# Riddles, enigmas and such **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [June 28, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539 "2020-06-28T16:50:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/41 "2020-07-09T05:28:17Z")
Water? Evaporates when Sunny. Comes down in the storm. Dew overnight? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/42 "2020-07-09T06:40:27Z")
Black mold ---
**Author:** ![AlienBabble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alienbabble/32/3344_2.png) [@AlienBabble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlienBabble)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/43 "2020-07-09T10:21:14Z")
No. Try again! ---
**Author:** ![AlienBabble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alienbabble/32/3344_2.png) [@AlienBabble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlienBabble)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/44 "2020-07-09T10:21:36Z")
LOL! No. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/45 "2020-07-09T11:55:07Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > I am thinking of a number. Spelled out it is nine letters long, one word, and 5 of the letters are vowels (a,e,i,o, or u). What is the number? I was thinking it might be anesthesia But sadly that’s 10 letters. Am I along the right lines though? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/46 "2020-07-09T12:18:14Z")
If I’m right about the lateral thinking, then I think novocaine should be acceptable. Good riddle! Though your timing was slightly off - should have posted it at 1430. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/47 "2020-07-09T14:40:12Z")
You got it! ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/48 "2020-07-10T00:43:20Z")
“novocaine” is a number?? I’m confused. _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/49 "2020-07-10T01:13:26Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > You got it! Who got what??? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/50 "2020-07-10T01:33:21Z")
It makes you numb. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/51 "2020-07-10T01:35:13Z")
> [@Bicycle\_Bill](#): > > “novocaine” is a number?? > I’m confused. You go into the doctor’s or dentist’s office and they mask you for anesthesia, asking you to count backward from 100. That’s the number reference, why you’re thinking of a number. Dead\_Cat said 1430. That=230PM. What time should you go see the dentist? 230=tooth hurty. ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/53 "2020-07-10T04:21:23Z")
🙄 That’s got to be one of the worst jokes I ever heard. You should be ashamed of yourself. _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2020, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/54 "2020-07-10T08:09:48Z")
Well, it’s not really a joke, just a play on words. Commonly used in cryptic crosswords, which was probably why I eventually got it. Also a nice example of a riddle that only works written down, not in spoken form (in most dialects, anyway - I think. I pronounce the “b” in “number” when referring to 1, 2, 3 etc, but would not pronounce it when describing an anaesthetic). ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/55 "2020-07-14T04:11:05Z")
What comes up from the floor? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/56 "2021-04-17T05:31:14Z")
A person steps into the elevator and pushes a button. Before the door closes another person steps into the elevator, pushes a different button and says “Hello”…then they both get off on the same floor when the elevator stops. Explain. ---
**Author:** ![Bicycle\_Bill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bicycle_bill/32/6208_2.png) [@Bicycle\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bicycle_Bill)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/57 "2021-04-17T06:34:19Z")
> Czarcasm wrote: > A person steps into the elevator and pushes a button. Before the door closes another person steps into the elevator, pushes a different button and says “Hello”…then they both get off on the same floor when the elevator stops. > Explain. Well, one explanation could be that the first person gets on the elevator and presses the “open door” button, holding the door open for a colleague. The second person _ **is** _ the colleague; he gets on the elevator and greets the first person, then pushes the button for the floor on which the two of them work. Once they arrive at that floor, they both get off together. _ **-“BB”-** _ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/58 "2021-04-17T10:21:08Z")
That is one possible solution…but in this case, the “OPEN DOOR” button was not pushed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/59 "2021-04-17T10:35:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That is one possible solution…but in this case, the “OPEN DOOR” button was not pushed. First person is short, lives on a floor they can’t quite reach the button for, and so pushes the highest reachable button with a sigh while figuring to walk up stairs the rest of the way. Second person is tall, lives on the same floor, and pushes the desired button. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/60 "2021-04-17T10:41:27Z")
Two normal sized people. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539/61 "2021-04-17T10:58:09Z")
> [@Bicycle\_Bill](#): > > Well, one explanation could be that the first person gets on the elevator and presses the “open door” button, holding the door open for a colleague. The second person _ **is** _ the colleague; he gets on the elevator and greets the first person, then pushes the button for the floor on which the two of them work. Once they arrive at that floor, they both get off together. The opposite explanation would be that the first person presses the “close door” button, but the second person makes it in time _anyway_ — and says “hello” in whichever tone of voice would make for the most interesting story — followed by the two of them riding to the same floor in awkward silence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riddles-enigmas-and-such/913539.md?page=4)