Horse Fence

Farmer Finnegan needs to build a fence to keep his horses on his property. He only has a little over 1.5 miles of fence materials, but there’s also a mile-long straight river running through his property. What shape should he use for the fenced in area to give his horses the most space possible?

Our dear friend Finnegan should build a half-circle fence with the river as the diameter, giving the horses about 0.4 square miles to frolic and play in.

Area of semi-circle = πr2 / 2 = π × .5 miles2 / 2 = 0.3927

Posted in Brain Teasers

Counterfeit Accounting

Early one morning Hal, the owner of a hardware store, sells a mailbox for $25 to Courtney that cost him $20 wholesale. Courtney pays with a $100 bill and Hal discovers he doesn’t have enough change. He runs to the jewelry shop next door, where Jack, the owner, gives him change in exchange for the $100. Later that afternoon, Jack discovers the $100 bill is a counterfeit and Hal pays him $100 to make it right.

What was Hal’s total loss?

The total loss was $95.
-$20 = The wholesale cost of the mailbox
$100 = The money from Jack
-$75 = The change paid to Courtney
-$100 = To pay Jack back
-$20 + $100 – $75 – $100 = -$95

It’s easy to think Hal lost $195 but that fails to account for the $100 used to make the change, which came from Jack, not Hal. Jack paid $100 in exchange for a worthless piece of paper, so the $100 was initially Jack’s loss. Hal had made a $5 profit until Jack’s discovery. If you guessed $100, that’s arguably correct, but not making $5 in profit isn’t a loss in the strictest sense of the word.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Famous for the Friendly Folk

I have palms but not on hands,
I offer foods from distant lands,
When at my peak you’ll see me smoke,
I’m famous for my friendly folk,
My flowers grow and yet they lay,
There’s fire where a man will play,
I’m sure you know we’re family,
You’re welcome to come stay with me.

What am I?

Hawaii.

Posted in Riddles

The Quirky Fruit Stand

At a quirky fruit stand, an orange costs 18 cents, a pineapple costs 27 cents and a grape costs 15 cents. Using the same logic, how much does a mango cost?

A mango costs 15 cents. The logic is 3 cents per letter.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Flora Not Fauna

I am flora, not fauna,
I am foliage, not trees,
I am shrubbery, not grass,

What am I?

A bush.

Posted in Riddles

Whelming Rebus

What does this represent?

 1 3 5 7 9
-----------
 WHELMING

Overwhelming odds.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

Two Hours Ago

If two hours ago it was as long after one o’clock in the afternoon as it was before one o’clock in the morning, what time is it right now?

9pm (or 21:00). There are 12 hours between 1pm and 1am, so 6 hours after 1am is halfway. 6 hours + 1pm equals 7pm. In order for 7pm to be 2 hours behind the current time, it must be 9pm.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Animals On the Ark

How many of each animal did Moses take on the ark?

None. Moses didn’t have an ark, Noah did (and yes, he took 2 of each animal).

Posted in Brain Teasers

Has a Mouth But Cannot Drink

Has a mouth but cannot drink.
Has a head but cannot think.
Has a tongue but not a lung.
Some are held and some are hung.

A bell.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

Ever Rising Then Gone Away

Ever rising then gone away,
I send messages or help some pray,
I’ll make you cry, but flavor meat,
But If I’m heavy, use your feet.

What am I?

Smoke. It rises then slowly dissipates in the air. Smoke signals send messages and incense is used in religious ceremonies. Anyone who’s sat at a bonfire knows smoke in your eyes can make you cry when the wind changes direction. Smoked meats are a tasty treat, but if you see heavy smoke (i.e. from a fire) then run. Or stop drop and roll if the fire already caught you.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with