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160 Long Riddles With Answers

160 riddles · answers on the last page · riddleup.com/riddles/long-riddles

  1. Four golfers named Mr. Black, Mr. White, Mr. Brown and Mr. Blue were competing in a tournament. The caddy didn't know their names, so he asked them. One of them, Mr. Brown, told a lie. The 1st golfer said "The 2nd Golfer is Mr. Black." The 2nd golfer said "I am not Mr. Blue!" The 3rd golfer said "Mr. White? That's the 4th golfer." And the 4th golfer remained silent. Which one of the golfers is Mr. Blue?
  2. A prisoner is told: "If you tell a lie, we will hang you and if you tell the truth, we will shoot you". What did the prisoner say to save himself?
  3. A man lives on the top floor of a hotel. When he is out with a friend or out on a rainy day, he comes back, goes to the elevator, and goes to the top floor. When he goes out alone or on a sunny day, he goes half way up and walks the rest of the way up. Why?
  4. When you stop and look, you can always see me. If you try to touch, you cannot feel me. I cannot move, but as you near me, I will move away from you.
  5. Grows from the ground, bushes and grass, leaves of yellow, red and brow, unruly plants, get the axe, trim the hedge back down.
  6. I am enjoyed by some, despised by others. Some take me for granted, some treasure me like a gift. I last forever, unless you break me first. What am I?
  7. I've got a beautiful, beautiful hall all walled in red velvet, with all white armchairs made of bone, and in the middle a woman dances.
  8. I spend most of my day eating white. When I am quick enough, I get rewarded with fruit and somethings blue. In a dark room with blue walls, I run from the ghost that roam the halls. What am I?
  9. I beam, I shine, I sparkle white. I'll brighten the day with a single light. I'll charm and enchant all. I'll bring the best in you all. What am I?
  10. Die without me, never thank me. Walk right through me, never feel me. Always watching, never speaking. Always lurking, never seen.
  11. Two in a whole and four in a pair. Six in a trio you see. Eight's a quartet but what you must get is the name that fits just one of me. What am I?
  12. It is destruction made out of thin air, You hear it howl and give a prayer, Through barns and houses it will tear. It is a deadly funnel, Of violent and twisting air.
  13. The floor's on top, the roof's beneath, and from this place I rarely leave. Yet with the passing of each day. A new horizon greets my gaze.
  14. I run around the streets all day. Under the bed or by the door I sit at night, never alone. My tongue hangs out, waiting to be fed during the day. What am I?
  15. You get embarrassed when you stand on me when everybody is watching. Women don't like to talk about the number they see on me. Everyone stands on me when nobody is around. What am I?
  16. I can be winding and I can be straight. I can be smooth and I can be rough. Sometimes both. I start out black but fade to brown the more I am used. My favorite colors are yellow and white, and I love stripes and dashed lines. What am I?
  17. The strongest chains will not bind it. Ditch and rampart will not slow it down. A thousand soldiers cannot beat it, it can knock down trees with a single bush.
  18. They're big and yet so far away, We see them at the end of day. They're small and they're above. We see them when we close our eyes, Each time we are in love.
  19. I heard of a wonder, of words moth-eaten. That is a strange thing, I thought, weird. That a man's song be swallowed by a worm. His blinded sentences, his bedside stand-by rustled in the night - and the robber-guest. Not one wit the wiser. For the words he had mumbled.
  20. I march before armies, a thousand salute me. My fall can bring victory, but no one would shoot me. The wind is my lover, one-legged am I. Name me and see me at home in the sky.
  21. I have two arms, but fingers none. I have two feet, but cannot run. I carry well, but I have found I carry best with my feet off the ground. What am I?
  22. I have been the beginning of ideas for all time, yet I am just one simple small object, the things that you can use me for can be frustrating and also I can be pretty. I have some of the most valuable thing in the world on me, yet almost everyone owns me. With me you can make anything. What am I?
  23. *Forward* *backwards* is what I do all day. I come in all different shapes and sizes. I can be scary, and I can calm you down. What am I?
  24. Halfway up the hill, I see you at last, lying beneath me with your sounds and sights. A city in the twilight, dim and vast, with smoking roofs, soft bells, and gleaming lights.
  25. I am taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost everybody.
  26. When I am visible to you, you cannot see me, but when I am invisible, you long to see me. I am plenty with someone patient, but all the more scarce with a hasty one. I am greater than all, but still in the control of those who value my existence. Who am I?
  27. It speaks to you, yet it can't speak. When you hold it you can travel, in your mind's eye worlds unravel. And everything in it's a lie. And with every new untruth, still you feel it speaks the truth.
  28. It's round but also like a chess-board. It can and is both whirled and curled, And bent and shot and parried. Some play it on a field or watch it on the couch, And anyone can play it, even Peter Crouch.
  29. We are few to the wise; We are abundant to the drunken; We can calm the beast and are precious to the child; We can devour the heart, without piercing the skin.
  30. When people come for me to meet, they come to me with heavy feet. The one I hold, when I get my chance, will turn and spin, and start to dance.
  31. I can wave my hands at you, but I never say goodbye. You are always cool when with me, even more so when I am high! What am I?
  32. I am used for light yet I am solid. Without me you would feel enclosed. I hate being touched, especially with a lot of force. I like to be in buildings. What am I?
  33. My first a blessing sent to earth, of plants and flowers to aid the birth; my second surely was designed to hurl destruction on mankind; my whole a pledge from pardoning heaven, of wrath appeased and crimes forgiven.
  34. It passes but you never hear it. Sometimes though, you think you feel it. You think you had it but it's gone. You want to stop it, but it moves on. You lose it, gain it, maybe fear it, but it goes on, forever on.
  35. You will find me with four legs, but no hair. People ride me for hours, but I don't go anywhere without needing to be tugged. Jerked or turned on, I always manage to be ready for work.
  36. The cost of making only the maker knows, valueless if bought, but sometimes traded. A poor man may give one as easily as king. When one is broken pain and deceit are assured.
  37. My first is in riddle, but not in little. My second is in think, but not in brink. My third is in thyme, but not in time. My fourth is in mother, but not in brother. My last is in time, but not in climb.
  38. My head and tail both equal are, my middle slender as a bee. Whether I stand on head or heel Is quite the same to you or me. But if my head should be cut off, the matter's true, though passing strange directly I to nothing change.
  39. I am the tool, for inspiring many. Buy me in the store, for not much more than a penny. Don't overuse me, or my usefulness will go.
  40. I shift around, though always slowly. I never move more than a few inches at a time. A large movement by me can kill many people. I am huge, yet unseen by humans. What am I?
  41. I am not alive and yet I grow. Just put me next to where it grows. A favorite of the summertime, best with friends when combined. What am I?
  42. Sometimes I fly as fast as the speed of light. Sometime I crawl as slow as a snail. Unknown until I am measured but you will certainly miss me when I'm gone. What am I?
  43. The wave, over the wave, a weird thing I saw, Through-wrought, and wonderfully ornate: A wonder on the wave-water became bone.
  44. It can be repeated but rarely in the same way. It can't be changed but can be rewritten. It can be passed down, but should not be forgotten.
  45. Used left or right, I get to travel over cobblestone or gravel. Used up, I vie for sweet success, used down, I cause men great duress.
  46. When the day after tomorrow is yesterday, today will be as far from Wednesday as today was from Wednesday when the day before yesterday was tomorrow. What is the day after this day?
  47. I can be moved. I can be rolled. But nothing will I hold. I'm red and I'm blue, and I can be other colors too. Having no head, though similar in shape. I have no eyes - yet move all over the place.
  48. I'm in a box, full of that which is most rare. But I'm not a flute, and I'm not some hair. Though soft be my bed, I'm as hard as a rock. While dull in the dark, I glisten once unlocked.
  49. I do not breathe, but I run and jump. I do not eat, but I swim and stretch. I do not drink, but I sleep and stand. I do not think, but I grow and play. I do not see, but you see me everyday.
  50. Some women don't like to be called that, yet every woman wants one. It cries and makes a lot of noise, but smiles and gurgles when you give it toys.
  51. Never was, I am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, to live and breath on this terrestrial ball. What am I?
  52. Those wooden birds are now in sight whose voices roar, whose wings are white, whose maws are fill'd with hose and shoes, with wine, cloth, sugar, salt and news, when they have eas'd their stomachs here they cry farewell, until next year.
  53. My voice is tender, my waist is slender and I'm often invited to play. Yet wherever I go, I must take my bow or else I have nothing to say. What am I?
  54. A beggar's brother went out to sea and drowned. But the man who drowned had no brother. Who was the beggar to the man who drowned?
  55. I am the heart that does not beat. If cut, I bleed without blood. I can fly, but have no wings. I can float, but have no fins. I can sing, but have no mouth.
  56. Creatures of power, creatures of grade, creatures of beauty, creatures of strength. As for their lives, they set everything's pace. For all things must come to live. Under their emerald embrace. Either in their life or in their death.
  57. I can trap many different things and colors, ever changing, not boring. Look closely and you may find yourself also caught in my trap.
  58. I have an end but no beginning, a home but no family, a space without room. I never speak but there is no word I cannot make. What am I?
  59. I am one small little piece of paper, yet sometimes hold lots of value. I am all you need to get in to big events, but will cost you. I am an important part of travel. And if lost, you're not coming. What am I?
  60. My first brace Nelson yielded, midst the jar of angry battle, and the din of war; my second, when from labor we retreat, far from polite, yet offers us a seat; my whole is but my second more complete.
  61. I roam through the lands hoping to rescue my love. I search high and low, and will stomp on you if you get in my way. What am I?
  62. We are little brethren twain, arbiters of loss and gain; man to our counters run, some are made, and some undone; but men find it, to their cost, few are made, but numbers lost; though we play them tricks for ever, yet they always hope our favor.
  63. As a whole, I am both safe and secure. Behead me, I become a place of meeting. Behead me again, I am the partner of ready. Restore me, I become the domain of beasts.
  64. I am in the sky but also in the ground. When you study me, no matter how long, I will always end with an f. I may be in your yard but not in your house. What am I?
  65. My first, if you do, you'll increase; my second will keep you from heaven; my whole, such a human caprice, is more frequently given than taken.
  66. My first is to be seen every day in the firmament; My second conquers kings and queens; And my whole is what I would offer to a friend in distress.
  67. I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never seen out of darkness.
  68. My first is a heir; My second's a snare; My whole is the offspring of fancy; Which I sent, out of play, Upon Valentine's day, As a token of love, to my Nancy.
  69. I am easy to see, but no one likes looking at me. Without me, there would be no you. I can make you complain, or make you happy. But you almost always take me for granted. What am I?
  70. If you look you cannot see me. If you see me you cannot see anything else. I can make anything you want happen, but later everything goes back to normal.
  71. Before my birth I have a name, but soon as born I lose the same; and when I'm laid within the tomb, I do my father's name assume; I change my name three days together, yet live but on in any weather.
  72. I cost no money to use, or conscious effort to take part of. And as far as you can see, there is nothing to me. But without me, you are dead.
  73. I come off a beautiful creature, which soars in the sky. I come off a peckish creature, which has a tail as mighty as the sun! I am sometimes dirty, and parents beg you not to pick me up. What am I?
  74. I am as simple as a circle, worthless as a leader; but when I follow a group, their strength increases tenfold. By myself I'm practically nothing. What am I?
  75. I am essential to life on earth! I am split into thirds. Two thirds are the same. One of the thirds is 8. The other two are 1 each. What am I?
  76. There's not a kingdom on the earth, but I have traveled over and over, and though I know not whence my birth, yet when I come, you know my roar. I through the town do take my flight, and through the fields and meadows green, and whether it be day or night, I neither am nor can be seen.
  77. Within passion's fruit they will be found, and more of them in the pomegranate's crown. Rowed they are within an apple's core, yet other fruits have them more. And though the nectarine has but one, still, this is all just in fun. Playing hide and seek- a children's game. Finding out each player is just the same.
  78. Words come out of it, aligned in perfect silence. A messenger of black on white, a slinky fellow drawing lines, of thin and soft graphite.
  79. Is said to make the world go around, but only if we let it. It puts a value on a thing, and makes you do some crazy things, just so you can get it.
  80. I am merry creature in pleasant time of year, As in but certain seasons, I sing that you can hear; And yet I'm made a by-word, A very perfect mock; Compared to foolish persons, And silliest of all folk.
  81. Five hundred begins it, five hundred ends it. Five in the middle is seen. First of all figures, the first of all letters. Take up their stations between. Join all together, and then you will bring before you the name of an eminent king.
  82. I am in the past, never in the future. I don't exist, but have existed. I saw what you saw, and this is what I will ever see. What am I?
  83. Mouthless but I will tell you a name that is not mine, I will show you the years I have seen but I have no eyes, memory I have but I have no mind.
  84. Six letters do my name compound; Among the aged oft I'm found; The shepherd also, by the brook, Hears me when leaning on his crook; But in the middle me divide, And take the half on either side, Each backward read, a liquor tell, Ev'ry gay toper knows it well.
  85. Oh lord! I am not worthy! I bend my limbs to the ground. I cry, yet without a sound. Let me drink of waters deep. And in silence I will weep.
  86. Kings and queens may cling to power, and the jesters may have their call. I am the most common but I can rule them all. What am I?
  87. I am never quite what I appear to be. Straight-forward I seem, but it's only skin deep. For mystery most often lies beneath my simple speech. Sharpen your wits, open your eyes, look beyond my exteriors, read me backwards, forwards, upside down. Think and answer the question...What am I?
  88. I have no voice but I can teach you all there is to know. I have spines and hinges but I am not a door. Once I've told you all, I cannot tell you more. What am I?
  89. First I may be your servant's name; then your desires I may proclaim; And, when your mortal life is over, hold all your wealth within my power.
  90. You get many of me, but never enough. After the last one, your life soon will snuff. You may have one of me but one day a year, When the last one is gone, your life disappears.
  91. It is more feared than fear itself, And no one can escape it. It takes no sides and does not judge, it does not know to hold a grudge. It is the most clearest result, Of how life beats you by default.
  92. I am the outstretched fingers that seize and hold the wind. Wisdom flows from me in other hands. Upon me are sweet dreams dreamt, my merest touch brings laughter.
  93. It's true I bring serenity. And hang around the stars. But yet I live in misery, you'll find me behind bars. With thieves and villains I consort. In prison I'll be found. But I would never go to court. Unless there's more than one.
  94. To give me to someone I don't belong to is cowardly, but to take me is noble. I can be a game, but there are no winners. What am I?
  95. A thousand colored folds stretch toward the sky. Atop a tender strand, rising from the land, until killed by maiden's hand. Perhaps a token of love, perhaps to say goodbye.
  96. Comes in bits and pieces, put together forms a whole. It's athletics for the mind, the more you think the more you find. Sometimes it can be a grind, but then, that is the goal.
  97. My first is ocean but not in sea, My second in milk but not in me. My third is in three but not in throw, My fourth in vow but not in crow. My fifth is in eight but not in night, My last is in wrong and also right. My whole is praise for thoughts or men; Or women, too, or tongue or pen.
  98. I am a window, I am a lamp, I am clouded, I am shining, I am colored and set in white, I fill with water and overflow. I say much, but I have no words.
  99. A young man wants to have it, but when he has it he no longer wants it. Blade in hand he attacks it And does his best to remove it. Yet he knows that it is all in vain.
  100. It comes only before, it comes only after. Rises only in darkness, but rises only in light. It is always the same, but is yet always different.
  101. Sometimes you feel it weigh a ton. Yet it is nothing, but somehow still there. Makes you uncomfortable around anyone, But speak its name and it's gone.
  102. My first part compliments people. My second part makes things known. My third part hurts feelings. My fourth part holds a previous treasure. My fifth part is used when sharing fancy beverages. What am I?
  103. Physicists have built devices to move me very fast. My last seven letters can be commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and journals. What am I?
  104. I saw a fight the other day; A damsel did begin the fray. She with her daily friend did meet, then standing in the open street, she gave such hard and sturdy blows, he bled ten gallons at the nose; yet neither seemed to faint nor fall, nor gave her an abuse at all.
  105. The ones who see it may go blind, Contracting the fool's madness. You have to dig to find it, Crush big stones or mine it. Wash dirt clumps in a pan and wait for it to settle, A shiny, precious metal.
  106. Lots of them make up a word, And lots of words are in them. It's easy when you think about it. A while ago we stamped and mailed them.
  107. I stand up tall and made of steel, with baguettes and garlic at my heel. I love the colours red, white and blue, but obviously not as much as you. I am a marvel for all to see, though to some I am a monstrosity! What am I?
  108. I am whole but incomplete. I have no eyes, yet I see. You can see, and see right through me. My largest part is one fourth of what I once was.
  109. A young lady walked through the meadow and scattered her glass pearls. The Moon saw this, yet didn't tell her. The Sun woke up and gathered the pearls.
  110. My first is in blood and also in battle. My second is in acorn, oak, and apple. My third and fourth are both the same. In the center of sorrow and twice in refrain. My fifth starts eternity ending here. My last is the first of last, Oh Dear!
  111. I run over fields and woods all day. Under the bed at night I sit not alone. My tongue hangs out, up and to the rear, awaiting to be filled in the morning.
  112. I've been argued on my colour. Without me you'll die. So many attempts on your life use me, so make sure you have many of my "White" friends. What am I?
  113. Searing 'cross the pitch-black skies, I scream in celebration, Yet moments later, my outburst through, I am naught but imagination.
  114. Matt is the fiftieth fastest and the fiftieth slowest runner in his school. Assuming no two runners are the same speed, how many runners are in Matt's school?
  115. Once upon a time there were seven dwarfs who were all brothers. They were all born two years apart. The youngest dwarf is seven years old. How old is his oldest brother?
  116. There is a clothing store in Bartlesville. The owner has devised his own method of pricing items. A vest costs $20, socks cost $25, a tie costs $15 and a blouse costs $30. Using the method, how much would a pair of underwear cost?
  117. In the land of the green glass door there are riddles but no answers, sheets but no blankets, and books but no words. Name something found in the land of the green glass door.
  118. We travelled the sea far and wide. At one time, two of my sailors were standing on opposite sides of the ship. One was looking west and the other one east. And at the same time, they could see each other clearly. How can that be possible?
  119. I'm simple for a few people. But hard for them to hear. I live inside of secrets. I bring people's worst fears. What am I?
  120. I have many feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head, but I'm not alive. It is your strength that determines how far I go. You can hold me in your, but I'm never thrown. What am I?
  121. Many shapes, many sizes. Can't be seen, only felt. I bring pain, I bring joy, I bring laughter, I bring happiness. I can tear the mightiest from their thrones, and those who have me are rich. What am I?
  122. With me you are blind, To others and what they are, Over me you cannot see, Even though I'm in your head, I am full of myself, I think I'm better than you, I'm a horrible thing to be, Can you tell me, What am I?
  123. I live in a busy place in the city, I'll let you stay with me for a while, If you don't feed me, I can get you into trouble. What am I?
  124. Half of the population uses me, and you lose me all the time. I'm small and yellow, black, brown or silver. You use me to hold things up. What am I?
  125. I am two-faced, but bear one head. Men spill their blood for me. I have no legs but travel widely. I make kings immortal. I am potent when shared; Yet lust for my power keeps me locked away. What am I?
  126. I'm a king that speaks for my country At birth I protected by no one As I grow my father gives me 2 soldiers to protect me As I get matured many more are given to me And at my full age my father gives me 32 white soldiers to guard me and protect me What am I?
  127. I have four wings, but cannot fly, I never laugh and never cry; on the same spot I'm always found, toiling away with little sound. What am I?
  128. I am one of many, You forget I'm here, but I'm just below. Without me, you'd surely topple, Go ahead, what am I?
  129. I love to wake up at noon And help with the many jobs I prefer the countryside to the city I help produce the things you eat What am I?
  130. I'm a very valuable thing to have. Use me right now, you should. Yet if you cut off my hindquarters, I'd be but a piece of wood. What am I?
  131. I'm a word, six letters long; I sometimes enter with a gong. All in order from A to Z, I start with the letter B. What is the word?
  132. I have a title and many pages I am a genteel of genteel descent I am a killer veteran of war I am a slave to my lord Pledged to his service.
  133. I have a leg but I do not move, A face but no expression, Be it wind or rain I stay outside. What am I?
  134. As beautiful as the setting sun, As delicate as the morning dew; An angel's dusting from the stars, That can turn the Earth into a frosted moon. What am I?
  135. Everyone has it. Those who have it least don't know that they have it. Those who have it most wish they had less of it, But not too little or none at all.
  136. I come when the weather is at its prime, Though, it might be wise to leave nothing on the street. But, in the wintertime My name is obsolete What am I?
  137. My thunder comes before my lightning. My lightning comes before my rain. And my rain dries all the ground it touches. What am I?
  138. You use me for multiple reasons, I am many colored, and many shaped. I may or may not also tell you your sexual preference. What am I?
  139. Looks like water, but it's heat. Sits on sand, lays on concrete. People have been known, To follow it everywhere. But it gets them no place, And all they can do is stare.
  140. I am rather large and usually majestic. I am every hue of the rainbow I can eat you, I may heat you, You only wish you could see me. What am I?
  141. It may only be given, Not taken or bought, What the sinner desires, But the saint does not.
  142. I look flat, but I am deep, Hidden realms I shelter. Lives I take, but food I offer. At times I am beautiful. I can be calm, angry and turbulent. I have no heart, but offer pleasure as well as death. No man can own me, yet I encompass what all men must have.
  143. I have one eye, See near and far, I hold the moments you treasure, And the things that make you weep.
  144. A harvest sown and reaped on the same day In an unplowed field, Which increases without growing, Remains whole though it is eaten Within and without, Is useless and yet The staple of nations.
  145. I am slim and tall Many find me desirable and appealing They touch me and I give a false good feeling Once I shine in splendor But only once and then no more For many I am to die for. What am I?
  146. On the wall, in the air, You just want me out of your hair, Try to catch me, but you cannot, For my vision is thousand fold. What am I?
  147. I cannot be felt, seen or touched; Yet I can be found in everybody; My existence is always in debate; Yet there is a style of music named after me.
  148. I am made from an animal, Although you nickname me after a different one. You can't eat me; you can only hold me, And once a year a festival is erected in my honor. What am I?
  149. What has everything inside it? Everything you can imagine even god, wind, world, sky, heaven, earth and everything that comes to your mind?
  150. No head has he but he wears a hat. No feet has he but he stands up straight. On him perhaps a fairy sat, weaving a spell one evening late!
  151. I cut through evil Like a double edged sword, And chaos flees at my approach. Balance I single-handedly upraise, Through battles fought with heart and mind, Instead of with my gaze. What am I?
  152. Thousands lay up gold within this house, But no man made it. Spears past counting guard this house, But no man wards it.
  153. I dig out tiny caves, and store gold and silver in them. I also build bridges of silver and make crowns of gold. They are the smallest you could imagine. Sooner or later everybody needs my help, yet many people are afraid to let me help them. Who am I?
  154. What must be in the oven yet cannot be baked? Grows in the heat yet shuns the light of day? What sinks in water but rises with air? Looks like skin, but is fine as hair?
  155. A hundred brothers lie next to each other; Each white and fine - they've only one spine. I am the tongue that lies between two. Remove me to gather their wisdom to you.
  156. We travel much, yet prisoners are, and close confined to boot. Yet with any horse, we will keep the pace, and will always go on foot. What are they?
  157. What goes up, but at the same time goes down? Up toward the sky, and down toward the ground. Its present tense and past tense too, come for a ride, just you and me!
  158. They can be harbored, but few hold water, You can nurse them, but only by holding them against someone else, You can carry them, but not with your arms, You can bury them, but not in the earth.
  159. Begotten, and born, and dying with noise, The terror of women, and pleasure of boys, Like the fiction of poets concerning the wind, I'm chiefly unruly, when strongest confined.
  160. Without a bridle, or a saddle, across a thing I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?

Answers

  1. The 3rd one.Testing each golfer as the possible liar (only Mr. Brown lies) against all three statements is only consistent when the 3rd golfer is revealed to be Mr. Blue.
  2. "You will hang me."Claiming 'You will hang me' creates an unresolvable paradox: hanging him would make the statement true (so he told the truth and should have been shot instead), while shooting him would make it a lie (so he should have been hanged instead) - so the captors can carry out neither punishment.
  3. He was using an umbrella or had a tall friend to push the buttons for high floors.The man is too short to reach the elevator's top-floor button alone, so he can only ride all the way up when a friend reaches it for him or he uses his umbrella to press it on a rainy day.
  4. horizonThe horizon is always visible in the distance, but since it's just where earth and sky appear to meet, it constantly recedes as you approach it.
  5. hairHair 'grows from the ground' of your scalp in every color, and like an unruly hedge, it eventually needs a trim to keep it tidy.
  6. marriageMarriage is meant to be a lifelong bond that lasts "forever" unless broken, such as through divorce, and people's feelings about it vary widely.
  7. mouthThe "red velvet hall" is the inside of the mouth, the "white armchairs of bone" are the teeth, and the "dancing woman" is the tongue moving as you speak.
  8. Pac-manIn the classic arcade game, Pac-Man gobbles white dots through a dark maze, earns bonus fruit, and must flee the ghosts patrolling the halls - unless a power pellet has turned them blue.
  9. smileA bright, white smile lights up a room, charms everyone who sees it, and often brings out the very best in the person wearing it.
  10. airLike riddle 214, air is invisible and untouched as you walk through it, yet utterly necessary - you'd die without it though you rarely think to thank it.
  11. halfThis wordplay riddle counts by twos - a whole holds two halves, a pair holds four, a trio six, a quartet eight - always doubling the count, with 'half' being the name that fits just one single unit.
  12. hurricaneThe poem's imagery of a howling, tearing, twisting funnel of air actually fits a tornado slightly better than a hurricane, but the source names it a hurricane -- the answer is a loose fit for its own clues.
  13. sailorAboard ship a sailor's world is turned around - the deck above serves as his 'roof,' the hull below as his 'floor' - and every day at sea brings a fresh horizon into view.
  14. shoeLike riddle 131, a shoe 'runs' the streets all day and rests, tongue out, under the bed or by the door each night, waiting to be worn again.
  15. scaleNobody wants to be seen stepping on a bathroom scale, and most people avoid discussing the number it shows - yet almost everyone quietly weighs themselves when alone.
  16. roadA road can curve or run straight, be smooth or rough pavement that darkens with wear, and features yellow and white painted lane markings, including stripes and dashed lines.
  17. windNo chain, trench, or army can stop the wind, and a strong enough gust can topple trees that a thousand soldiers together could never budge.
  18. starsStars are enormous yet appear tiny and distant at dusk, and 'seeing stars' also describes the sparkle behind closed eyes - whether from a bump on the head or the dizzying feeling of being in love.
  19. bookwormThis Old English riddle (the 'Moth' riddle from the Exeter Book) describes a bookworm that literally eats through a manuscript's words while its meaning goes unnoticed.
  20. flagA flag leads troops into battle and is saluted by soldiers, flutters for the wind alone, stands on a single pole, and belongs at home flying high in the sky.
  21. wheelbarrowA wheelbarrow has two handle 'arms' with no fingers and a wheel or 'feet' that carries loads best when tilted, wheel side down, off the ground.
  22. paperIdeas are first sketched on paper, it can frustrate you with cuts or jams yet also be beautifully decorated, and it even carries the world's most valuable commodity - printed money.
  23. rocking chairA rocking chair sways forward and backward all day long, its gentle rock able to calm a fussy baby - or, in an empty room, look eerily unsettling.
  24. pastThis poem describes gazing down at a twilight city from a hillside as if it were a memory - a metaphor for looking back on the past.
  25. pencil leadPencil lead (graphite) is mined from the earth and sealed permanently inside a wooden casing, yet nearly everyone uses it to write.
  26. timeWhen time is passing normally you don't notice it, but once it feels like it's running out you wish you could see more of it; patient people feel they have plenty, while impatient people feel it's always scarce.
  27. bookA book communicates without a voice, transports readers to imagined worlds through the mind's eye, and even though its story is fiction, a good one feels entirely true while you're immersed in it.
  28. footballA soccer ball's black-and-white paneled pattern resembles a chessboard, and it can be whirled, curled, bent, shot, and parried by any player - even towering pros like Peter Crouch.
  29. wordsWords can be sparse in a wise person's careful speech, plentiful in a drunk's rambling, soothing to a wild beast or child, and can 'devour the heart' emotionally without any physical wound.
  30. gallowsPeople approach the gallows with dread ("heavy feet"), and the condemned person it "holds" is hanged, causing the body to swing and twitch ("turn and spin, and start to dance").
  31. electric fanAn electric fan's blades wave like hands without ever waving goodbye, keeping you cool - especially when switched to its highest speed setting.
  32. windowA window lets in light while remaining a solid pane, keeps a room from feeling closed-in, shatters if struck too hard, and is a fixture of nearly every building.
  33. rainbow'Rain' nurtures plants and flowers, 'bow' (as in bow and arrow) is a weapon of destruction, and together 'rainbow' is the biblical sign of God's promise never to flood the earth again.
  34. timeTime passes silently and can't truly be grasped, yet everyone senses it slipping away, wishes to slow it down, and it marches on forever regardless.
  35. deskA desk stands on four bare legs, is 'ridden' for hours while you sit and work at it, and its drawers are tugged open and its lamp switched on, always ready for the next task.
  36. promiseA promise costs nothing to make but everything to keep, is worthless if purchased, can be given by rich or poor alike, and breaking one always brings pain and betrayal.
  37. rhymeEach clue hides one letter of RHYME - R from riddle, H from think, Y from thyme, M from mother, and E from time - spelling out the poetic device this very riddle relies on.
  38. eightThe numeral 8 has two equal round loops joined by a slim waist, looks the same right-side up or upside-down, and if you slice off its top loop, what remains is simply a 0.
  39. penA cheap ballpoint pen can inspire great writing and costs barely more than a penny, but will eventually run dry with overuse.
  40. tectonic plateTectonic plates drift only inches per year, yet a sudden major shift can trigger a devastating, deadly earthquake - enormous forces moving unseen beneath our feet.
  41. marshmallowA marshmallow puffs up ('grows') when held near a campfire, a beloved summer treat best enjoyed with friends - especially combined into a s'more.
  42. timeTime can seem to fly by in an instant or crawl painfully slowly, is invisible until measured by a clock, and is always missed most once it has run out.
  43. iceThis old riddle describes frozen water - waves turned to hard, intricately patterned ice that looks almost carved like bone.
  44. historyHistory repeats itself yet never quite the same way twice, can't be undone though its telling can be rewritten, and is passed down through generations - forgotten only at our peril.
  45. thumbHitchhikers stick out a thumb, left or right, to catch a ride over any road, and a thumbs-up signals success while a thumbs-down spells trouble.
  46. thursdayWorking through each relative day-shift in the riddle - the day after tomorrow, the day before yesterday - and solving for consistency with Wednesday pins the day in question down to Thursday.
  47. ballA ball rolls and moves in every color without holding anything inside, has no head or eyes despite its round shape, yet can end up anywhere it's kicked or thrown.
  48. jewelA precious jewel rests on a soft velvet lining inside its box, hard as stone and dull until the box is opened and it catches the light.
  49. legThough lifeless without breath, thought, or appetite of its own, your leg runs, jumps, swims, stretches, and grows right along with you, visible every single day.
  50. babyNo grown woman likes being called a 'baby,' yet most dream of having one - a bundle that cries loudly one moment and gurgles happily with a toy the next.
  51. futureAlmost word-for-word the same riddle as another in this collection, this version's answer is 'the future' - something no one has ever truly seen, yet everyone lives their life trusting it will come.
  52. shipsThis old riddle describes wooden sailing ships with roaring cannons, white sails ('wings'), and cargo holds ('maws') full of goods that unload at port before sailing off again.
  53. violinA violin has a slender, curved 'waist,' a gentle tone, and needs its bow drawn across the strings or it produces no sound at all.
  54. sisterSince the drowned man had no brother, the beggar who called him 'brother' must actually be female -- his sister.
  55. woodWood has a grain sometimes called its 'heart,' oozes sap ('bleeds') when cut, and shaped into arrows, boats, or instruments, it can fly, float, or sing without wings, fins, or a mouth of its own.
  56. treesTrees of every size and strength shelter all living things beneath their green canopy in life, and their wood often accompanies us even in death, as with a coffin.
  57. mirrorA mirror captures every color and shape reflected before it, endlessly changing, and if you look closely you'll always find your own reflection caught within it.
  58. keyboardA computer keyboard has literal 'End' and 'Home' keys, a 'Space' bar that holds no room, and though silent itself, it can type out any word imaginable.
  59. ticketA small paper ticket can be worth a lot, is your admission to big events or trips, and losing it means you won't be getting in.
  60. armchairARM (which Admiral Nelson famously lost in battle) plus CHAIR (where we rest after labor) combine into ARMCHAIR - a chair made 'more complete' with armrests.
  61. MarioIn the Mario video game series, the hero treks across many lands to rescue Princess Peach, defeating enemies along the way by stomping on them.
  62. diceA pair of dice decides fortunes at the gaming table - luck rarely favors the gambler, yet players keep hoping the dice will turn in their favor.
  63. stableSTABLE beheaded becomes TABLE (a meeting place), beheaded again becomes ABLE (paired with 'ready'), and restoring the S returns to STABLE - literally a barn, the domain of beasts.
  64. leafLeaves fall from the sky and end up on the ground, the word 'leaf' always ends in 'f,' and leaves are found outdoors in the yard, not typically inside the house.
  65. adviceADD (which increases a total) plus VICE (a sin that keeps you from heaven) combine into ADVICE - notoriously given far more often than it's actually taken.
  66. solace'Sol' is the sun seen daily in the sky, an 'ace' beats kings and queens in cards, and together they form 'solace' -- comfort offered to a struggling friend.
  67. SThe letter S starts 'sorrow' and ends 'sickness,' sits inside 'happiness' and 'crosses,' pairs with 'risk' but not 'danger,' and appears in 'sun' but never outside 'darkness.'
  68. sonnetAn 'heir' is often a 'son,' and a 'snare' is a 'net' -- combine son plus net to get 'sonnet,' a poem born of imagination and a classic Valentine's gift.
  69. SunEveryone can see the sun, yet staring at it is uncomfortable; without it there'd be no life on Earth, and its presence affects everyone's mood, though it's easy to take for granted.
  70. imaginationImagination itself is invisible, yet when you're absorbed in it you notice nothing else around you, conjuring anything you wish before reality resumes.
  71. todayBefore it arrives it's called 'tomorrow,' the moment it happens it becomes 'today,' and once past it takes on its father's name, 'yesterday' -- living on regardless of the weather.
  72. airAir is free, invisible, and requires no real effort to take in with each breath, yet life is utterly impossible without it.
  73. featherA feather comes from birds like eagles (soaring) and roosters (whose tail feathers can be showy), and parents often discourage kids from touching a dirty one found outside.
  74. zeroZero looks like a plain circle, means nothing on its own or when leading a number, yet placed after other digits it multiplies their value tenfold with each one added.
  75. waterWater (H2O) is made of two hydrogen atoms (each atomic number 1) and one oxygen atom (atomic number 8) — 'two thirds the same' and 'one of the thirds is 8.'
  76. windThe wind has traveled everywhere without a birthplace of its own, roars audibly through town and field, yet remains completely invisible day or night.
  77. seedsPassion fruit, pomegranates, apples, and nectarines all contain seeds in varying numbers, and the poem plays on "seeds" sounding just like "seeks" in hide-and-seek.
  78. pencilA pencil silently produces words on paper, its slender graphite core leaving soft, dark lines like a quiet messenger of black on white.
  79. moneyMoney is often blamed for making the world go round, assigns value to everything, and drives people to do things they normally wouldn't, all in pursuit of getting more of it.
  80. cuckooThe cuckoo bird sings cheerfully only in certain seasons, yet its name became slang for someone foolish or a little crazy - a 'cuckoo' insult born from the bird itself.
  81. DavidD (500 in Roman numerals) starts and ends the name, V (5) sits in the middle, and A (first letter of the alphabet) and I (the first Roman numeral) fill the remaining spots, spelling DAVID, the biblical king.
  82. memoryA memory exists only in the past, can never be renewed by the future, and forever replays exactly what was once seen, unchanged.
  83. gravestoneA gravestone bears someone else's name, marks the years of a lifespan without having eyes to have seen them, and serves as a silent 'memory' with no mind of its own.
  84. murmurSplit 'murmur' down the middle into 'mur' and 'mur,' and each half read backward spells 'rum' - the liquor every heavy drinker ('toper') knows well.
  85. willowThe weeping willow bends its long branches toward the ground near water, its drooping form evoking a silent, sorrowful weeping.
  86. aceIn many card games the Ace outranks even the King and Queen, and though it's the lowest-numbered card, it can trump every other card in the deck.
  87. riddleA riddle looks simple on the surface but hides a deeper meaning, rewarding those who examine it from every angle - fittingly, this very riddle describes itself.
  88. bookA book is silent yet teaches everything within it, has a 'spine' and hinge-like binding without being a door, and once you've read it all, it has nothing more to tell.
  89. will'Will' can be a given name (short for William), a verb expressing desire or intention, and the legal document that controls how your wealth is distributed after death.
  90. birthdayYou accumulate birthdays year after year, always wanting more, and once your very last birthday has come and gone, your life is over.
  91. deathDeath is universal, unavoidable, and impartial, everyone eventually experiences it regardless of who they are, making it the inevitable end result of life.
  92. featherA feather's barbs catch the wind like fingers, quill pens (made from feathers) once wrote down wisdom, feather pillows cradle sleepers' dreams, and a feather's light touch famously tickles and causes laughter.
  93. SAdding the letter S turns 'star' into 'stars,' 'bar' into 'bars,' and 'court' into 'courts' - it only shows up when there's more than one of something, fitting every clue in the riddle.
  94. blameBlaming someone else for your own fault is cowardly, but voluntarily taking the blame yourself is considered noble; in a 'blame game,' there's never a true winner.
  95. flowerA flower's many colorful folded petals rise on a slender stem until picked by a maiden's hand - given as a token of love or laid down in farewell.
  96. puzzleA puzzle is made of separate pieces that only reveal the full picture once combined, making it a genuine workout for the mind.
  97. cleverEach line hides one letter of CLEVER - C from ocean, L from milk, E from three, V from vow, E from eight, R from wrong - spelling out a word of praise for sharp thinking.
  98. eyeAn eye has a colored iris set in white, can well up and overflow with tears, and though it says nothing aloud, its expressions can speak volumes.
  99. beardA young man looks forward to growing his first beard, then shaves it off once he has it, knowing all along that it will simply grow right back.
  100. moonThe moon precedes and follows the sun in the sky, is most visible rising at night yet shines with reflected daylight, and though it is the same moon each month, its phase is always changing.
  101. silenceSilence can feel like a heavy, physical presence between people, yet the instant you say the word 'silence' out loud, it is broken and gone.
  102. handThis charade riddle points to the word "hand": lending a hand compliments, information gets handed over, a backhand can hurt, heirlooms are handed down, and drinks are handed round -- though the fit for each clue is loose in the source material.
  103. particlesPhysicists accelerate subatomic particles to tremendous speeds, and dropping the leading letter from 'particles' leaves 'articles' - the written pieces found in newspapers, magazines, and journals.
  104. pumpThis old riddle's 'fight' and 'bleeding' are a playful disguise for two people working a water pump - the 'blows' and 'ten gallons' describe pumped water, not real violence.
  105. goldGold prospecting has historically driven some miners to obsession ('gold fever'), and the shining metal is uncovered by digging, crushing ore, or panning dirt in a stream.
  106. lettersThe word 'letters' works both ways at once - the alphabet letters that build every word, and the mailed 'letters,' themselves made of words, once stamped and sent by post.
  107. Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a steel landmark in Paris near famous French bread and garlic markets, lit in the colors of the French flag, and once considered by critics a monstrosity rather than a marvel.
  108. skeletonA skeleton is a whole set of bones yet incomplete without flesh; its empty eye sockets let light pass through, and its largest single part, the skull, forms from far fewer fused bones than the many separate ones a baby's skull once had.
  109. dewMorning dew, likened to scattered glass pearls, forms unseen overnight under the moon's watch and is 'gathered' away again once the sun rises and evaporates it.
  110. barrelEach clue spells one letter of BARREL - B from blood and battle, A from acorn/oak/apple, R doubled from the center of 'sorrow' and twice in 'refrain,' E starting 'eternity,' and L, the first letter of 'last.'
  111. shoeShoes are worn out and about all day, kept under the bed at night, and each has a "tongue" sticking out, waiting to be put on (filled with a foot) in the morning.
  112. red blood cellBlood's true color has long been debated, and red blood cells are essential to survival, working alongside their 'white' counterparts to keep the body alive against constant threats.
  113. fireworkA firework streaks into the night sky and bursts with a celebratory "scream" (whistle and bang), but once its brief display fades, all that remains is the memory of the show.
  114. There are 99 runners in Matt's school.If Matt is 50th fastest, 49 runners are faster than him, and if he's 50th slowest, 49 are slower - adding Matt himself gives 49 + 49 + 1 = 99 runners total.
  115. The oldest brother is 19 years old not 21 years old.With seven brothers spaced two years apart and the youngest at 7, the ages run 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 - so the oldest is 19, not the 21 many people mistakenly guess.
  116. $45. The pricing method consists of charging $5 for each letter required to spell the item.Each price is exactly $5 per letter in the item's name (vest=4 letters=$20, blouse=6 letters=$30), so 'underwear,' with nine letters, costs 9 x $5 = $45.
  117. Any word with two letters next to each other. Like the word letters.This classic party riddle allows only items whose name contains a double letter - 'riddles,' 'sheets,' and 'books' all qualify, just like the example word 'letters.'
  118. The sailors had their backs against either ends of the ship.Standing back-to-back at opposite ends of the ship (bow and stern), one facing west and the other facing east, they would actually be facing toward each other along the length of the ship and could see one another clearly.
  119. The truth.The truth can be painfully hard for some people to accept, often hides inside secrets, and confronting it is many people's greatest fear.
  120. arrowAn arrow has feathered fletching to help it fly true, is lifeless wood and metal on its own, and its range depends on the archer's strength - it is shot from a bow, never thrown.
  121. loveLove cannot be seen or touched but produces the strongest emotions imaginable, has toppled kings and empires throughout history, and having it makes anyone feel "rich" regardless of material wealth.
  122. ignoranceThe official answer is ignorance -- being blind to the truth about others and unaware of one's own blind spots -- though the line "I think I'm better than you" arguably fits arrogance or pride even more closely; the source's stated answer is used here since willful ignorance often produces that same dismissive, superior attitude.
  123. parking meterA parking meter sits on a busy city street, lets you stay parked for the time you've paid, and gets you a ticket - trouble - if you forget to feed it coins.
  124. bobby pinsBobby pins are small metal hair fasteners used mostly by women, constantly lost, and made in colors like black, brown, or silver to blend into hair.
  125. moneyCurrency (like coins) is 'two-faced' with heads and tails, people fight and even die over it, it travels the world through trade, and hoarded wealth is often locked away in vaults.
  126. tongueThe tongue "speaks" for a person, is unprotected at birth, gains "soldiers" (teeth) as a baby grows, and by adulthood is guarded by a full set of 32 white teeth.
  127. windmillA windmill has four rotating blades ('wings') that never carry it anywhere, and it works silently and tirelessly in the same spot.
  128. toesToes are often overlooked, positioned at the front of your feet, yet they play an important role in balance -- without them, you'd more easily topple over.
  129. farmerA farmer can often sleep in later than city workers on any given day, handles countless different chores on the land, and grows the food people eat.
  130. logicThis is a wordplay riddle: "logic" is valuable to use, but if you remove its ending ("-ic," the "hindquarters"), you are left with "log" -- literally a piece of wood.
  131. begins"Begins" has six letters, starts with B (the second letter of the alphabet), and events such as boxing matches often "begin" with the sound of a gong.
  132. knightA knight holds a noble title ("genteel descent"), is a battle-hardened warrior, and is sworn in loyal service to his lord -- the "many pages" evoke both his title and the chivalric records written of him.
  133. scarecrowA scarecrow has a single supporting pole ("leg"), a stitched or painted "face" without real expression, and stands outdoors in all weather to guard a field.
  134. snowSnow is often poetically described as beautiful, delicate, and star-like as it dusts the earth, transforming the ground into a bright, moon-like white landscape.
  135. ageEveryone has an age; very young children do not understand the concept of their own age, while the elderly often wish to be younger -- yet nobody truly wants to be an infant again either.
  136. hailHail typically forms during warm-season storms and can be hazardous to leave things exposed to, but once true winter cold sets in, precipitation falls as snow instead, so the term becomes obsolete.
  137. volcanoA volcano rumbles like thunder before it flashes fire, and the molten 'rain' of lava that follows scorches and dries out everything it touches.
  138. scarfA scarf comes in endless colors, shapes, and uses for warmth or fashion; the riddle's final line is a wink at real-world scarf color codes some subcultures use to signal orientation.
  139. mirageA mirage is an optical illusion caused by heat that looks like water on sand or pavement; anyone chasing it can never actually reach it.
  140. dragonDragons in myth are described as majestic, multicolored creatures that can breathe fire (heat you) and devour people (eat you), yet remain mythical -- something people only wish they could see.
  141. forgivenessForgiveness must be freely given by another person -- it cannot be bought or seized -- and it is most desperately sought by those who have sinned rather than by those who have not.
  142. oceanThe ocean looks flat from the surface but harbors vast, hidden depths; it takes lives through drowning yet provides food through fishing, and it belongs to no single person while sustaining all of humanity.
  143. cameraA camera has one "eye" (its lens), captures scenes near and far, and preserves cherished or sorrowful moments as photographs.
  144. warThis classic riddle describes war: it can be started and ended ("sown and reaped") within a single day, grows through destruction rather than cultivation, consumes nations from within and without, and has tragically been a grim "staple" of human history.
  145. cigaretteA cigarette is slim, seems glamorous to many, gives smokers a fleeting pleasant feeling, glows brightly only once before burning out, and can ultimately be deadly.
  146. flyA housefly buzzes around your head and hair, is maddeningly hard to swat thanks to its wide field of vision from compound eyes.
  147. soulThe soul cannot be seen or touched and its existence is debated by philosophers and scientists alike, and 'soul music' is a real musical genre named after it.
  148. footballA football is traditionally made of pigskin, nicknamed after that animal rather than the pig itself, and the Super Bowl is the annual festival built around it.
  149. alphabetEvery word for every concept, including 'god,' 'wind,' and 'world,' is spelled using only the letters of the alphabet, so in a sense it contains everything nameable.
  150. toadstoolA toadstool has a rounded cap like a hat and stands upright on a stalk with no head or feet, and folklore often shows fairies perched on one.
  151. justiceJustice is traditionally pictured wielding a double-edged sword and holding balanced scales, cutting through wrongdoing through reasoned judgment rather than sight or force.
  152. beehiveA beehive stores golden honey that no human built, and it is guarded by countless stinging 'spears' - the bees themselves - with no separate watchman needed.
  153. dentistA dentist works in tiny tooth 'cavities' filled with gold or silver, builds dental bridges and crowns, and is a professional almost everyone eventually needs but many fear visiting.
  154. yeastYeast goes into oven-baked bread without itself being 'baked' as food, ferments and grows in warm darkness, and makes dough rise with the gas it produces even though the yeast itself settles out in liquid.
  155. bookmarkThe 'hundred brothers' sharing one spine are a book's pages, and the bookmark is the flat 'tongue' slipped between two of them to hold your place.
  156. spursSpurs are fixed to a rider's boot and never leave it, yet they travel wherever the horse carries the rider, always staying at foot level.
  157. seesawA seesaw sends one end up while the other goes down at the same time, and 'saw' is also the past tense of 'see' - a classic playground wordplay riddle.
  158. grudgeA grudge is something people figuratively 'harbor,' 'nurse,' 'carry,' and 'bury' (as in burying the hatchet) - none of these are literal physical actions.
  159. cannonA cannon is 'born' with a deafening blast, terrifies onlookers, delights boys who play at soldiers, and is most dangerous when its powder is tightly confined.
  160. glassesYou ride glasses on the bridge of your nose (not a real bridle or saddle), and they help people who are almost blind to see.