The Big Book of Riddles (NO SPAM)

Demortis · Post by **Demortis** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 6:21 pm

well that would make sence i guess. but my next guess would have been emotions. o well

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:52 am

I was thinking love, but maybe that was too abstract, I got here too late anyway.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:06 pm

Okay, here's one of my favorite riddles. I heard it on Car Talk. (No the answer isn't on there, so don't go lookin'.

)

RAY: Our erstwhile Producer, Dougie Berman, was diagnosed recently with a rare disease -- chronic laziness. If not treated, it could be fatal.

The doctor, prescribed two different kinds of pills, and said, "They have to be taken simultaneously, at bedtime, every night. Take one from one bottle, and one from the other. It's the interaction of the two pills that is the key."

Dougie's got 10 pills in each bottle. But, if he makes the mistake of taking two of the same pill, he's done for.

TOM: What if he only takes one pill?

RAY: Done for, again.

He decides to convalesce at his remote mountain cabin, and he begins the six-hour drive to get there. But his car breaks down, and he has to walk the last 20 miles clutching these two bottles of pills -- the only thing between him and the Grim Reaper.

He arrives after dark. He's so weak that delirium has begun to set in.

TOM: How would he know?

RAY: Good question.

As he makes his way to the kitchen sink, he stumbles and falls and, you guessed it, he spills all the pills. When he wakes up, he finds that one of the containers has two pills in it, the other container is empty, and there are 18 pills scattered all over the floor.

He begins to gather up the pills. As he's looking at them he discovers to his horror that they all look alike. They're the same color, shape and size. There's no way to tell them apart.

He's getting weaker by the minute. But, he remembers that he has his very own, very accurate, "analytic" scale—the kind that a pharmacist would use.

But, by the time he weighs the 11th pill, his worst fear is confirmed. Not only do they all look and feel and smell alike but they all weigh the same.

There's absolutely no way to distinguish one pill from another.

Is there a way for him to take the recommended dosage and save his life, or should we let the Grim Reaper in and start looking for a new producer?

I'll post the answer soon.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:19 pm

Weigh out each pill, check the weight, crush the bunch into a fine powder, stir thoroughly, and measure out the weight of two of the pills worth of powder. Store remainder in pill bottles and shake vigorously and repeat measuring process as needed. Voila!

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:47 pm

Bingo! You'd be surprised how many people don't think of that. Had you heard it before?

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 2:52 pm

Actually no, just seemed like a fun answer to me, and what I would have done. Just blend the friggin things and be done with it. I wasn't expecting it to be the right answer though.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:03 pm

I'll look through and find some more good ones from Car Talk, those guys have fun riddles.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:30 pm

Okay, here's another one.. Please show you work because I have no idea what the answer is. I'm working on it though.

RAY: John and Mary are married. They agree to go out to dinner with four other married couples. So, there are five couples, or ten people, altogether.

They arrive at the restaurant, and, because there are some people who don't know other people, there are some handshakes that take place, and introductions. Anyone who doesn't know somebody will shake hands with that person. People will not shake hands with anyone they already know, and, of course, you don't shake hands with your own spouse.

TOM: Unless you're meeting her for the first time.

RAY: Right. At the end of the dinner, John asks all the people there, including his own wife, how many hands each of them shook.

He gets the following answers: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7, and 8.

There are 9 other people there, and they give him 9 different answers.

Here's the question: How many hands did John's wife Mary shake?

Now it may seem that you don't have anywhere near enough information to solve this problem. But you do.

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:43 pm

0, she knew everyone there already.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:50 pm

It doesn't specifically say that though. One or more people could be friends of friends.

ik911 · Post by **ik911** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 3:50 pm

You all probably heard about http://www.thisisnotporn.com

well, there's another version too, which I liked very much:

http://deathball.net/notpron/

I came to 20 or something...(with lots and lots of outsider forums help)
I felt I had to post them in here, the book of Riddles. I'm really bad at riddles, but I like them a lot.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:03 pm

I saw something like that once. It was supposed to be some sort of hacker test or something, the clues where in the source code and all sorts of other things. Each level got harder and harder, abd it supposedly taught you to hack. Had a friend that was sort of a hack poser who was all mad because he couldn't get to level 3.

ik911 · Post by **ik911** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:06 pm

No, it's really just a very hard riddle. Yes, you need to know a couple of things about the internet and all, but riddles are often not that easy.

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:20 pm

Here's some easier ones.

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?

At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?

What is in seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes but not in decades, years or days?

A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself? (Multiple answers)

The one who makes it, sells it. The one who buys it, never uses it. The one that uses it never knows that he's using it. What is it?

The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?

Magrus · Post by **Magrus** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 5:59 pm

A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself?

"I'm going to be hanged"

The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

Cataracts

jopperm2 · Post by **jopperm2** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 6:01 pm

Yes

Not exactly, clever though..

Demortis · Post by **Demortis** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:37 pm

[QUOTE=jopperm2]Here's some easier ones.

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?

At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?

What is in seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes but not in decades, years or days?

A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself? (Multiple answers)

The one who makes it, sells it. The one who buys it, never uses it. The one that uses it never knows that he's using it. What is it?

The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?[/QUOTE]

1)matter
2)time
3)stars
4)dunno
5)he says nothing (you never said he couldnt)
6)a coffin
7)dunno
8)dunno

Demortis · Post by **Demortis** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:38 pm

well for the one from car talk. its one less that all i know (she knew her husband)

Ideal Maxima · Post by **Ideal Maxima** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 7:54 pm

[QUOTE=jopperm2]Here's some easier ones.

I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I?

I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I?

At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?

What is in seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes but not in decades, years or days?

A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself? (Multiple answers)

The one who makes it, sells it. The one who buys it, never uses it. The one that uses it never knows that he's using it. What is it?

The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?[/QUOTE]

1)E
2)dunno
3)stars
4)dunno
5)I'm going to be Hanged/Hung (not sure of the tense)
6)casket
7)dunno
8)a penny (american)

oozae · Post by **oozae** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 8:12 pm

Here's some I made up.

1)In the company of men I am up,
in the company of women I am down
What is it?

2) I once had it, but foolishly gave it up,
now I seek it but never find it
I take others,
yet it is still not mine
What is it?

I had another one but forgot it