Girls Like, Boys Use

What 8-letter word describes something girls like, boys use and parents are afraid of yet remember fondly?

Hint: It has these letters: macroitn

Romantic. Many girls like being romantic, boys become romantic to win the hearts of girls and parents are afraid of too much romantic activity with their kids, but remember their own romantic endeavors fondly.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Perfect Gentleman

He was the perfect gentleman even though his nephew couldn’t see it. Who was he?

A fine chap with a blind nephew (or an exemplary uncle who died before his nephew was born).

Posted in Brain Teasers

Fill in the Blank and Discover the Event

Fill in the missing words to make a phrase with both the left and right hand sides. For instance, if you were given GRAPE __________ FLY, the missing word could be FRUIT, making GRAPEFRUIT and FRUIT FLY.

1. TOP __________ AGENT
2. PROXY __________ OF NO CONFIDENCE
3. SECOND-HAND __________ DETECTOR
4. THE SACK OF __________ APPLE
5. ST. LOUIS __________ SIN

Once you have the words, what event does it represent?

1. SECRET
2. VOTE
3. SMOKE
4. ROME
5. CARDINAL

The event is a Papal conclave, when a new Pope is chosen.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Word Pronounced Incorrectly

What 11-letter word does everyone pronounce incorrectly?

The word “incorrectly”.

Posted in Riddles

What Can You Add to One To Make It Go Away?

What can you add to one to make it go away?

The letter g. Then it’s gone.

Posted in Brain Teasers
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What is the Five Digit Number?

What 5-digit number satisfies the following requirements?

1. No zeroes
2. First two digits are the same
3. Fourth digit is twice the first
4. Last digit is twice the third
5. Sum of all digits is 18

33264.

There are several ways of solving this. One way is to represent each spot with a letter, A – E.

Then you have these equations:

A = B
D = 2 * A
E = 2 * C
A + B + C + D + E = 18

By simplifying, you get:

4 * A + 3 * C = 18

Plug in values for A and C to find that A = 3 C = 2.

Posted in Brain Teasers

At Night They Come

At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?

The stars.

Posted in Riddles

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.

Posted in Riddles
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Cannot Be Seen, Captured or Held

All about, but cannot be seen,
Can be captured, cannot be held,
No throat, but can be heard.

The wind.

Posted in Riddles

I Wear You Down

I wear you down, yet you will mourn me once I fly.
You can kill me, but I will never die.

Time.

(found in The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare)

Posted in Riddles