Riddles and Brain Teasers

Shortest Word With All the Vowels

What is the shortest word in the English language to contain all of the vowels?

Sequoia, eulogia or miaoued are all good options, but there’s an even shorter (and more obscure) word with all the vowels and not a single consonant: Iouea. It’s not the kind of word you’d use at the dinner table, but it’s listed in the Wikipedia dictionary as a genus of Cretaceous fossil sponges.If you got really tricky and tried to find a word that contained the letters in the phrase ‘all of the vowels’, you probably found, like I did, that there isn’t one. But it was still worth checking.

If you got really tricky and tried to find a word that contained the letters in the phrase ‘all of the vowels’, you probably found, like I did, that there isn’t one. But it was still worth checking.

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Six Faces But No Arms

I have six faces but no arms, and twenty one eyes but I can’t see.

What am I?

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A die. There six sides (or faces) and twenty one pips.

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What Comes Next I S I T

What comes next in this series?

I S I T P N A A D L I I Y N ___

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The letter A.There are three separate series1. Starting with the first letter and taking every third letter you get ITALY.
2. Starting with the second letter and taking every third letter you get SPAIN.
3. Starting with the third letter and taking every third letter you get INDIA.

The letter A.

There are three separate series

1. Starting with the first letter and taking every third letter you get ITALY.
2. Starting with the second letter and taking every third letter you get SPAIN.
3. Starting with the third letter and taking every third letter you get INDIA.

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Early Ages The Iron Boot Tread

Early ages the iron boot tread,
with Europe at her command.
Through time power slipped and fled,
’til the creation of new holy land.
Who am I?

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Italy / Rome.

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Four Chains in One Loop

You have four chains. Each chain has three links in it. Although it is difficult to cut the links, you wish to make a single loop with all 12 links. What is the fewest number of cuts you must make to accomplish this task?

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Three cuts. Cut each link in one chain. Separate them, and use the links to join the ends of the three intact chains.

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What Does a Cow Have Four Of?

What does a cow have four of, a dog has eight of and you only have two of that can be used standing up or sitting down?

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Nipples or teats. Cows have four of them, dogs usually have eight and a human (assuming that’s who’s reading this) has two. Cows milk standing up, dogs often lie down and women usually sit when breastfeeding.

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Fifty Quarters

You have fifty quarters on the table in front of you. You are blindfolded and cannot discern whether a coin is heads up or tails up by feeling it. You are told that x coins are heads up, where 0 < x < 50. You are asked to separate the coins into two piles in such a way that the number of heads up coins in both piles is the same at the end. You may flip any coin over as many times as you want.

How can you do it?

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Take x coins, flip all of them and put them in one pile. The rest of the coins form the second pile.

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I Widen My Jaws

I flex my jaws when you use me,
My only purpose is to damage,
Yet I’m used by small children.

What am I?

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Scissors.

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A Tasty Fruit

I am a tasty fruit that provides you with healthy nutrients. I can also be found on a calendar. What am I?

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A date.

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A Treasure to Many

A necessity to some, a treasure to many,
I’m best enjoyed among pleasant company.
Some like me hot, some like me cold.
Some prefer mild, some like me bold.

What am I?

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Coffee.

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