Numbers Map

Arrange the numbers from 1 to 8 in the following sequence.

     a
  b  c  d
  e  f  g
     h

Each number must not be diagonally or directly adjacent to any number directly before or after it.

For example, 2 can only be placed in one spot.

     2
  x  x  x
  x  1  x
     x

Here are two solutions (there might be more).

    7
3   1   4
5   8   6
    2

    2
5   8   6
3   1   4
    7
Posted in Brain Teasers

Buried Alive and Dug Up Dead

You bury me when I’m alive, and dig me up when I’m dead. What am I?

A plant.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

The Case of Wesley and the Broken Window

Wesley’s mom discovered a broken window in the living room and went to ask Wesley about it. Wesley told her he had been playing Monopoly with his friend Cindy. She asked him what his last roll had been and he said, “A one”. She immediately knew he was lying.

How?

Monopoly has two dice, and the lowest number two dice can roll is 2. The window repair came out of Wesley’s allowance and he stopped throwing his baseball in the house.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Hidden Animals

How many animals can you find in this story?

“Scram, you can’t catch me!” yelled the thief. While running to escape, his shirt skewered a box of nails. He ripped free, but skidded to a stop as he passed a policeman. He tried to run again, then cowered in fright. Crime doesn’t pay.

I found thirteen, listed in the order they’re found.

1. ram
2. ant
3. cat
4. ape
5. ewe
6. ox
7. kid
8. ass
9. man
10. nag
11. hen
12. cow
13. doe

Posted in Brain Teasers

Make This Addition Problem Correct

This math problem is currently wrong.

11 + 66 + 88 + 96 = 294

How can you make it actually equal 294?

Flip the numbers upside down:

11 + 99 + 88 + 96 = 294

Posted in Brain Teasers

Plane Crash Off Coast of Mexico

A plane crashed off the coast of Mexico and every single person died, yet there were two survivors. How could that happen?

There was a married couple.

Posted in Brain Teasers

Insect Shipments

There once was a strange man who loved wordplay, he had a very important and successful business that would take insect shipments from all across the world and distribute them to zoos across the US.

What was the name of his company?

ImportANT

Posted in Riddles

Balance Twelve Eggs

Suppose you have twelve eggs and a balance scale. All of the eggs are identical except for one whose only difference is its weight. Using the scale only three times, determine which egg is the odd egg out and whether it is heavier or lighter than the other eggs.

Weigh four against four. If they’re equal, weigh three of them against three you haven’t weighed. If they balance too, weigh the last remaining egg against any of the others to see if it is lighter or heavier. If the three suspects are heavier, weigh one of them against another and the one that goes down is it. If they balance the remaining suspect is heavy. Use the same process if they’re lighter. If the initial four vs four don’t balance, weigh two heavy eggs and a light egg against one heavy egg, one light one and a known normal egg. If they balance weigh the remaining two light eggs against each other. If they balance the unweighed heavy egg is the odd one out. If the side with two heavy eggs goes down weigh them against each other. If they balance it is the light egg on the other side. If the other side goes down it is either because of one heavy egg on that side or because the one light egg on the other side is lighter than the rest. Weigh one of them against a known normal egg to determine which is true.

Posted in Brain Teasers

I Can Sound a Gong

I’m in bowling and baseball,
For better or for worse,
On a match (but not the sporting kind),
I can sound a gong,
And I’m gone.

What am I?

Strike.

A strike in bowling is good. In baseball it’s good for the pitcher but not for the batter. You can strike a match to light it. When the clock strikes one a gong sounds and when you strike a paragraph, it’s gone.

Posted in Riddles
Tagged with

Find The Hidden Cities

Wallace died a wealthy, if somewhat odd, man without any living relatives. He left his money in four different cities for the first four people who could find it. The only clue he left was this poem:

Do not go solo,
Pairs up with a friend,
Though I hasten to add,
I’ll avenge my end.

What are the four cities?

Anagrams of four cities can be found in the poem.

Oslo (solo)
Paris (pairs)
Athens (hasten)
Geneva (avenge)

Posted in Brain Teasers