From Diner to Menus

How can you go from DINER to MENUS, changing one letter at a time and forming another English word in each step?

DINER
MINER
MINES
MINUS
MENUS

Another option is:
DINER
DINES
MINES
MINUS
MENUS

Posted in Brain Teasers

If I’m Ever Gone, Beware

Sometimes you’ll find me hard and cold,
Other times I’m hard to hold,
Always present in the air,
If I’m ever gone, beware.

What am I?

Water. As ice I’m hard and cold, as water vapor I’m hard to hold and I’m always present in the air as humidity (aka water vapor). If the earth ever runs out of water, we’re toast.

Posted in Riddles

Three Two Three Sequence

What number belongs at the beginning of this sequence?

?, 3, 2, 3, 9, 2, 4, 8, 4, 3, 7, 6

3 ½.

If you break up the numbers into groups of 4, a,b,c,d, then 2 × |a – d| = |b – c|.

9 2 4 8 → 2 × |9 – 8| = |2 – 4|, or 2 × 1 = 2
4 3 7 6 → 2 × |4 – 6| = |3 – 7|, or 2 × 2 = 4, so
n 3 2 3 → 2 × |3 ½ – 3| = |3 – 2|, or 2 × ½ = 1;

I’m not sure this is the correct solution, but it’s the best I’ve found so far. Email me if you know of a better one.

Posted in Brain Teasers
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The More You Leave Behind

The more you take, the more you leave behind.

Footsteps or footprints.

Posted in Riddles

Hidden Animals

How many animals can you find in this story?

“Scram, you can’t catch me!” yelled the thief. While running to escape, his shirt skewered a box of nails. He ripped free, but skidded to a stop as he passed a policeman. He tried to run again, then cowered in fright. Crime doesn’t pay.

I found thirteen, listed in the order they’re found.

1. ram
2. ant
3. cat
4. ape
5. ewe
6. ox
7. kid
8. ass
9. man
10. nag
11. hen
12. cow
13. doe

Posted in Brain Teasers

Ages Of Myself and My Brother

My current age, is the age of my 14 year-old brother plus one third of my age. How old will I be when my brother is twice his current age?

I will be 35. I am currently 21.

x = my current age

x = 14 + x/3
3x = 42 + x
2x = 42
x = 21 (so 14 years later, I'll be 35)
Posted in Brain Teasers

Two In A Whole And Four In A Pair

Two in a whole and four in a pair
And six in a trio you see
And eight’s a quartet but what you must get
Is the name that fits just one of me?

A half.

Posted in Riddles

The Long River

How many times does the letter S appear in the name of the longest river in the world?

Zero. The Nile is the longest river in the world. Some claim the Amazon as the longest, but that too has no “S”es (that looks weird but I don’t know how else to write the plural of “s”). The Mississippi is the 4th largest river in the world according to a href=”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_by_length”>Wikipedia.

Posted in Riddles

I Generate Fear But Am Quiet As A Mouse

I can generate fear and some say I come out of your ears. I’m quiet as a mouse but not welcomed in the house.

Smoke.

Posted in Riddles

A Foot On Each Side

What has a foot on each side and one in the middle?

A yard stick.

Posted in Riddles