A Promise to the President

Ronald has a rare opportunity to meet the President of the United States. During his visit the president gives him a gift but tells Ronald he is never to sell it unless he sees the president again. Ronald consents, but the president dies later that year. Years later a man offers to buy the President’s gift for $1000. Ronald agrees and exchanges the gift for 20 crisp $50 bills. Did he keep his promise?

Yes. The president was Ulysses S. Grant, who died in 1885 and whose face has been on the $50 bill since 1913. He saw the president on the bills before he made the exchange.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Nearly A Victory, Quickly I Pass

Nearly a victory,
Quickly I pass,
A request of the chair,
I’m silver, not brass.

What am I?

Second. Second place is next to winning. Seconds, the measure of time, pass quickly. Seconding a motion is requested by the chair of the body in Parliament. And the second place finisher in many sporting events such as the Olympics is awarded the silver medal.

And as for why the unit of time is called a second, it goes back to the days of Ptolemy. A second of time is the second small part, or pars minuta secunda, of an hour. (Thanks to Tim J for researching it).

Posted in Riddles

Kneel In The Kayak

Kneel in the kayak grasping the boat, but don’t wrench the bullion or scowl at the chart. Behind the taped and sealed planter is a benevolent collier. The foxglove is in the bath.

Name the 19 creatures in the above sentence.

1. Eel
2. Yak
3. Asp
4. Boa
5. Wren
6. Bull
7. Lion
8. Cow
9. Owl
10. Hart
11. Hind
12. Ape
13. Seal
14. Ant
15. Vole
16. Collie
17. Fox
18. Ox
19. Bat

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Nighttime Run

A man is running across a field at night clutching something in his arms as several other men pursue him. He looks back and sees they’re getting closer. In a final burst of effort his pursuers catch up and bring him crashing to the ground. His pursuers stand over him but do not touch him or take what he was carrying. Why not? Who was the running man?

A football player who was tackled.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Cut But Never Eaten

What is put on a table and cut but never eaten?

A deck of cards.  You put the cards on the table to play, and you cut the cards to mix them up, but you don’t eat them. Flowers is another possible answer.

Posted in Riddles
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The Color of Clouds

First, think of the color of clouds. Next think of the color of snow. Last, think of the color of the moon. Now, what do cows drink?

Water. If the teaser worked, you guessed milk.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Hundreds of Letters

What seven-letter word has hundreds of letters in it?

Mailbox

Posted in Brain Teasers

Highest Product Using All Digits

What is the highest product that can be generated by multiplying two numbers while only using each digit once (1 through 9)?
For example, 12345678 * 9 = 111,111,102

9642 * 87531 = 843,973,902

Posted in Brain Teasers

Take Away All My Letters

Take away my first letter,
Take away my second letter,
Take away all my letters,
and I remain the same.

What am I?

A mail carrier. Even when there aren’t any letters left to deliver, they’re job is still the mail carrier.

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Lucrezia Borgia

Lucrezia Borgia invited a prospective victim to lunch. They ate a hearty meal of roast venison, with a selection of fresh vegetables, all washed down with the finest wine imported from Bordeaux, France.

After the meal, they ate figs and freshly picked grapes.

“Just one apple left”, said Lucrezia, “I insist you have it.

“No”, said the guest, “I couldn’t”.

“Tell you what”, said Lucrezia, “we’ll share it”, and promptly sliced the apple in two with her sharpest knife. The guest and Lucrezia started to eat their respective halves when the guest’s eyes rolled towards the ceiling and he fell over, dead.

“Another victim successfully dispatched,” thought Lucrezia.

How did she do it?

She used a knife coated on just one edge with cyanide. When she sliced the apple in two, only the victim’s half was poisoned.

Posted in Brain Teasers