I hesitated to add this because it’s poorly worded, ambiguous and the answer could be almost anything. I prefer teasers with a single answer, but there you go.
If you came up with a different answer and can explain how you did it, don’t think you’re wrong. It’s probably just as valid. Feel free to share yours in the comments.
My answer for the first number is 2.
Here’s how I got it.
The generic rule for a number in the sequence is: 2^(n – 1) + 1, where n is the position in the sequence.
Note: The teaser doesn’t specify the position of 17. In this case, it’s fifth.
Position 1: (so n = 1) is 2^(1 – 1) + 1 = 2
Position 2: 2^(2 – 1) + 1 = 3
Position 3: 2^(3 – 1) + 1 = 5
Position 4: 2^(4 – 1) + 1 = 9
Position 5: 2^(5 – 1) + 1 = 17
For the curious, the next 5 numbers of the sequence would be:
A three-letter word I’m sure you know, I can be on a boat or a sleigh in the snow, I’m pals with the rain and honor a king, But my favorite use is attached to a string.
A bow. It has three letters, the bow of a boat is the front, bows are found on the presents on Santa’s sleigh, rainbows come with the rain, one bows before a king and a bow and arrow requires a string.
The riddle refers to a variety of meanings of the word fine.
Feeling normal refers to when you feel fine. Extremely thin refers to a fine thread. A punishment refers to being charged a fee. The one who wins refers to an athlete who is physically trained and hardened close to the limit of efficiency. Free from impurity refers to measuring the fineness of precious metals. A keen edge refers to a knife with a fine edge. Refined refers to fine manners or elegance.
Imagine you are in a dark room with a locked door. All you have with you is a rope and a pencil. You can hear the rain outside, but there are no windows. How do you get out?
A strike in bowling is good. In baseball it’s good for the pitcher but not for the batter. You can strike a match to light it. When the clock strikes one a gong sounds and when you strike a paragraph, it’s gone.