I Am Worthless
I am worthless, yet when added to others I add worth.
I confounded the ancient Greeks, yet I changed men’s understanding.
What am I?
0 (Zero).
Zero is nothing, yet when you add zeroes to a number like 1, it becomes 10, 100 or 1,000.
The ancient Greeks did not have a name for zero and did not use a placeholder. They seemed unsure about the status of zero as a number, philosophizing about how nothing could be something. Once zero was added, it allowed for more mathematical understanding.
One In China
I am one in China,
Two in Indonesia,
Three in the Philippines,
None in Japan.
What am I?
The letter ‘i’.
My Motor Revs, But I’m No Rocket
My motor revs, but I’m no rocket,
I’ll hit you deep within your pocket,
I’m a little tart, don’t be afraid,
Unless life’s gift – then quick, seek aid!
A lemon. It’s a citrus fruit whose juice is acidic and can be used to conduct electricity for motors. A car or other purchase that has problems is known as a lemon and can be expensive to repair. Lemons have a tart flavor but do little harm (unless you get it in a cut, then it hurts like the dickens). The old saying goes, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” (I know, it’s spelled aid not ade but it sounds the same and wouldn’t make any sense the other way. It all works out nicely when the riddle is told instead of read.)
I Turn Around Once
I turn around once,
What is out will not get in.
I turn around again.
What is in will not get out.
What am I?
A key.
I Can Be Quick, And Then I’m Deadly
I can be quick and then I’m deadly,
I am a rock, shell and bone medley.
If I was made into a man, I’d make people dream,
I gather in millions by ocean, sea and stream.
Sand. Quicksand is deadly (at least in movies). Sand is made up of rocks, shells and bones. The sandman visits you when you dream (again, according to legend, I’ve never seen him…) and there is plenty of sand in the oceans, seas and streams.
Pronounced Right or Wrong
What word when pronounced wrong is right but when pronounced right is wrong?
The answer is the word “wrong”. When it’s pronounced “wrong” (rhyming with song) that’s the correct pronunciation. However, if you were to pronounce the word as “right” (rhyming with night) that would be an incorrect pronunciation and be wrong.
Not Want to Have But Not Want to Lose
What do you not want to have and not want to lose?
A lawsuit.
You Can See Nothing Else
You can see nothing else
When you look in my face,
I will look you in the eye
And I will never lie.
What am I?
Your reflection.
Can Only Be Given, Not Taken Or Bought
It may only be given,
Not taken or bought,
What the sinner desires,
But the saint does not.
Forgiveness.