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
Staying In Place Riddle
Hint:
Everywhere You Go Riddle
Hint:
Prohibited Chess Riddle
Hint:
Zebra Down The River
Hint:
Just one the zebra. The other 30 animals (5 giraffes and 25 monkeys) were going the other way. 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
This House Holds Rooms Riddle
This house holds rooms, one score and six, that shelter a vast mob.
It lets lions lie down with the lambs, Yet makes both shun the slob.
None now will nestle with nicks and nates, While reams room near the rear.
Though you and I have separate rooms. Both our bottles brim with beer. The king and queen can never mate (Though hands and hearts hobnob). Because their rooms are separate. If this jail does its job. What house is this that rules thus
Forcing faith to fend with fear? The answer to this riddle lies, with dead and dying here.
It lets lions lie down with the lambs, Yet makes both shun the slob.
None now will nestle with nicks and nates, While reams room near the rear.
Though you and I have separate rooms. Both our bottles brim with beer. The king and queen can never mate (Though hands and hearts hobnob). Because their rooms are separate. If this jail does its job. What house is this that rules thus
Forcing faith to fend with fear? The answer to this riddle lies, with dead and dying here.
Hint:
Over The Head Riddle
Hint:
The Fishing Trawler Riddle
There is a fishing trawler, with a ladder in it, leaning against a wall at the harbor. There are 5 oars and 2 fishing nets in the trawler. The distance between two consecutive steps on the ladder is 1 meter. If waves lashing against the wall rise half meter in every half hour, in how much time will 6 steps of the ladder get under the waves?
Hint:
The trawler rises with the waves so no step will go under water. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Psychic Son Riddle
It's hard being a mother. I recently found out my son is psychic. He's got this habit of pointing at people's faces sometimes. My husband and I realized that whenever our son points at somebody like that, it means they're going to die within three days. Last year, he pointed at his grandfather. Three days later, his grandfather died of a heart attack. A few months ago he pointed to a picture of an actress in a magazine. Three days later, she was killed in a car accident. Today. When I went to turn on the TV, my son was pointing at the screen. When I turned it on the president was giving a speech. I can't believe the president is going to die, but my son is never wrong.
Why was the real reason her son was pointing at the television?
Why was the real reason her son was pointing at the television?
Hint:
Her son was pointing at her reflection on the TV screen. The mother is going to die in three days.
Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Written In Blood Riddle
On a dark, stormy Halloween night, four kids named Luke, John, Sarah and Bob walk into a haunted house during a blackout. Only one can escape. They take a staircase to the second floor, a trapdoor on the left, then go up the ladder to the right, followed by a 28-foot slide to the basement through the mouth of a Giant Panda. In one corner of the murky cellar is a chainsaw, a dagger, a rope with a noose and an electric chair. Written on the wall in blood are the words, Only one will survive choose your death! Bob takes the rope, Sarah picks up the dagger, John chooses the chainsaw and Luke uses the chair.
Who survives?
Who survives?
Hint:
Comes To Bedsides Riddle
battlefronts, and crumbling ridges.
When he comes, he comes alone,
taps a shoulder, then is gone.
Hint:
A Windless Day Riddle
Your friend tells you about a story he once tried to impress a young lady with, but instead got a slap in the face. He wants you to attempt to see the flaw: It was a hot and windless day, in our bunker, when suddenly one of ours yelled: "Enemy!" We opened fire on them, leaving one hundred of them dead before they retreated. I was checking a dead captain's glasses when the shout came that they were incoming again, and the CO ordered us to open up on them with our mortars, when I yelled: "Cease fire! They're Americans!" Later, an American colonel thanked me for my work after I said that I saw their flag, waving back and forth in the wind. What is wrong with this story?
Hint:
At the beginning, it was said that "It was a hot and windless day," yet at the end, it is said that "The flag was waving back and forth". Had it been windless, the flag would have been limp. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
One Snowy Night Riddle
One snowy night, Sherlock Holmes was in his house sitting by a fire. All of a sudden a snowball came crashing through his window, breaking it. Holmes got up and looked out the window just in time to see three neighborhood kids who were brothers run around a corner.
Their names were John Crimson, Mark Crimson and Paul Crimson. The next day Holmes got a note on his door that read ? Crimson. He broke your window. Which of the three Crimson brothers should Sherlock Holmes question about the incident?
Their names were John Crimson, Mark Crimson and Paul Crimson. The next day Holmes got a note on his door that read ? Crimson. He broke your window. Which of the three Crimson brothers should Sherlock Holmes question about the incident?
Hint:
He should question Mark Crimson.
? = question MARK, so the note on the door reads Question Mark Crimson. He broke your window. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
? = question MARK, so the note on the door reads Question Mark Crimson. He broke your window. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
John's Three Daughters Riddle
John has three daughters who are all unmarried. The youngest always lies, the oldest always tells the truth, and the one in the middle either tells the truth or lies. A very rich young man comes to John's house and says he wishes to marry one of his daughters. Naturally he wants to marry the oldest or the youngest so he will always know if she is lying or telling the truth. John agrees but says he can only ask one of the girls a yes or no question to decide which one he marries. They all look the same age.
What one question does he ask one of the daughters at random to figure out which daughter is the youngest or oldest?
What one question does he ask one of the daughters at random to figure out which daughter is the youngest or oldest?
Hint:
"Is she older than her?"
Explanation: (He would ask one of the daughters if one of the other daughters is older than the last daughter). He always should pick the younger daughter based on what he knows. If he asks the older daughter and she says yes, then the youngest daughter will be known. If he asks the older daughter and she says no, then the youngest daughter is the other one. If he asks the youngest daughter and she says yes, she is lying and he will still pick the oldest. If he asks the youngest and she says no, he will just pick the other like in the first case. If he asks the middle daughter it doesn't matter because both will be acceptable choices. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Explanation: (He would ask one of the daughters if one of the other daughters is older than the last daughter). He always should pick the younger daughter based on what he knows. If he asks the older daughter and she says yes, then the youngest daughter will be known. If he asks the older daughter and she says no, then the youngest daughter is the other one. If he asks the youngest daughter and she says yes, she is lying and he will still pick the oldest. If he asks the youngest and she says no, he will just pick the other like in the first case. If he asks the middle daughter it doesn't matter because both will be acceptable choices. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
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