197 riddles with answers

A sound leaves you, meets a wall, and comes back wearing your voice. What is it?

An echo.Why: The source defines an echo as a sound repeated by reflected sound waves.

Light draws me beside you, but darkness erases me. What am I?

A shadow.Why: The source defines a shadow as a dark figure cast when a body blocks light.

Inside my wax, a wick waits. When lit, I give light by burning. What am I?

A candle.Why: The source defines a candle as a wick in combustible material that gives light when burned.

Roads, water, and cities can appear on my flat representation of an area. What am I?

A map.Why: USGS states that topographic maps show roads, rivers, lakes, towns, and other geographic features.

Wood surrounds my graphite center, and I leave marks without ink. What am I?

A pencil.Why: The CUNY manufacturing guide describes a graphite and clay core sandwiched between wood.

Dates live on my pages, months take turns, and a new year replaces me. What am I?

A calendar.Why: The source defines a calendar as a system for dividing time into periods.

From a source, I am a natural stream of water bordered by banks. What am I?

A river.Why: The source defines a river as a natural stream of water and traces the term to a word meaning bank or shore.

Around my face, hands travel while I measure time. What am I?

A clock.Why: The source defines a clock as a device that indicates or measures time.

Porous and used for cleaning, I absorb water without a mouth. What am I?

A sponge.Why: The source states that a sponge can absorb water.

Sealed at the edges, I carry a letter without learning a single word. What am I?

An envelope.Why: The source defines an envelope as a flat paper container for a letter or document.

Strings hide inside me, hammers strike them, and fingers choose the notes. What am I?

A piano.Why: The source defines a piano as a stringed instrument operated from a keyboard.

Polished glass sends your image back without taking a photograph. What object does that?

A mirror.Why: The source defines a mirror as a polished or smooth surface that forms images by reflection.

Sand falls through a narrow middle to measure a fixed stretch of time. Name the instrument.

An hourglass.Why: The source defines an hourglass as an instrument for measuring time by the flow of sand.

A magnetic needle turns while the labeled points help a traveler choose a direction. What device is this?

A compass.Why: The source defines a compass as a device with a magnetic needle that indicates direction.

Folded ribs spread a canopy overhead when rain begins. Which portable object opens?

An umbrella.Why: The source defines an umbrella as a collapsible shade for protection against weather.

Which small tool has an eye for thread but never sees the cloth?

A sewing needle.Why: The source states that a sewing needle has an eye for thread.

Name the board covered in keys that opens no door.

A keyboard.Why: The source defines a keyboard as a set of keys used to operate a machine or instrument.

Find the container with a neck and a mouth but no head.

A bottle.Why: The source defines a bottle as a container with a narrow neck or mouth.

Identify the object whose teeth tidy hair but never chew.

A comb.Why: The source defines the toothed implement used to arrange or clean hair.

This object can have a spine and many pages without bones or a face. Name it.

A book.Why: The Dartmouth manual identifies the spine and pages as parts of a book.

One hand covering has finger sections and a thumb but no fingernails. What is it?

A glove.Why: The source defines a glove as a hand covering with sections for fingers and a thumb.

Here is something worn on a foot that can have a tongue but never speaks. What is it?

A shoe.Why: The Fashion Institute of Technology lexicon identifies the tongue as part of a shoe.

Picture a field full of ears that cannot hear. What crop is growing there?

Corn.Why: The source describes corn as growing in ears.

Consider a device that can ring all day but never wears jewelry. Name it.

A telephone.Why: The source describes a telephone and gives ringing as standard usage.

Point to an institution with branches but no trunk, leaves, or fruit.

A bank.Why: The source defines a financial bank and separately describes a branch bank.

Covered in eyes yet unable to watch, which underground food may sprout before cooking?

A potato.Why: The source defines an eye as a bud, such as one on a potato.

With a back and sometimes two arms, which piece of furniture has no hands?

A chair.Why: The source defines a chair as a seat with a back and often with arms.

Rows of teeth lock together when one slider travels past them. Which fastener fits the clue?

A zipper.Why: The source defines a zipper as a fastener with interlocking elements that are engaged by a sliding piece.

Add two letters to SHORT and the result means less long. Which word do you make?

SHORTER. Add E and R.Why: Appending E and R changes SHORT to SHORTER, the comparative form meaning less long.

Remove two letters from STONE and leave the number 1. Which letters go?

Remove S and T to leave ONE.Why: Deleting the first two letters of STONE leaves ONE, the written form of 1.

Drop the last letter from DOZENS and leave exactly twelve. What remains?

DOZEN.Why: Removing the final S changes the plural DOZENS to DOZEN, a group of twelve.

Place one letter before MILE to make a facial expression. Which letter?

S, making SMILE.Why: Placing S before MILE spells SMILE, a facial expression.

Rearrange LISTEN into a word that asks for quiet. Which word?

SILENT.Why: LISTEN and SILENT contain exactly the same six letters in different orders.

Change one letter in COLD to make something valuable. What word appears?

GOLD. Change C to G.Why: Replacing the opening C with G turns COLD into GOLD.

Take the first letter from PRICE and leave a grain. What is left?

RICE.Why: Removing P from PRICE leaves RICE, the name of a grain.

Insert one letter into THOUGH to make a word meaning from one side to the other. Which letter?

R, making THROUGH.Why: Inserting R after TH changes THOUGH to THROUGH, which can mean movement from one side to another.

Shuffle ELBOW to make a word that can describe something underneath. What is it?

BELOW.Why: Reordering the five letters in ELBOW produces BELOW.

Switch the first letter of MOUSE to make a building where people live. Which word results?

HOUSE.Why: Replacing M with H changes MOUSE to HOUSE.

Attach one letter to PLAN to name an aircraft. Which letter completes the word?

E, making PLANE.Why: Adding E to the end of PLAN spells PLANE.

Reorder every letter in STATE to name what your tongue senses. What word appears?

TASTE.Why: STATE and TASTE use the same five letters in different orders.

Once in MINUTE, twice in MOMENT, and never in HOUR: which letter?

M.Why: MINUTE contains one M, MOMENT contains two, and HOUR contains none.

At the exact center of GRAVITY sits which letter?

V.Why: GRAVITY has seven letters, so its fourth letter, V, is the exact center.

Look at RAINBOW. Which letter waits at its end?

W.Why: W is the final letter in the written word RAINBOW.

Seasons, seconds, centuries, and minutes share one letter that decades, years, and days lack. Name it.

N.Why: Each word in the first group contains N, while none of the three words in the second group does.

Beginning ETERNITY and ending TIME, SPACE, and EVERYWHERE, which letter am I?

E.Why: E begins ETERNITY and is the final letter of TIME, SPACE, and EVERYWHERE.

Count the eyes in MISSISSIPPI, but read "eyes" as a letter. How many?

Four letter I's.Why: The word MISSISSIPPI contains four copies of the letter I, which sounds like "eye."

Inside WATER, which letter is exactly in the middle?

T.Why: WATER has five letters, and T is the third letter.

One vowel appears once in ONCE, twice in SOMEONE, and not at all in NEVER. Which vowel?

O.Why: ONCE has one O, SOMEONE has two O's, and NEVER has none.

GLOVE has one, LEVEL has two, and LULLABY has three copies of which letter?

L.Why: The letter L occurs once in GLOVE, twice in LEVEL, and three times in LULLABY.

Alphabetically between H and J, which letter also begins ICE and ends SKI?

I.Why: I follows H and precedes J in the alphabet, starts ICE, and finishes SKI.

A baker asks for a flower to put in bread. Which spelling belongs in the bowl?

FLOUR, not FLOWER.Why: FLOUR and FLOWER sound alike, but FLOUR is the ingredient used in bread.

Which knight arrives after sunset but carries no sword?

NIGHT.Why: KNIGHT and NIGHT sound alike, but NIGHT is the time after sunset.

During lunch, which pair can be eaten but cannot be a couple?

A PEAR.Why: PAIR and PEAR sound alike, but a PEAR is edible.

Family word or bright object: which SON can shine in the sky?

SUN.Why: SON and SUN sound alike, but the SUN is the bright object in the sky.

After the race, Lee says "I won." Which number sounds like the last word?

ONE.Why: WON and ONE are pronounced alike, and ONE is a number.

Behind a dog, which TALE can wag?

TAIL.Why: TALE and TAIL sound alike, but a dog's TAIL can wag.

Without any strength, which WEEK have you become?

WEAK.Why: WEEK and WEAK sound alike, but WEAK means lacking strength.

On a ship, which SALE catches the wind?

SAIL.Why: SALE and SAIL sound alike, but a SAIL catches wind on a ship.

At a golf hole, which TEA supports the ball before the first stroke?

TEE.Why: TEA and TEE sound alike, but a TEE supports a golf ball.

Across a theater stage, which SEEN can be a setting observed by the audience?

SCENE.Why: SEEN and SCENE sound alike, but a SCENE can be a setting presented on a stage.

High above clouds, which PLAIN may carry rows of passengers?

PLANE.Why: PLAIN and PLANE sound alike, but a PLANE can carry passengers.

Read the slash as a line break: HEAD / HEELS. Which phrase does the layout show?

Head over heels.Why: HEAD is positioned above HEELS, so the layout literally shows head over heels.

Treat the slash as a line break: STAND / I. Which phrase is hidden in the positions?

I understand. The I is under STAND.Why: The word I appears under STAND, combining the positions into "I understand."

Decode the line break in MAN / BOARD. What situation is shown?

Man overboard.Why: MAN is placed over BOARD, which pictures the phrase "man overboard."

Three identical words appear: CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE. What single word do they suggest?

Tricycle.Why: There are three instances of CYCLE, and the prefix TRI means three.

A gap cuts this word in two: DECI SION. Which phrase is pictured?

Split decision.Why: DECISION is visibly split into two parts, depicting a split decision.

Between two jobs sits one word: JOB IN JOB. Which familiar phrase is this?

In between jobs.Why: IN is placed between two copies of JOB, which literally shows "in between jobs."

You see these words in order: YOU JUST ME. Which phrase places JUST correctly?

Just between you and me.Why: JUST appears between YOU and ME, so its placement spells out the phrase.

Six copies sit below one word: GROUND / FEET FEET FEET FEET FEET FEET. Which phrase is pictured?

Six feet underground.Why: Six copies of FEET are positioned under GROUND, depicting "six feet underground."

Backward on the page appears ECNALG. Which two-word phrase does that arrangement suggest?

Backward glance.Why: ECNALG is GLANCE written backward, so the text depicts a backward glance.

Two fathers and two sons share three apples. Each person gets one whole apple. How?

There are three people: a grandfather, his son, and his grandson.Why: The middle person is both a father and a son, so three people satisfy all four relationship roles.

A driver travels the wrong way along a one-way street. An officer watches but does not stop the driver. Why?

The driver is walking, not driving a vehicle.Why: The word "driver" describes the person's occupation or identity, not what the person is doing on the street.

Several times each day, a man shaves someone. He still finishes work with a beard. Who is he?

A barber who shaves other people.Why: The clue never says he shaves his own face, so his beard can remain while he shaves customers.

Everyone on a boat is married, yet there is not a single person aboard. How can both statements be true?

Nobody aboard is single.Why: "Single" refers to marital status, so a boat full of married people contains no single people.

Six people each take one egg from a basket holding six eggs. One egg remains in the basket. Explain.

The sixth person takes the basket with the final egg still inside it.Why: The last person takes an egg by taking the basket that still contains it.

From three apples, you take two. How many apples do you have?

Two, because those are the apples you took.Why: The question asks how many you possess after taking them, not how many remain.

Straight upward, a child kicks a ball ten feet. It returns without striking a wall or another person. How?

Gravity brings the ball back down.Why: The distance does not have to be horizontal. A ball kicked upward can return along its path.

Heavy rain soaks a person walking without a hat or umbrella, yet no hair gets wet. Why?

The person is bald.Why: Rain can soak the person's skin and clothes, but there is no hair to become wet.

Looking at a portrait, Arun says, "I have no siblings, but this person's father is my father's son." Who is pictured?

Arun's child. With no siblings, "my father's son" means Arun.Why: Because Arun has no siblings, his father's son can only be Arun, making the pictured person's father Arun.

Nora is her mother's only daughter. She says, "Liam's mother is my mother's only daughter." Who is Nora to Liam?

Nora is Liam's mother.Why: Nora is her mother's only daughter, so "my mother's only daughter" refers to Nora herself.

Mid-race, you pass the runner in second place. Which place are you in immediately afterward?

Second place.Why: Passing the runner in second means taking that runner's position, not moving into first.

To your daughter, your mother's only son says, "I am your uncle." Who is speaking if you are not that son?

Your brother.Why: Your mother's only son is your brother when you are not that son, and he is your daughter's uncle.

Facing a stage, you sit immediately left of Mei. From the stage looking back, which side of Mei are you on?

Mei's right side from the stage's viewpoint.Why: Turning the viewpoint around reverses left and right, so audience-left appears stage-right.

North is ahead as you turn right, then right again, then left. Which direction now lies ahead?

East.Why: The turns move from north to east, then south, then back to east.

Four daughters each have the same one brother. How many children are in the family?

Five children: four daughters and their shared brother.Why: The daughters share one brother rather than each having a different brother, so the total is four plus one.

One box holds only apples, one only oranges, and one a mix. Their labels APPLES, ORANGES, and MIXED are all wrong. You may draw one fruit from one box. Which box should you draw from first?

Draw from the box labeled MIXED. Its fruit reveals that box's true single-fruit label, and the two remaining wrong labels then determine each other.Why: Because every label is wrong, the MIXED-labeled box contains only one fruit type. One draw identifies it, and the remaining false labels force the other assignments.

Cara, Ava, and Ben own the cat, dog, and fish, one different pet each. Cara owns the cat. Ava does not own the cat. Ben does not own the dog. Who owns the dog?

Ava owns the dog. Cara has the cat, so Ben must have the fish.Why: After Cara takes the cat, Ava and Ben split the dog and fish. Ben cannot take the dog, so Ava must.

Noa stands first. Jules is somewhere before Kai. Mira is after Kai. Four people fill four places. What is the order?

Noa, Jules, Kai, Mira.Why: Noa fixes the first place. The remaining condition chain Jules before Kai before Mira fills places two through four.

A row uses one circle, one square, and one triangle. The square is at the right. The circle is left of the square. The triangle is not in the middle. Give the order.

Triangle, circle, square.Why: The square must be third. The triangle cannot be second, so it is first and the circle is second.

Books red, blue, and green sit on one shelf. Red is left of blue. Green is left of red. What is their order?

Green, red, blue.Why: Combining green before red with red before blue produces one complete order.

Exactly one key opens a box. Key A does not open it. If Key B opens it, then Key C also opens it. Which key opens the box?

Key C. B cannot open it because that would make C open it too, violating "exactly one." A is ruled out.Why: A is excluded directly. B would force both B and C to work, contradicting exactly one, so only C remains.

Ada, Bo, and Cy choose tea, juice, and water, one different drink each. Ada does not choose tea. Bo chooses neither tea nor water. What does Cy choose?

Cy chooses tea. Bo has juice, leaving tea and water; Ada cannot take tea.Why: Bo's exclusions force juice. Ada then takes water because tea is forbidden, leaving tea for Cy.

Gia finishes ahead of Hugo, while Fin finishes behind Hugo. In which order do the three runners finish?

Gia, Hugo, Fin.Why: The two comparisons combine into the chain Gia before Hugo before Fin.

Digits 1, 2, and 3 each appear once in a three-digit code. The 1 is not first, and 3 comes immediately after 1. What is the code?

213.Why: The adjacent pair must be 13. Since 1 cannot be first, that pair occupies the final two places, leaving 2 first.

Painting, clay, and wood workshops fill Monday through Wednesday. Wood is Wednesday, and painting comes before clay. Which day is clay?

Tuesday.Why: Wood occupies Wednesday, leaving Monday and Tuesday. Painting must take the earlier day, so clay is Tuesday.

Take the first letters of Rabbits Invite Dogs During Long Evenings. What do they spell?

RIDDLE.Why: The initial letters are R, I, D, D, L, and E, spelling RIDDLE.

Read DRAWER from right to left. Which word appears?

REWARD.Why: Reversing the letter order of DRAWER produces REWARD.

Delete every X from SxOxUxNxD. What remains?

SOUND.Why: Removing each separator X leaves S, O, U, N, and D in order.

Use the first letter of Puzzle, second of pLay, third of stAge, and fourth of staY. What word have you built?

PLAY.Why: The requested positions yield P from Puzzle, L from pLay, A from stAge, and Y from staY.

Read every other character from AXNXSXWXEXR, beginning with the first. Which word emerges?

ANSWER.Why: Selecting positions 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 yields A, N, S, W, E, and R.

Collect the final letters of rabbit, sushi, dog, blue, and chair. Which animal appears?

TIGER.Why: The final letters are T, I, G, E, and R, which spell TIGER.

Double a number, then add 6, and the result is 20. Which number did you start with?

7, because 2 x 7 + 6 = 20.Why: Subtracting 6 from 20 gives 14, and halving 14 gives 7.

Three positive whole numbers have the same sum and product. What are they?

1, 2, and 3. Both the sum and product are 6.Why: Adding 1 + 2 + 3 and multiplying 1 x 2 x 3 both produce 6.

Using exactly three 3s, addition, and multiplication, make 12.

3 x 3 + 3 = 12.Why: Multiplication is evaluated first, giving 9, and adding the final 3 gives 12.

Twelve eggs cost $6 at a constant per-egg price. What do three eggs cost?

$1.50.Why: Each egg costs $0.50, so three eggs cost 3 x $0.50 = $1.50.

Find the smallest positive whole number equal to seven times the sum of its digits.

21, because 2 + 1 = 3 and 7 x 3 = 21.Why: Testing positive multiples of 7 in order, 21 is the first whose digit sum, 3, becomes the number when multiplied by 7.

A number is halved, then 8 is added, giving 15. What was the number?

14.Why: Subtracting 8 from 15 leaves 7, and doubling 7 reverses the halving.

A rectangle has perimeter 30 units and length 9 units. What is its width?

6 units.Why: The length and width sum to half the perimeter, 15. Subtracting length 9 leaves width 6.

Five equal boxes contain 35 marbles altogether. How many marbles are in each box?

7 marbles.Why: Dividing 35 marbles equally among 5 boxes gives 35 / 5 = 7.

Continue the description sequence: 1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221. What comes next?

312211, because 111221 contains three 1s, two 2s, and one 1.Why: Reading 111221 in groups gives three 1s, two 2s, and one 1, encoded as 31 22 11.

Spot the growing gaps: 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 17. Which number follows?

23. The gaps are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, then 6.Why: The amount added increases by 1 each time, so adding 6 to 17 gives 23.

Squares are hiding here: 1, 4, 9, 16. Name the next term.

25, which is 5 squared.Why: The terms are consecutive squares from 1 squared through 4 squared, so the next is 5 squared.

Products of neighbors form 2, 6, 12, 20, 30. What is the next product?

42, from 6 x 7.Why: The terms are 1 x 2, 2 x 3, 3 x 4, 4 x 5, and 5 x 6, so 6 x 7 follows.

Divide by the same number each time: 81, 27, 9, 3. What comes next?

1. Each term is the previous term divided by 3.Why: Every term is one third of the previous term, so 3 divided by 3 is 1.

Following 3, 5, 8, 13, each term combines the previous two. Which number is next?

21.Why: Adding the previous two terms, 8 + 13, gives 21.

Growing by multiples of three, the sequence reads 4, 7, 13, 22, 34. What follows?

49.Why: The gaps are 3, 6, 9, and 12. The next gap is 15, so 34 + 15 = 49.

Picture a square. Slice off one corner with a straight cut that crosses two sides, not existing corners. How many corners does the remaining shape have?

Five corners.Why: The cut removes one original corner but creates two new endpoints, changing four corners to five.

Arrange six equal sticks so they form four equal triangles, without breaking or overlapping a stick. What shape solves it?

A tetrahedron. Its six edges make four triangular faces.Why: A tetrahedron has exactly six edges and four congruent triangular faces, so each stick becomes one edge.

Fold a sheet in half, then in half again. Punch one hole through a spot away from every crease. How many holes appear after unfolding?

Four holes.Why: Each fold doubles the layers. Two folds produce four layers, so one punch creates four mirrored holes.

Draw a square and both diagonals. Counting every size, how many triangles are outlined?

Eight triangles: four small triangles and four large half-square triangles.Why: The diagonals create four small central triangles, and each pair of adjacent small triangles forms one of four larger half-square triangles.

Imagine a standard seven-segment display showing 8. Remove only the upper-right segment. Which digit remains?

6.Why: The source states that the upper-right segment is off for 6 and shows the standard digit segment logic.

Paint every face of a cube, then cut it into 27 equal smaller cubes. How many small cubes have exactly two painted faces?

12.Why: A 3 by 3 by 3 cube has one non-corner cube at the middle of each of its 12 edges, and each of those touches exactly two outer faces.

Within a 3 by 3 grid of equal cells, how many squares of every size can be counted?

14 squares.Why: There are nine 1 by 1 squares, four 2 by 2 squares, and one 3 by 3 square, for 9 + 4 + 1 = 14.

I fall without pain and lie without sleep; white crystals gather in blankets so deep. What am I?

Snow.Why: The source defines snow as white ice crystals that fall and collect on the ground.

Energy crosses my water with force; near shore I crash when the seafloor shifts course. What am I?

The ocean.Why: NOAA explains that ocean waves carry energy through seawater and crash near shore.

A leathery coat guards rubies packed tight; open my chamber for seeds red and bright. What am I?

A pomegranate.Why: The source defines a pomegranate as a fruit with a tough rind and many-seeded pulp.

Beneath a quiet cone, hot rock may glow; through a vent, steam and molten stone can flow. What is it?

A volcano.Why: The source defines a volcano as a vent that releases hot or molten rock and steam, or the hill or mountain built from ejected material.

A token starts in the center square. It moves two squares up, three right, one down, and one left. Where is it relative to its start?

Two squares right and one square up.Why: The vertical moves leave a net move of one up, while the horizontal moves leave a net move of two right.

An L shape fills the top-left, bottom-left, and bottom-right cells of a two-by-two board. After a quarter-turn clockwise, which cell is empty?

The bottom-right cell.Why: The original empty top-right cell rotates into the bottom-right position.

Four gates sit at the top, right, bottom, and left of a square court. Starting at the top gate, move clockwise and stop at the second gate you reach. Where do you stop?

The bottom gate.Why: The first gate passed is on the right, and the second is at the bottom.

A robot begins on square 5 of a three-by-three grid numbered 1 to 9 in reading order. It moves up, right, then down. Which square holds it?

Square 6.Why: From the center square 5, the moves go to 2, then 3, then 6.

An arrow points toward the ceiling. Rotate the card half a turn without flipping it. Where does the arrow point?

Toward the floor.Why: A half turn reverses the arrow's direction in the plane of the card.

A pawn moves right, up, left, and down by one square each. It repeats that four-move route three times. Where does it finish?

On its starting square.Why: Each four-move route closes the same square loop, so repeating it does not change the final position.

On a two-by-two board, red is above blue and green is right of red. Which color is diagonally opposite the empty lower-right square?

Red.Why: The clues place red at upper left, green at upper right, blue at lower left, and the empty square at lower right.

A dot sits at the top of a circle. Move it three quarter-turns clockwise. At which side does it arrive?

The left side.Why: The three steps are right, bottom, then left.

A courier walks three blocks east, two north, three west, and one south. Where is the courier relative to the start?

One block north.Why: The east and west moves cancel, while two north minus one south leaves one block north.

Five cards lie in a row as A, B, C, D, E. Reverse the row, then swap the two end cards. Which card is in the middle?

C.Why: Reversal makes E, D, C, B, A, and swapping only the ends leaves the middle unchanged.

A beetle starts at the lower-left corner of a square. It crosses diagonally, moves one edge counterclockwise, then crosses diagonally again. Which corner does it reach?

The lower-right corner.Why: The first diagonal reaches upper right, the edge move reaches upper left, and the second diagonal reaches lower right.

A star is above a circle and a square is below the circle. Swap only the top and bottom symbols. Which symbol is now below the circle?

The star.Why: The circle stays in the middle while the star and square exchange positions.

A marker begins at the top-left corner of a rectangle. It moves to the opposite corner, then straight up to the remaining top corner. Which top corner holds it?

The top-right corner.Why: The opposite corner is bottom right, and moving straight up from there reaches top right.

Ada and Bo face each other. Ada raises the hand on Bo's left side. Which of Ada's hands rises?

Ada's right hand.Why: When two people face each other, Ada's right is on Bo's left side.

Seven stools stand in one row. A bag rests on the third stool from the left. How many stools are to the bag's right?

Four stools.Why: Two stools are left of the third stool, leaving four of the seven on its right.

In a line of nine runners, Ivo is fourth from the front. What position is Ivo from the back?

Sixth.Why: Five runners are behind Ivo, so Ivo is sixth when counted from the back.

Three boxes are stacked. The gold box is not on top, and the blue box is directly above gold. Where must the blue box be if red is on the bottom?

On top.Why: Red occupies the bottom, so gold must be in the middle and blue directly above it on top.

A square table has one seat on each side. Niko sits opposite Uma. Pia sits immediately clockwise from Niko. What occupies the seat immediately clockwise from Uma?

Nothing. It is the unoccupied fourth seat.Why: Opposite seats are two steps apart. Pia fills the clockwise seat after Niko, leaving the clockwise seat after Uma unoccupied.

Lena stands behind Omar while Omar stands behind Lena. How can both statements be true?

They stand back to back.Why: Each person's back faces the other, so each can stand behind the other from that person's viewpoint.

A sign is in front of you. Without moving your feet, you turn to face the opposite direction. Where is the sign now?

Behind you.Why: The sign did not move, but your front and back directions reversed.

Rae says, "The cup is on my right." Sol, facing Rae, points to that same cup. On which side of Sol is it?

Sol's left.Why: Facing people have opposite left-right viewpoints for the same object beside one of them.

A portrait hangs to the left of a clock when you enter a room. You turn around but stay in place. Which object is now on your left?

The clock.Why: Turning around reverses which side of the room appears on your left.

A note says, "Place me behind the printed front of the blue card." You obey, then walk around the table. Is the note still behind the card's printed front?

Yes.Why: Walking around changes your viewpoint, not the note's position relative to the blue card.

Two arrows point toward each other. Rotate the whole page a quarter-turn. Do the arrows still point toward each other?

Yes.Why: The rotation changes both arrows together, preserving their relation.

Ari is north of Bea. Bea is north of Cy. Cy turns around. Who is now farthest north?

Ari.Why: Cy's turn changes only Cy's facing direction, not anyone's position.

The blue lamp flashes before the green lamp, and the green lamp flashes before the red lamp. Which lamp flashes last?

The red lamp.Why: The two clues combine into blue, green, red.

A bell rings on beat 1 and then every fourth beat. On which beat does it ring for the fourth time?

Beat 13.Why: The ring beats are 1, 5, 9, and 13.

Two repeating timers start together. One ends every 6 minutes and the other every 8 minutes. After how many minutes do they next end together?

24 minutes.Why: Twenty-four is the first positive time divisible by both 6 and 8.

The rehearsal begins at 2:10 and lasts 35 minutes. At what time does it end?

2:45.Why: Adding 35 minutes to 2:10 gives 2:45.

A shuttle leaves at 9:02 and then every 7 minutes. What is its first departure after 9:20?

9:23.Why: The departures are 9:02, 9:09, 9:16, and 9:23.

Four tasks occur once each. Fold happens before stamp, stamp before send, and write before fold. Which task must happen first?

Write.Why: The forced order is write, fold, stamp, send.

A light alternates on and off once per beat. It is on at beat 1. What is its state at beat 12?

Off.Why: Odd-numbered beats are on and even-numbered beats are off.

A countdown begins at 18 and drops by 3 each step. What does it show after four drops?

6.Why: The four drops produce 15, 12, 9, and 6.

An alarm rings at 4:12 and then every 5 minutes. Counting the ring at 4:12, how many times has it rung by 4:32?

Five times.Why: It rings at 4:12, 4:17, 4:22, 4:27, and 4:32.

A machine repeats three phases in order: hum, click, rest. Its first phase is hum. What phase is number 14?

Click.Why: Every third phase is rest. Phase 13 returns to hum, so phase 14 is click.

The first act lasts 12 minutes, the pause lasts 3, and the second act lasts 15. If everything starts at 7:30, when does it finish?

8:00.Why: The full duration is 30 minutes, taking 7:30 to 8:00.

Three signals begin together. They repeat every 4, 6, and 9 minutes. After how many minutes do all three next occur together?

36 minutes.Why: Thirty-six is the smallest positive multiple shared by 4, 6, and 9.

A one-minute task is done three times with a two-minute pause after each of the first two attempts. How long does the full sequence take?

7 minutes.Why: Three minutes of work plus two pauses of two minutes totals seven minutes.

A display advances through A, B, C, D, then repeats. It shows C now. What will it show after seven advances?

B.Why: Seven advances equal one full cycle plus three more: D, A, B.

A meeting starts 20 minutes before noon and lasts 45 minutes. When does it end?

12:25.Why: Twenty minutes brings the meeting to noon, leaving 25 minutes after noon.

Five speakers each use 4 minutes, with a 1-minute changeover between speakers. How long from the first start to the final finish?

24 minutes.Why: The talks use 20 minutes and the four changeovers use 4 more.

A door unlocks for every third chime, beginning with chime 3. It has just unlocked at chime 18. At which chime will it next unlock?

Chime 21.Why: Unlocking chimes are consecutive multiples of three.

Three alarms sound once at 8:00, 8:05, and 8:10, one per time. Blue sounds later than gold. Red sounds five minutes after blue. When does blue sound?

8:05.Why: Blue cannot sound at 8:10 because red must follow it, so blue is at 8:05, with gold at 8:00 and red at 8:10.

A timer shows 10 for one second, then 9 for one second, continuing through 0. How long does it display a number?

11 seconds.Why: It displays eleven values, from 10 through 0 inclusive, for one second each.

A clock is stopped and displays 6:00. For how much of the next hour does it display 6:00?

The entire hour.Why: Because the clock is stopped, its display does not advance.

A five-minute timer sits untouched and is never started. When will its countdown finish?

It will not finish.Why: A duration on an unstarted timer never begins to elapse.

An empty drawer receives one sealed envelope. Without opening anything, is the drawer still empty?

No.Why: The envelope now occupies the drawer, regardless of whether the envelope itself is opened.

One runner enters a race and completes it. Which finishing positions does that runner hold?

Both first and last.Why: With only one finisher, the same person is earliest and latest.

The word BLANK is written in the middle of an otherwise unused card. Is the card blank?

No.Why: The card contains the written word, so the label does not describe the card's state.

A box contains three tiles labeled FIVE, SIX, and SEVEN. You remove the tile labeled SEVEN. How many tiles did you remove?

One tile.Why: SEVEN is the label on the single tile removed, not the number of tiles removed.

Miko must cross a line drawn across the floor but may not step over the line. How can Miko reach the other side?

Walk around one end of the line.Why: The line has ends, and the rule forbids stepping over it rather than going around it.

A locked box bears a note saying, "The key is inside." You do not know whether the note is true. Can you locate the key from the note alone?

No.Why: An unverified statement and its opposite remain possible, so the key's location is undetermined.

A key is under either the red mat or the blue mat. You are also told that the red mat is not blue. Which mat hides the key?

It cannot be determined.Why: The color statement adds no information about which of the two possible locations contains the key.

Say aloud, "I am silent." Which part of your statement is false while you are saying it?

"I am silent."Why: Speaking the sentence creates sound, so its claim about the speaker's current silence fails.

A speaker asks, "Can you say the word silence without making a sound?" What is the honest one-word answer?

No.Why: Saying a word aloud makes a sound, so the requested spoken act cannot also be soundless.

Lee says, "I watched the painter with binoculars." Who had the binoculars?

It cannot be determined.Why: The phrase can describe Lee using binoculars or a painter who had binoculars.

Nora reports, "I saw her duck." What are the two possible things Nora saw?

Nora saw the person lower her head, or she saw a duck belonging to that person.Why: Duck can be heard as an action or as the name of the observed animal.

A guide says, "Old teachers and students entered." Must the students be old?

No.Why: Old can describe only the teachers or both the teachers and the students.

Ira told Kim that they were late. Who was late?

It cannot be determined.Why: Without more context, they can refer to Ira, Kim, or another group.

A voice says, "Visiting relatives can be tiring." What are the two possible sources of the tiredness?

The act of visiting relatives, or relatives who are visiting.Why: Visiting can describe an activity or the relatives.

The announcer says, "We will meet next Friday." Can you name the date from that sentence alone?

No.Why: The date depends on when the sentence was spoken, and that time is not supplied.

Mina says, "I almost answered every question." Give the two possible meanings.

She answered nearly all of them, or she came close to answering each one but answered none.Why: Almost can apply to the whole set or separately to the act of answering each question.

A caller asks for a "light blue box." What two properties might light describe?

The box's weight, or the shade of blue.Why: Light can modify box as a weight or blue as a color shade.

Before you answer aloud, the room is quiet. What does your first spoken sound end?

The quiet.Why: The first sound changes the stated quiet condition.

What is the first word of the question you are hearing now?

What.Why: The question begins with the word what whether heard or read.

Answer with one spoken word: how many words will your answer contain?

One.Why: The required one-word answer truthfully states its own word count.

If you reply aloud to "Are you silent?", which one-word answer is immediately true?

No.Why: Any audible reply means the speaker is not silent, so no is true at the moment it is spoken.

A listener says, "Repeat every sentence after me," then says, "Stop repeating me." What must you say next to keep following the first instruction?

"Stop repeating me."Why: Repeating the latest sentence follows the original instruction even though the repeated words request the opposite.

A host says, "Do not say the word yes," then asks, "Is yes forbidden?" Which one-word reply is true and obeys the rule?

Correct.Why: Correct affirms the statement without speaking the forbidden word.

Before the question, one clap is agreed to mean yes. You must answer audibly but may not use your voice: "Are you here?" How can you answer?

Clap once as the agreed signal for yes.Why: The agreed clap is audible but does not use the speaker's voice.