# Tell me a riddle! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 27, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058 "2006-10-27T02:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/1 "2006-10-27T02:16:26Z")
My AVID students _love_ it when I tell riddles. You know, the whole set-up-a-scenario, kids-ask-yes/no-questions to solve them. I love them because it’s teaching them about making false assumptions and finding new ways to interpret information given. They’re also just plain fun. Thing is, I’ve about run through all my repetoire. I’ve done: > [@](#): > > Fred is dead in a puddle of water, surrounded by broken glass. Pudding is on the table. How did Fred die? > [@](#): > > (This is the super easy one we started with) > A man leaves his home and every direction he faces is south. A bear walks by. What color is the bear? [quote] A man is dead in the middle of a desert wearing a backpack. How did he die?\*\* > [@](#): > > A man is lying dead in a large puddle in the center of a barn. How did he die? (The kids find it hilarious that there is such an abundance of dead people featured in these.) > [@](#): > > A man leaves home, turns right, then makes three lefts and is home again. Where is he? I can’t think of any more, but the kids love these. So, help me out–what riddles do you know? I’d love to play, too, to see if I can solve them. Keep in mind these are 6th graders, FWIW. I’ll post solutions later in spoiler tags, if you want. Most of these are old and busted, though, so I’d assume the SDMB community would already know the answers. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/2 "2006-10-27T02:50:08Z")
I had a whole sheet of these back when I was a kid. Some of that nature include: 1. Two people are playing checkers. They’ve played five games and both have won the same number of games. How? (You may have to explain there are no draws in checkers). They’re not playing each other. 1. If a plane crashes on the border between Canada and the US, where do they bury the survivors? They don’t bury survivors. 1. Divide 10 by 1/2 and add ten. What is the answer? 30 1. Is is legal in North Carolina for a man to marry his widow’s sister? Legal, since no one legislates against an impossibility. 1. What word is misspelled in every dictionary? “misspelled” 1. How many of each type of animal did Moses take on the Ark? None. Noah took them. 1. Take two apples from three apples and how many to you have? Two apples – the ones you took ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/3 "2006-10-27T02:59:51Z")
I still remember my Dad getting me with these when I was a kid: – How far can a dog run into the woods? – How long is a piece of string? – How can you divide 27 apples equally among 12 people? Answers: [spoiler]Dog: A dog can run halfway into the woods. After that, the dog is running out of the woods. String: A piece of string is twice as long as half its length. Apples: Make applesauce.[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/4 "2006-10-27T03:14:35Z")
(With respect to _Scrubs_) Two coins add up to thirty cents, and one of them isn’t a nickle, what are they? A quarter and a nickle. ---
**Author:** ![Caiata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Caiata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caiata)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/5 "2006-10-27T03:40:47Z")
In the same vein as the ones in your OP, “When the music stopped, Sally died. Why did Sally die?” This one takes some time! Sally is a blind tightrope walker who knows when to … disembark … from the tightrope when the music for her routine stops. Someone has stopped the music early, so Sally thought she was at the end of the tightrope when she was really in the middle. She steps off and falls to her death. Macabre, but it will keep the kids going for at least 20 minutes! Isn’t there also one about a plane, crashing into a mountain, and the dual meaning of cabin (where the pilots sit/a house that people live in)? I just can’t remember how it goes… ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/6 "2006-10-27T03:52:23Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] 4. Is is legal in North Carolina for a man to marry his widow’s sister? Legal, since no one legislates against an impossibility. [/QUOTE] I disagree. I believe it would be rather illegal to attempt to enter into a marriage contract with a deceased person. I’m not going to pour over the books for this, but there probably _is_ a law against that somewhere (at a minimum, the deceased would have difficulty signing the license [application and providing photo ID](http://www.usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/north_carolina/)) ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/7 "2006-10-27T05:12:32Z")
Sweet! Thanks, guys! I actually just finished one today, although it’s not truly a riddle. It goes like this: Okay, listen…she died she died she DIED she died. Is she dead? [yes] She died she diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiied she died she died. Is she dead? [no] The kids about went insane trying to figure out when it was yes or no. In fact, we started that riddle Tuesday, skipped it Wednesday, then at parent conferences Wednesday night one of the parents said _she_ loved the riddles (her daughter would come home and retell them). Then her daughter pounced on me–“How does the ‘she died’ thing work?” So we finished it today. Whenever I say the word “listen,” she’s dead, so to speak. So, that’s when I say yes. The kids were going nuts trying to figure out the pattern–was it every other time? Was it based on the length of pause inbetween? heh heh Oh, I also know the one about the man being dead in a room surrounded by 53 Bicycles, but I don’t think the kids would get it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/8 "2006-10-27T06:29:07Z")
My Dad was good with a lot of these kind of things, though most of his riddles have been mentioned. He had a couple of other tricks up his sleeve (sorry) that kept us entertained as children though. I don’t know if you’d want them, but if you’d like, I’ll offer them in more detail. Maybe your students would have some fun with them as well. Trick A: You put an array of objects (magazines work well) on the floor. Leave the room. Have somebody pick an object. Return to the room. Your assistant will point to each object, asking, “Is this the one?” You answer No, until your assistant points to the one. You say Yes, and your students are convinced you’re psychic. (I’ll go into this one in more detail, if you like.) Trick B: You tell your students that the cards in a deck are friendly–they like to be with others of the same kind. Give the deck a good shuffle, shuffle again, and do it yet again. Heck, have a student or two shuffle them. Turn the cards over and deal them out, face up, on the table. Most times, you’ll find that a pair will occur somewhere in the deck: a seven followed by a seven, a king followed by a king, or similar. See how they like to be with each other, even after all that shuffling? There is a mathematical explanation for this, but your students needn’t know right now. They will think you are some kind of magician. (True confession–I used to use this trick to cadge beers off marks–ahem–I mean _fellow patrons_ at bars.) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/9 "2006-10-27T06:54:58Z")
The OP brings back a flood of horrifying memories. My parents died when they were chosen to participate in the focus group for Jell-O’s new Broken Glass Flavored Pudding. DAMMIT! It should’ve been ME gulping down all of that razor-sharp goodness! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/10 "2006-10-27T09:43:27Z")
Could you post the answers to the ones in the OP, please? I realize that I could probably google, but this way the other English-as-nth-language people get it at the same time. Thanks. (I’m assuming you don’t want riddles in Spanish) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/11 "2006-10-27T09:53:08Z")
[QUOTE=Ruffian] My AVID students _love_ it when I tell riddles. You know, the whole set-up-a-scenario, kids-ask-yes/no-questions to solve them. I love them because it’s teaching them about making false assumptions and finding new ways to interpret information given. They’re also just plain fun. Thing is, I’ve about run through all my repetoire. I’ve done: > [@](#): > > A man is dead in the middle of a desert wearing a backpack. How did he die?\*\* > > (The kids find it hilarious that there is such an abundance of dead people featured in these.) > > I can’t think of any more, but the kids love these. So, help me out–what riddles do you know? I’d love to play, too, to see if I can solve them. Keep in mind these are 6th graders, FWIW. > > I’ll post solutions later in spoiler tags, if you want. Most of these are old and busted, though, so I’d assume the SDMB community would already know the answers. [spoiler]Pudding is a cat. Fred is a goldfish. The bear is white: only at the North Pole is every direction south. The backpack was a badly backed parachute. The man in the barn stood on a block of ice to hang himself. I’ll leave the last one as an exercise for the student.[/spoiler] A man is pushing his car along a street. He stops outside a hotel and realizes that he is bankrupt. A man goes into a bar and asks for a glass of water. The bartender pulls a gun on him. The man pauses, says “Thank you!” sincerely, and leaves the bar. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/12 "2006-10-27T11:41:30Z")
OK, here is one I’ve been trying to work into a book I am writing. I thought I had made it up, but have since seen it elsewhere. It is the Tuesday after Easter. A robbery occurred at the museum the night before. Tom has been called in for questioning. The security gaurd clearly identifies him saying: That’s the man. The moon was full last night and I saw him clearly running across the parking lot. The inspecter not only sets Tom free, he now has reason to believe the security guard may have commited the crime. Why? Easter occurs on the first sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. The security gaurd said that he could ID Tom because the moon was full and bright. But the crime took place the tuesday after Easter. The moon couldn’t have been full. Anyway, have a look at [here](http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/) for some more puzzles. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/13 "2006-10-27T12:02:58Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] OK, here is one I’ve been trying to work into a book I am writing. I thought I had made it up, but have since seen it elsewhere. It is the Tuesday after Easter. A robbery occurred at the museum the night before. Tom has been called in for questioning. The security gaurd clearly identifies him saying: That’s the man. The moon was full last night and I saw him clearly running across the parking lot. The inspecter not only sets Tom free, he now has reason to believe the security guard may have commited the crime. Why? Easter occurs on the first sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. The security gaurd said that he could ID Tom because the moon was full and bright. But the crime took place the tuesday after Easter. The moon couldn’t have been full. Anyway, have a look at [here](http://www.lateralpuzzles.com/) for some more puzzles. [/QUOTE] Good, but picky.If the moon’s full late in Holy Week it’s still a large gibbous by the night of Easter Monday. You can’t expect exact astronomy from security guards. I’m still seething over a supposedly clever riddle in a Mensa book: “What is the only question it is impossible to answer ‘Yes’ to?”. Not a question like “Are you a gorilla?” because you can still answer “Yes” to that, just not truthfully. Supposedly the question is “Are you dead?”, which is a complete crock: not only can I untruthfully answer “Yes” any time I like, but in some contexts it’s even true. In answer to post #5, it goes like this: “A man is sitting in a cabin writing. There is a bright flash outside, and the man dies shortly afterwards.” He’s sky-writing, when lightning hits his plane and it crashes. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/14 "2006-10-27T12:05:46Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] I’m still seething over a supposedly clever riddle in a Mensa book: “What is the only question it is impossible to answer ‘Yes’ to?” [/QUOTE] If you’re honest, then isn’t it “are you asleep” that’s impossible to answer yes to? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/15 "2006-10-27T12:29:51Z")
My favorite: A woman goes missing from her home leaving behind all of her posessions. The only clue to her disappearance is a pile of wet clothes in the floor. Who is she? The woman in question is the Wicked Witch of the West. She “goes missing” after being melted by a bucket of water, leaving her clothes in a wet pile on the floor. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/16 "2006-10-27T12:41:55Z")
I have annoyed many people with this riddle: > [@](#): > > Three businessmen walk into a hotel and book a room for the night, the room costs £30 so each of the three men pay £10 each and go on up to the room. Some time later the manager of the hotel realises he has overcharged the men, the room is only £25 for the night. The manager gives the bellboy £5 to refund to the three men, on his way up to the room the bellboy realises he can’t split the £5 in three equal amounts so decides to refund each of the men £1 and keep £2 for himself. So, each of the three men paid £10 and had £1 refunded, therefore spending £9 each, 3x9 = 27 plus the £2 the bellboy kept gives £29, where did the missing £1 go? This seems to be one of those riddles that people either get instantly or never really understand in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/17 "2006-10-27T12:55:49Z")
I’ve always liked to pull these two on my students. Most of them will get the first one after a while, but I have yet to have someone solve the second if they hadn’t heard it before. 1. A boat is tied to a pier. It is noon and it’s low tide. There is a rope ladder hanging over the side, with the end just touching the water and the rungs are one foot apart. The tide starts to rise and rises at the rate of one foot an hour. How many rungs are covered with water at 3:00 p.m.? 2. What is the next letter in this series? O T T F F S ?? 1. None. The boat floats on the water; as the tide rises, so does the boat. 2. S. Take the first letter of the name of the numbers in order: One, Two, Three, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/18 "2006-10-27T13:05:18Z")
[QUOTE=ScareyFaerie] If you’re honest, then isn’t it “are you asleep” that’s impossible to answer yes to? [/QUOTE] Context’s everything. I’m sat a table. Someone says to me “are you asleep?” and I truthfully answer “Yes”. What’s going on?I’m playing D&D and my character was hit by a _sleep_ spell a couple of rounds ago. One of my fellow players has lost track of who hasn’t been woken up yet. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/19 "2006-10-27T13:25:19Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Good, but picky.If the moon’s full late in Holy Week it’s still a large gibbous by the night of Easter Monday. You can’t expect exact astronomy from security guards. \ [/QUOTE] I would absolutely agree. I like the idea, but have not polished enough to fit where I want it to. So I am still kind of wrangling with it. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058/20 "2006-10-27T13:40:43Z")
Is the capitol of Texas pronounced HEW-ston or HOO-ston? Neither- it’s Austin. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-a-riddle/378058.md?page=2)