The Empty Pocket

How can your pants pocket be empty but still have something in it?

It has a hole. The hole is the thing (although it could be argued a pocket has air, darkness or dust and so on).

Posted in Brain Teasers

Each Morning I Appear

Each morning I appear
To lie at your feet,
All day I will follow
No matter how fast you run,
Yet I nearly perish
In the midday sun.

Shadow.

Posted in Riddles

I’m Located In the Middle of Nowhere

I am located in the middle of nowhere. What am I?

The letter ‘h’. It is the middle letter of the word ‘nowhere’

Posted in Riddles

For Our Ambrosia

For our ambrosia we were blessed,
By Jupiter, with a sting of death.
Though our might, to some is jest,
We have quelled the dragon’s breath.

Who are we?

Bees.

Posted in Riddles

Twenty One Points Divide And Dance

Twenty one points divide and dance,
Twirling and leaping about,
Ladies, Romans and knights of France,
Craving a victor’s rout,
Wrought of wood, ivory or bone,
An exciting yet vicious pursuit,
Ancient, forbidden and crooked,
All in search of the loot.

A die. The standard die has 21 pips (or points), divided up on the six sides of the die which dance around when rolled. Ladies, knights and Romans all played dice as a pastime (though not together). Dice can be made of wood, ivory and bone, among other materials. Dice have been used in Asia since before recorded history and many governments tried unsuccessfully to outlaw the game. Professional gamblers were common and often used loaded dice. Desperate German chaps even bet their own liberty on a single roll of the dice.

Posted in Riddles

Scrambled Animals

Using each of the letters in this phrase only once, rearrange the letters to make the names of exactly three different animals.

Tall elephant or ape man.

1. Panther
2. Antelope
3. Llama

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Mile From End To End

A mile from end to end, yet as close to as a friend. A precious commodity, freely given. Seen on the dead and on the living. Found on the rich, poor, short and tall, but shared among children most of all. What is it?

A smile.

Posted in Riddles

The Correct Name

Donald and Regan are married with four children, named Michael, Farley, Solomon and Larry. They just had a baby girl and are picking the name. It’s down to Olivia, Tiffany and Jasmine. Donald’s brother, a piano teacher, tells them only one of the names would be correct. Which name is it?

Tiffany. The rest of the family’s names start with solfège syllables: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La. The last syllable is Ti, for Tiffany.

Posted in Brain Teasers

The Barber of Seville

The Barber of Seville shaves all men living in Seville.
No man living in Seville is allowed to shave himself.
The Barber of Seville lives in Seville.

Who shaves the Barber of Seville?

Nobody. The Barber of Seville is a woman. Female barbers are rare, but they exist.

And for more fun with barbers, check out the Barber paradox.

Posted in Brain Teasers

A Nighttime Run

A man is running across a field at night clutching something in his arms as several other men pursue him. He looks back and sees they’re getting closer. In a final burst of effort his pursuers catch up and bring him crashing to the ground. His pursuers stand over him but do not touch him or take what he was carrying. Why not? Who was the running man?

A football player who was tackled.

Posted in Brain Teasers