Check here for solutions to Friday's Weekly Mind Bender each week.
April 12
QUESTION: What makes this number unique — 8,549,176,320?
ANSWER: It contains each number, zero through nine, in alphabetical order.
April 26
QUESTION: A man stands on one side of a river, his dog on the other. The man calls his dog, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet and without using a bridge or a boat. How did the dog do it?
ANSWER: The river was frozen.
May 10
QUESTION: You have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain. You must cross a river with only one of them at a time. If you leave the fox with the chicken he will eat it; if you leave the chicken with the grain he will eat it. How can you get all three across safely?
ANSWER: Take the chicken over first. Go back and bring the grain next, but instead of leaving the chicken with the grain, come back with the chicken. Leave the chicken on the first side and take the fox with you. Leave it on the other side with the grain. Finally, go back over and get the chicken and bring it over.
May 17
QUESTION: What do these words have in common: polish, job, herb?
ANSWER: All three words are pronounced differently when the first letter is capitalized.
May 24
QUESTION: You have 12 black socks and 12 white socks mixed up in a drawer. You're up very early and it's too dark to tell them apart. What's the smallest number of socks you need to take out (blindly) to be sure of having a matching pair?
ANSWER: 3 socks. If the first sock is black, the second one could be black, in which case you have a matching pair. If the second sock is white, the third sock will be either black and match the first sock, or white and match the second sock.
May 31
QUESTION: What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away ?
ANSWER: Charcoal, as it is used in barbecuing.
June 7
QUESTION: Put a coin into an empty bottle and insert a cork into the neck. How can you remove the coin without removing the cork or breaking the bottle?
ANSWER: Push the cork down into the bottle. Then shake the coin out.
June 14
QUESTION: A sundial has the fewest moving parts of any timepiece. Which has the most?
ANSWER: An hourglass, with thousands of grains of sand.
June 21
QUESTION: A man takes his car to a hotel. Upon reaching the hotel, he is immediately declared bankrupt. Why?
ANSWER: The
man is playing Monopoly. He lands on a property with a hotel and doesn’t have
enough money to pay the rent.
June 28
QUESTION: Two boxers are in a match scheduled for 12 rounds. (Pure boxing only). One of the boxers gets knocked out after only six rounds, yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible?
ANSWER: Both boxers are female.
July 5
June 28
QUESTION: Two boxers are in a match scheduled for 12 rounds. (Pure boxing only). One of the boxers gets knocked out after only six rounds, yet no man throws a punch. How is this possible?
ANSWER: Both boxers are female.
July 5
QUESTION: What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
ANSWER: A towel.
July 12
QUESTION: What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
ANSWER: A stamp.
July 12
QUESTION: What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
ANSWER: A stamp.
July 19
QUESTION: What is unusual about the following words:
revive, banana, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, dresser, uneven?
ANSWER: Take
the first letter of each word and place it at the end. It will spell the same
word backwards.
July 26
QUESTION: When I am filled I can point the way. When I am empty nothing moves me. I have two skins; one without and one within. What am I?
ANSWER: A glove.
August 2 QUESTION: You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat? ANSWER: An ear of corn. August 9 QUESTION: I can be cracked, I can be made. I can be told, I can be played. What am I?
ANSWER: A joke.
August 16 QUESTION: What is bought by the yard and worn by the foot? ANSWER: Carpet August 23 QUESTION: I fly, yet I have no wings. I cry, yet I have no eyes. Darkness follows me; lower light I never see. What am I?
ANSWER: A cloud.
August 30 QUESTION: I have glittering points that downward thrust and sparkling spears that never rust. What am I? ANSWER: An icicle. September 6 QUESTION: Mom and Dad have four daughters, and each daughter has one brother. How many people are in the family? ANSWER: Seven. The four daughters have only one brother, making five children, plus mom and dad. September 13 QUESTION: I'm light as a feather, yet the strongest man can't hold me for much more than a minute. What am I? |
ANSWER: Breath
September 20
QUESTION:
The first is needed to make quotes you see, and it often sticks up when it's time for noon tea.
September 20
QUESTION:
The first is needed to make quotes you see, and it often sticks up when it's time for noon tea.
The second's biggest distinction is found, bearing
the symbol of love that is bound.
The third should be biggest but that can depend, never standing alone or it may offend.
The fourth is oft used when making a selection, or if you should need a gun for protection.
The fifth is the fattest and oddest by far, and can sometimes be found in a wrestling war.
The third should be biggest but that can depend, never standing alone or it may offend.
The fourth is oft used when making a selection, or if you should need a gun for protection.
The fifth is the fattest and oddest by far, and can sometimes be found in a wrestling war.
What
are they?
ANSWER: The 5 fingers.
September 27
QUESTION: Two mothers and two daughters go shopping. They have $21, which they split equally between them. How can this be possible?
ANSWER: There are only three people. One of the mothers is a daughter also, because there is a grandmother, a mother and a daughter! They each get $7 exactly.
October 4
QUESTION: A girl is twice as old as her brother and half as old as her father. In 22 years, her brother will be half as old as his father. How old is the daughter now?
ANSWER: 22
October 11
QUESTION: Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child’s name?
ANSWER: Johnny
October 18
QUESTION: A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?
ANSWER: He weighs meat.
October 25:
QUESTION: A farmer has five haystacks in one field and four haystacks in another. How many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in one field?
ANSWER: One; because he is combining them.
November 1:
QUESTION: If a rooster sits on the border of Kansas and Oklahoma, where would the egg drop?
September 27
QUESTION: Two mothers and two daughters go shopping. They have $21, which they split equally between them. How can this be possible?
ANSWER: There are only three people. One of the mothers is a daughter also, because there is a grandmother, a mother and a daughter! They each get $7 exactly.
October 4
QUESTION: A girl is twice as old as her brother and half as old as her father. In 22 years, her brother will be half as old as his father. How old is the daughter now?
ANSWER: 22
October 11
QUESTION: Johnny’s mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child’s name?
ANSWER: Johnny
October 18
QUESTION: A clerk at a butcher shop stands five feet ten inches tall and wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?
ANSWER: He weighs meat.
ANSWER: One; because he is combining them.
ANSWER: Nowhere. A rooster cannot lay eggs, only hens can.
November 8:
QUESTION: Which is correct to say, “The yolk of the egg is white” or “The yolk of the egg are white?”
ANSWER: Neither. The yolk of the egg is yellow.
November 15:
QUESTION: Billie was born on December 28th, yet her birthday always falls in the summer. How is this possible?
ANSWER: He lives in the Southern Hemisphere
November 22:
QUESTION: Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
ANSWER: Incorrectly.
November 28:
SOLUTIONS:
QUESTION: An eight year old kid challenged his classmates that he can make the number one disappear by adding something to it. How can he do that ?
ANSWER: He adds a letter "G" before ONE and it will be GONE.
December 13:
QUESTION: Bob is standing behind Sue and at the same time Sue is standing behind Bob. How is this possible?
ANSWER: They are standing back to back.
January 10:
QUESTION: What is the longest one syllable word in the english language?
ANSWER: Screeched
January 17:
QUESTION: I am an animal of few letters, remove the second and you can’t see. Change it to “L” and I’m a punishment, yet backwards I’m a game. What animal am I?
ANSWER: Frog. It only has four letters. Removing the “R” leaves FOG, which makes it hard to see. Changing the “R” to an “L” makes FLOG, a punishment and backwards is GOLF, a game.
January 24:
QUESTION: What do you put in a wooden box to make it lighter?
ANSWER: Holes
January 30:
QUESTION: Whoever makes me can hear me, but to all others I’m silent. What am I?
ANSWER: A thought in your head.
February 6:
QUESTION: : I have an eye but cannot see. I’m faster than any man alive and have no limbs. What am I?
ANSWER: A tornado or hurricane.
November 8:
QUESTION: Which is correct to say, “The yolk of the egg is white” or “The yolk of the egg are white?”
ANSWER: Neither. The yolk of the egg is yellow.
November 15:
QUESTION: Billie was born on December 28th, yet her birthday always falls in the summer. How is this possible?
ANSWER: He lives in the Southern Hemisphere
November 22:
QUESTION: Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
ANSWER: Incorrectly.
November 28:
SOLUTIONS:
- Mixed doubles tennis.
- Split second timing.
- The birds and the bees.
- Close quarters.
- All hands on deck.
- E = MC2
- Waving goodbye.
- A paradox.
- Skinny dipping.
- Two black eyes.
- Scattered showers.
- Scrambled eggs.
- Head and shoulders above the rest.
- Twisted ankle.
- An outside chance.
- Beginning of the end.
QUESTION: An eight year old kid challenged his classmates that he can make the number one disappear by adding something to it. How can he do that ?
ANSWER: He adds a letter "G" before ONE and it will be GONE.
December 13:
QUESTION: Bob is standing behind Sue and at the same time Sue is standing behind Bob. How is this possible?
ANSWER: They are standing back to back.
January 10:
QUESTION: What is the longest one syllable word in the english language?
ANSWER: Screeched
January 17:
QUESTION: I am an animal of few letters, remove the second and you can’t see. Change it to “L” and I’m a punishment, yet backwards I’m a game. What animal am I?
ANSWER: Frog. It only has four letters. Removing the “R” leaves FOG, which makes it hard to see. Changing the “R” to an “L” makes FLOG, a punishment and backwards is GOLF, a game.
January 24:
QUESTION: What do you put in a wooden box to make it lighter?
ANSWER: Holes
January 30:
QUESTION: Whoever makes me can hear me, but to all others I’m silent. What am I?
ANSWER: A thought in your head.
February 6:
QUESTION: : I have an eye but cannot see. I’m faster than any man alive and have no limbs. What am I?
ANSWER: A tornado or hurricane.
