A Leathery Snake

A leathery snake,
With a stinging bite,
I’ll stay coiled up,
Unless I must fight.

A whip.

Posted in Riddles

What Does He Weigh?

The owner of the butcher shop is five foot ten inches tall, has brown hair and wears size 11 1/2 shoes. He is married and has two children, one boy and one girl. What does he weigh?

Meat. The rest of the details were merely distractions. Butchers weigh meat at a butcher shop.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Nearly A Victory, Quickly I Pass

Nearly a victory,
Quickly I pass,
A request of the chair,
I’m silver, not brass.

What am I?

Second. Second place is next to winning. Seconds, the measure of time, pass quickly. Seconding a motion is requested by the chair of the body in Parliament. And the second place finisher in many sporting events such as the Olympics is awarded the silver medal.

And as for why the unit of time is called a second, it goes back to the days of Ptolemy. A second of time is the second small part, or pars minuta secunda, of an hour. (Thanks to Tim J for researching it).

Posted in Riddles

What Boys Use, Girls Like and Parents Hate

Boys use it, girls like it, parents hate it. What is this 5-letter word?

The phone.

Posted in Riddles

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

Not a Bird Though Feathered

It’s not a bird, though feathered, and
it has a mobile nest.
It’s quick in flight and, having flown,
it always stops to rest.

An arrow. It has feathers and its nest (a quiver) is usually carried an archer’s back. The arrow flies when released, but will always land somewhere to rest.

By Sef Daystrom

Posted in Riddles

A City in the Twilight

Half-way up the hill, I see thee at last, lying beneath me with thy sounds and sights — A city in the twilight, dim and vast, with smoking roofs, soft bells, and gleaming lights.

The Past (Longfellow).

Posted in Riddles

Finley’s Flaky Friends

Finley’s friends all chipped in to buy her a wedding gift. At first, ten friends agreed to contribute the same amount. Then two “friends” dropped out. The remaining eight had to add another dollar each to cover the cost of the gift. How much did the gift cost?

$40.

Let x be the amount the ten friends initially agreed to pay. We can then make the following equation:

10x = 8x + 8

Solving for x gives us $4, thus the gift cost 10 × $4, or $40.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Can Cry Without Eyes

I can cry but I have no eyes.
I can fly but I have no wings.
Wherever I go, darkness follows me.

What am I?

A cloud. Crying is rain, they fly in the sky and darkness follows because they block the sun.

Posted in Riddles
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My Tines

My tines are long.
My tines are short.
My tines end ere
My first report.

What am I?

A lightning bolt.

Posted in Riddles