# Can you solve this riddle? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181 "2015-05-03T22:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/41 "2015-05-04T03:01:50Z")
Maybe I’m missing something butI’d choose the room full of lions who haven’t eaten in three years. Because I figure I can survive for an hour in a room full of dead lions. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/42 "2015-05-04T05:51:55Z")
I hope that decomposition germs die after that long time, too, right? ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/43 "2015-05-04T06:07:48Z")
This reminds me of the ancient: A plane crashes on the exact border between two states. In which state are the survivors buried? My mind always “auto corrects” the terminology, making the obvious obscure. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/44 "2015-05-04T06:20:28Z")
I haven’t heard this particular riddle before, but the trick is always the same: you need to read very carefully. The answer was fairly obvious quite soon. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/45 "2015-05-04T06:39:26Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > I think I got it…but… > > The lions starved to death nearly three years ago. > > Am I merely fighting the hypothetical? Keep in mind only one of them would have starved to death, the rest would have been progressively eaten by the others. So you have 1 dead lion, lots of bones and piles of Lion shit ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/46 "2015-05-04T06:51:07Z")
\*At first, I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinkin’ I could never live Without you by my side, But then I spent so many nights Thinkin’ how you did me wrong. And I grew strong And I learned how to get along… I will survive \* ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/47 "2015-05-04T11:41:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I hope that decomposition germs die after that long time, too, right? Technically, the riddle doesn’t concern itself with what happens to your disease-ridden body after you leave the room, right? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/48 "2015-05-04T11:47:37Z")
Just had to read carefully. Pretty easy. But probably very stinky. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Why\_Bother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@Doctor\_Why\_Bother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Why_Bother)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/49 "2015-05-04T12:09:07Z")
Got it pretty much straight away. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/50 "2015-05-04T12:20:43Z")
Who’s to say that The lions weren’t kept alive by IV feeding for three years? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/51 "2015-05-04T12:34:42Z")
> [@Doctor\_Why\_Bother](#): > > Got it pretty much straight away. I wonder if this riddle works better as a spoken riddle rather than a written one. My family loves puzzles and usually they are solved rather quickly. I asked the group to raise a hand if the listener knew the answer but to refrain from saying anything to give the solution away. A couple of folks got it right away, but many did not even after the riddle was repeated several times — with each telling getting more animated and over the top. Good job to all here! Love some of the alternate solutions which I will forward to several kin. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/52 "2015-05-04T14:32:54Z")
Well, I didn’t get it until I read some of the spoilers, but in my defense I thought the relevant clue was just hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/53 "2015-05-04T16:25:49Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > Well, I didn’t get it until I read some of the spoilers, but in my defense I thought the relevant clue was just hyperbole. This. Now can I change my answer, or at least slap the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/54 "2015-05-04T19:33:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Maybe I’m missing something butI’d choose the room full of lions who haven’t eaten in three years. Because I figure I can survive for an hour in a room full of dead lions. Hence the book. An hour sitting in a room full of lion skeletons would pass much faster if it’s a good book, although if the room is windowless, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181/55 "2015-05-04T20:02:35Z")
Without giving away the answer, I think this riddle is rather lame. (I’m criticizing the riddle, not the OP.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-solve-this-riddle/719181.md?page=2)