Riddles and Brain Teasers

A Four Word Admonition

What four word admonition makes the happy person sad and the sad person happy?

The phrase, “This too shall pass.” According to Wikipedia, the well-known phrase is often attached to a fable of a great king who is humbled by these words, and to someone who is experiencing something wonderful, it can be saddening. But to one who is in the pits of despair, it is a phrase that brings relief and hope.In other words, if a happy person is told, “This too shall pass” it will make them sad. But to a person on hard times, hearing, “This too shall pass” will cheer them up.

In other words, if a happy person is told, “This too shall pass” it will make them sad. But to a person on hard times, hearing, “This too shall pass” will cheer them up.

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A Face But No Eyes

I have a face but no eyes. Hands but no arms. What am I?

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A clock.

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Tagged with What am I?

Fish Seal Word Ladder

Get from the word FISH to SEAL by changing one letter at a time and forming another English word in each step.

1. FISH
2. _ _ _ _
3. _ _ _ _
4. _ _ _ _
5. _ _ _ _
6. SEAL

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1. FISH
2. FIST
3. FEST
4. FEAT
5. SEAT
6. SEAL

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Books By Charles Dickens

Pair these words to make nine titles of books by Charles Dickens:

A LITTLE    1 RUDGE
B PICKWICK  2 COPPERFIELD
C EDWIN     3 TIMES
D BARNABY   4 CHUZZLEWIT
E NICHOLAS  5 PAPERS
F HARD      6 HOUSE
G BLEAK     7 DROOD
H DAVID     8 DORRIT
I MARTIN    9 NICKLEBY

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A 8 = LITTLE DORRIT
B 5 = PICKWICK PAPERS
C 7 = EDWIN DROOD
D 1 = BARNABY RUDGE
E 9 = NICHOLAS NICKLEBY
F 3 = HARD TIMES
G 6 = BLEAK HOUSE
H 2 = DAVID COPPERFIELD
I 4 = MARTIN CHUZZLEWIT

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Special Sequence

What is special about the following sequence of numbers?

8 5 4 9 1 7 6 10 3 2 0

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The numbers are in alphabetical order.

8 = eight
5 = five
4 = four
9 = nine
1 = one
7 = seven
6 = six
10 = ten
3 = three
2 = two
0 = zero

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Tagged with sequence

Deals In Secrets Tells Nothing But Lies

The first is a person who lives in disguise who deals in secrets and tells nothing but lies.
Then think of a letter that’s last to mend the middle of middle and end of end.
Now think of a sound which is often heard in search of every unknown word.
Put it together and answer me this, which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?

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1. spy
2. d
3. er
Creature: Spider

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One Two Six Sequence

What is the next number in this series?

1, 2, 6, 42, 1806, ___

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To get the next number, multiply the previous number in the series by itself plus one:n × (n + 1).For example, to get 6, multiply 2 × (2 + 1)
To get 42 multiply 6 × (6 + 1)Thus, 1806 × 1807 = 3263442

To get the next number, multiply the previous number in the series by itself plus one:

n × (n + 1).

For example, to get 6, multiply 2 × (2 + 1)
To get 42 multiply 6 × (6 + 1)

Thus, 1806 × 1807 = 3263442

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Tagged with sequence

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 100

This equation is incomplete: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 = 100

One way to make it accurate is by adding seven plus and minus signs, like so.

1 + 2 + 3 – 4 + 5 + 6 + 78 + 9 = 100

How can you do it using only 3 plus or minus signs?

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123 – 45 – 67 + 89 = 100

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Seven Porky Pigs

How can you put 21 pigs in 4 pigpens and still have an odd number of pigs in each pen?

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Put seven pigs in the first three pens and arrange the fourth pen to contain the other three pens.

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The Ants Go Marching

Three ants are walking in the same direction. The first ant has two ants behind him, the second ant has one in front and one behind, but the third ant has one in front and one behind too. How is this possible?

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The ants are in a circle. Lets say the ants are A, B and C. A has has B and C behind him, B has A in front and C behind, and C has B in front and A behind.

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