Riddles and Brain Teasers

I Tell You When to Start

I tell you when to start,
Or remind if you forget.

I smash others to break them apart,
But I’m pushed by another of me.

What am I?

Cue. A cue tells you when to start, or if you forget your lines in a play. A cue ball is used to break at the beginning of a game of pool and the cue stick is used to push the cue ball on the break.Another interesting tidbit is that cue is how you spell the letter q if you’re writing it out.

Cue. A cue tells you when to start, or if you forget your lines in a play. A cue ball is used to break at the beginning of a game of pool and the cue stick is used to push the cue ball on the break.

Another interesting tidbit is that cue is how you spell the letter q if you’re writing it out.

Posted in Riddles

Tagged with What am I?

Two Hours Ago

If two hours ago it was as long after one o’clock in the afternoon as it was before one o’clock in the morning, what time is it right now?

Show the answer »

9pm (or 21:00). There are 12 hours between 1pm and 1am, so 6 hours after 1am is halfway. 6 hours + 1pm equals 7pm. In order for 7pm to be 2 hours behind the current time, it must be 9pm.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Cornelius and the Flat Tire

Cornelius got a flat tire on a miserable, rainy day. As he was changing it on the side of the road, he placed the four lug nuts in the overturned hub cap. As our dear friend was moving back to put on the spare, he accidentally bumped the hub cap. He watched helplessly as all four lug nuts rolled into a deep sewer and were whisked away. Then our friend had a brilliant solution and within minutes was driving safely away.

What was his solution?

Show the answer »

He removed one lug nut from each of the other 3 tires and used them to secure the spare tire, then drove to a tire shop.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Scrambled Auctioned

What are two other words (anagrams) that can be made from the letters in “auctioned”?

Show the answer »

1. Cautioned
2. Education

Posted in Brain Teasers

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?

Show the answer »

Scissors.

Posted in Riddles

Tagged with What am I?

Cats Catching Mice

5 cats can catch 5 mice in 5 minutes. How many cats does it take to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes?

Show the answer »

5 cats. The same five could keep catching 5 mice every 5 minutes for 100 minutes.

Posted in Brain Teasers

What Number Comes Next 6 1 3 1 4

What number comes next?

6 1 3 1 4 _

Show the answer »

5. The numbers are the alphabetical positions of the letters in the word FACADE.F – 6th
A – 1st
C – 3rd
A – still 1st
D – 4th
E – 5th

5. The numbers are the alphabetical positions of the letters in the word FACADE.

F – 6th
A – 1st
C – 3rd
A – still 1st
D – 4th
E – 5th

Posted in Brain Teasers

Seemingly Simple Math

What is the answer to this math problem:

8 ÷ 2 (2 + 2)

Show the answer »

16 or 1, depending.According to PEMDAS, parentheses come first: 8 ÷ 2 (4)Then, even though multiplication is first in PEMDAS, you go left to right: 4 (4) = 16If you got 1, you’re in good company. That’s what I got at first too but most calculators I’ve tried get 16.I found this at Popular Mechanics and the debate continues online.