Turning the Years Upside Down

What years from the 1900s and 1800s are the same year when read upside down?

1961 and 1881.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Circular Island

A circular island with a diameter of 30 feet has a 30 foot tree stands at the center. A man cuts the tree down with his chainsaw, making the cut a foot up from the ground. The tree comes crashing down and hits the water but doesn’t splash. Why not?

It’s winter and the water is frozen.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Downward Grows the Root

Downward grows the root.
Outward grows the skin.
Upward grows the shoot.
What way blows the wind?

Wayward.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

A Big Family Photo

A family photo has the following:
1 grandfather, 1 grandmother
2 fathers, 2 mothers
6 children, 4 grandchildren
2 brothers, 2 sisters
3 sons, 3 daughters
1 father-in-law, 1 mother-in-law
1 daughter-in-law

It could show 29 different people, but what is the smallest number of people if could have?

Eight. 4 children, their mother and father and one set of grandparents.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Twenty from Three 3s

What’s the simplest way to make 20 using only three 3s (no other digits) and a combination of mathematical operations using any of these symbols?

+ – × / ^ ! √ . ()

(3 + 3) / .3 = 20

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Live in Water

I live in water
If you cut my head I’m at your door,
If you cut my tail I’m fruit,
If you cut both I’m with you

What am I?

A pearl. They’re found underwater. Removing the head (p) leaves Earl, a guy who could be at your door. Removing the tail (l) leaves pear, a fruit and if you cut both off you’re left with ear, which is with you because it’s attached to your head.

Posted in Riddles

A Bridge to Switzerland

During WWII, there was a bridge connecting Germany and Switzerland, and on the German side, there was a sentry tower with a guard in it. He would come out every three minutes to check on the bridge, and he had orders to turn back anyone who tried to get into Germany, and shoot anyone trying to escape without a pass. There was a woman who desperately needed to get into Switzerland, and she knew she didn’t have time to get a pass. It would take her at least six minutes to cross the bridge, but she managed to do it. How?

She walked on the bridge towards Switzerland for 3 minutes and just as the guard was about to come out, she turned around walking back to Germany. The guard saw her and asked for her pass but she didn’t have one and was sent back (or what the guard thought was back) to Switzerland. In her case it was the very country she wanted to go to.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Word With All 26 Letters

What word contains all 26 letters?

Alphabet (unfortunately there aren’t any actual dictionary words with every letter in the alphabet, so this gimmicky, somewhat unsatisfying answer has to suffice).

Posted in Riddles

The Tail of a Dragon

What animal can be created from the head of a lamb, the body of a pig, the hind quarters of a buffalo and the tail of a dragon?

A lion.

Head of a lamb = L
Body of a pig = I
Hind quarters of a buffalo = O
Tail of a dragon = N

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Promise to the President

Ronald has a rare opportunity to meet the President of the United States. During his visit the president gives him a gift but tells Ronald he is never to sell it unless he sees the president again. Ronald consents, but the president dies later that year. Years later a man offers to buy the President’s gift for $1000. Ronald agrees and exchanges the gift for 20 crisp $50 bills. Did he keep his promise?

Yes. The president was Ulysses S. Grant, who died in 1885 and whose face has been on the $50 bill since 1913. He saw the president on the bills before he made the exchange.

Posted in Brain Teasers