One Three Five

What word comes next?

one three five four ______

Four. Each word is the number of letters in the previous word. And since four has four letters, it would continue with four forever after.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Kevlar, Fire Escapes and Wipers, Oh My!

What do computer compilers, kevlar, fire escapes and windshield wipers all have in common?

They were all invented by women.

A variation of this brain teaser includes laser printers (they were invented by Gary Starkweather) and bulletproof vests (invented by Casimir Zeglen using silk, though modern vests use Kevlar, so it’s halfway right).

Posted in Brain Teasers

What Does Man Love More Than Life?

What does man love more than life
Fear more than death or mortal strife
What the poor have, the rich require,
and what contented men desire,
What the miser spends and the spendthrift saves
And all men carry to their graves?

Nothing. This one is similar to Greater than God, but different enough to include it here.

Posted in Riddles

Don’t Speak But No Word I Cannot Make

I don’t speak but there is no word I cannot make. What am I?

The alphabet.

Posted in Riddles

Give Me Drink and I Die

Feed me and I live, give me drink and I die. What am I?

Fire.

Posted in Riddles

Show Your Work

Solve this one carefully!

230 – 220 x 0.5 = ?

You probably won’t believe it, but the answer is 5! How can this be true?

The answer is 120, and 5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120

Credit to John May for this one.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Wench and Warrior

Round and round and round it goes,
The source but not the birth of clothes,
Wench and warrior, child and crone,
Without it dressed near barer bone.

A spinning wheel. It goes around in circles and makes the thread that is used in clothing and anyone who isn’t wearing clothes would be barer boned.

Posted in Riddles

Six One Seven and Nine to Make Twenty Four

How can the numbers 6, 1, 7 and 9 be arranged to make 24?

91 – 67 = 24
(9 – 6) × (1 + 7) = 3 × 8 = 24

Posted in Brain Teasers

Jump Dog Jump

A man says his dog can jump over his house. No one believes him but he is right. How is that possible?

The dog can jump over his dog house.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Greater Than God

It is greater than God and more evil than the devil. The poor have it, the rich need it and if you eat it you’ll die. What is it?

Nothing. Nothing is greater than God, nothing is more evil than the devil, the poor have nothing, the rich need nothing and if you eat nothing you’ll die.

Posted in Riddles