit 9...
The answer is 20! 9, 19, 29, 39, 49, 59, 69, 79, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99.
One day, you woke up in a place you haven't seen before. There, you saw three rooms, all bringing you to the exit. But, in those rooms, there were notes. It said: 1: the room is filled with poison gas 2: the room has more than 15 lions that haven't eaten for 5 years 3: the room is filled with snipers that would kill anyone who steps in You have no other choice, but to choose one of the three. Which room would be the way that could get you out without being harmed?
Think about the behavior of lions when they haven't eaten for a long time...
2. Because if the lions hadn't eaten for five years, they would be dead.
If you have 10 peaches and take 7 peaches away, how many do you have?
Think about the question being asked... It's not asking how many peaches are left, but rather...
7, you took 7 peaches away with you. Duhhhhh
The Pope has it but he does not use it. Your father has it but your mother uses it. Nuns do not need it. Your lady friend's husband has it and she uses it. What is it?
Think about a common surname prefix that is associated with certain titles or relationships...
A Last Name.
Walk on the living, they don't even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble. What are they?
Think about a common path or surface that people walk on, and how it might interact with the living and the dead in different ways...
Fallen leaves.
What was the biggest island in the world before the discovery of Australia by Captain Cook?
Think about the question carefully... The answer is not a geographical location, but rather a play on words. The "biggest island" is not a physical island at all...
Australia was always the biggest island in the world, even before it was discovered.
Big as a biscuit, deep as a cup, even a river can't fill it up. What is it?
Think about a container that can be small in size, yet have a lot of depth or capacity, but no matter how much liquid you pour into it, it will never be full...
A kitchen strainer.
One morning a man is leaving on a business trip and finds he left some paperwork at his office. He runs into his office to get it and the night watchman stops him and says, "Sir, don't get on the plane. I had a dream last night that the plane would crash and everyone would die!" The man takes his word and cancels his trip. Sure enough, the plane crashes and everyone dies. The next morning the man gives the watchman a $1,000 reward for saving his life and then fires him. Why did he fire the watchman that saved his life?
Think about the watchman's job description and what it implies about his work schedule...
He was fired for sleeping on the job!
I know a word of letters three. Add two, and fewer there will be! What Word Am I?
Think about a word that has a literal meaning related to quantity or amount...
Few.
I am a seven letter word containing thousands of letters. What am I?
Think about a common, everyday object that you might find in a library or a office...
Mailbox.
I am more powerful than god and more evil than the devil. I am what rich people want and what poor people have. I can never die. What am I?
Think about something that is coveted by the wealthy, yet possessed by those who are less fortunate. It's a concept that has been around since the dawn of humanity, and its power can be both constructive and destructive...
I am nothing.
Ten pears hanging high, Ten men come passing by, Each took a pear and left nine hanging there. How could that be?
Think about the word "hanging" in a different context...
EACH is the name of one of the men, and he's the only one that took a pear.
What is the longest and yet the shortest thing in the world; the swiftest and yet the slowest; the most divisible and the most extended; the least valued and the most regretted; without which nothing can be done; which devours every thing, however small, and yet gives life and spirits to every object, however great?
Think about something that can be measured, but has no physical presence...
Time.
A mile from end to end, Yet as close to you as a friend. A precious commodity, freely given. Seen on the dead and on the living. Found on the rich, poor, short, and tall, But shared among children most of all. What is it?
Think about something that is present in everyone, regardless of their social status, age, or physical characteristics, and is often associated with childhood.
A simple smile.
I can be all colours of the rainbow, Or have no colour at all. Sometimes I'm empty, Sometimes I'm full. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a room, but it's not a living thing...
Glass.
Nothing on the outside Nothing on the inside Light as a feather Yet ten men cannot lift it. What is it?
Think about something that is often associated with being "empty" or "hollow", yet its presence can be overwhelming...
A bubble.
John was very tired after a long day of work. He went to bed at 10 p.m., wound his alarm clock, and set it for noon the next day. Since John fell asleep almost immediately, how many hours of sleep did he get before the alarm woke him?
Think about the word "noon" very carefully...
Two hours. Wind-up clocks can't be set more than 12 hours in advance.
A man was looking through a 6th floor window, thought for a minute then jumped, but did not die or get hurt at all. How?
The man was likely in a profession that would make this scenario possible...
He jumped in the window. He was outside the window He was a window washer!!!
I get thrown in the air and will fall down: I get thrown down and I will rise in the air What am I?
Think about something that changes its direction or state when it's "thrown"...
A rubber ball.
I'm as plain to see as black & white. I prefer to roam about at night. Just don't attack or startle me. Or odiferous emissions may result you see. I'm an omnivore yes it's true. But what's my name tell me do?
Think about a common creature you might find in your backyard or neighborhood, especially at night, that has a distinctive defense mechanism and a varied diet...
I am a skunk!
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?
Think about the words "jump higher than a house" very carefully...
A house can not jump!
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 white, but not a living creature...
A snowflake!
I turn polar bears white and I will make you cry. I make guys have to pee and girls comb their hair. I make celebrities look stupid and normal people look like celebrities. I turn pancakes brown and make your champane bubble. If you sqeeze me, I'll pop. If you look at me, you'll pop. Can you guess the riddle?
Here's a hint: Think about something that affects people, food, and drinks in various ways, and is often associated with a particular sense (not just sight).
The answer to this riddle is "No". The question is "Can you guess the riddle?" and "Not what turns polar bears white?", etc. Some other suggested solutions have been: Pressure and water. However, pressure doesn't turn a polar bear white and water doesn't turn pancakes brown. <b>Related</b>: <a href="https://www.riddles.com/post/71/riddles-for-kindergartners">Riddles For Kindergarteners</a>
A grandfather, a father, and a son go fishing. Each gets one fish but there is only one fish how is this?
Think about the relationships between the three people... are they all distinct individuals?
It is only one person. He is the son of his father. He is a father to his son. He is a grandfather to his grandchild.
What starts with "P", ends with "E", and has many letters?
Think about something you might find in a post office...
Post Office.
What has hands but never washes them?
Think about something you might find on a wall or a desk, something that helps us keep track of time...
A clock.
I buried a stone in the ground, and it grew and produced fruit. How is this possible?
Think about a type of "stone" that is often associated with fruit...
The seed of a cherry is called a stone.
How many birth days does the average person have?
Think about the question very literally...
One!
Which word is the odd one out: First Second Third Forth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth?
Think about how these words are typically used in a sequence, and notice that one of them is not usually found in that sequence...
Forth. It is incorrectly spelled.
There is a pink single-story house and everything in it is pink. The doors are pink, the windows are pink and the TV is pink. What color are the stairs?
Think about the description of the house... it's a single-story house. What does that imply about the presence of stairs?
There are no stairs in a single story house.
A guy gets to choose how to die. He has 3 choices, one to get put in the electric chair, two to get hung, and three to get thrown into a lion pit of lions that had not eaten in one thousand years. Which did he choose?
Think about the wording of the third option very carefully...
The lion pit because they had not eaten in one thousand years so they were already dead.
How does a dog stop the VCR?
"Paws for a moment..."
He uses the PAWS button.
A group of privates were standing in the blistering sun facing due west. Their sergeant shouted at them: Right turn! About turn! Left turn! In which direction are they now facing?
Think about the sequence of turns and how they affect the direction the privates are facing...
East.
If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in another field?
Think about what happens when you "combine" things... you're not creating new ones, just moving them together!
One. He Combined them into one.
An electric train is going south at 98 mph. The wind is blowing northeast. Which direction is the smoke blowing?
Think about what's unusual about an electric train...
There is no smoke. it's an electric train!
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?
Pay attention to the words that are not physical locations, but rather concepts or ideas...
The letter O.
A fireman is running to get a net under a lady who looks like she might jump off the balcony of her 20 story apartment building. There is nothing below her except a 20 story fall. The fireman is still 100 yards away when she falls and can't nearly get there in time. The woman is not hurt more than a bruise. How is that possible?
Think about the situation from a different perspective... What if the woman wasn't jumping from the balcony in a suicidal attempt, but rather...
She fell back into her apartment, jumping from the balcony into the inside.
There once was a book that was only owned by the wealthy, but now everyone can have it. You can't buy it in a bookstore or take it from a library. What book is it?
Think about something that was once a luxury only the wealthy could afford, but with the advent of technology, has become accessible to everyone...
A telephone book.
My head bobs lazily in the sun. You think I'm cute, For my face is yellow, My hair is white, and my body is green. What am I?
Think about a common object you might find in a garden or a park, often associated with warmth and beauty...
A daisy.
I know a word of letters three, add two and fewer there will be?
Think about a common word that has a meaning related to quantity or amount...
The word "few". Add "er" and it becomes fewer.
How can you distribute three apples to two fathers and their two sons, giving a whole apple to each?
Think about the relationships between the fathers and sons... are they all distinct individuals?
They are Grandfather - Father - Son. The middle is a father and a son at the same time!
In 1209, on a hot summer day, there was a man who was ordered to be executed by the king. The king was a nice king though, and he said that if the man could prove himself wise, he would let him go. The king filled a room with fake flowers and only put one real flower in the room. The king said the man had 20 seconds to find the real flower. The man said, "It's very stuffy in here. Could you open a window?" The king opened a window, and the man immediately knew which was the real flower. How did he know?
Think about how the man used the king's favor to his advantage, and how the sudden change in the room's environment helped him solve the problem.
When the King opened the window, a bee flew in and landed on the only real flower to gather pollen.
What question can you never answer yes to?
Think about a question that is always met with uncertainty or negativity...
Are you a sleep.
A dozen Royals gathered round, Entertained by two who clowned. Each King there had servants ten, Though none of them were also men. The lowest servant sometimes might, Defeat the King in a fair fight. A weapon stout, a priceless jewel, The beat of life, a farmer's tool. What is it?
Think about a deck of cards...
A Deck of Cards.
Alive without breath, as cold as death; Never thirsty, ever drinking, All in mail never clinking. What is it?
Think about something you might find near a river or a lake, and consider how it can be "drinking" constantly without ever getting thirsty...
Fish.
In a tunnel of darkness lies a beast of iron. It can only attack when pulled back. What is it?
Think about a common object you might find in a dark tunnel, like a subway or train tunnel...
A bullet.
I can flutter and take your breath away. I can take a beating, but do not bruise. If I stopped you would be sure to lose. Everyday I am with you. What am I?
Think about something that is always with you, yet can be fragile and fleeting, and its absence would have significant consequences...
Your heart.
Round as a button, Deep as a well. If you want me to talk, You must first pull my tail. What am I?
Think about an object you might find in a room, used for communication, with a round and deep part, and a "tail" that needs to be pulled to make it work...
A bell.
What is that which is less tired the longer it runs?
Think about something that "runs" or operates continuously, but its performance or efficiency doesn't degrade over time...
A wheel.
Man walks over, man walks under, in times of war he burns asunder. What is it?
Think about a word that has multiple meanings, and one of those meanings is related to a structure that people walk over or under, and in a historical context, it was often set on fire during conflicts.
A Bridge.
What letters of the alphabet come too late for supper?
Think about the sequence of the alphabet and the timing of a meal...
Those that come after T.
For some in the world, it is as precious as gold. Yet, this thing, is never sold. It is kept, but never used. It's a weakness that cannot be removed. A weapon that can be used against god. If they have it, you know it, then they have lost. What is it?
"Think about a trait that's often seen as a flaw, something that can be exploited by others, and is closely tied to a person's reputation..."
A Secret.
I am your father, but you are not my son. Who are you to me?
Think about a family relationship that is not a direct parent-child connection...
My daughter.
There was a farmer who had a problem with his chicken coop, and he wanted to go check it out. When he got there he noticed that there was a rooster on top of the barn. Now the barn was shaped with a triangle-type top. But suddenly the rooster laid an egg. Which side did it roll on?
Think about the characteristics of the bird on top of the barn...
It didn't because roosters don't lay eggs.
Why would Snow White be a good judge?
Think about the company she keeps...
Because she's the fairest in the land.
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?
Think about something that is intangible, yet can be shared with others, and its value doesn't decrease with each sharing...
Your heart.
A hiker comes to a fork in the road and doesn't know which way to go to reach his destination. There are two men at the fork, one of whom always tells the truth while the other always lies. The hiker doesn't know which is which, though. He may ask one of the men only one question to find his way. Which man does he ask, and what is the question?
Think about asking a question that will give you the same answer from both the truth-teller and the liar...
Either man should be asked the following question: "If I were to ask you if this is the way I should go, would you say yes?" While asking the question, the hiker should be pointing at either of the directions going from the fork.
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 words that are also objects, and consider the connections between a common household item, a clever creature, and a tool used for lifting or transporting loads.
Pen-man-ship.
Why is the best baker most in want of bread?
Think about the baker's profession and what they do all day...
Because he kneads (needs) it most.
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?
Pay attention to the words that can be formed by rearranging the same four letters, and think about how they relate to human characteristics and identity.
Live, evil, vile, Levi, veil.
What can burn the eyes, sting the mouth, yet be consumed?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, but be careful not to get too close!
Salt.
How high would you have to count before you would use the letter A in the English language spelling of a whole number?
Think about the first few numbers you learned to spell...
One thousand.
I am a word of five letters. Take away my first and I am the name of what adorns the estate of many of the nobility of England. Take away my first and second, and I am the name of a place where all the world was once congregated. Take away my last, and I am the name of a beautiful mineral. Take away my two last, and I am the name of a fashionable place of resort. I am small in stature but capable of doing a great deal of mischief, as I once did in London in the year 1666. What word am I?
Pay attention to the Great Fire of London in 1666...
Spark.
Why did the duck get fired from his Easter job?
Think about what's "egg-cellent" about Easter...
He kept quacking the eggs.
Formed long ago, yet made today, Employed while others sleep. What none would freely give away. Nor any wish to keep. What is it?
Think about something that's been around for a long time, but is still being created every day, and is often used at night when others are sleeping...
A bed.
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...
Sand.
In the grocery store, Sal met his only daughter's only husband's mother-in-law's only mother-in-law. Who was she?
Think about the relationships mentioned... and ask yourself: "Who is Sal's only daughter's grandmother?"
Sal's mother. (His son-in-law's mother-in-law was his wife; her mother-in-law was Sal's mother.)
This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down. What am I?
Think about something that is relentless, unstoppable, and affects everything in its path, from the smallest living things to the strongest structures...
Time!
General Gasslefield, accused of high treason, is sentenced to death by court-martial. He is allowed to make a final statement, after which he will be shot if the statement is false or will be hung if the statement is true. Gasslefield makes his final statement and is released. The Question: What could he have said?
Think about the consequences of General Gasslefield's statement... If he says something that is FALSE, he will be SHOT. If he says something that is TRUE, he will be HUNG. So, his statement must be something that...
General Gasslefield said: "I will be shot." If this statement was true, he would have been hung and thus not be shot. But then his statement would be false, which implies that he should be shot, making the statement true again, etc... In other words: the verdict of the court-martial could not be executed and the general was released.
What gets bigger the more you take away?
Think about something that has a "hole" in it...
A hole.
My first is a part of the day, My last a conductor of light, My whole to take measure of time, Is useful by day and by night. What am I?
Think about an object that helps us keep track of time, and its individual parts relate to different aspects of time and light...
An Hour-glass.
As I was walking across the London Bridge, I met a man who tipped his hat and drew his cane, and in this riddle, I said his name. What is it?
Think about the words in the riddle, especially the ones that seem like ordinary phrases...
And drew = ANDREW.
A dagger thrust at my own heart, Dictates the way I'm swayed. Left I stand, and right I yield, To the twisting of the blade. What am I?
Think about something that can be turned or swayed, and its direction is determined by the way it's "cut" or "divided"...
A Lock.
Why is green grass like a mouse?
Think about the sounds they make...
Green grass is like a mouse, because the cattle eat it (cat’ll eat it).
What creature has one voice, but has four feet in the morning, two feet in the afternoon, and three feet in the evening?
Think about the different stages of a person's life...
Man crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two as an adult, and needs a walking cane when old. The Sphinx posed this riddle to Oedipus who solved the riddle correctly.
In camps about the centre I appear; In smiling meadows seen throughout the year; The silent angler views me in the streams, And all must trace me in their morning dreams, First in the mob conspicuous I stand, Proud of the lead, and ever in command. What am I?
"Look to the alphabet for a clue..."
The letter M.
Why is France like a skeleton?
Think about the country's name in French...
Because only the bony part is left. This is a play on words referring to Napoleon Bonaparte who played a key role in the 1789 French Revolution and was the first Emporer of France from 1804-15.
What has to be broken before you use it?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen or a desk drawer...
Eggs.
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...
Error!
Why should doctors attend to window-sashes?
Think about the word "pane" and its multiple meanings...
Because they have so many panes (pains).
I know what my job is, The point has been made. You say I have a big head, And you're right, I'm afraid. Put me in my place, And then leave me alone. What I need most, Is someone to drive me home. What am I?
Think about an object that has a "head" or a prominent top part, and is often associated with a particular profession or activity. The phrase "put me in my place" might be a literal instruction...
A Nail!
As I went across the bridge, I met a man with a load of wood which was neither straight nor crooked. What kind of wood was it?
Think about the words "straight" and "crooked" in a more literal sense, and consider the shape of the wood rather than its moral character.
Sawdust.
With potent, flowery words speak I, Of something common, vulgar, dry; I weave webs of pedantic prose, In effort to befuddle those, Who think I while time away, In lofty things, above all-day The common kind that lingers where Monadic beings live and fare; Practical I may not be, But life, it seems, is full of me! What am I?
"Look for a concept that is often seen as grandiose or overly complex, but is actually quite mundane and present in everyday life."
A riddler. ( or riddle )
What has 4 wheels and flies?
Think about something you might find in a driveway or a garage, and it's not alive...
A garbage truck! lol!
What is that which, supposing it's greatest breadth to be four inches, length nine inches, and depth three inches and contains a solid foot?
Think about a common object you might find in a kitchen or a desk drawer, and consider how its dimensions might be measured...
A shoe.
Up and down,up and down, touching neither sky nor ground. What is it?
Think about something that moves in an up-and-down motion, but is not affected by gravity, and is not physically connected to the sky or the ground...
A pump handle.
Such a slim little stripe in a shiny, round coat! How it grows in the warm sun's bright rays! But its jacket still fits, and it's worthy of note That it isn't so, tall on cool days. Hint: It's not a fishing pole.
Think about something you might find in a garden or a park, and how it changes appearance depending on the temperature...
A Thermometer.
Why is a gooseberry pie like counterfeit money?
Think about the words "fake" and "fruit"...
Because it is not currant (current).
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..."
It is fire!
I heard of an invading, vanquishing army sweeping across the land, liquid-quick; conquering everything, quelling resistance. With it came darkness, dimming the light. Humans hid in their houses, while outside spears pierced, shattering stone walls. Uncountable soldiers smashed into the ground, but each elicited life as he died; when the army had vanished, advancing northward, the land was green and growing, refreshed. What is it?
Here's a hint: Think about a natural phenomenon that can be described as an "invading army" that brings darkness and seems to conquer the land, but ultimately leads to renewal and growth.
A rainstorm.
My first is a very uncomfortable state, In cold weather it mostly abounds. My second's an instrument formed of hard steel, That will cause the stout foe to stagger and reel, And when used, is a symptom of hate. My whole is an author of greatest renown, Whose fame to the last day of time will go down. Who am I?
Think about a famous author who wrote about battles and wars...
Shakespeare.
How many black beans will make five white ones?
Think about the colors, not the beans themselves...
Five when peeled.
Why is a rose-bud like a promissory note?
Think about the potential and value that's hidden within something, waiting to be realized...
It matures by falling dew.
Round as an apple, Deep as a cup, All the King's horses Can't pull it up. What is it?
Think about something you might find in a garden or a park, and consider the shape and function of the object described...
It is a well.
Why is a man with wooden legs like one who has an even bargain?
Think about the words "even" and "leg" and how they might be related in a clever way...
Because he has nothing to boot.
Why is a lumberjack like a stage actor?
Think about the different "roles" they both play...
He is known by his axe (acts).
How is it possible to always find what you're looking for in the last place you look?
Think about the logic of searching...
If you find what your are looking for then you would stop looking so it would be in the last place you look.
What is that which is invisible, but never out of sight?
Think about something that is always present, yet can't be seen with your eyes...
The Letter I.
Hold the tail, While I fish for you. What am I?
Think about something you might find near water, used for a specific purpose, and having a "tail" that's not a living thing...
A net.
The head of a whale is six feet long; his tail is as long as his head and half his body, and his body is half of his whole length. How long is the whale?
Think about the whale's body as a separate unit, and how the head, tail, and body relate to each other in terms of length.
Forty-eight feet.
Why is a dandy like a haunch of venison?
Think about the dual meanings of words and how a dandy might be "well-dressed" in more ways than one...
He is a bit of a buck.
Why does a miller wear a white hat?
Think about what a miller does, and what they work with...
To keep his head warm.
Black within, red without, with four courners, round about. What is it?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, used for cooking...
A chiminey.
An archaeologist finds a coin dated 48 B.C. How did he know it was a fake?
The hint is: Think about the calendar system used at that time...
BC is before Christ. Christ was not yet born when the coin would have been made and the date would be impossible.
Why are two heads better than one?
Think about a situation where having two of something can be more beneficial than having one, but it's not necessarily about intelligence or brainpower...
They are four-sighted (fore-sighted).
Why is the letter F like death?
Think about the sounds and effects of the letter F...
Because without it life is a lie, or it makes life a lie.
What is that which the dead and living do at the same time?
Think about a common experience that is shared by both the living and the dead, something that is not an action, but rather a state of being...
Lie.
What biblical name is there which expresses a father calling his son by name, and his son replying?
Think about a biblical name that is a question...
Ben-ha-dad.
What vessel is that which is always asking leave to move?
Think about something you might find on a road or a sea, and the word "leave" has a double meaning here...
Canister.
Why is there no danger of starving in a desert?
Think about the words in the question, especially the word "desert"... is it referring to a type of place, or could it be referring to something else?
Because of the sand which is (sandwiches) under your feet.
If a fender cost six dollars, what will a ton of coal come to?
Think about the weight of a fender versus a ton of coal... and how the price might be related to the weight.
To ashes.
Why is a nail, fast in the wall, like an old man?
Think about the words that describe an old man, and how they might also apply to a nail in the wall...
Because it is in firm (infirm).
What's the difference between a penniless man and a feather bed?
One is hard up, and the other is soft down.
One is hard up, while the other is soft down.
What river in Bavaria answers the question, Who is there?
Think about a river's name that sounds like a response to a knock on the door...
I, ser.
You do not want to have it, But when you do have it, You do not want to lose it. What is it?
Think about something that's often unwanted, but once you've got it, you'll fight to keep it...
A lawsuit.
How is it that a person born in Massachusetts, whose parents were both born in Massachusetts, is not born a U.S. Citizen?
Think about the timing...
If he was born before 1783, then Massachusetts would still be a British colony.
What two reasons why whispering in company is not proper?
"Think about the impact on others when you're having a private conversation in a public setting..."
It is not aloud (allowed).
My first is appropriate, my second 'tis nine to one if you guess it. My whole elevates the sole above the earth. What am I?
Think about something you wear on your feet, and pay attention to the wordplay in the clue...
Pat-ten.
There's a body lying dead on a bed, and on the floor beside it is a pair of scissors. The scissors were instrumental in his death, yet there's no trace of blood. The body reveals no signs of any cuts or bruises. How could the person have been murdered with a pair of scissors?
Think about a profession that often uses scissors, and consider the phrase "instrumental in his death" very literally...
The person slept on a waterbed. His killer used the scissors to cut the bed open and drown him.
We are five little objects of an everyday sort. You will find us all in a tennis court. What are we?
Think about the individual components that make up a tennis ball...
Vowels.
Why is a conundrum like a monkey?
Think about what monkeys are known to do with objects...
Because it is far fetched and full of nonsense.
What goes in the water red, and comes out black?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, and how it changes when it gets wet...
Iron.
Why is the letter F like an incendiary?
Think about the sound the letter F makes...
Because it makes ire fire.
I give you a group of three. One is sitting down, and will never get up. The second eats as much as is given to him, yet is always hungry. The third goes away and never returns. What are the three things?
Think about common, everyday objects that can be found in a typical household, and consider their "behaviors" or characteristics...
Stove, fire, and smoke.
Ripped from my mother's womb, Beaten and burned, I become a blood-thirsty slayer. What am I?
Think about a common, everyday object that's often associated with heat and violence, but has a surprising origin...
Iron ore.
My head and tail both equal are, My middle slender as a bee. Whether I stand on head or heel Is quite the same to you or me. But if my head should be cut off, The matter's true, though passing strange Directly I to nothing change. What Am I?
"Think about an everyday object that has a symmetrical shape and can be stood upright or on its side without changing its purpose..."
The figure eight.
Why are beautiful women like bread?
Think about the different stages of bread, from its freshness to its eventual decay...
Because they are often toasted.
A harvest sown and reaped on the same day In an unplowed field, Which increases without growing, Remains whole though it is eaten Within and without, Is useless and yet The staple of nations. What is it?
Think about something that can be "harvested" in a figurative sense, not necessarily related to agriculture or farming...
War.
Why is a man in debt like a misty morning?
Think about the words that describe a misty morning, and how they might relate to a person's financial situation...
Because he is surrounded with dues (dews).
A man but an animal, a horn with two hands. What am I?
Think about a musical instrument that is often depicted with a human-like figure, and its name has the word "horn" in it...
A Minotaur.
Why is a small horse like a young musk-melon?
Think about the names...
Because it makes a man go.
What is that which has many leaves, but no stem?
Think about something you might find on a shelf or in a room, used for storing or sharing information...
A book.
What do we all do when we first get into bed?
Think about the first action you take when getting into bed, it's something you do unconsciously, and it's not about sleeping or resting...
Make an impression.
A box without hinges, key or lid, Yet golden treasure inside is hid. What am I?
Think about something that naturally contains a valuable treasure, and its "box" is not man-made...
An egg.
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 you might just find yourself in this peculiar land...
The land of double letters.
Why ought a fisherman to be very wealthy?
Think about the treasure he often pulls out of the sea...
Because his is all net profit.
Why is a parish bell like a good story?
Think about the sounds a parish bell makes and how a good story can have a similar effect on its listeners...
Because it is often tolled (told).
Why is an old man like a window?
Think about what happens to both as they get older...
Because he is full of pains (panes).
Why are your nose and chin always at variance?
Think about the shape of your nose and chin... do they ever touch?
Because words are passing between them.
I am not found on any ground,But always in the air; Though charged each cloud with thunder loud, You can not find me there. Now, if from France you choose to dance Your way just into Spain, I there am seen, and near the queen, In hail, in mist, and rain. What am I?
Think about something that is invisible, yet present in the atmosphere, and is often associated with weather phenomena...
The letter I.
Why is swearing like an old coat?
Think about something you might do with an old coat that makes it similar to swearing...
Because it is a bad habit.
When young, I am sweet in the sun. When middle-aged, I make you gay. When old, I am valued more than ever. What am I?
Think about something that changes over time, and its uses or perceptions change with its age...
Wine
I have four of these, With matching extremities. They can do many things, And hardly ever bring me pain. Unless I stick them with a pin, Or burn them sometimes when... What is it that I can wiggle at will? And use in other means still?
Think about a part of your body that you use frequently, and that has a tendency to get injured in certain situations...
Fingers.
NASA was considering sending canaries into space to study them under zero gravity. The project was scrapped when someone realized that in spite of having sufficient water supplies, they could die of dehydration within a few hours. Why?
Think about how canaries drink water...
Birds, unlike humans, need gravity to swallow. Humans can swallow even while hanging upside down.
Inside a burning house, this thing is best to make. And best to make it quickly, before the fire's too much to take! What is it?
Think about something that is essential to create in a emergency situation like a burning house, and it's not a physical object...
Haste!
Whether old Homer tippled wine or beer, Julep or cider, history is not clear; But plain it is-the bard, though want to roam, But for one liquid, never had left home. What is it?
Think about something Homer, the ancient Greek poet, would always have with him, no matter where he went, and it's not a drink...
The letter R.
Why is the largest city in Ireland likely to be the largest city in the world?
Think about the name of the city...
Dublin, because it is every year doubling.
What animal would you get crossed a duck, a beaver, and an otter?
Think about the characteristics that make each of these animals unique...
A platypus.
I am the son of a chemist and a mathematician. People call me iron 59. What is my name?
Think about the Periodic Table of Elements and the concept of atomic mass...
Felix. Fe=iron LIX-59
A nonstop train leaves Moscow for Leningrad at 60 mph. Another nonstop train leaves Leningrad for Moscow at 40 mph. How far apart are the trains 1 hour before they pass each other?
Think about the relative speed of the two trains, and how that affects the distance between them.
100 miles (60+40)
My first is a negative greatly in use, By which people begin when they mean to refuse; My second is Fashion, or so called in France, But, like other whims, is the servant of chance. An article always in use is my whole, With texture and form under fashion's control; But, alas! not a thing can it see which goes by, Although many have four sights, and all have one eye. What am I?
Pay attention to the words "refuse" and "see" in the riddle, and think about an everyday object that is closely related to these actions...
But-ton.
A ship that puts a road in order, What is it?
Think about a type of ship that's not used for transportation, but rather for maintenance...
A smoothing iron.
How did the court know the judge was ready for bed?
Pay attention to the judge's attire...
He was wearing his robe.
Of no use to one Yet absolute bliss to two. The small boy gets it for nothing. The young man has to lie for it. The old man has to buy it. The baby's right, The lover's privilege, The hypocrite's mask. To the young girl, faith; To the married woman, hope; To the old maid, charity. What am I?
Think about a word that has different meanings and values to people at different stages of their lives, and consider the emotions and attitudes associated with each stage.
A kiss.
Four jolly men sat down to play, And played all night till break of day. They played for cash and not for fun, With a separate score for every one. When it came time to square accounts, they all had made quite fair amounts. Now, not one has lost and all have gained - Tell me now, this can you explain?
Think about a game where the outcome is not a win or loss, but rather a personal achievement...
The four jolly men are members of an orchestra hired to play at a dance.
Five hundred begins it, five hundred ends it, five in the middle is seen; first of all figures, the first of all letters, take up their stations between. Join all together, and then you will bring before you the name of an eminent king. Who is it?
Think about the Roman numeral system and the alphabetical order of the English language...
DAVID (Roman numerals).
Why is a bullet like a tender glance?
"Think about the way a bullet moves, and how a tender glance can also 'penetrate'..."
Because it pierces hearts.
Long and slinky like a trout, never sings till its guts come out. What is it?
Think about something that's long and slender, often associated with water, and has a surprising "song" that's revealed when it's opened up...
It is a gun.
My first is found on the ocean wave, In the spring, the pit, and the mine; My second below earth's surface you have, Where seldom the sun can shine. My whole your dinner-table must grace, And seldom fails to obtain a place. What am I?
Think about a common food item that has connections to the ocean, spring, and mining, and is often found on dinner tables...
Salt-cellar.
Where do Turkeys go to dance?
Think about a type of event or gathering where people often dance, and then substitute a word related to turkeys...
The Butter Ball.
What animal probably likes doors?
Think about an animal that often finds itself on the other side of a door, waiting to be let in...
A doormouse.
Why are trees in winter like troublesome visitors?
Think about how trees change during the winter season, and how that change might be similar to how you might feel about certain visitors...
Because it's a long time before they leave.
Three-fourths of a cross, and a circle complete, An upright where two semicircles meet, A rectangle triangle standing on feet, Two semicircles, and a circle complete. What is it?
Think about a common symbol you might find on a door or a building...
The word Tobacco.
There is one word in the English language which is universally considered a preventive of harm; change a certain letter in it, and you make it an act of cruelty. What are the words?
Think about a word that is often associated with safety and protection, and how a small change in spelling could completely flip its meaning...
Prescription—proscription.
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?
"Look down, not up, to find the answer"
The past.
Runs over fields and woods all day Under the bed at night sits not alone, With long tongue hanging out, Awaiting for a bone. What am I?
Think about something that is often found in the countryside, but also has a special place in many homes, and has a particular feature that's useful for a certain task...
A shoe.
How do you make an orange giggle in the tub?
Think about what you might do to a person to make them giggle in the tub...
Tickle its navel.
There is a creature which could double its size every day. So, if the creature is put in a tank then it will fill the tank in 10 days. How many days would it take for the creature to fill 1/2 and 1/4 of the tank?
Think about it backwards: if the creature fills the entire tank in 10 days, what size would it be the day before?
9 days to fill 1/2 and 8 days to fill 1/4 of the tank. If the creature fills the tank in 10 days and it doubles every day, on the ninth day it would fill 1/2 the tank. Thus on the 8th day it will fill 1/4 of tank.
Why was the dog kicked out of the flea circus?
Think about the unique skills or abilities that would be required to be a successful performer in a flea circus...
Because he stole the show!
How do you communicate with a monster that lives on the seabed?
"Think about how you would 'talk' to someone who can't hear you..."
Drop him a line.
What do computer programmers sing in the shower?
Think "algorithm" meets "harmony"...
Disc-o.
Half of me will mend, the other half will imprison. When I am together, I will poison. Who am I?
Think about something that can be broken into two parts, and each part has a distinct function or consequence...
Hemlock,
My first may be fashioned of iron or wood, And at window or door for safety is placed; In village or town, it does more harm than good, Leading people their health, time, and money to waste. My second's a lady, bewitching and fair, And for love of her people will labor and strive; Will rise before dawn, and be wearied with care, And pursue her with ardor as long as they live. My whole is what ladies admire and approve, The shopkeeper's boast-the purchaser's prize; 'Tis a ninepenny chintz-'tis a one-shilling glove- It is something which makes people open their eyes. What am I?
Think about something that has two distinct parts, one related to protection and the other to beauty/fashion, and how they can have contrasting effects on people's lives.
Bar-gain.
Did you hear about the soilder who bought a camouflage sleeping bag?
"He couldn't be seen..."
He can't find it
'Tis found in our troubles, 'tis mixed with our pleasures, 'Tis laid up above with our heavenly treasures; 'Tis whispered in heaven, and 'tis muttered in hell, And it findeth a place in each sybilline spell; In Paradise nestled, 'mid Eden's fair flowers, It has sported with Eve in rose-perfumed bowers; 'Tis muttered in curses, yet breathed in our prayers; From the path of our duty it tempts us in snares. Deep, deep in our hearts you will find it engraved; Though in misery sunk, yet from sin it is saved. 'Tis found in the stream that flows on to the ocean; Though in bustle forever, 'tis ne'er in commotion. 'Tis wafted afar o'er the land in each breath; In the grave 'tis decaying-you'll find it in death. It is floating away on the broad stream of time, Yet it findeth a place in eternity's clime. In the legends of nations it holdeth a place; There's no charm without it to the beautiful face. In thunder you'll hear it, if closely you listen; In moonbeam and sunbeam forever 'twill glisten. In the dew-drop it sparkles; 'tis found in the forest; It whispers in peace when our need is the sorest. What am I?
Pay attention to the sounds and whispers mentioned throughout the riddle, and think about something that is always present, yet often overlooked.
The letter E.
Why is an avaricious man like one with a short memory?
Think about how an avaricious person behaves when it comes to possessions, and how someone with a short memory might behave in a similar way...
Because he is always for getting.
Untainted, Eternal, Marooned A place where the living will move. A shrine beneath the sun. Greeted by the morning's crest. Our sanctity, Our rest. For when our day is done. What am I?
Think about a place where people often visit to pay respects, and its location is often marked by a notable feature that is visible at dawn.
A Graveyard.
It speaks with a hard tongue, it cannot breathe, for it has no lungs. What is it?
Think about something you might find in a classroom or a library, used for communication, but not a living thing...
A Bell.
A man has Ten Horses and nine stables as shown here. [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] The man wants to fit Ten Horses into nine stables. How can he fit Ten horses into nine stables?
Think about the names of the horses...
One letter for each stable. [T][E][N] [H][O][R][S][E][S]
If I say I am lying, am I telling the truth?
Think about the paradox of self-reference...
This is impossible to solve, because if I were telling the truth, then I would be lying, which doesn't make sense since I am telling the truth. If I am lying, then what I said was true and that doesn't make sense either.
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 have a profound impact on people's perceptions, both literally and figuratively.
I am Sand.
What is the shape of a kiss?
Think about the shape of lips when they meet...
Elliptical—a-lip-tickle.
A hundred stones are placed, in a straight line, a yard distant from each other. How many yards must a person walk, who undertakes to pick them up, and place them in a basket stationed one yard from the first stone?
Think about the total distance traveled, not just the distance between the stones...
In solving this question it is clear that to pick up the first stone and put it into the basket, the person must walk two yards, one in going for the stone and another in returning with it; that for the second stone he must walk four yards, and so on increasing by two as far as the hundredth, when he must walk two hundred yards, so that the sum total will be the product of 202 multiplied by 50, or 10,100 yards. If any one does not see why we multiply 202 by 50 in getting the answer, we refer him to his arithmetic.
There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?
The hint is: Think about a common, everyday experience that many people have, especially when they're young.
A school.
What did the faucet say to the shower?
Think about a common phrase people use when parting ways, and how a faucet and shower might "part ways" in a sense...
"You're a big drip."
A woman went into a bank to cash an insurance refund check. By mistake the teller gave her dollars for cents and cents for dollars. She put the money in her purse but accidentally dropped a nickel on the floor. When she got home, she found that she had exactly twice the amount of the check she had cashed. She didn't have any money in her wallet before going to the bank. What was the exact amount of that check?
Think about the mistake the teller made: if they swapped dollars for cents, that means the woman got 100 times more than she should have, and if they swapped cents for dollars, that means she got 1/100th of what she should have. Now, consider how the nickel on the floor affects the final amount...
The amount must have been $31.63. She received $63.31. After she dropped a nickel there would remain the sum of $63.26, which is twice the amount of the check.
Joe has ten coins totaling $1.19. From these coins, he cannot make exact change for a dollar, half-dollar, quarter, dime, or nickel. What are the coins?
Think about the coins that Joe CAN make with the ones he has...
A half-dollar, a quarter, four dimes, and four pennies.
What animal has no wings, but yet will fly?
Think about something you might find in the kitchen...
A caterpillar has no wings, but will fly when it matures and becomes a butterfly.
Join a noun and adjective, and make a verb. What is the word?
Think about a type of fruit that's often described as being "light" in color or texture...
Impeach.
Granny looked up from her rocking chair and said: As far as I can tell, there is only one anagram of the word trinket. What is it?
Think about something Granny might be doing with her hands while sitting in her rocking chair...
The word knitter.
It stands on one leg with its heart in its head. What is it?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, and consider the literal meaning of "heart" in this context...
A cabbage.
My first is in chocolate but not in ham, my second's in cake and also in jam, my third at tea-time is easily found, my whole is a friend who's often around. What am I?
Think about the words that are commonly associated with the foods mentioned, and how they might relate to a person or entity that is often present in our daily lives...
A Cat!
A large truck is crossing a bridge 1 mile long. The bridge can only hold 14000 lbs, which is the exact weight of the truck. The truck makes it half way across the bridge and stops. A bird lands on the truck. Does the bridge collapse?
Think about the weight distribution of the truck on the bridge...
No, it does not collapse. Because it has driven a half mile - you would subtract the gas used from the total weight of the truck.
What is bought by the yard and worn by the foot?
Think about something that is typically measured and sold in yards, but its purpose is to be worn on a specific part of the body...
Carpet.
About the size of a squash, He robs the whole village. What is it?
Think about something that can be about the size of a squash, but has a big impact on a village, perhaps affecting everyone's daily lives...
A rat.
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 build or visit, and consider how the words "head" and "tail" might be used in a more abstract sense.
A Tablet.
My first is a fluid, my second a solid, my whole a plant. What is it?
Think about a type of plant that has a fluid part and a solid part, and the answer will "grow" on you!
Liquorice.
A train just leaves a station and enters a tunnel. Where is the best place for a claustrophobic person to sit?
Think about the moment the train is entering the tunnel, and consider the part of the train that is NOT yet in the tunnel...
In the back. See, the train is still accelerating as it is leaving the station so the train will be moving faster when the back of the train enters the tunnel.
Why is a farm-yard like a hotel?
Think about the different types of "guests" you might find in both places...
It is generally patronized by gobblers.
What did the pen say to the paper?
Think about the purpose of a pen and paper together...
Lets run away and WRITE
A forest exists somewhere on Earth. This forest has no life except for trees. After a storm, a tree was hit by lightning and falls. What sound would it make?
Think about the absence of something that would normally affect the sound...
None. Sound does not exist if it is unheard.
A clock chimes 5 times in 4 seconds. How many times will it chime in 10 seconds?
Think about the clock's chiming pattern and how it relates to time, rather than just multiplying the number of chimes by the increase in seconds.
11 times. It chimes at zero and then once every second for 10 seconds.
Not born, but from a Mother's body drawn, I hang until half of me is gone. I sleep in a cave until I grow old, then valued for my hardened gold. What am I?
Think about something that forms naturally, is often associated with the earth, and has a prized, golden aspect to it...
Cheese.
A horse travels a certain distance each day. Strangely enough, two of its legs travel 30 miles each day and the other two legs travel nearly 31 miles. It would seem that two of the horse's legs must be one mile ahead of the other two legs, but of course, this can't be true, since the horse is normal. How is this possible?
Think about the horse's legs in a different way... consider the direction they're moving, not just the distance they're traveling.
The horse operates a mill and travels in a circular clockwise direction. The two outside legs will travel a greater distance than the two inside legs.
How can you hold a piece of string, one end in each hand, and tie a knot in the string with out letting go of either end?
Think about the starting position of the string...
Cross your arms before you seize the ends of the string. Uncross your arms and it will tie a knot!
Who are the two brothers who live on opposite sides of the road yet never see each other?
Think about directions, not just physical locations...
A person's eyes, the nose is the road.
Whoever makes it, tells it not. Whoever takes it, knows it not. And whoever knows it wants it not. What is it?
Think about something that is often shared, but not explicitly discussed...
Counterfeit money.
The answer I give is yes, but what I mean is no. What was the question?
A classic lateral thinking riddle! Here's a hint: Think about a question that is often asked in a social or polite setting, and the answer "yes" is given out of courtesy or habit, even if the truth is the opposite.
Do you mind?
Pregnant every time you see her, yet she never will give birth. What is it?
Think about a common, everyday object that is often associated with a "pregnant" or "full" state, but will never actually produce offspring...
Full Moon
Black I am and much admired, men seek me until they're tired. When they find me, they break my head, and take from me my resting bed. What am I?
Think about something that people often search for, especially when they're thirsty...
Coal
When you take away the whole from me, there is always some left over. What am I?
Think about something you can "whittle down" or "chip away" at, but no matter how much you take away, there's always a remnant remaining...
Wholesome!
Jack has 8 bricks 7 of them weights the same amount and one is slightly heavier. Using a balance scale, how can Jack find the heavier brick in two weighings?
Hint: For the first weighing, don't compare the bricks one by one. Instead, think about dividing them into two groups in a way that will give you the most information...
First he split them in to piles of 3, 3, and 2 bricks. Then he weighs both groups of 3 with each other. If they balance he knows the brick is one of the 2 unweighed bricks and he can weigh them to find the heaver one. If the the stacks of 3 bricks do not balance, he will weigh 2 of the 3 bricks. If they balance he will know the brick left unweighed is heavier, or if they do not balance, he will find the heavier one.
What God never sees, what the king seldom sees, and what we see every day. What is it? Read my riddle.
Think about something that is often overlooked or taken for granted, yet is constantly present in our lives...
An equal.
What can go up a chimney down, but cannot go down a chimney up?
Think about the physical properties of an object and how they relate to its movement up and down a chimney...
An umbrella.
You are in a room that is completely bricked in on all four sides, including the ceiling and floor. You have nothing but a mirror and a wooden table in the room with you. How do you get out?
Look closely at the mirror...
You look in the mirror you see what you saw, you take the saw and you cut the table in half, two halves make a whole, and you climb out the hole.
If you're in a room with no windows, no doors, and everything made of cement. In the room is a mirror and a table. How do you get out?
Look closely at yourself...
Look in the mirror to see what you saw. Take the saw the table in half. Use the two halves to make a whole. Then, crawl through the hole to get out.
What can be heard and caught but never seen?
"Think about something that reaches your ears, but not your eyes..."
A remark.
I am something people love or hate. I change people's appearances and thoughts. If a person takes care of them self I will go up even higher. To some people, I will fool them. To others, I am a mystery. Some people might want to try and hide me but I will show. No matter how hard people try I will Never go down. What am I?
Think about something that is closely tied to a person's identity, and is often associated with growth, development, and self-perception...
Age.
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 might find on a sunny day at the beach...
It's a shadow!
Who is that with a neck and no head, two arms and no hands? What is it?
Think about something you might find in a room, often decorative, and used to hold or support things...
A shirt.
If eleven plus two equals one, what does nine plus five equal?
Think about clock times!
11 o'clock plus 2 hours = 1 o'clock 9 o'clock plus 5 hours = 2 o'clock
How can you write down eight eights so that they add up to one thousand?
Think creatively about using basic arithmetic operations (+, -, x, /) and consider the possibilities of using eights as exponents or in combinations that might just add up to the magic number...
888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1000.
It can't be seen, can't be felt, can't be heard, and can't be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, Ends life, and kills laughter. What is it?
Think about something that is abstract, yet has a profound impact on our lives. It's not a physical entity, but it can be felt in the sense that it affects us deeply. It's often associated with the passage of time and the cycle of life...
The dark.
What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?
"Listen carefully to the answer..."
Queue. Remove the "ueue" and you are left with "Q".
Three playing cards in a row. Can you name them with these clues? There is a two to the right of a king. A diamond will be found to the left of a spade. An ace is to the left of a heart. A heart is to the left of a spade. Now, identify all three cards.
Think about the order of suits in a deck of cards...
Ace of Diamonds, King of Hearts, Two of Spades.
What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?
Think about something that can be "added" to, but only in a very specific way...
A choice.
George, Helen, and Steve are drinking coffee. Bert, Karen, and Dave are drinking soda. Using logic, is Elizabeth drinking coffee or soda?
There is no mention of Elizabeth in the given information...
Elizabeth is drinking coffee. The letter E appears twice in her name, as it does in the names of the others that are drinking coffee.
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height. Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was. If the tree grew by five centimeters each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Think about what happens to the nail as the tree grows...
The nail would be at the same height since trees grow at their tops.
I am four times as old as my daughter. In 20 years time I shall be twice as old as her. How old are we now?
Think about the ratio of your age to your daughter's age, and how that ratio changes over time...
I am 40 and my daughter is 10.
Which of the following words don't belong in the group and why? CORSET, COSTER, SECTOR, ESCORT, COURTS
Hint: Think about the words in a different order...
Courts. All of the others are anagrams of each other.
Lily is a lilypad in a small pond. Lilly doubles her size each day, On the 20th day she covers the whole pond. On what day was Lily half the size of the pond?
Think backwards!
Day 19, it's not 10 because on day 20 she doubled from day 19, so 19 must be half the size of the pond.
What common English verb becomes its own past tense by rearranging its letters?
Think about a verb that's often used to describe a change in one's mind or opinion...
Eat and Ate.
The ages of a father and son add up to 66. The father's age is the son's age reversed. How old could they be? (3 possible solutions).
Think about the properties of reversed numbers and how they can add up to 66...
51 and 15. 42 and 24. 60 and 06.
There was a man who was born before his father, killed his mother, and married his sister. Yet, there was nothing wrong with what he had done. Why?
Think about the context in which these events occurred... it's not a traditional family setting.
His father was in front of him when he was born, therefore he was born before him. His mother died while giving birth to him. Finally, he grew up to be a minister and married his sister at her ceremony.
There are two sisters; one gives birth to the other, who in turn gives birth to the first. Who are they?
Think about the cycles of time and the relationships between days of the week...
Day and night. Both words that are both feminine in the Greek language.
What two whole, positive numbers have a one-digit answer when multiplied and a two-digit answer when added?
Think about numbers that have a "special" property when multiplied together, resulting in a single digit...
1 and 9.
Which word is the odd one out: Seventy, Brawl, Clover, Proper, Carrot, Swing, Change, Travel, Sacred, Stone?
Think about the words that have a common theme related to a specific activity or concept, and then look for the one that doesn't fit with the others.
Carrot. When the first and last letters are removed from the other words, they still spell another word.
You want to boil a two-minute egg. If you only have a three-minute timer (hourglass), a four-minute timer, and a five-minute timer, how can you boil the egg for only two minutes?
Think about using the timers in combination, rather than individually...
Once the water is boiling, turn the three-minute timer and five-minute timer over. When the three-minute timer runs out, put the egg in the boiling water. When the five-minute timer runs out, two minutes have elapsed and it is time to take the egg out of the water. You don't need the four-minute timer for this riddle.
What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening.
Think about the different stages of a person's life...
Man, who crawls as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and uses a walking stick in his twilight years.
It is a 5 letter word if you take away first letter it is something you get from sun, if you remove second letter you will get something to eat, if you remove third letter you get a word you use in pointing at and if you remove the fourth letter you get something to drink. What is it?
"Think about a common, everyday word that's related to a natural resource, and how its letters can be manipulated to reveal other words that are also familiar and tangible."
Wheat.
How much will a 38° angle measure when looked at under a microscope that magnifies ten times?
Think about what magnification does to an object's size, not its shape or properties...
It will still be 38°.
Tomorrow Is Neither Wednesday Nor Thursday. Yesterday Was Not Friday Or Saturday. Today Is Not Thursday Nor Monday Nor Sunday. What Day Is Today?
Think about the days of the week in a circular manner, and pay attention to the negative clues...
Friday.
When asked how old she was, Suzie replied, "In two years I will be twice as old as I was five years ago." How old is she?
Think about Suzie's age in terms of an equation, and consider how her age will change over time...
She's 12!
Lighter than what I am made of, More of me is hidden Than is seen. What am I?
Think about something that has a large portion of itself concealed, yet its visible part is still composed of a surprisingly "light" material...
An iceberg.
I am a three digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit. My hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?
Think of a sequence of three numbers, where each number is related to the previous one by a fixed difference...
Number 194.
What was never scared but became petrified, can't make a bird but can make a bat, can't live in a house but would die to have one. What is it?
Think about something that can change its state, has a connection to flying creatures, and is often associated with a specific type of structure...
A tree.
How old is your son? asked a man to his neighbour. My son is five times as old as my daughter and my wife is five times as old as my son. Iam twice as old as my wife whereas my grandmother, who is celebrating her eighty-first birthday is as old as all of us put togeather. How old is the man's son?
"Focus on the grandmother's age and work backwards to find the connection between the ages of the family members."
Five.
Name an eight-letter word that has kst in the middle, in the beginning, and at the end. What is it?
Think about a word that can be read the same way forwards and backwards...
Inkstand - kst is in the middle. "In" is the beginning, and "and" ends the word.
I have three feet but can't walk; I tell you things but can't talk; Sometimes I bend but I'm mostly straight. I'm like a scale but can't tell your weight. What am I?
Think about something you might find in a school or office, used for a specific purpose, and has a peculiar shape...
A yardstick.
I'm found in the sea and on land but I can't walk or swim. I travel by foot but I'm toeless. No matter where I go I'm never far from home. What am I?
Think about something that can be found in both the sea and on land, but isn't a living thing that can move on its own...
A snail.
If 4+2=26, 8+1=79 and 6+5=111. Then, what is 7+3?
Think alphabetically...
410. 4+2=26 is because 4-2=2 and 4+2=6,so it is 26. Therefore, 7-3=4 and 7+3=10(410).
Different lights do make me strange, thus into different sizes, I will change. What am I?
Think about something that can be affected by different light sources, and its appearance can change depending on the light it's in...
I am the pupil of an eye.
It has five wheels, though often think four, You cannot use it without that one more, You can put things in it, you can strap things on top, You can't find it in the market, but you can still go shopping. What is it?
Think about something you use daily, that has a common variant with four wheels, but the one I'm thinking of has five...
A car.
What is the next number in the sequence? 2, 3, 5, 9, 17, _
Think about a process that doubles and adds one...
33. The pattern: Double the previous number and subtract 1.
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 number where the first digit is a quarter of the last digit... that means the last digit must be a multiple of 4.
1694.
A man was found dead in his study. He was slumped over his desk and a gun was in his hand. There was a cassette recorder on his desk. When the police entered the room and pressed the play button on the tape recorder they heard: "I can't go on. I have nothing to live for." Then there was the sound of a gunshot. How did the detective immediately know that the man had been murdered and it wasn't a suicide?
Pay close attention to the cassette recorder and the fact that the police had to press the play button...
The cassette had started at the beginning of the man's utterance. Someone else had to be there to rewind the tape.
My thunder comes before the lightning; My lightning comes before the clouds; My rain dries all the land it touches. What am I?
Think about a natural phenomenon that's not necessarily related to weather, but has similar characteristics...
A volcano.
Something very extraordinary happened on the 6th of May, 1978 at 12:34 a.m. What was it?
Think about the numbers and their sequence...
At that moment, the time and day could be written as: 12:34, 5/6/78.
Take two numbers, such that the square of the first, plus the square of the second, shall equal 8; while the first, plus the product of the first and second, shall equal 6. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically, and consider the possibility that the two numbers might be related in a very simple way...
2 and 2.
I have a head body and arm but no blood. I have eyes but can't see a nose but can't smell. I have a stage but haven't seen anyone perform. I have arms but can not carry anything you see things with me but you can't see what I am made of. What am I?
Think about a common object you might find in a public place, often decorated or customized, with a "stage" or platform, and "arms" that don't hold or carry things...
A microscope.
I am everything. I am nothing. I can make you tremble in fear or make your sadness disappear. I've been with you since you arrived and I will be with you at the moment you die. We've known each other for our entire lives. I know you but you create me. What am I?
Think about the emotions and experiences that are universal to all humans, and how they can be both intensely positive and negative.
Just a thought.
What lies at the bottom of the sea and shivers?
Here's a hint: Think about something that's typically found on land, but can also be found underwater, and its name has a dual meaning...
A nervous wreck.
I'm fatherless and motherless and born without sin. Roaring when entering the world, I never speak again. What am I?
Think about something that makes a loud noise when it's "born" or created, but then remains silent afterwards. It's not a living thing, but it's often associated with a dramatic entrance...
Thunder.
What do the following words have in common? Vermont, Statuesque, Swedish, Arthur's, Africa, Sensation, Misunderstood?
All of these words can be preceded by a specific word to form a proper noun or title.
They each contain an abbreviation of a day of the week. verMONt, staTUESque, sWEDish, arTHUR’S, aFRIca, senSATion, miSUNderstood.
On my own, I am darkness, a black abyss. But, Life brings me light with its gentle kiss. I am quiet and cold, but warmth I can hold. Alongside beauties and wonders, sights to be told. My surface may be bare, this I'm aware. But, beautiful secrets I am eager to share. My mouth so large, I swallow you whole. To be in my belly is your goal. What may lie within can drive men to sin. Greed and desire, gluttony's kin. For some, I am fear. For others, hope. My perception shaped from life's scope. From the earth I have come, and forever will stay, even if parts of me crumble away. What am I?
"Think about a natural wonder that can be both beautiful and intimidating, with a duality of darkness and light, coldness and warmth. Its 'outh' is vast, and what lies within can spark strong desires in people..."
A cave.
Without a bridle, or a saddle, across a thing I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?
Think about something you use to help you see, but it's not a living thing, and you "ride" it in a sense...
Eye glasses.
Joe and Sally were sitting in their family room one night. While Joe was watching T.V, his wife Sally was reading. All of a sudden the power went out and Joe decided to go to bed, but Sally kept on reading. With no use of artificial light, Sally kept on reading. How?
The hint is: Think about the timing and the activity Sally was doing...
Sally was blind, she was reading a book by Braille.
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.
Within, I clean all that is bad and old. I make juice that's the color of gold. Should I die, a filter machine would you need to assemble to replace me, and a bean I resemble... What am I?
Think about a common household item that's used for a specific task, and its shape and function might remind you of a type of bean...
A kidney.
There are 3 light bulbs in three separate rooms. in front of you, there is a panel with 3 separate switches. They only turn on or off. You may look inside each room only once. How can you tell which bulb belongs to which switch?
Here's a hint: Think about the initial state of the bulbs and how you can manipulate them to gather the most information possible in a single glance. Consider using a "process of elimination" approach, and think about what you can learn from a bulb being ON or OFF.
You turn on any two switches, leave them for a few minutes, and turn one switch off. You enter each room only once. you know that the lightbulb that is lit belongs to the switch that was left on, the bulb that is off, but hot, belongs to the switch you turned off, and the cold bulb belongs to the switch you never touched.
My tongue is long, my breath is strong, And yet I breed no strife; My voice you hear both far and near, And yet I have no life. What am I?
Think about something that can be heard from a distance, but doesn't have a physical existence...
A bell.
While exploring the wilds of Canada, Wild Man Dave was captured by hostile wood fairies. Brad, the powerful chief of the fairies told him he could make one final statement that would determine how he would die. If the statement he made was false, he would be boiled in water. If the statement were true, he would be fried in oil. Wild Man Dave found neither of these options to his liking, so he made a statement that got him out of this seemingly impossible situation. What is the one statement he could have made?
Think about a statement that, if true, would not allow him to be fried in oil, and if false, would not allow him to be boiled in water...
Wild Man Dave said: "You will boil me in water." The fairies were faced with a dilemma. If they boil him in water, that would make his statement true, which means he should have been fried in oil. They can only fry him in oil if he makes a true statement, but if they do, it would make his final statement false. The fairies had no way our of their situation so they were forced to set Wild Man Dave free.
One day an alchemist brought a king a bottle holding a strange liquid. The alchemist said, "This liquid I discovered will dissolve anything it touches." How did the king know that he was lying?
Think about the alchemist's claim... how did he bring the liquid to the king?
The king knew if what he said was true the bottle would get dissolved!
I'm done to the chief, And to the king too; A liquid formed to stone, I can hit and hurt you. What am I?
Think about something that can be "done" or applied to people in power, and also has a connection to geology and physical harm.
Hail.
If boiling water is poured into a thick drinking glass as well as a very thin wine glass. Which of the two is more likely to crack?
"Think about how the heat from the boiling water will affect the different materials, and consider which one will expand more quickly..."
The thick glass is more likely to crack since glass is a poor conductor of heat. In a thin glass, the heat passes more quickly from the glass into the surrounding air, causing the glass to expand equally. When hot water is poured into a thick glass, the inner surface expands, but the outer surface does not. It is this extreme stress on the glass that causes it to crack.
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 how it might "die" in your hand...
A snowflake!
What liquid is represented by "hijklmno"?
Think about a common liquid you might find in a bottle, and how its name might be represented by a sequence of letters...
Water. Hijklmno is "H to O" in the alphabet. Water is H20.
The day before yesterday, Chris was 7 years old. Next year, she'll turn 10. How is this possible?
Think about the timing of birthdays and the way we phrase dates...
Today is Jan. 1st. Yesterday, December 31, was Chris's 8th birthday. On December 30, she was still 7. This year she will turn 9, and next year, she'll turn 10.
Sometimes I am black, sometimes I am white sometimes you can see me at night. I have friends that are with me that are much smaller. Some of you have walked on me but not all. What am I?
"Think about something you might find in the sky, and how it can change appearance depending on the time of day..."
The Moon.
When you don't know what I am, I am something. When you know what I am, I am nothing. What Am I?
Think about a situation where your knowledge or understanding of something changes its significance or existence...
The answer was what that question was! The answer would be a riddle! a riddle would be nothing if you knew it and if you dunt know the answer to the riddle, it's still something.
Find an English word which is singular, add an "s" and it becomes plural, and add another "s" it becomes singular again. What is it?
Think about a word that refers to a specific, unique item that can be owned or possessed...
There are actually 3 correct answers: Caress. Princess. Brass.
Four people are sitting around a campfire after a long day of recreation when one man comments: "Do you realize that around this campfire, the four of us include a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle and a couple of cousins"?. If everyone is related by blood (with no unusual marriages) how is this possible?
Think about the different relationships that can exist between family members, and consider the possibility that some individuals might fit into more than one category...
The campfire circle includes a woman and her brother. The woman's daughter and the man's son are also present.
A structure with two occupants, sometimes one, rarely three. Break the walls, eat the borders, then throw away me. What am I?
Think about something you might find on a table, and consider the words "walls" and "borders" in a more literal sense...
A peanut.
There's one "sport" in which neither the spectators nor the participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends. What is it?
Think about an activity where the outcome is unknown until the very end, and it's not about winning or losing, but rather about the result itself...
Boxing.
A king decided to let a prisoner try to escape the prison with his life. The king placed 2 marbles in a jar that was glued to a table. One of the marbles was supposed to be black, and one was supposed to be blue. If the prisoner could pick the blue marble, he would escape the prison with his life. If he picked the black marble, he would be executed. However, the king was very mean, and he wickedly placed 2 black marbles in the jars and no blue marbles. The prisoner witnessed the king only putting 2 black marbles in the jars. If the jar was not see-through and the jar was glued to the table and the prisoner was mute so he could not say anything, how did he escape with his life?
The prisoner used his other senses to his advantage...
The prisoner grabbed one of the marbles from the jar and concealed it in his hand. He then swallowed it, and picked up the other marble and showed everyone. The marble was black, and since the other marble was swallowed, it was assumed to be the blue one. So the mean king had to set him free
Do you know anything that has four eyes?
Think about something you might find in a room, and it's not a living thing...
Yes, Mississippi.
Three men sitting in a small motorboat one mile from the shoreline. The first is afraid of water, the second is afraid of drowning, and the third is afraid of sharks. The boat's motor is not operational and there is nothing to row with. How do they get to the shoreline?
Think about the fears of each man... are they really relevant to the solution?
Get out and walk, the boat is one-mile inland!
Four men sat down to play, They played all night till the break of day. They played for gold and not for fun, With separate scores for every one. When they had come to square accounts, They all had made quite fair amounts. Can you the paradox explain, If no one lost, how all could gain?
Think about a game where the "gain" is not necessarily at the expense of the others...
The men were musicians..
I cut through evil like a double-edged sword, And chaos flees at my approach. Balance I single-handedly upraise, Through battles fought with heart and mind, Instead of with my gaze. What am I?
Think about a concept, not a physical object, that brings order and stability to a situation.
I am justice!
What comes once in a year, twice in a month, thrice in a week, and 4 times in a day?
Think about the abbreviations of time periods!
The letter 'R'.Once in YEAR. Twice in the month: FEBRUARY. Three times in the days of a week: SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY Four times in the times of a day: ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, ELEVEN, and TWELVE (X2 for AM & PM).
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Anna. Anna's father, the King, wanted to be sure his daughter married an intelligent man. To test his daughter's suitors the King hid Anna's picture in one of three boxes. The suitor had to be able to select the box with Anna's picture on one try and within twenty seconds. On the gold box was the message "Anna's picture is in this box". The silver box had the message "Anna's picture is not in this box." "Anna's picture is not in the gold box" was written on the bronze box. The King would tell each suitor "Only one of the three messages is correct." Which box contained Anna's picture?
Think about it like this: if a message is true, what would it imply about the other two boxes?
The silver box contained Anna's picture. If her picture had been in the gold box, two statements would have been true. (The messages on both the gold box and the silver box.) If her picture had been in the bronze box, two statements would have been true. (The messages on the bronze box and the silver box.)
They can trickle down, They can tickle too. Or make you sneeze, Or comfort you. Their rustling sound, you've rarely heard, Unless you're a pillow or a bird! What are they?
Think about something that is often found near pillows and birds, and is capable of producing a soft, rustling sound...
They are feathers.
What common English word will describe a person or thing as not being found in any place and yet with no changes other than a space between syllables, will correctly describe that person or thing as being actually present at this very moment?
Think about a word that has a strong connection to existence or presence, and how a subtle change in its spelling could flip its meaning entirely...
The word is "NOWHERE". When a space is placed between the 'w' and 'h', you get the words "NOW HERE".
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.
Live, evil, vile, Levi, veil.
To form me, time is the foundation, it's difficult to break me from the outside, but I'll break as long as you touch from the inside. What am I?
Think about something that is built or formed over a period of time, and its strength lies in its internal structure rather than its external appearance...
Trust.
How high would you have to count before you would use the letter A in the English language spelling of a whole number?
Think about the words for numbers in English... When do we first encounter a word that starts with "A"?
One thousand.
Dynamite is a tool that can be used to cut down trees. Cutting a tree 18 inches in diameter requires five sticks of dynamite: one on the north, south, east and west sides of the tree, and the fifth stick on the side to which the tree should fall. During the construction of a dam, a tree 18 inches in diameter was completely covered by water. Since the treetop was fouling the boat's propellers, it had to be cut down. A diver went down and put a stick of dynamite on the four sides of the tree. Since the current is flowing south at 2 knots per hour, on which side of the tree would you instruct the diver to put the fifth stick of dynamite if you wanted the tree to fall north?
Think about the current's direction and how it will affect the tree's fall...
It doesn't matter where the fifth stick is placed, since the tree won't fall in any direction. Being wood, it will float and rise to the surface.
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...
A journey.
General Gasslefield, accused of high treason, is sentenced to death by court-martial. He is allowed to make a final statement, after which he will be shot if the statement is false or will be hung if the statement is true. Gasslefield makes his final statement and is released. The Question: What could he have said?
Think about the paradoxical consequences of General Gasslefield's statement being true or false...
General Gasslefield said: "I will be shot." If this statement was true, he would have been hung and thus not be shot. But then his statement would be false, which implies that he should be shot, making the statement true again, etc... In other words: the verdict of the court-martial could not be executed and the general was released.
Sometimes I am loud and viewed with distaste. Poke out my eye, then I'm on the front of your face. What am I?
Think about something that can be annoying or unpleasant when it's prominent, but becomes a crucial part of your daily life when a specific part of it is "poked out"...
A noise, remove the "eye" aka "i" and you get a nose.
I run, it runs, I stop, it runs. What it it?
Think about something you do every day, and it's closely related to your computer or phone...
My watch.
During WWII, there was a bridge connecting Germany and Switzerland, and on the German side, there was a sentry tower with a guard in it. He would come out every three minutes to check on the bridge, and he had orders to turn back anyone who tried to get into Germany, and shoot anyone trying to escape without a pass. There was a woman who desperately needed to get into Switzerland, and she knew she didn't have time to get a pass. It would take her at least six minutes to cross the bridge, but she managed to do it. How?
Think about the direction she was traveling...
When the sentry went into the tower, she would start to cross into Switzerland, and when he came out, she would start to walk back into Germany. When he saw her, he would tell her to turn back into Switzerland.
Shirley's two-year-old granddaughter carries around with her something Shirley recently purchased for her in the produce section of a local supermarket. The little girl has the item wrapped in a blanket, pretending it is her baby. She carries her "baby" with her everywhere she goes, and even sleeps with it at nighttime. However, the "baby" has no body, but consists of a brown head with two eyes and a mouth; or is it two eyes and a nose? Sometimes it is difficult to tell, but only the face of the baby peeks out from the surrounding blanket. What type of produce is this "baby" that Shirley's granddaughter carries around with her?
Think about a type of produce that has a "head" with features that resemble a face, and is often brown in color...
The two-year-old’s “baby” is actually a coconut which she wraps in a blanket, with the three circular indentations of the “face” turned outward.
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 Dyslexia.
When the day after tomorrow is yesterday, today will be as far from Wednesday as today was from Wednesday when the day before yesterday was tomorrow. What is the day after this day?
Think about the relationships between days of the week, and how they shift when you move forward or backward in time. Focus on the phrase "as far from Wednesday" - what does it mean to be a certain distance from a specific day of the week?
The day is Thursday!
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.
If I'm walking, then I must be running. However, if I'm running, I may be walking. What am I?
Think about a common activity where you might be moving at different speeds...
A Treadmill.
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.
A man is in a room and the door is locked so he can't get out. He has with him a piano, a calendar, and a bed. How does he eat, drink, and get out?
Think about the words "calendar" and "bed" in a more abstract sense...
He uses the dates from the calendar to eat, the springs from the bed to drink and the keys from the piano to get out.
No legs lay on one leg, Two legs sat near on three legs, Four legs got some. What is it?
Think about a picnic...
Fish on a little table, man at table sitting on a stool, the cat has the bones.
With potent, flowery words speak I, Of something common, vulgar, dry; I weave webs of pedantic prose, In effort to befuddle those, Who think I while time away, In lofty things, above all-day The common kind that lingers where Monadic beings live and fare; Practical I may not be, But life, it seems, is full of me! What am I?
Think about the language and tone used in academic or intellectual settings, and how it can sometimes be overly complicated and confusing.
A riddler. ( or riddle )
Crunchy, soft, and milky sweet. Bueno, luvit, and Golden tree. You can't say no, that's a difficult feat. But take too much and you harm your teeth. What am I?
Think about treats that come in different textures and have popular brand names...
The riddle "Crunchy soft and milky sweet Bueno luvit and Golden tree" is unanswered. Do you know the answer? If so, click ANSWER and add your answer in the comments section.
Can you read this? Yy u r Yy u b I c u Yy 4 me
Here's a hint: **Look at the sentence from a different perspective... literally!**
Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you too wise for me.
Upon my top there is a golden shop wherein a dollar can't be spent. Along my sides stretch nature's slides which will never relent. At my feet where people meet full of ire, dread and lament. What am I?
Think about a place where people often gather, but not for happy reasons...
A mountain. On the top one can find clarity and make memories that a conventional shop can't sell. Nature's slides are rivers. At my feet or foot of the mountain is the first step and place everyone has to be to begin the climb, which will be difficult (ire, dread and lament)
Three American military veterans: Ron(Army), Terry(Army), and Ron(Marines) retired from their military careers and decided to go into business together. Using all of their engineering knowledge and expertise, the three veterans have revamped an idea for an old device, made many improvements to it, and are now trying to patent it under the name: The Ron - Terry - Ron device, or (R.T.R). They advertise it by saying, "The R.T.R is designed only for those who want to move forward in life, but never backward. It is guaranteed to get your heart pumping, your blood pressure rising, and your armpits sweating"(classy advertising by these veterans). The advertising continues: "The R.T.R. is for the person who tries to move ahead, but always ends up exactly where they started." The only problem with the R.T.R device is, to use one, you will have to ignore the Gadsden flag(i.e., the one with the coiled rattlesnake pictured on it) and its famous motto. Forrest Gump would be very proud of these veterans. Just exactly what is the Ron - Terry - Ron (R.T.R.) device, and why must the Gadsden flag motto be ignored by its users?
Think about a device that helps you move forward, but you always end up back where you started... and consider what the Gadsden flag's motto is...
The three veterans have made some innovative improvements to a basic Treadmill design, and are trying to patent these improvements in the hope of selling their newly created device. Of course, these veterans realize that anyone who uses their new product will be violating the early Continental Marine message and motto of the famous Gadsden flag which states, "Don't Tread on Me". Just as Forrest Gump was encouraged to "Run - Forrest - Run", we wish success to these three veterans with the words, "Ron - Terry - Ron".
Completely round, they are very white. After a full meal and a refreshing bath, they lie down together. What are they?
Think about something you might find in a kitchen, and a common household activity that involves water...
A stack of white ceramic bowls.
A man runs along a hall with a piece of paper. When the lights flicker, he drops to his knees and begins to cry. Why?
Think about a specific activity that people often do in a hall with a piece of paper, and how the flickering lights might be a crucial part of that activity...
He is running to deliver a pardon, and the flickering lights indicate the convict to be pardoned has just been electrocuted.
King Tut died 120 years after King Eros was born. Their combined age when they died was 100 years. King Eros died in the year 40 B.C. In what year was King Tut born?
Think about the timeline of events in reverse order...
King Tut was born in 20 B.C. There were 120 years between the birth of King Eros and the death of King Tut, but since their ages amounted to only 100 years, there must have been 20 years when neither existed. This would be a period between the death of King Eros, 40 B.C., and the birth of King Tut, 20 B.C.
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?
"Look to the heavens and the ancient earth, for the answer lies in the harmony of celestial bodies and the rhythms of nature."
"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.
Jordan is leaving from a small town in Wyoming and hiking through the wilderness to a post where he will spend the summer. The hike will take Jordan six days. One man can only carry enough food and water for four days. Jordan cannot take a mule or any other animal to haul his food and water, because there will be insufficient food and supplies for the animals at his destination. How can Jordan make it to his destination?
Think about the phrase "one man can only carry enough food and water for four days"... is it really just about Jordan carrying the supplies?
Jordan takes two other hikers with him. Each hiker starts out with a four day supply of food and water. After the first day, the first hiker gives a one day supply to each Jordan and the second hiker. This leaves the first hiker with a one day supply to go home and Jordan and the second hiker now each have a four day supply again. After the second day, the second hiker gives Jordan a one day supply and keep a two day supply for himself so that he can get home. This gives Jordan a four day supply of food and water, and now he has enough to reach his destination.
What is special about the number 854,917,632?
Look at the number upside down...
It contains the numbers 1-9 in alphabetical order.
Gaze at this sentence for just about sixty seconds and then explain what makes it quite different from the average sentence. Quick! What is it?
Hint: Pay attention to the sentence's length and the words used to describe the time frame.
It contains all of the letters in the alphabet.
There are two numbers whose product added to the sum of their squares is 109, and the difference of whose squares is 24. What are the two numbers?
Think algebraically: Let the two numbers be x and y. The given conditions can be translated into two equations. You'll need to solve a quadratic equation to find the values of x and y. Look for a way to eliminate one variable...
5 and 7. (5)² = 25(7)² = 49(5x7)+25+49=10949-25=24
Can you combine plus signs and five 2's to get 28? Can you combine plus signs and eight 8's to get 1,000?
Think creatively about the use of plus signs and the numbers involved... consider different ways to group and arrange the numbers, and don't be afraid to think outside the box!
22+2+2+2=28; 888+88+8+8+8=1,000
There is a certain club which is for men only. There are 600 men who belong to this club and 5% of these men wear one earring. Of the other 95% membership, half wear two earrings and the other half wear none. How many earrings are being worn in this club?
Focus on the 5% who wear one earring, and think about how the other 95% can be divided into two equal groups...
Six hundred. We know that 5%, or 30 of the men are wearing one earring. Of the other 95%, or 570, we know that half are wearing two earrings and the other half none. This is the same as if they all wore one.
Two schoolgirls were traveling from the city to a dacha (summer cottage) on an electric train. "I notice," one of the girls said "that the dacha trains coming in the opposite direction pass us every 5 minutes. What do you think-how many dacha trains arrive in the city in an hour, given equal speeds in both directions?" "Twelve, of course," the other girl answered, "because 60 divided by 5 equals 12." The first girl did not agree. What do you think?
Think about the question from the perspective of the dacha trains, not the girls on the train...
If the girls had been on a standing train, the first girl's calculations would have been correct, but their train was moving. It took 5 minutes to meet a second train, but then it took the second train 5 more minutes to reach where the girls met the first train. So the time between trains is 10 minutes, not 5, and only 6 trains per hour arrive in the city.
I am not found on any ground,But always in the air; Though charged each cloud with thunder loud, You can not find me there. Now, if from France you choose to dance Your way just into Spain, I there am seen, and near the queen, In hail, in mist, and rain. What am I?
Think about something that is always present in the air, but not physically on the ground, and is associated with weather phenomena...
The letter I.
Eight years ago, Bill was eight times the age of his son Bill Jr. Today, if you add their ages together, they add up to 52. How old are Bill and his son?
Think about the relationship between Bill's age and his son's age 8 years ago, and how that relationship has changed over time...
Bill is 40, and Bill Jr. is 12.
3 men go into a motel. The man behind the desk said the room is $30, so each man paid $10 and went to the room. A while later the man behind the desk realized the room was only $25, so he sent the bellboy to the 3 guys' room with $5. On the way the bellboy couldn't figure out how to split $5 evenly between 3 men, so he gave each man $1 and kept the other $2 for himself. This meant that the 3 men each paid $9 for the room, which is a total of $27, add the $2 that the bellboy kept = $29. Where is the other dollar?
"Think about the initial transaction, not just the refund..."
The three men HAVE paid $27. But the bellboy's $2 are part of it. The hotel has $25 of the men's dollars. The bellboy has the other two. That's $27, and the three the men have make $30. The riddle is confusing because it would add the bellboy's $2 to the men's $27. But the men don't HAVE $27, nine each. They each PAID $9 for a total of $27, of which the hotel has $25 and the bellboy has $2. They HAVE $1 each. Add that to the two the bellboy has, and the $25 in the cash drawer (together the men's $27), and you have accounted for all thirty. I came across this riddle elsewhere on riddles.com, but the answer given was "I don't know"! So I figured it out and posted it.
I come in a cone but I am not food; I will be skewed if you screw with my hue; I come by the millions but you can probably only name a few. What am I?
Think about something you might find in an art supply box...
Colors.
A nonstop train leaves Moscow for Leningrad at 60 mph. Another nonstop train leaves Leningrad for Moscow at 40 mph. How far apart are the trains 1 hour before they pass each other?
Think about the combined speed of the two trains and how it relates to the distance between them.
100 miles (60+40)
My first is a negative greatly in use, By which people begin when they mean to refuse; My second is Fashion, or so called in France, But, like other whims, is the servant of chance. An article always in use is my whole, With texture and form under fashion's control; But, alas! not a thing can it see which goes by, Although many have four sights, and all have one eye. What am I?
Think about something you wear, and how it relates to refusal, fashion, and sight...
But-ton.
One-fourth of the population of a newly discovered planet has 4 legs while the rest have two legs. There are 60 legs in total. What is the population of the newly discovered planet?
Think about the ratio of 4-legged creatures to 2-legged creatures and how that relates to the total number of legs!
4 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 10 legs and 4 inhabitants. Repeat this six times to use up all 60 legs and you end up with 24 total inhabitants.
Four jolly men sat down to play, And played all night till break of day. They played for cash and not for fun, With a separate score for every one. When it came time to square accounts, they all had made quite fair amounts. Now, not one has lost and all have gained - Tell me now, this can you explain?
Think about a game where the outcome is not a win or loss, but rather a collective effort with individual results.
The four jolly men are members of an orchestra hired to play at a dance.
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 how many inches are in a foot, and how the mistake would affect the length of the rope...
The man ordered 9 feet 2 inches of rope, and got 2 feet 9 inches.
My first is found on the ocean wave, In the spring, the pit, and the mine; My second below earth's surface you have, Where seldom the sun can shine. My whole your dinner-table must grace, And seldom fails to obtain a place. What am I?
Think about a common food item that is often associated with the sea, and has a pit or stone in the center...
Salt-cellar.
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?
Think about the sisters' perspective: if each sister has half as many sisters as brothers, that means each sister has one fewer sister than brothers. Now, try to find a number that fits this unusual sibling relationship...
Four brothers and three sisters.
What is significant about 3661 seconds past midnight on 1st January 2001?
Think about the timing and the year... It's a moment when time and date align in a special way.
The time and date will be 01:01:01 on 01/01/01.
Three-fourths of a cross, and a circle complete, An upright where two semicircles meet, A rectangle triangle standing on feet, Two semicircles, and a circle complete. What is it?
Think about a common symbol or logo that you might see every day, often associated with roads and transportation...
The word Tobacco.
There is one word in the English language which is universally considered a preventive of harm; change a certain letter in it, and you make it an act of cruelty. What are the words?
Think about a word that is often associated with safety and protection, and how a small change in spelling could transform it into something with a very different connotation...
Prescription—proscription.
A 300 ft. train is traveling 300 ft. per minute must travel through a 300 ft. long tunnel. How long will it take the train to travel through the tunnel?
Think about the total distance the train needs to cover to completely exit the tunnel... it's not just the length of the tunnel!
Two minutes. It takes the front of the train one minute and the rest of the train will take two minutes to clear the tunnel.
Tom volunteered to be the chief organizer for the world's tether ball championships. There were 657 contestants from around the world. The tournament was set up whereby the winner would advance and the loser would be eliminated. Since there was an odd number of participants, the initial pairing leaves one player out. That player gets a bye and automatically advances to the next round. How many matches will Tom have to schedule to determine the tether ball champion?
Think about the number of matches needed to eliminate exactly half of the contestants in each round...
656 matches will be needed.
Why is an orange not like a church bell?
Think about the sounds they make...
Because it is never peeled (pealed) but once.
My first may be fashioned of iron or wood, And at window or door for safety is placed; In village or town, it does more harm than good, Leading people their health, time, and money to waste. My second's a lady, bewitching and fair, And for love of her people will labor and strive; Will rise before dawn, and be wearied with care, And pursue her with ardor as long as they live. My whole is what ladies admire and approve, The shopkeeper's boast-the purchaser's prize; 'Tis a ninepenny chintz-'tis a one-shilling glove- It is something which makes people open their eyes. What am I?
"Think about the things that people desire, but may not always be good for them..."
Bar-gain.
'Tis found in our troubles, 'tis mixed with our pleasures, 'Tis laid up above with our heavenly treasures; 'Tis whispered in heaven, and 'tis muttered in hell, And it findeth a place in each sybilline spell; In Paradise nestled, 'mid Eden's fair flowers, It has sported with Eve in rose-perfumed bowers; 'Tis muttered in curses, yet breathed in our prayers; From the path of our duty it tempts us in snares. Deep, deep in our hearts you will find it engraved; Though in misery sunk, yet from sin it is saved. 'Tis found in the stream that flows on to the ocean; Though in bustle forever, 'tis ne'er in commotion. 'Tis wafted afar o'er the land in each breath; In the grave 'tis decaying-you'll find it in death. It is floating away on the broad stream of time, Yet it findeth a place in eternity's clime. In the legends of nations it holdeth a place; There's no charm without it to the beautiful face. In thunder you'll hear it, if closely you listen; In moonbeam and sunbeam forever 'twill glisten. In the dew-drop it sparkles; 'tis found in the forest; It whispers in peace when our need is the sorest. What am I?
Pay attention to the sounds and whispers mentioned throughout the poem, and think about something that is always present, yet often overlooked.
The letter E.
What are the 2 longest words in the English language that can be typed using only your left hand on the keyboard?
Think about the layout of a standard QWERTY keyboard and focus on the keys that are easily accessible by your left hand...
1: Stewardesses 2: Reverberated
It speaks with a hard tongue, it cannot breathe, for it has no lungs. What is it?
Think about something you might find in a noisy, crowded place, where people often go to have a good time...
A Bell.
I am not found on any ground, But always in the air; Though charged each cloud with thunder loud, You can not find me there. Now, if from France you choose to dance Your way just into Spain, I there am seen, and near the queen, In hail, in mist, and rain. What am I?
Look to the atmosphere, not the land, and think about the weather...
The letter I.
What is the 4 digit number in which the first digit is one-fifth of the last, and the second and third digits are the last digit multiplied by 3?
Think about a number where the last digit is a multiple of 5...
1155.
A hundred stones are placed, in a straight line, a yard distant from each other. How many yards must a person walk, who undertakes to pick them up, and place them in a basket stationed one yard from the first stone?
Think about the journey, not the destination...
In solving this question it is clear that to pick up the first stone and put it into the basket, the person must walk two yards, one in going for the stone and another in returning with it; that for the second stone he must walk four yards, and so on increasing by two as far as the hundredth, when he must walk two hundred yards, so that the sum total will be the product of 202 multiplied by 50, or 10,100 yards. If any one does not see why we multiply 202 by 50 in getting the answer, we refer him to his arithmetic.
Walking home one day, you take a short cut along the train tracks. The tracks cross a narrow bridge over a deep gorge. At the point you are 3/8 of the way across the bridge, you hear the train whistle somewhere behind you. You charge across the bridge, and jump off the track as the train is about to run you down. As it happens, if you had gone the other way, you would have reached safety just before being run over as well. If you can run ten miles per hour, how fast is the train moving?
Think about the time it takes you to cover the remaining 5/8 of the bridge versus the time it would take you to cover the 3/8 of the bridge you've already traveled...
The train is moving at 40 miles per hour. Imagine that a friend is walking with you. When the train whistle blows, you head away from the train, he heads toward it. When he reaches safety, you will be 6/8 (or 3/4)of the way across the bridge, and the train will have just reached the bridge. For the train to cross 4/4 of the bridge in the time you cross the remaining 1/4, the train must be moving four times your speed.
Twelve flags stand equidistant along the track at the stadium. The runners start at the first flag. A runner reaches the eighth flag 8 seconds after he starts. If he runs at an even speed, how many seconds does he need altogether to reach the twelfth flag?
Think about the distance covered by the runner in 8 seconds and how it relates to the total distance to be covered...
Not 12 seconds. There are 7 segments from the first flag tot the eighth, and 11 from the first to the twelfth. He runs each segment in 8/7 seconds; therefore, 11 segments take 88/7= 12 4/7 seconds.
If 10 bags of jelly beans and 6 licorice sticks cost $1, and 10 licorice sticks and 6 jelly bean bags cost 92 cents. How much does one licorice stick cost?
Think about the ratio of jelly beans to licorice sticks in each scenario, and how that ratio affects the total cost.
5 cents while Jelly bean bags cost 7 cents.
My only timepiece is a wall clock. One day I forgot to wind it and it stopped. I went to visit a friend whos watch is always correct, stayed awhile, and then went home. There I made a simple calculation and set the clock right. How did I do this even though I had no watch on me to tell how long it took me to return from my friend's house?
Think about what you can observe and use to your advantage when you visit your friend...
Before I left, I wound the wall clock. When I returned, the change in time equaled how long it took to go to my friends house and return, plus the time I spent there. But I knew the latter because I looked at my friends watch when I arrived and left. Subtracting the time of the visit from the time I was absent from my house, and dividing by 2, I obtained the time it took me to return home. I added this time to what my friend watch showed when I left, and set the sum on my wall clock.
Granny looked up from her rocking chair and said: As far as I can tell, there is only one anagram of the word trinket. What is it?
Think about a treasure you might find in a granny's attic...
The word knitter.
Lazy Larry agreed to work on a job for his brother-in-law for thirty hours at eight dollars an hour, on the condition that he would forfeit ten dollars per hour for every hour that he idled. At the end of the thirty hours Larry wasn't owed any money and didn't owe his brother-in-law any money either. How many hours did Larry work and how many hours did he idle?
Think about the total amount of money Larry would have earned if he worked the entire 30 hours, and then consider how that amount would be affected by the hours he idled.
Lazy Larry worked 16-2/3 hours and idled 13-1/3 hours. 16-2/3 hours, at $8.00 an hour amounts to the same amount as 13-1/3 hours at $10.00 per hour.
A house has 6 stories, each the same height. How many times as long is the ascent to the sixth floor as the ascent to the third?
Think about the relationship between the number of stories and the total height of the ascent...
2 1/2 times (5/2, not 6/3).
A man had a bar of lead that weighed 40 lbs., and he divided it into four pieces in such a way as to allow him to weigh any number of pounds from one to forty. What are the weights of the four pieces?
Think about the binary number system and how it can be used to represent different weights...
1, 3, 9, 27, are the weights of the four pieces.
As defendants, we deny all involvement in the unscrupulous dealings which have come to light in the recent government investigation. What country name is hidden in the previous sentence?
Think about the first letter of each word in the sentence...
Sweden. "defendant-S, we den-y".
In 1990, a person is 15 years old. In 1995 that same person is 10 years old. How is this possible?
Think about the concept of "birth year" rather than "age"...
The years are in B.C.
Try deciphering this code - S T O E E I T A E S S S I N O Y (Hint - count and you will have the answer!)
The hint is: Count the number of letters in each word of a famous phrase.
Did you count the number of letters? There are 16 of them. Divide them in groups of 4. Then, put each group below the other, and read column wise. Here's how you do it... S T O E E I T A E S S S I N O Y The answer to the code is See it is not so easy.
What are the next 3 letters in this riddle? O T T F F S S _ _ _
The hint is: Think about a sequence often used to count or measure something...
E N T. Explanation: Each letter represents the first letter of each number one thru ten.
A man has nine children, born at regular intervals. The sum of their squares of their ages is equal to the square of his own age. What are the ages of the children?
Think algebraically, and consider the pattern of consecutive integers...
2 - 5 - 8 - 11 - 14 - 17 - 20 - 23 - 26
When I asked her how old she was, she smiled and said cryptically: "The day before yesterday I was 22, but next year I'll be 25." What is her birthday and when was the date of our conversation?
Think about the importance of December 31st...
We conversed on January 1 and her birthday was on December 31. So, the day before yesterday on Dec. 30th she was 22 and he turned 23 on Dec. 31. So her next birthday, when she turns 24, would be Dec. 31 of the same year the question was asked. However, next years birthday would be the following year on Dec. 31, when she would be 25.
A man bumps into his mathematician friend on the street whom he hasn't seen in 5 years. The man asks the mathematician how old his children are. The mathematician, who always replies in riddles said, "I now have three children. The sum of their ages is equal to the number of windows on the building in front of you and the product of their ages equals 36." The friend then says "I need one more piece of information." The mathematician then replies "My youngest child has blue eyes." What are the ages of the mathematician's three children?
Focus on the building in front of you... how many windows do you think it has?
They are 6, 6, and 1.
Two cars were involved in an accident in the center of town. The man who was driving a little green car, had overtaken a big black car. The driver had misjudged the distance between him and the on-coming traffic and had to swerve back in, causing the black car to swerve and crash into a shop window. When the occupants of the cars were examined everyone in the green car was okay, but in the black car was one dead man. However, the driver of the green car was not charged with manslaughter, why was this so?
Think about the gender of the drivers...
The black car was a hearse and was on its way to a funeral.