What is Riddle: Definition and 151 Discussions

A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and conundra, which are questions relying for their effects on punning in either the question or the answer.
Archer Taylor says that "we can probably say that riddling is a universal art" and cites riddles from hundreds of different cultures including Finnish, Hungarian, American Indian, Chinese, Russian, Dutch and Filipino sources amongst many others. Many riddles and riddle-themes are internationally widespread.
In the assessment of Elli Köngas Maranda (originally writing about Malaitian riddles, but with an insight that has been taken up more widely), whereas myths serve to encode and establish social norms, "riddles make a point of playing with conceptual boundaries and crossing them for the intellectual pleasure of showing that things are not quite as stable as they seem" – though the point of doing so may still ultimately be to "play with boundaries, but ultimately to affirm them".

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  1. V

    Solve Dot Product Riddle in 3 or 1 Guess

    I was recently posed a riddle that went like the following: There are two people. Person A picks three numbers from 0-99. Person B guesses which three numbers that person A has picked. Then, person A gives the dot product of his picked numbers with person B's guessed numbers. The question is...
  2. Adoniram

    Embry Riddle, or UNT for graduate studies?

    I'll be finishing a BS in Physics at UNT (University of North Texas) and am considering a master's program. My objective is to land a science/engineering position as a civilian working for the military/government in some kind of space-related or aerospace program. I have friends who work at...
  3. D

    Jellybean Riddle about differing mass

    There are 9 jars of jellybeans, 8 of these jars contain jelly beans with a mass 1 gram, one jar contains j beans with masses of 1.1 grams. The only tool available to you is an electronic gram measure, which melts after giving you one measurement. How do you find the jar with the jelly beans of...
  4. W

    MHB John was born in 1987, and is now (2012) 12 years old

    Got a riddle similar to this week's High School POTW; not sure where to post it, so I'll post it here: John was born in 1987, and is now (2012) 12 years old. How can that be?
  5. R

    Comparing Bobby and Cindy's Math Test Scores: Who Performed Better?

    Bobby and Cindy are in different math classes. Bobby got a 75 on his test and Cindy got a 70 (surprisingly low for children of an architect). Bobby’s class had a mean of 80 and a standard deviation of 5. Cindy’s class had a mean of 75 and a standard deviation of 10. Who did better on their test...
  6. B

    What is the solution to the ancient Anglo-Saxon riddle?

    It's, supposedly, never been solved, but I believe I've solved it. My solution has been PM'd to a moderator, so there's no question of cheating on my part. Here's the riddle in the original: Ic waes faemne geong, feaxhar cwene ond aenlic rinc on ane tid; fleah mid...
  7. S

    Rabbit and Fox Riddle: Maximum Safe Distance for a Rabbit | Solution

    Homework Statement Through a combination of sight, sound, and smell a rabbit can detect a fox at 60 meters. When the rabbit detects the fox, it runs immediately straight to its hole. If the fox can run twice as fast as the rabbit, what is the maximum distance from its hole that a rabbit can...
  8. P

    Dropping marble in space station riddle

    You're in a space station. It's shaped like inner tube of a tire. It's rotating, you're standing on the floor inside "inner tube" station. (the floor is the inside part of outer rim of tube) You are holding a marble, you are standing sideways with respect to rotation. (the space station is...
  9. S

    Can Someone Solve this Challenging Physics Riddle ?

    1. Homework Statement 1)If I stop moving you are going to be bored.No video games ,no facebook,no fan,no light nothing. 2)I f i start moving i am named after my master ,a very great talented man. 3)I have mass and occupy space. 4)If (3)can be written as nzggvi what is ksbhssrxh. 5)If one...
  10. K

    Arrange Cows in Pens: 1000 Cows & 10 Pens

    Given 1000 cows and 10 pens, you want to arrange the cows in the pens such that any number of cows from 1 to 1000 can be obtained by opening certain pens and taking all the cows in those pens. How do you arrange the cows in the pens?
  11. F

    Can You Solve the Square-Headed Architect's Museum Design Puzzle?

    This puzzle is about a square-headed architect who is designing a museum in the shape of an nxnxh square box, where n is an integer denoting the side length and h is the height of the building. Building design is subject to the following additional constraints: 1. For any n chosen there will...
  12. T

    How should the money be divided between Frank and Sammy?

    Frank and Sammy bought a watermelon for forty-eight cents, Frank contributing thirty cents and Sammy eighteen, which they were going to divide in proportion to their relative investements, when, spying Billy passing on the road, they conspired to unload a third of the melon upon him for the cost...
  13. K

    Equation written on a car-Is it a riddle?

    Equation written on a car--Is it a riddle? I hope this is the right place to post this question. I saw this equation on a car's back windshield. I don't know what it means, but I'm really curious why someone would put it on their car. Is it a riddle of some kind? A famous equation...
  14. L

    Solve the Hard Riddle: What Am I?

    Hard Riddle i guess! This is a tough one for me and i can't guess what is really the answer. Maybe one intellegent person here could do so. I am found on every playground. I am found in every office building I am long... but also short I am fat but sometimes skinny I make dogs bark...
  15. S

    How Can Pirate #5 Maximize His Gold Share in a Clever Division Strategy?

    Five pirates are trying to split up 1000 gold pieces. The rules are as follows: Pirate #5 must divide the gold up in such a way that a majority of the pirates (including himself) agree to. If he does not get a majority vote, he will be killed, and pirate #4 will get to propose a solution to the...
  16. P

    Asking the Right Questions to Solve the Riddle of Three People in One Room

    so you have room, and in said room you have three people...one always tells the truth, one always lies, and one sometimes tells the truth and sometimes lies. you can ask three questions, to any of the individuals, but no more than three. IE, if you ask one person three questions, you have no...
  17. R

    Math riddle, eliminating 2 of 3 answers with limited info

    remove wrong forum/problem solved though thanks
  18. M

    Riddle question max profit + units

    riddle question " max profit + units " Homework Statement There is no demand for a new brand of mobile phones if the price is 20 $ or more. For each drop of 1 $ in the price, the demand increases by 500 units.The cost of producing x units is (12x + 2000)$. How many phones should be produced...
  19. L

    Embry Riddle Worldwide Campuses

    I'm on the search for graduate schools, most likely in Aerospace Engineering (coming from a B.S. in Physics). I'm considering some of the Embry Riddle Worldwide campuses, particularly the Kanehoe campus in Hawaii. The cost is much cheaper compared to the main campuses and being in Hawaii sounds...
  20. M

    How Many Units Must Plant A Produce to Stay Within Budget?

    hello .. Homework Statement A company will manufacture a total of 5000 units of its product at plants A and B. At plan A the unit cost for labor and material combined is 2.50 $, while at plant B it is 3.00 $. The fixed costs at plant A are 6000 $ and at plant B they are 8000 $. Between...
  21. M

    Solving Best Rentals Car Rental Rates: Equation from Riddle

    Homework Statement Best Rentals charges a daily fee plus a mileage fee for renting its cars. Jack was charged 40 $ for 500 kilometers, while Kelly was charged 70 $ for 1000 kilometers. What does Best Rental charge per day and per kilometer? The Attempt at a Solution I want to confirm...
  22. M

    Solving for Kelly and Her Brother's Ages Using a Riddle Equation

    hi all ,,,, Homework Statement Four years ago, kelly was twice as old as her brother. Find the present age of kelly and her brother if the product of their ages today is 160. The Attempt at a Solution well,, I tried with this method 2x+x=152 ,,,,, => ( 2x+4 ) + (x+4) = 160...
  23. B

    Riddle from the dark tower series

    What has a mouth but cannot talk, what can run but never walks? what has a head but cannot weep. what has a bed but cannot sleep?
  24. M

    Robot factory permutation riddle

    A factory has built a robot which moves on all squares of a 6*6 table. There is an arrow On all of the squares of the table when it moves on an square it reads the arrow the square and moves according to the square but before doing that it changes the arrow of the square aim to the previous...
  25. Z

    Riddle of Logic: Death by Firing Squad

    This is a cool riddle of logic that I heard recently. It is supposed to be drawn out so I'll try to describe it as best as I can. Four prisoners of war are sentenced to death by firing squad. They line them up from north to south, all of them facing north (so that they are in line facing...
  26. drizzle

    Riddle of the Three Prisoners: Who Knows Their Hat Color?

    an emperor judged three prisoners to be executed, but he gave an exception to whomever gives the correct answer to his riddle will be set free. first, he asked them to line up, in a way where the first can’t see the two behind him, the second can see the one on front of him, and the third can...
  27. P

    Solve Einstein's Riddle: Who Owns the Fish?

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  28. DaveC426913

    What do you touch 25 times before you buy it?

    I heard this riddle on the radio today, but then missed the solution. Caveat: I cannot remember the exact wording. Here are two possible variations: You will touch this 25 times before you will buy it. This will be touched 25 times before you buy it. Now I'm dying to know.
  29. daniel_i_l

    Is It Possible to Identify a Hidden Card from 27 Using Only Three?

    Assume you have 27 cards numbered 1-27. You and your partner have do devise some strategy so that for any 4 cards that you pick (without your partner seeing) you'll be able to tell him what they are by showing him only three of them. The only way that you can use the three cards that you show...
  30. Loren Booda

    Answer: What Creature Evolves from No Feet to Four Feet to Two Feet?

    What moves without feet in the morning, travels on four feet in the afternoon, and walks on two feet at night? Answer: Man - in evolution from swimming organism to quadrupedal animals to bipedal people.
  31. J

    What is the solution to this tricky series riddle?

    Hey, guys ! I have to calculate: \sum 1/(2n + 1)^2 n from 0 to infinite Knowing that 1/n² = (pi)²/6 The answer is (pi)²/8 I don't know why I'm stuck here but I just don't get it... Greetings
  32. A

    Physics riddle (relocate if necessary)

    Last night my friends and I had a discussion about a science riddle that one of them had brought up. The question triggered some debate and the four of us were split in half with our answers. The question/riddle is: If you're standing on top of a train traveling at 50mph and you throw a...
  33. F

    Induction Axiom and the Fallacy of All-Encompassing Conclusions

    Homework Statement The inductive hypothesis P(n): For any counting number n in N, and set of billiard balls with n members, all the balls have the same color. Pf) Consider any set A of n+1 balls, and the subsets B=(first n balls), C=(last n balls) The inductive hypothesis applies to both B...
  34. S

    How did Samson turn a lion into a hive for bees?

    "from strong came sweet" how is that possible?
  35. marcus

    The riddle of longshot links (new version of Smolin's '07 unification paper)

    Recently (25 July) Lee Smolin posted an update of his December 2007 unification paper http://arxiv.org/abs/0712.0977 The Plebanski action extended to a unification of gravity and Yang-Mills theory "We study a unification of gravity with Yang-Mills fields based on a simple extension of the...
  36. R

    Logical Riddle: How Many Cars Do I Have?

    All but two of my cars are Fords, all but two of my cars are Toyotas and all but two of my cars are Hondas. How many cars do I have. The obvious answer is three. I'm arguing with some folks that are claiming two is an acceptable answer and they are using the rationale that it is fine to...
  37. Monique

    The Pinetree Riddle: Have You Experienced It?

    I read a remarkable article in the newspaper a few days ago, I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced such a thing? It is at least something to pay attention to. Link: http://www.nrc.nl/achtergrond/article1157911.ece/Het_pijnboomraadsel Apparently quite a few people experience an...
  38. Borek

    Can Images Convey Sound in Online Riddles?

    I wanted to put it into brain teasers, but forum didn't allow me to use images there - they were converted to links. Can you hear it?
  39. P

    Can You Solve This Math Riddle Involving Positive Numbers?

    The difference between two positive numbers is 3. The difference between their reciprocals is 1/90 What are the two numbers? I worked out that: x-y=3 and 1/x-1/y= 1/90 Is that right so far?
  40. humanino

    Will an Ant Reach the Other End of a Stretched Elastic Band?

    Let me come back with a totally different ant riddle :smile: I hope this one has not been posted already. As far as I know, it should be attributed originally to Martin Gardner. This time, let us put a (point-like) ant on the edge (mathematically idealized) one meter long elastic band. The...
  41. J

    Yes it's true, but why ? A calculus riddle (of sorts) involving definitions

    "Yes it's true, but why...?" A calculus riddle (of sorts) involving definitions Homework Statement Here's the story: I'm in an AP B/C Calculus class and our current activity is "engaging in an all out study frenzy before the AP exam." We've already gone over all of the material in the book...
  42. A

    Solve 500 Right or Wrong Questions: 0.3054936364*10^-148% Probability

    If you have 500 questions (put right or wrong questions) and you will solve them all randomly as you don't know the answer so what is your probability to solve them all right? express answer as e.g 1.5*10^-2 ( don't think to try combinations one by one) You can easily solve that 2 right...
  43. A

    What is the probability of solving 500 random questions correctly?

    Solve my simple riddle! If you have 500 questions (put right or wrong questions) and you will solve them all randomly as you don't know the answer so what is your probability to solve them all right? express answer as e.g 1.5*10^-2
  44. S

    Fun Riddle: Solve the Clues to Discover the Mystery Object Ending in X

    I am hot but I need fire, I am tall but I need to jump, I am long but I need to stretch and I am slimy but I need slime, I am full but I need fuel. I end in X. What am I?
  45. T

    Riddle Competition: I Begin with T, End in T and Have T Within

    Know the answer ? It is from this competition: http://www.tricksandriddles.com/html/riddle_competition.html" I begin with T, end in T and have T within. What am I ? Thanks.
  46. Andre

    History What is the history behind Witch Balls and how are they made?

    Bought these two glass bulbs at a local art fair, the other month Size and shape as in Christmass tree balls, of hand blown glass but with a complex delicate glass object inside. Looks like ship in a bottle, but how do you get an object like that inside during the glass blowing...
  47. A

    How do gyroscopic forces affect a bicycle's stability?

    My dad gave me this riddle eight months ago, can anyone help? Why doesn't a bicycle fall over when its moving. P.S its not balance , as you can push it and it won't fall over for a while.
  48. S

    Feynman's Orange Riddle: Impossible or Not?

    I'm reading "Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!" which is one of the funniest and interesting books I've ever read! However, in one paragraph, Feynman is talking with some topology students about a riddle: The topology students: "You've got an orange, OK? Now you cut the orange into a...
  49. M

    Can anyone explain this? The Triangle riddle

    OK, I'm sure you clever guys can sort this for me. I'm sure you've all seen this. I can't understand it at all and it's driving me nuts! Help! They both look the same and I have even measured them! It can be found here...
  50. R

    Does a copper plate affect mutual induction between two circular coils?

    Two days ago in my physics class, one of my friends asked me a question: "There are 2 identical circular coils with radius 'r', length 'l' and 'n' no. of turns placed with their axes lying on a straight line, and current is let to pass through them so that mutual induction is observed.What...
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