A lemon. It’s a citrus fruit whose juice is acidic and can be used to conduct electricity for motors. A car or other purchase that has problems is known as a lemon and can be expensive to repair. Lemons have a tart flavor but do little harm (unless you get it in a cut, then it hurts like the dickens). The old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” (I know, it’s spelled aid not ade but it sounds the same and wouldn’t make any sense the other way. It all works out nicely when the riddle is told instead of read.)

A flower. The soil they grow in is not used for food, like wheat to make bread, but for their smell. A neglected flower will wither.

The letter X. It is the 24th letter of the alphabet, two Xs in Roman numerals equals twenty and triple x represents adult content, and adulthood is eighteen by law in most countries.

A one way street sign. It tells you the correct way to go, is black and white (in the United States), going the wrong way can get you a citation and the sign only has two words on it.

A tornado or a hurricane. The calm area in the middle of such a storm is called the eye and wind speeds can reach up to 300 mph in an extreme tornado. Neither one have any arms or legs, but that doesn’t stop them from moving, does it?

Scuttle. To scuttle is to scurry or run hurriedly. Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of your own ship. Scuttle shake is felt in convertibles where the passengers feel a distinct shudder. A coal scuttle is a bucket-like container to haul coal. A shaving scuttle holds hot water when you’re shaving. And adding a “rear” forms scuttlebutt, or rumors and gossip.

The magic word – please. It makes people do things they otherwise wouldn’t be inclined to do. When parents are teaching children about manners, they call it the magic word and wait to fulfill a request until the child says please. Once the child says it, the parent feels bound to do it to show the child that it works.

A tree. A tall one can see long distances but don’t change much. They are strong and powerful, and the roots of a tree can slowly tear apart a mountain. The gentle stirrings of the wind can blow their branches and leaves. Trees are valuable as they provide wood and paper, but they are also wasted. And lastly, trees, like all plants, provide us with life-giving oxygen.

Advice. It’s easy to give it out but advice is often ignored. Brides are frequently given advice on their wedding day and you’ll even hear life advice at a funeral. Advice is frequently given to young people and some advice can be hard to stomach (like you should lose a few pounds).

A battery. Games and other entertainment devices run on batteries. Batteries can be charged using solar power, which is from the sun. If you use a battery-powered device long enough, the battery will die. Batteries have a plus side and can be all shapes and sizes. They can power scooters and Segways commonly used in malls and your cell phone requires a battery to function.