Willow’s Broken Keyboard

Willow’s keyboard is acting up. The a, e, i, o and u keys don’t work and the space key is misbehaving as well. Can you decipher these common sayings they typed?

tfsghttfmnd
ctnsspkldrthnwrds
hnstysthbstplcy
sycmsyg

Out of sight, out of mind
Actions speak louder than words
Honesty is the best policy
Easy come, easy go

Posted in Brain Teasers

Strip Ground Fan

What one word goes with each of these to make a new phrase?

Strip
Ground
Fan

Out. Strip out is to remove parts from a machine. Ground out is when you hit a ground ball in baseball and are thrown out at first. Fan out is when something, such as cards, are spread out like a fan.

Thanks to Jeremy for solving this.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Harvest Sown and Reaped

A harvest sown and reaped on the same day
In an unplowed field,
Which increases without growing,
Remains whole though it is eaten
Within and without,
Is useless and yet
The staple of nations.

A war.

Posted in Riddles

No Thicker Than Your Finger

No thicker than your finger when it folds.
As thick as what it’s holding when it holds.

A sack.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

More You Take Away, The Bigger I Get

The more you take from me, the bigger I get. What am I?

A hole.

This is quite similar to It Cannot Be Seen and Weighs Nothing.

Posted in Riddles

Wily Winifred and the Case of the Odd Numbers

Mrs. Shine was having a rough day and wanted a break. So she asked her class to calculate the sum of the first 50 odd numbers. In a few moments, Winifred was at her desk with the correct answer of 2,500. Stunned, Mrs. Shine figured she must have gotten lucky, and sent precocious Winifred back to her seat with the task of finding the sum of the first 75 odd numbers. Again, Winifred returned in seconds with the correct answer (5,625).

How did Winifred find the answer so quickly?

Winifred, being the precocious child she is, realized there was a pattern when computing smaller sums of odd numbers.

First 3: 1 + 3 + 5 = 9
First 4: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 = 16
First 5: 1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 = 25

Do you see the pattern like our dear friend Winnie?

For the first n odd numbers, the sum is equal to n2. Thus the first 50 is 502, or 2,500, and the first 75 is 752, or 5,625.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Six Apples

A mother of three children had six apples. She gave two to each and yet 4 remained. How was this possible?

She gave the same 2 apples to each child in succession.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Eight Letter Word With KST

What eight letter word has kst inside, in the beginning, and at the end?

Inkstand.

The letters “kst” are in the word, “in” is at the beginning, with “and” at the end. I know, it’s awkwardly worded but otherwise it wouldn’t be a riddle.

Posted in Riddles

I Run Up The Stairs

I run up and down the stairs without moving. What am I?

A rug.

Posted in Riddles
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Shoe Door Sticks Straight

Shoe, door, sticks, straight.

What word comes next?

Hen. The words are the last in each phrase from the children’s nursery rhyme.

One, two, buckle my shoe;
Three, four, Shut the door;
Five, six, Pick up sticks;
Seven, eight, Lay them straight:
Nine, ten, A big, fat hen;

Posted in Brain Teasers