Which Do You Light First?

You have a single match and are in a pitch black room with a candle, an oil lamp and a gas stove. Which do you light first?

The match.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Bird Flying Over the Ocean

When a bird flies over the ocean a part of the body touches the water but doesn’t get wet. What part is it?

The shadow

Posted in Riddles

The Beggar’s Brother

A beggar’s brother went out to sea and drowned.
But the drowned man had no brother.
What was the relationship between the man who drowned and the beggar?

The beggar was his sister.

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

I’m A Sifter

I’m a sifter of a memorable shape,
You can eat a variety of me, but I can be toxic,
I can cause severe pain if you’re not careful,
And the action I describe could hurt as well.

What am I?

A kidney.

Kidneys filter your blood and are shaped like kidney beans, which you can eat. Red kidney beans contains high amounts of phytohemagglutinin (quite the word, eh?) and can be toxic if not soaked and boiled. Kidney stones can be extremely painful and if a kid knees you in the stones, that would also be unpleasant.

Posted in Riddles
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The Lost City of Chenarz

You want to go on an adventure to the remote city of Chenarz, but it’s 120 miles off the Pacific coast. To conserve money, take the smallest number of people as possible. Each person can carry enough food for five days but you can only travel 30 miles a day. You want to reach Chenarz, stay overnight, and return the next day. How many people, including yourself, must you take to reach the city?

Note: Please don’t let anyone starve.

You will need three other members in your party to accomplish your mission for a total of four people.

Four people × 5 day’s rations = 20 day’s rations.

Day 1: 5 rations – Four day’s rations are used. One person goes back using one day’s ration for the return trip.
Day 2: 5 rations – Remaining three members use three day’s rations. One goes back using two day’s rations for the return trip.
Day 3: 5 rations – Remaining two use two day’s rations. One goes back using three day’s rations for the return trip.
Day 4: 1 ration – You use one day’s rations. You reach the city and stay the night.
Day 5: 4 rations – You return to the coast using up four day’s rations.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Special Racecar

What is special about the phrase “Race car”?

It’s a palindrome (a word or phrase that’s spelled the same backwards and forwards).

Posted in Brain Teasers

I’m Not an Enjoyable Friend

I am something many people don’t enjoy having as a friend, including you. But I am called upon anytime someone is injured. I have 5 letters and when my last letter is put before my first letter, I become a country.

What am I?

Pains. No one enjoys being in pain, when you’re injured you have pain, and when you move the s to the front, it becomes Spain.

Posted in Riddles

Word Value Of 52

If every letter of the alphabet is worth its numerical value (A=1, B=2, C=3), what’s a common 11-letter word whose letter values total only 52?

Abracadabra

Posted in Brain Teasers

Jack, George and Anne

Jack is looking at Anne, but Anne is looking at George. Jack is married, but George is not. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person?

A) Yes
B) No
C) Cannot be determined

A. If Anne is married, she’s looking at George, who is unmarried. If Anne is unmarried, Jack is looking at her.

Posted in Brain Teasers