Riddles and Brain Teasers

Company, Congregation or Convocation

Some form a parliament,
Others a company, congregation or convocation,
The mob can see a murder, or clamor and wake,
A bouquet is presented when flushed.

What are we?

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Birds. These are collective nouns for groups of birds.
parliament – owls
company – parrots
congregation – plovers
convocation – eagles
mob – emus
murder – crows clamor – rooks
wake – buzzards
bouquet – pheasants (when flushed)

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Bed, Evil, Identical

What word can be added before or after these words to make a new word or phrase?

Bed, Evil, Identical

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Twin. Twin bed, Evil twin, Identical twin.

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One Hundred With Six Identical Digits

How can you express the number 100 using the same digit six times?

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99 + 99/99 = 100

Posted in Brain Teasers

I’m Told and Make You Crazy

I can be told and can make you crazy,
Most people don’t like me and think I’m harmful.

What am I?

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A lie. Lies are told, can make people crazy with rage, and most people don’t like to have lies told to them. Lies can’t be harmful though. :) (See what I did there?)

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Four Weights To Thirty

What four weights can be used to balance from one to thirty pounds?

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A = 1
B = 3
C = 9
D = 171 lb = A
2 lbs + A = B
3 lbs = B
4 lbs = A + B
5 lbs + A + B = C
6 lbs + B = C
7 lbs + B = A + C
8 lbs + A = C
9 lbs = C
10 lbs = A + C
11 lbs + A = B + C
12 lbs = B + C
13 lbs = A + B + C
14 lbs + B = D
15 lbs + B = A + D
16 lbs + A = D
17 lbs = D
18 lbs = A + D
19 lbs + A = B + D
20 lbs = B + D
21 lbs = A + B + D
22 lbs + A + B = C + D
23 lbs + B = C + D
24 lbs + B = A + C + D
25 lbs + A = C + D
26 lbs = C + D
27 lbs = A + C + D
28 lbs + A = B + C + D
29 lbs = B + C + D
30 lbs = A + B + C + D

A = 1
B = 3
C = 9
D = 17

1 lb = A
2 lbs + A = B
3 lbs = B
4 lbs = A + B
5 lbs + A + B = C
6 lbs + B = C
7 lbs + B = A + C
8 lbs + A = C
9 lbs = C
10 lbs = A + C
11 lbs + A = B + C
12 lbs = B + C
13 lbs = A + B + C
14 lbs + B = D
15 lbs + B = A + D
16 lbs + A = D
17 lbs = D
18 lbs = A + D
19 lbs + A = B + D
20 lbs = B + D
21 lbs = A + B + D
22 lbs + A + B = C + D
23 lbs + B = C + D
24 lbs + B = A + C + D
25 lbs + A = C + D
26 lbs = C + D
27 lbs = A + C + D
28 lbs + A = B + C + D
29 lbs = B + C + D
30 lbs = A + B + C + D

Posted in Brain Teasers

Pitching On The Merry-Go-Round

Everly and I were playing on the merry-go-round at the local park. It was very large and we stood on opposite sides. As we spun the merry-go-round counter-clockwise, I threw a ball to Everly. Did the ball go to Everly, to the right or left of them?

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Since the merry-go-round had moved while the ball was traveling to Everly the ball went to the right of them.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Sleeping Killer

A man gets ready for bed at 9:45 pm. He makes himself a drink, then turns off the TV and the lights. The night was windy and there was a major storm. The next day he discovers he was the cause of seven deaths. How is this possible?

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He lived in a lighthouse as lighthouse keeper. He turned off all the lights by accident, so a ship with 7 passengers couldn’t negotiate the rocky shores. One would think the light switches in a lighthouse would be more clearly marked.

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Never Was, Always To Be

I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?

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Tomorrow or the future.

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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.

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Forgiveness.

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Oct 31 = Dec 25

How can Oct 31 and Dec 25 be the same?

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Because Oct 31 represents the octal (base 8) number 31, which, when converted to decimal, is 25. Dec 25 is short for Decimal 25, thus the two are equal.

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