An Apparition

Two people were in a house. No one came in or went out, but then there were three people. What happened?

The two people were a husband and an expectant wife, who gave birth to her baby.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Move Your Digits

By moving one of the following digits, make the equation correct.

62 – 63 = 1

26 – 63 = 1
(26 = 2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64, ∴ 64 – 63 = 1)

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I Stand Like A Sentry

I stand like a sentry
And am barred by the gentry,
The first month and its god oft slip
Between my hard, dun colored lip.

What am I?

Sentries are posted at borders, gates, or doors.
The gentry (in this case to referring to the general populace) bar their doors at night.
The first month is January, named after the Roman god Janus, the double-faced God of doorways, passages and thresholds.
You pass through the doorway (hence the slip), and dun is a brown color, referencing the color of wood, which most doors are made of. Though it’s not commonly referred to, the “lip of the door” is the part of the door that fits into the doorframe on the handle/knob side, particularly if the door is lipped or ridged in order to fit the door frame better.

Thanks to Helena for creating this and sending it in.

Posted in Riddles
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Willow’s Broken Keyboard

Willow’s keyboard is acting up. The a, e, i, o and u keys don’t work and the space key is misbehaving as well. Can you decipher these common sayings they typed?

tfsghttfmnd
ctnsspkldrthnwrds
hnstysthbstplcy
sycmsyg

Out of sight, out of mind
Actions speak louder than words
Honesty is the best policy
Easy come, easy go

Posted in Brain Teasers

Walking Through Paper

You have a regular sized piece of paper. How could you cut a hole in it large enough for you to walk through?

Fold the paper in half and make cuts that are almost entirely across the width of the paper. Switch between sides. When the paper is opened there will be a very large hole that you can climb through (carefully).

Posted in Brain Teasers

A U2 Concert

U2 has a concert that starts in 17 minutes and they must all cross a bridge to get there. All four men begin on the same side of the bridge. You must help them across to the other side. It is night. There is one flashlight. A maximum of two people can cross at one time. Any party who crosses, either 1 or 2 people, must have the flashlight with them.

The flashlight must be walked back and forth. It cannot be thrown and other tricks like that are not needed to solve the problem. The solution is simply a matter of allocating resources in a certain order. Each band member walks at a different speed. A pair must walk together at the rate of the slower man’s pace:

Bono: 1 minute to cross
Edge: 2 minutes to cross
Adam: 5 minutes to cross
Larry: 10 minutes to cross

For example: if Bono and Larry walk across first, 10 minutes have elapsed when they get to the other side of the bridge. If Larry then returns with the flashlight, a total of 20 minutes have passed and you have failed the mission.

This is one of my favorite brain teasers and I want to give you the satisfaction of figuring it out on your own. If you’re having a hard time, here’s a hint: There is a valid answer that doesn’t require tricks like throwing the flashlight or shining it backwards or having some other means of moving the flashlight.

There’s an assumption people often make that keeps them from solving this. Two members cross the bridge each time, but neither one of the two who crossed necessarily need to return. Think about how that would be possible. If you’re still stuck, use objects to simulate their movements. Use whatever you have laying around – pens, paper, erasers – and move them back and forth. Good luck!

Posted in Brain Teasers

Special Strengths

What’s special about the word “strengths”?

It has a record nine letters but only one vowel, and it’s one of the longest one-syllable words in English.

Posted in Brain Teasers

If You Break Me

If you break me
I do not stop working,
If you touch me
I may be snared,
If you lose me
Nothing will matter.

What am I?

Hope.

Posted in Riddles

My Tines

My tines are long.
My tines are short.
My tines end ere
My first report.

What am I?

A lightning bolt.

Posted in Riddles

Two Handsome Racers

Two handsome racers are having a race.
One keeps lapping the other and the race never ends.

What am I?

A clock.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles
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