A Rickety Bridge Riddle
Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 min, 2 mins, 7 mins and 10 mins. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?
Hint:
17 mins.
The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.
Let's brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let's put all this together.
1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)
Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The initial solution most people will think of is to use the fastest person as an usher to guide everyone across. How long would that take? 10 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 21 mins. Is that it? No. That would make this question too simple even as a warm up question.
Let's brainstorm a little further. To reduce the amount of time, we should find a way for 10 and 7 to go together. If they cross together, then we need one of them to come back to get the others. That would not be ideal. How do we get around that? Maybe we can have 1 waiting on the other side to bring the torch back. Ahaa, we are getting closer. The fastest way to get 1 across and be back is to use 2 to usher 1 across. So let's put all this together.
1 and 2 go cross
2 comes back
7 and 10 go across
1 comes back
1 and 2 go across (done)
Total time = 2 + 2 + 10 + 1 + 2 = 17 mins Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The 2 Barbershops
There is a small town on the East Coast that has 2 barbershops each with a single barber, and on opposite sides of town. The barbershop in the good part of town is immaculate. The floors and windows are washed and the air is fresh. The barber is very friendly, always smiling, he has shined shoes, a nice head of hair, and a clean dress shirt. The barbershop in the bad part of town is a mess. The entire barbershop is covered with a layer of dirt, and the air smells of trash. The barber always has a frown on his face. His skin is oily, his hair is ragged, and there are always stains visible on his shirt.
A man comes into town and hears of both barbershops and the man decides to go to the dirty barbershop in the bad part of town. Why does he do this?
A man comes into town and hears of both barbershops and the man decides to go to the dirty barbershop in the bad part of town. Why does he do this?
Hint:
The clean-cut barber must have his hair cut by the dirty barber and the dirty barber by the clean-cut barber. So its obvious that the dirty barber gives a better haircut. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Not A Dime Riddle
A man wants to buy a used car. He finds a beautiful Buick for $9500, but he buys it without paying a dime.
How did he manage this?
How did he manage this?
Hint:
Secret Code Riddle
A thief enters a shop and threatens the clerk, forcing him to open the safe. The clerk says, "The code for the safe is different every day, and if you hurt me you'll never get the code". But the thief manages to guess the code on his own.
How did he do it?
How did he do it?
Hint:
Little Johnny's Bet Riddle
Little Johnny is walking home. He has $300 he has to bring home to his mom. While he is walking a man stops him and gives him a chance to double his money. The man says "I'll give you $600 if you can roll 1 die and get a 4 or above, you can roll 2 dice and get a 5 or 6 on at least one of them, or you can roll 3 dice and get a 6 on at least on die. If you don't I get your $300."
What does Johnny do to have the best chance of getting home with the money?
What does Johnny do to have the best chance of getting home with the money?
Hint:
He just doesn't take the bet. This gives him a 100 percent chance of getting the money home. If he takes the bet with 1 die he has a 50 percent chance of winning. If he takes the bet with 2 dice he has about a 56 percent chance of winning. If he takes the bet with 3 dice he has about a 42 percent chance of winning. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Hidden Gems Riddle
Find the names of 10 gems or precious stones hidden in the following story. Each one spans at least two words.
Sir Gade rode toward a castle atop a zebra at a steady gallop, a long way from home. He arrived at the gate and the keeper knelt in shame. Thy steed must be tired. Sir Gade replied, I am on direct orders from the King. Let me through. A cougar, nettled by the noise, emerged from a shrub. You must save me! cried the gate man. Sir Gade, eyes filled with rancor, alighted and gazed toward the sky. An item fell from his cloak as drove his sword into the cougars spine. Let me pass! cried Sir Gade. The gate keeper, stunned from his saga, tentatively opened the gate, then retrieved the fallen item.
Sir Gade rode toward a castle atop a zebra at a steady gallop, a long way from home. He arrived at the gate and the keeper knelt in shame. Thy steed must be tired. Sir Gade replied, I am on direct orders from the King. Let me through. A cougar, nettled by the noise, emerged from a shrub. You must save me! cried the gate man. Sir Gade, eyes filled with rancor, alighted and gazed toward the sky. An item fell from his cloak as drove his sword into the cougars spine. Let me pass! cried Sir Gade. The gate keeper, stunned from his saga, tentatively opened the gate, then retrieved the fallen item.
Hint:
1. topaz atop a zebra
2. opal gallop, a long
3. amethyst shame. Thy steed
4. diamond replied, I am on direct
5. garnet cougar, nettled
6. ruby shrub. You
7. coral rancor, alighted
8. kyanite sky. An item
9. spinel spine. Let
10. agate saga, tentatively Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
2. opal gallop, a long
3. amethyst shame. Thy steed
4. diamond replied, I am on direct
5. garnet cougar, nettled
6. ruby shrub. You
7. coral rancor, alighted
8. kyanite sky. An item
9. spinel spine. Let
10. agate saga, tentatively Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Related Strangers Riddle
A man gets off the bus looking for an address and approaches a couple walking in the same direction for directions. The woman says theyre going that way and take him. Along the way the man asks if theyre related. The woman grins and says, Were not strangers. This mans mother is my mothers mother-in-law. The man is confused but doesnt say anything. When he gets back home he tells his wife about the conversation and she cant figure it out either. They decide to ask their lawyer and he eventually works it out with pen and paper. How are the couple related?
Hint:
The couple is either a man and his daughter or an uncle and his niece. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Socks In The Sock Drawer
You have a sock drawer. It has 4 black socks, 8 brown socks, 2 white socks and 8 tan socks. You need to pull out a matching pair of socks in the dark. There is no light and you couldnt see the socks. How many socks you should pull out in the dark to get one matching pair of socks?
Hint:
FIVE. You have only four different colors of socks. If you pick 5, you can surely get one pair of matching socks. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
A Boy At The Carnival
A boy was at a carnival and went to a booth where a man said to the boy, "If I write your exact weight on this piece of paper then you have to give me $50, but if I cannot, I will pay you $50."
The boy looked around and saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the carny writes he'll just say he weighs more or less.
In the end the boy ended up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?
The boy looked around and saw no scale so he agrees, thinking no matter what the carny writes he'll just say he weighs more or less.
In the end the boy ended up paying the man $50. How did the man win the bet?
Hint:
The man did exactly as he said he would and wrote "your exact weight" on the paper. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Forgetful Camping Trip
You go camping and realize you forgot your sleeping bag. You get it come back and then realize you forgot your flashlight. You go and get it, but when you come back you find your sleeping bag is missing. You then find out you forgot your tent. When you go back and get it you see your sleeping bag, get it and leave your tent. You go back to the camp site remembering you left your tent at home. You also come to see your flashlight is now missing. You get your tent and see your flashlight, you get that too. You then see your sleeping bag is gone. You are so exhausted you leave it at home. Why does every thing keep going missing?
Hint:
You bring your sleeping bag home when you realize you forgot your flashlight. You leave your sleeping bag at home. You realize you did not bring your tent, go home with you flashlight. Instead of picking up your tent you see your sleeping bag and take that instead leaving your tent and flashlight at home. You go back when you get to camp because you now need your flashlight and tent. You bring your sleeping bag. And when you get your tent and flashlight you leave your sleeping bag. Every time you bring something to the camp site you leave what you had there at home. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Automobile Accident Riddle
A man and his son were in an automobile accident. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. The emergency room surgeon said "I can't operate, that's my son!" How is this possible?
Hint:
Buried In South Carolina Riddle
Hint:
The Homicide Team Riddle
A homicide team enters a crime scene where a dead body of a fat old man lies there on the floor with blood oozing out of his head. The victim is holding a gun and a tape recorder lies there by his side. One of the detective picks up the recorder and plays it "I am tired of this life and hence I have decided to relieve myself from the worldly pains". A gunshot follows the message.
The teams starts investigating a murder investigation.
Why?
The teams starts investigating a murder investigation.
Why?
Hint:
If the man killed himself, he would not have been able to rewind the cassette. Thus it is clear someone else killed him. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Tale Of The Two Brothers
Two brothers were watching a horror film on video late one night. One brother dozed off and dreamed that he was being chased by the crazy man from the movie, who was trying to kill him. In the dream, he hid in a cupboard. There was no sound except his heart pounding, and he had no idea where his crazed captor was. He was terrified! At that moment, the video finished, and his brother put his hand on the shoulder of his sleeping sibling to wake him. The shock at that tense moment was enough that the sleeping brother suffered a massive heart attack and died instantly. True or false?
Hint:
False- if he had instantly died, how would anybody know his dream Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
52 Pickup Riddle
A pack of cards has 52 cards. You are blindfolded. Out of 52, 42 cards are facing down while 10 are facing up. You have been asked to divide this pack of cards into two decks - so that each deck contains an equal number of face up cards. Remember, you are blindfolded.
How will you do it?
How will you do it?
Hint:
Take 10 number of cards in a new deck and change their face direction. For example- You create a new deck of 10 cards and out of 10, 3 faces up in the new deck. So remaining 7 faces up are in the old deck. But hey! while creating the new deck you reversed the face direction of new cards. So actually the 3 cards which were facing up are actually face down in the new deck while 7 faces up. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.