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
The Piggy Bank Riddle
A girl liked to collect money in a piggy bank. She bought pink colored piggy bank when she was 10 years old. She put $250 in the box on each of her birthday. Her younger sister took $50 out of her piggy bank on her birthday. The girl died when she was 50 years old due to an incurable disease.
When the piggy bank was opened, it had just $500. How can that be possible?
When the piggy bank was opened, it had just $500. How can that be possible?
Hint:
The girl was born on 29 February. Thus her birthday came once in four years only while her sister was born on a normal day and celebrated her birthday every year. Thus the girl had a chance of depositing money only 10 times in 4 years through which she collected $2500 while her sister took $50 from the piggy bank every year making the total amount to be $2000. Thus when the piggy bank was opened, it had just $500. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Corn Is My Crop Riddle
Corn is my top crop! I have early presidential caucuses every election year. Des Moines is my capital. What state am I?
Hint:
Cherry Blossom Breeze Riddle
One thing this country is known for
Are people who tend small bonsai trees
And in the first half of the year
Cherry blossom blowing in the breeze
Are people who tend small bonsai trees
And in the first half of the year
Cherry blossom blowing in the breeze
Hint:
Battle Celebration Riddle
Hint:
The Two Sisters Riddle
Two girls are sisters. They were born in the same year, in the same month, and on the same day, and yet they are not twins. How is that possible?
Hint:
Swinging At The Park Riddle
A man and his 6 year old daughter are swinging together at the park. Each is on a separate, identical swing. The man has three times the mass of the child.
Which swings faster? And more importantly, why?
Which swings faster? And more importantly, why?
Hint:
The speed at which a pendulum swings is called the period and given by the equation:
2 x pi x square root of (length of rope from fulcrum to Center of Mass divided by gravity)
Since gravity is constant, the only thing that effects the period is the length of rope. In the above scenario, you assume the man is taller then the child. Therefore his center of mass is higher. This makes the distance between the fulcrum to the center of mass shorter then for the child. The man swings faster. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
2 x pi x square root of (length of rope from fulcrum to Center of Mass divided by gravity)
Since gravity is constant, the only thing that effects the period is the length of rope. In the above scenario, you assume the man is taller then the child. Therefore his center of mass is higher. This makes the distance between the fulcrum to the center of mass shorter then for the child. The man swings faster. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
21 Birthdays Riddle
Frederick died after a long and productive life of 87 years, but this epitaph was written on his headstone:
Frederick lived a good long life,
He loved his children and his wife,
He was honest, kind and deserved nothing but praise,
Even if he only had twenty-one birthdays.
How is this possible?
Frederick lived a good long life,
He loved his children and his wife,
He was honest, kind and deserved nothing but praise,
Even if he only had twenty-one birthdays.
How is this possible?
Hint:
He was born on February 29th in a leap year. Consequently, in his 87 years, he only witnessed twenty-one of his actual birthdays. The other years there was no February 29th. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
Aging Stan Riddle
Phil asks his friend Stan when his birthday is. Stan replies that he was 32 the day before yesterday and next year hell be 35. When is his birthday and how is this possible?
Hint:
Today is Jan 1st and his birthday is on December 31st. He was 32, then turned 33 on Dec 31st, and this year on Dec 31st hell turn 34, so next year hell be 35. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
YES NO
The Elf Plans Riddle
Santa always leaves plans for his elves to determine the order in which the reindeer will pull his sleigh. This year, for the European leg of his journey, his elves are working to the following schedule, that will form a single line of nine reindeer:
Comet behind Rudolph, Prancer and Cupid. Blitzen behind Cupid and in front of Donder, Vixen and Dancer. Cupid in front of Comet, Blitzen and Vixen. Donder behind Vixen, Dasher and Prancer. Rudolph behind Prancer and in front of Donder, Dancer and Dasher. Vixen in front of Dancer and Comet. Dancer behind Donder, Rudolph and Blitzen. Prancer in front of Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. Dasher behind Prancer and in front of Vixen, Dancer and Blitzen. Donder behind Comet and Cupid. Cupid in front of Rudolph and Dancer. Vixen behind Rudolph, Prancer and Dasher.
Comet behind Rudolph, Prancer and Cupid. Blitzen behind Cupid and in front of Donder, Vixen and Dancer. Cupid in front of Comet, Blitzen and Vixen. Donder behind Vixen, Dasher and Prancer. Rudolph behind Prancer and in front of Donder, Dancer and Dasher. Vixen in front of Dancer and Comet. Dancer behind Donder, Rudolph and Blitzen. Prancer in front of Cupid, Donder and Blitzen. Dasher behind Prancer and in front of Vixen, Dancer and Blitzen. Donder behind Comet and Cupid. Cupid in front of Rudolph and Dancer. Vixen behind Rudolph, Prancer and Dasher.
Hint: Poor old Dancer was last.
Prancer
Cupid
Rudolph
Dasher
Blitzen
Vixen
Comet
Donder
Dancer Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Cupid
Rudolph
Dasher
Blitzen
Vixen
Comet
Donder
Dancer Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
The Family Murder Riddle
One evening there was a murder in the home of married couple, their son and daughter. One of these four people murdered one of the others. One of the members of the family witnessed the crime.
The other one helped the murderer.
These are the things we know for sure:
1. The witness and the one who helped the murderer were not of the same sex.
2. The oldest person and the witness were not of the same sex.
3. The youngest person and the victim were not of the same sex.
4. The one who helped the murderer was older than the victim.
5. The father was the oldest member of the family.
6. The murderer was not the youngest member of the family.
Who was the murderer?
The other one helped the murderer.
These are the things we know for sure:
1. The witness and the one who helped the murderer were not of the same sex.
2. The oldest person and the witness were not of the same sex.
3. The youngest person and the victim were not of the same sex.
4. The one who helped the murderer was older than the victim.
5. The father was the oldest member of the family.
6. The murderer was not the youngest member of the family.
Who was the murderer?
Hint:
We know from (3) that the youngest person was not the victim, from (4) that the youngest person was not the helper and from (6) that the youngest person was not the killer. The youngest person can only have been the witness therefore. If we make up a chart there are now three possible combinations:
Oldest person (father) H H M
Next to oldest (mother) V M H
Next to youngest (son) M V V
Youngest (daughter) W W W
(H = Helper ; V = Victim ; M = Murderer ; W = Witness)
We can work out from (5) that the father was the oldest, from (2) that the youngest person must have been the daughter. Therefore the next to the youngest must have been the son and the next to the oldest, the mother.
Of three possibilities: the first is impossible (from (3) the youngest person and the victim were of different sexes); the third is also impossible (from (1) the witness and the helper were of different sexes). Therefore only the second possibility holds and the mother was the murderess Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Oldest person (father) H H M
Next to oldest (mother) V M H
Next to youngest (son) M V V
Youngest (daughter) W W W
(H = Helper ; V = Victim ; M = Murderer ; W = Witness)
We can work out from (5) that the father was the oldest, from (2) that the youngest person must have been the daughter. Therefore the next to the youngest must have been the son and the next to the oldest, the mother.
Of three possibilities: the first is impossible (from (3) the youngest person and the victim were of different sexes); the third is also impossible (from (1) the witness and the helper were of different sexes). Therefore only the second possibility holds and the mother was the murderess Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
As Cold As Can Be
If you went to Antarctica
You would see a lot of me
I float on top of the water
And am as cold as can be
You would see a lot of me
I float on top of the water
And am as cold as can be
Hint:
Just Like People Riddle
We are just like people.
We grow, we get old, we die off.
We come in many different colors.
Black, white, brown.
We come in a army, there are thousands of us, yet we have no war.
But we will still die off over the years.
What am I?
We grow, we get old, we die off.
We come in many different colors.
Black, white, brown.
We come in a army, there are thousands of us, yet we have no war.
But we will still die off over the years.
What am I?
Hint:
Working On Give And Take
My work is based on give and take,
I can make a difference by a hand shake,
The older I get the smaller I grow,
And my best friend is my worst foe.
What am I?
I can make a difference by a hand shake,
The older I get the smaller I grow,
And my best friend is my worst foe.
What am I?
Hint:
The Actions Of Pericles
Pericles must answer Antiochus' riddle to win the hand of his daughter. If he fails he will face death. The riddle is:
"I am no viper, yet I feed
On mother's flesh which did me breed.
I sought a husband, in which labour
I found that kindness in a father:
He's father, son, and husband mild;
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you."
What does Pericles do?
"I am no viper, yet I feed
On mother's flesh which did me breed.
I sought a husband, in which labour
I found that kindness in a father:
He's father, son, and husband mild;
I mother, wife, and yet his child.
How they may be, and yet in two,
As you will live, resolve it you."
What does Pericles do?
Hint:
Understands the riddle to mean incest and hints to Antiochus his understanding.
Antiochus realises from Pericles' hints that Pericles has understood the riddle and determines to have him killed. I am not aware of any other reference to incest in Shakespeare. Incest seems to retain its rightful shock value much more in Shakespeare and the classics. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Antiochus realises from Pericles' hints that Pericles has understood the riddle and determines to have him killed. I am not aware of any other reference to incest in Shakespeare. Incest seems to retain its rightful shock value much more in Shakespeare and the classics. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
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