Alfred’s Tough Cash Request

Alfred is at the bank to cash his $200 check. He tells the cashier he would like some one dollar bills, ten times as many two dollar bills and the rest in fives.

How many of each denomination does the cashier need to give Alfred?

Five $1 bills, 50 $2 bills and 19 $5 bills.

We know that in order to give the rest of the amount in fives, the sum of the one and two dollar bills needs to be divisible by five (i.e. end in 0 or 5).

If we start with a single one dollar bill, we’d need ten two dollar bills to satisfy the request, making $21. But we need a sum that is divisible by 5. So we keep going up, like so:

$1 + $2 * 10 = $21
$2 + $2 * 20 = $42
$3 + $2 * 30 = $63
$4 + $2 * 40 = $84
$5 + $2 * 50 = $105 (Aha! It’s divisible by 5)
$6 + $2 * 60 = $126
$7 + $2 * 70 = $147
$8 + $2 * 80 = $168
$9 + $2 * 90 = $189

So the only option that works is 5 $1 bills and 50 $2 bills, leaving $95 (95 / 5 = 19) to be paid out in 19 fives.

Alfred is one tough customer.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Keys to Unlock Your Soul

I am a box that holds keys without locks, yet they can unlock your soul. What am I?

A piano.

Posted in Riddles

A Creature, Part Man

This creature, part man and part tree,
hates the termite as much as the flea.
His tracks do not match,
and his limbs may detach,
but he’s not a strange creature to see.

What is it?

A man with a wooden leg.

Posted in Riddles

When I Point Up It’s Bright

When I point up, it’s bright.
When I point down, it’s dark.

What am I?

A light switch

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A Lady’s Delight

Lovely and round,
I shine with pale light,
Grown in the darkness,
A lady’s delight.

What am I?

A pearl. They’re formed in clams, which are of course dark.

Posted in Riddles

At The Sound Of Me, Men May Dream

At the sound of me, men may dream
Or stamp their feet
At the sound of me, women may laugh
Or sometimes weep

Music.

Posted in Riddles

All Those Legs

Two legs sat upon three legs with one leg in his lap.
In comes four legs, grabs one leg, and runs off with him.
Up jumps two legs, grabs up three legs, throws it after four legs,
and makes him bring back one leg.

Who are we?

One leg is a leg of mutton. Two legs is a person. Three legs is a stool. Four legs is a dog.

Posted in Riddles

Even Seven

How can you make seven even?

Remove the letter “s”, turning it into the word “even”.

Posted in Brain Teasers

First One, Then I Seem None

First I am one, then I seem none,
In death I birth new life.
What’s raised exceeds me,
For on bent knee,
I add to a world that’s rife.

What am I?

A seed. One seed turns into a plant or tree and seemingly disappears. When a plant dies, the seeds can be harvested to create new plants. From a single seed, hundreds more are created, vastly exceeding the original. Gardeners care for plants on bent knee and each new plant helps make the air fresher.

Posted in Riddles

Employ Rebus

What does this represent?

EMPLOY_ _ _ T

Men out of work.

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