The Most Precious Commodity Riddle
What is the most precious commodity?
That which when needed seemingly is never enough,
Yet otherwise can be boringly plentiful.
While waking is oft dreamt of,
Whilst pining can scarcely be thought of.
For beings, is allotted in finite but indefinite quantity.
The more thats given, the more is wasted.
Freedom is akin though this is something more simple,
Not related to virtue or sin.
Unless perhaps, without freedom, or its limit.
What is it?
That which when needed seemingly is never enough,
Yet otherwise can be boringly plentiful.
While waking is oft dreamt of,
Whilst pining can scarcely be thought of.
For beings, is allotted in finite but indefinite quantity.
The more thats given, the more is wasted.
Freedom is akin though this is something more simple,
Not related to virtue or sin.
Unless perhaps, without freedom, or its limit.
What is it?
Hint:
Sam And Angela's Camping Trip
Hint:
Angela first lit one mosquito coil at both ends and then lit the other on only one side. The coil which had been lit on both ends finished burning in one-half hour. At that point the second mosquito coil had one-half hour left to burn. Angela lit the second coil at the other end, and it finished burning fifteen minutes later. (45 minutes total) Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Marrying The Princess Riddle
A king wants his daughter to marry the smartest of 3 extremely intelligent young princes, and so the king's wise men devised an intelligence test.
The princes are gathered into a room and seated, facing one another, and are shown 2 black hats and 3 white hats. They are blindfolded, and 1 hat is placed on each of their heads, with the remaining hats hidden in a different room.
The king tells them that the first prince to deduce the color of his hat without removing it or looking at it will marry his daughter. A wrong guess will mean death. The blindfolds are then removed.
You are one of the princes. You see 2 white hats on the other prince's heads. After some time you realize that the other prince's are unable to deduce the color of their hat, or are unwilling to guess. What color is your hat?
The princes are gathered into a room and seated, facing one another, and are shown 2 black hats and 3 white hats. They are blindfolded, and 1 hat is placed on each of their heads, with the remaining hats hidden in a different room.
The king tells them that the first prince to deduce the color of his hat without removing it or looking at it will marry his daughter. A wrong guess will mean death. The blindfolds are then removed.
You are one of the princes. You see 2 white hats on the other prince's heads. After some time you realize that the other prince's are unable to deduce the color of their hat, or are unwilling to guess. What color is your hat?
Hint: You know that your competitors are very intelligent and want nothing more than to marry the princess. You also know that the king is a man of his word, and he has said that the test is a fair test of intelligence and bravery.
Answer: White.
The king would not select two white hats and one black hat. This would mean two princes would see one black hat and one white hat. You would be at a disadvantage if you were the only prince wearing a black hat.
If you were wearing the black hat, it would not take long for one of the other princes to deduce he was wearing a white hat.
If an intelligent prince saw a white hat and a black hat, he would eventually realize that the king would never select two black hats and one white hat. Any prince seeing two black hats would instantly know he was wearing a white hat. Therefore if a prince can see one black hat, he can work out he is wearing white.
Therefore the only fair test is for all three princes to be wearing white hats. After waiting some time just to be sure, you can safely assert you are wearing a white hat. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The king would not select two white hats and one black hat. This would mean two princes would see one black hat and one white hat. You would be at a disadvantage if you were the only prince wearing a black hat.
If you were wearing the black hat, it would not take long for one of the other princes to deduce he was wearing a white hat.
If an intelligent prince saw a white hat and a black hat, he would eventually realize that the king would never select two black hats and one white hat. Any prince seeing two black hats would instantly know he was wearing a white hat. Therefore if a prince can see one black hat, he can work out he is wearing white.
Therefore the only fair test is for all three princes to be wearing white hats. After waiting some time just to be sure, you can safely assert you are wearing a white hat. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Too Many Photos Riddle
Jack is taking a tour through a museum's American Presidents exhibit. The person leading the tour tells him "We have a picture of each presidency. Currently Barack Obama is the 43rd person to hold the office." But Jack quickly realizes that there are 44 pictures on the wall. But while walking through the exhibit he realizes why this is.
Why is there one too many photos?
Why is there one too many photos?
Hint:
One president served non-consecutive terms (there was a president between his terms) so he held two different presidencies. The president who really did this was Grover Cleveland. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Captured By The Riddler
In the land of Geopolizza, three men were captured by the infamous Riddler. So, the Riddler buries the three men, named 1, 2 and 3 in such a manner, that 1 is in the front, 2 in the middle and 3 in the back. They are buried neck deep, and cannot move, not even their heads. He shows them 5 caps, two of which are red and 3 of them are white. He then switches off the lights and places a hat on top of their heads. The situation is such that no one can see their hat color, 1 is facing the wall and cant say anything, 2 can see 1 and 3 can see both 1 and 2. Then he tells the rules of his game: "If either of you three can tell the correct color of your head, I will let all of you go. However, if any of you answer wrong, all 3 of you will instantly die. Time is 3 minutes."
Upon 2 and half minutes passing, A shouts the answer and all 3 are released free. How did he know the correct answer ?
Upon 2 and half minutes passing, A shouts the answer and all 3 are released free. How did he know the correct answer ?
Hint:
P3 can only be certain of his cap if 1 & 2 are both white. Since he is not certain then 1 & 2 must be either white/red or red/red. 2 knows this but the only combination that he will be able to know the colour of his own cap is if he sees that 1 is wearing a white cap. 1 knows this but as 2 remains uncertain then 1 must be wearing a red cap. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
10 Boxes Riddle
There are ten boxes containing some balls. Each of the ball weighs exactly 10 grams. One of those boxes have defective balls (all the defective balls weigh 9 grams each).
An electronic weighing machine is provided to you and you are allowed only one chance of weighing on it.
How will you find out which box has defective balls ?
An electronic weighing machine is provided to you and you are allowed only one chance of weighing on it.
How will you find out which box has defective balls ?
Hint:
Let us simplify boxes by naming them from 1 to 10.
Now the trick here is to pick different number of balls from different boxes. So to simplify things, we will pick balls corresponding to box number.
Thus, pick 1 ball from Box 1, 2 balls from box 2, 3 balls from box 3 and so on. You will have 55 balls altogether. Now, put them all in the balance.
If all balls were weighing accurate 10 grams, the total weight of the 55 balls would have been 550 grams. But one of the box must have had the defective balls.
Suppose if the defective balls were in box number 2, then the total weight will be 2 grams less than 550. If the defective balls were in box 8, the total weight will be less than 8 grams from 550. In this way, you will be able to identify which box has the defective balls. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Now the trick here is to pick different number of balls from different boxes. So to simplify things, we will pick balls corresponding to box number.
Thus, pick 1 ball from Box 1, 2 balls from box 2, 3 balls from box 3 and so on. You will have 55 balls altogether. Now, put them all in the balance.
If all balls were weighing accurate 10 grams, the total weight of the 55 balls would have been 550 grams. But one of the box must have had the defective balls.
Suppose if the defective balls were in box number 2, then the total weight will be 2 grams less than 550. If the defective balls were in box 8, the total weight will be less than 8 grams from 550. In this way, you will be able to identify which box has the defective balls. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
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
Something You Might Eat Riddle
Im something you might eat, but I also kill.
I can cause blindness and burns.
Because of me, people lose limbs.
Ive even been known to crash cars.
And yet Im considered beautiful
Small children play with me and parents dont mind.
Some people even live inside of me.
What am I?
I can cause blindness and burns.
Because of me, people lose limbs.
Ive even been known to crash cars.
And yet Im considered beautiful
Small children play with me and parents dont mind.
Some people even live inside of me.
What am I?
Hint:
I Get Stronger Riddle
I can help you have some fun,
Sometimes I get stronger from the sun,
If you never give me a break,
You will find I never wake,
I am optimistic on one side,
I can be short, fat, tall or wide,
Rectangle and cylinder are two of my shapes,
And I can even help you make video tapes,
Sometimes you must wait for me to get ready,
Just hold on for a few hours and be steady,
I can help you get around the mall,
Or help you make a telephone call.
What am I?
Sometimes I get stronger from the sun,
If you never give me a break,
You will find I never wake,
I am optimistic on one side,
I can be short, fat, tall or wide,
Rectangle and cylinder are two of my shapes,
And I can even help you make video tapes,
Sometimes you must wait for me to get ready,
Just hold on for a few hours and be steady,
I can help you get around the mall,
Or help you make a telephone call.
What am I?
Hint:
Center Of Everything Riddle
There is one word that stands the test of time and holds fast to the center of everything. Though everyone will try at least once in their life to move around this word, but in fact, they use it every moment of the day. Young or old, awake or in sleep, human or animal, this word stands fast. It belongs to everyone, to all living things, but no one can master it. The word is?
Hint:
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
You'll See Me Riddle
Youll see me when the sun is high and also late at night,
Im in the songs of holidays, when the snow is white,
Kings and Queens and royalty, are all found in me,
Im the largest of them all, with just one you see,
Step by step with pounding feet, Im tribes of angry men,
Im above your hands right now, for help or to go again,
Youll use me in the kitchen, or add a little more,
Ill be in the years to come, and the days of yore.
What am I?
Im in the songs of holidays, when the snow is white,
Kings and Queens and royalty, are all found in me,
Im the largest of them all, with just one you see,
Step by step with pounding feet, Im tribes of angry men,
Im above your hands right now, for help or to go again,
Youll use me in the kitchen, or add a little more,
Ill be in the years to come, and the days of yore.
What am I?
Hint:
The Number Twelve (12).
Noon and midnight are both 12 oclock and the Twelve Days of Christmas is a popular Christmas carol.
There are twelve face cards in a standard 52-card deck and twelve is the largest number with one syllable.
There are twelve steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, a troy pound is 12 ounces, there were 12 tribes of Israel and a popular movie was called, Twelve Angry Men (12 members of the jury). There are twelve function keys on your keyboard. F1 often shows a help screen and F5 reloads pages in your browser.
Many recipes measure items by the dozen, adding one more for a bakers dozen. There are twelve months in a year.
Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Noon and midnight are both 12 oclock and the Twelve Days of Christmas is a popular Christmas carol.
There are twelve face cards in a standard 52-card deck and twelve is the largest number with one syllable.
There are twelve steps in Alcoholics Anonymous, a troy pound is 12 ounces, there were 12 tribes of Israel and a popular movie was called, Twelve Angry Men (12 members of the jury). There are twelve function keys on your keyboard. F1 often shows a help screen and F5 reloads pages in your browser.
Many recipes measure items by the dozen, adding one more for a bakers dozen. There are twelve months in a year.
Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
King Octopus Riddle
King Octopus has servants with six, seven, or eight legs. The servants with seven legs always lie, but the servants with either six or eight legs always say the truth.
One day, 4 servants met:
The blue one says: Altogether we have 28 legs;
The green one says: Altogether we have 27 legs;
The yellow one says: Altogether we have 26 legs;
The red one says: Altogether we have 25 legs.
What is the color of the servant that is speaking the truth?
One day, 4 servants met:
The blue one says: Altogether we have 28 legs;
The green one says: Altogether we have 27 legs;
The yellow one says: Altogether we have 26 legs;
The red one says: Altogether we have 25 legs.
What is the color of the servant that is speaking the truth?
Hint:
The green one is telling the truth.
Lets assume that one of them is telling the truth and then try to prove that. Since all four servants are disagreeing then 3 of them must be lying.
The servant telling the truth will have either 6 or 8 legs. The other 3 servants will have 7 legs since they lie. So the total number of legs should be either 27 (6 + 7 + 7 + 7) legs or 29 (8 + 7 + 7 +7) legs. Only green servant could be telling the truth as it said 27 legs.
Alternatively, lets say blue is telling the truth: so the blue one has either 6 or 8 legs. And each of the other octopuses are lying hence have 7 legs each. So our total number of legs: 6 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 27 legs or 8 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 29 legs. But since blue said that altogether they have 28 legs, we know he is lying.
If you follow this same logic for all of them, you realize that only the green octopus can be telling the truth as the number of legs adds up. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Lets assume that one of them is telling the truth and then try to prove that. Since all four servants are disagreeing then 3 of them must be lying.
The servant telling the truth will have either 6 or 8 legs. The other 3 servants will have 7 legs since they lie. So the total number of legs should be either 27 (6 + 7 + 7 + 7) legs or 29 (8 + 7 + 7 +7) legs. Only green servant could be telling the truth as it said 27 legs.
Alternatively, lets say blue is telling the truth: so the blue one has either 6 or 8 legs. And each of the other octopuses are lying hence have 7 legs each. So our total number of legs: 6 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 27 legs or 8 + 7 + 7 + 7 = 29 legs. But since blue said that altogether they have 28 legs, we know he is lying.
If you follow this same logic for all of them, you realize that only the green octopus can be telling the truth as the number of legs adds up. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
A Farmers Three Sons
A farmer lived in a small village. He had three sons. One day he gave $100 dollars to his sons and told them to go to market.
The three sons should buy 100 animals for $100 dollars. In the market there were chickens, hens and goats.
Cost of a goat is $10, cost of a hen is $5 and cost of a chicken is $0.50.
There should be at least one animal from each group. The farmers sons should spend all the money on buying animals. There should be 100 animals, not a single animal more or less!
What do the sons buy?
The three sons should buy 100 animals for $100 dollars. In the market there were chickens, hens and goats.
Cost of a goat is $10, cost of a hen is $5 and cost of a chicken is $0.50.
There should be at least one animal from each group. The farmers sons should spend all the money on buying animals. There should be 100 animals, not a single animal more or less!
What do the sons buy?
Hint:
They purchased 100 animals for 100 dollars.
$10 spent to purchase 1 goat.
$45 spent to purchase 9 hens.
$45 spent to purchase 90 chickens.
Totally they spent $100 and purchased 100 animals. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
$10 spent to purchase 1 goat.
$45 spent to purchase 9 hens.
$45 spent to purchase 90 chickens.
Totally they spent $100 and purchased 100 animals. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
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