Riddles/Word problems

[Michael Archer]

I was thinking about these the other day and I realized how much I like a good one. Before you go and post one, I want to make a point that this thread is only for good word problems. By that I mean, a good word problem has unequivocal wording, defines a clear problem and has a single clever solution. Let me give some examples:

 

A shitty word problem: Imagine you're in a brick castle with no doors, no windows and no way to get out; how do you get out? Answer: Stop imagining. (this is just retarded--I don't need to explain why)

 

A mediocre word problem: What eats and lives but drinks and dies? Answer: fire. (This isn't bad except it might be confusing--eating and drinking implies animal functions, so people aren't going to think of inanimate objects)

 

An awesome word problem. You might remember this from the movie Labyrinth with David Bowie; you might also remember that the girl got it wrong: You're in a hallway with two doors. One door leads you out of the hallway and the other leads you to instant death. You don't know which door leads where and you're not about to flip a coin with your life. In front of each door stands a guard; one guard always lies and the other one always tells the truth. These guards are aware of their own habits and the habits of the other guard i.e. The truth guard knows that he tells the truth while his friend always lies and the lying guard knows that he lies and his friend always tells the truth. The only problem is that you have no way of knowing which guard is which.

 

If you can ask only one guard a single question, what would it be to get you out of the hallway alive. (This question is unequivocal, defines a clear goal, and has a single solution. It's the best one I've heard in my life. I'll wait a bit longer to post the solution.)

 

TL:DR version:

 

 

Go.

[Koach]

A man walks into a bar and asks for a glass of water. The bartender pulls out a shotgun and points it at him. The man says, thank you and leaves. Why?

 

answer: read the letters in caps (anti spoiler solution)

 

asTesHscEnnGkoUnkYvcHjkApoDkjHoeIgdCplCkgUasPgvS

[Blightmare]

Well, not sure if I should post JRR Tolkien riddles but I did make one of my own a while back.

 

Size and shape it does not lack,

but does top, bottom, front, and back.

A bending light around a bare tree,

Shining bright for all to see.

 

Am I doing it right? or do I need to put the answer up? (if so I'll do it like what Koach just did.)

[Koach]

is it the sun?

[Blightmare]

nope.

[Koach]

fire? light itself? mebby Gandalf?

[Blightmare]

None of those. And last I checked, Gandalf had a front and back. XD

[Lux Arbuckle]

Space fire?

[Blightmare]

Space fire?

For them space men. And no. XD

[Srake]

I'm thinking its a shadow.

[Blightmare]

Still wrong.

[Michael Archer]

Hmm...I would have said shadow as well. I'll encrypt the solution to the hallway one like koach did:

 

YycrOtegUetAnteeSeut!hKeuoAeaeNeucyhdYguisGutnsaUtnseaouAtnsRthnsDtnWtnsHaoeuAeuoTeoDoeuOtnsOsntReuaWeouOeuUntLtn!#$Dnts3T890euH3tneE9tuO904tnsT943tnHntoeEtoaeuRthsoeuGtsuUtsnAtshR34DeaouSaeuAne8YiuicgI.crlSoeauTntgHsnElrp9RentaeIeoauG.pa,HsnToaeuDnthOs-ntOstnhR?

 

God, we really need a spoiler tag.

[Blightmare]

Answer(encrypted like the others):

 

dfsAsdg ssRjfIgdnfmNadghGdghdgh

[BTGBullseye]

Answer(encrypted like the others):

 

dfsAsdg ssRjfIgdnfmNadghGdghdgh

ARNG

 

What?

[Axeldeath]

Answer(encrypted like the others):

 

dfsAsdg ssRjfIgdnfmNadghGdghdgh

ARNG

 

What?

 

My reaction as well.

[TheBurntAngel]

Spoiler test

[BTGBullseye]

Spoiler test

Works.

[J.C.]

Mhmm. Maybe this thread would be better suited in the games section?

[Blightmare]

Lol I'll PM you guys the explanation if you want. XD

[Psychotic Ninja]

A man's driving down the

road with his son and they get

in a crash. Two ambulances come

and take the man and his son to

different hospitals. Son goes

into the operating room, the

doctor looks at him and says, 'I

can't operate on this boy. He's

my son.' How's that possible?

 

 

Answer= Ed'c rec sudran.

Edited August 24, 2011 by Guest (see edit history)