2,066 Medium Riddles With Answers - page 18 of 21
What 3 common songs have the same melody?
Baa Baa Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and the Alphabet Song all share the exact same tune.
I am not a person or an animal. I was born from the death of something large and hot. I am capable of consuming anything and everything. I am very dark and exist in a place where there is no gravity. What am I?
A black hole forms from the collapse (death) of a massive star and consumes matter with immense gravity, existing in dark space.
What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?
Charcoal starts black, glows red while burning, and turns to gray ash once it's used up.
There are 10 birds on a branch, a man shot 5 of them. How many were left?
As with the similar fence riddle, the gunshot would scare away all the surviving birds, leaving none on the branch.
Twenty-seven ducks are going to the pond. Five of them got lost, thirteen of them are staying home, and nine of them are at the pond. Where are the rest of them?
5 + 13 + 9 equals exactly 27, so there are no ducks left unaccounted for despite the riddle implying there should be.
Birds of a feather flock together. What is the contradictory proverb?
'Opposites attract' directly contradicts the idea that similar things group together, as in 'birds of a feather'.
They can trickle down, They can tickle too. Or make you sneeze, Or comfort you. Their rustling sound, you've rarely heard, Unless you're a pillow or a bird! What are they?
The clues about tickling, causing sneezes, rustling, and being inside pillows and on birds all point to feathers.
I make the leaves green, I make the dirt brown, I make the bluebirds blue, I make all of your dreams come true. What am I?
The riddle lists colors it 'makes', pointing to crayons that can color anything any shade, including making dreams (drawings) come true.
I can't see yet I know you're there. I'm not a cow but I'm leather. I'm a rare find but follow paths. I can fly but I'm not a bird. What am I?
The clues describe echolocation (blind but knows you're there), leathery wings, and flight without being a bird — a bat.
White bird, featherless, flyin' out o' paradise, flyin' over sea and land, dyin' in my hand. What is it?
The riddle describes something white, without feathers, that falls from the sky and melts (dies) in your hand — a snowflake.
Inside napper, bird chaser, quick stoker, small animal killer, fish eater. What is it?
Each clue describes a common cat behavior: napping indoors, chasing birds, moving quickly, hunting small animals, and eating fish.
There are ten birds sitting on a fence. You shoot one. How many are left?
The riddle's twist is that a gunshot would scare off the surviving birds, leaving none behind despite the arithmetic seeming to say nine.
If there is a Yellow house on Bluebird Lane, a Green house on Orange Street, a Pink house on Kitten Road, a Black house on Whitehorse Pike and a Purple house on Firebird hill, where is the White house?
The riddle is a misdirection about house colors on fictional streets, but 'the White House' actually refers to the real building in Washington, D.C.
Forward and forward I go, never looking back. My limit no one knows, more of me do they lack. Like a river, I do flow, and as an eagle, I fly. Now can you guess, what am I?
The poem describes something that only moves forward, is limitless, flows, and flies swiftly — the abstract concept of time.
If there are fifteen crows on a fence and the farmer shoots a third of them, how many crows are left?
The math trick is a distraction; the real answer relies on the fact that a gunshot would scare all the remaining crows away.
If it takes 5 microwaves and 5 minutes to cook 5 chickens, how long does it take 100 microwaves to cook 100 chickens?
Since each microwave cooks one chicken independently in 5 minutes, adding more microwaves doesn't change the per-batch cook time.
I'm the part of the bird that's not in the sky. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?
A shadow follows the bird along the ground or water's surface without ever getting wet or leaving the ground.
Would you rather have a tiger or lion eat you?
A clever misdirection — reinterpreting "eat you" as "eat, you," offering the tiger eating the lion instead.
I can race like a car, but I can also go as slow as a sloth, I am very famous in a movie, but I seem like I shouldn't be, what am I?
"Turbo" references the animated snail movie character, famous for being both impossibly fast and naturally slow like other snails.
Why is a conundrum like a monkey?
A "conundrum," a tricky riddle, and a monkey's antics are both described as far-fetched and nonsensical.
What do you get when you mate Simba with a pair of glasses?
Wordplay — "see," as in glasses helping you see, combines with "lion," Simba, to form "sea lion."
Which would see most clearly in total darkness? A bat, a tiger, or an owl.
True total darkness has no light at all, so no creature—regardless of night vision or echolocation for sight—can actually see anything.
I've existed for Trillions of years, but only been around for 30 days. What am I?
While the moon itself is ancient, each full moon cycle only takes about 30 days to complete.
A guy gets to choose how to die he has 3 choices, one to get put in the electric chair, two to get hung, and three to get thrown in a lion pit of lions that had not eaten in one thousand years. Which did he choose?
Lions that haven't eaten in a thousand years would be long dead, making that option the safest.
You walk into your house you see three doors you've never seen before. One vampire bat that will suck your blood. Two zombies that will eat your brain. Three a lion that hasn't eaten for over six months. Which one do you go through?
An animal can't survive six months without food, so the lion behind door three would already be dead and harmless.
You are in a room with three monkeys, one has a stick, one has a banana, and one has nothing. Who is the smartest in the room?
A trick question — the reader, a human, is also in the room and is inherently smarter than any monkey.
First you see me in the grass dressed in yellow gay; next I am in dainty white, then I fly away. What am I?
A dandelion starts as a yellow flower, turns into a white puffball, and its seeds fly away on the wind.
What are the three keys that open no doors?
Wordplay — each animal name hides the word "key" inside it, but none actually opens a lock.
There are three doors. In each door is a way to die. The first door has fire and lava. The second door has lions that haven't eaten in 5 years. In the third door, there is a 1,000-foot drop into alligators. Which door will you likely survive?
The trick is realizing lions can't survive five years without food, so by the time you open that door they are already dead.
Even if they are starving, natives living in the Arctic will never eat a penguin's egg. Why not?
The riddle relies on the geography fact that penguins live in the Antarctic (south), not the Arctic (north), so none would be found there.
When was pork first introduced into the Navy?
This puns on 'Ham,' the biblical son of Noah, and 'ham,' the pork product.
You have seven pens and nine pigs. You must arrange the pens so that each pen has an even number of pigs. Zero is not allowed, nor will it work. How do you do this?
By stacking (nesting) the pens inside one another, all nine pigs can occupy the innermost pen together, an even number counted as one grouping that satisfies the puzzle's trick.
A pig lives on a pig farm, a cow lives on a cow farm, a sheep lives on a sheep farm, a chicken lives on a chicken farm. Where do horses live?
Breaking the pattern, horses conventionally live on a 'ranch' rather than a farm named directly after them.
It is said among my people that some things are improved by death. Tell me, what stinks while living, but in death, smells good?
A live pig and its pen can smell unpleasant, but once processed into bacon or ham, it's cooked into a food many find delicious-smelling.
Twenty-seven ducks are going to the pond. Five of them got lost, thirteen of them are staying home, nine of them are at the pond. Where are the rest of them?
Adding 5 lost, 13 staying home, and 9 at the pond totals exactly 27, accounting for every duck with none left over.
In what place did the rooster crow when all the world heard him?
According to the tale, Noah's Ark carried all the animals of the world, so a rooster crowing there was 'heard' by every kind of creature aboard.
What is the time-piece, That needs no winding?
A rooster crows at dawn like a natural alarm clock, with no winding required.
He's a boastful, puffed-up fellow, wearing spurs; eyes gleaming yellow. As he proudly struts about, he's in charge, there is no doubt. What is he?
The description matches a proud rooster strutting with spurs and bright eyes as leader of the flock.
How did the chicken manage to pay for, 'A de Luxe' roost?
The pun turns "hire purchase," a payment plan, into "higher perch-ase," referencing a roosting perch.
I have a house with no doors no windows, nothing. If I want to get out I break the wall. Who am I?
The 'house' is an egg, and the only way for the chicken inside to get out is to break the shell.
Under no circumstances compute the number of your barnyard fowl previous to their incubation. What is the proverb?
The riddle rephrases the familiar proverb in overly formal language, calling eggs "barnyard fowl" before "incubation" (hatching).
My call, I pray, at dawn of day, Shall rest you from your slumber, With job all done, my song all sung, I'll sit on the seat of lumber. What am I?
The description matches a rooster crowing at dawn and then perching on a wooden fence or roost.
Why did the chicken cross the road twice, and jump in the mud?
The pun plays on 'double-crosser' meaning both crossing the road twice and being a deceitful person, plus getting literally dirty in the mud.
Where is there no south, west, nor east, and weather is not fit for man or beast?
At the South Pole, every direction from that point is north, so south, west, and east don't exist there.
I'm alive and I die. When cut, I bleed I do not fear the seasons. I make my home above yet below the land. I'm a friend to man and beast, yet hunted by both. My bones are always within sight. What am I?
A tree "bleeds" sap when cut, grows both above and below ground with roots, and provides shelter and resources, its "bones" being its branches, for animals and people alike.
Face with a tree, skin like the sea. A great beast I am, yet vermin frightens me. What am I?
The "tree" is the elephant's trunk, its wrinkled skin resembles the sea, and elephants are famously said to fear mice.
Why kind of entertainment does Yosemite National Park have?
Wordplay — "Bear-itones" sounds like "baritones," a type of singer, fitting for a park known for its bears.
What do kids, worms, bears, fish, and rings all have in common?
Each of these has a popular gummy-candy version: gummy bears, gummy worms, gummy fish, gummy rings, and gummy vitamins.
What do you call a polar bear at the beach?
Wordplay — "Sandy Claws" sounds like "Santa Claus," combined with a bear's claws covered in sand.
When are boys like bears?
Wordplay — "bare-footed," without shoes, sounds like "bear-footed."
What do you call a bear with no ear?
Removing the letters "ear" from "bear" leaves just the letter "b."
If someone robbed you in the shower, what would you be?
Wordplay — "eye wetness" sounds like "eyewitness," fitting since you'd be wet from the shower while witnessing the robbery.
Why did Silly Sarah race to the bathroom?
Sarah misunderstands "ring around the tub," a soap stain, as a literal engagement ring, prompting her rush.
On a fine sunny day, a ship was in the harbor...What caused the ship to sink?
As with the earlier version of this riddle, the "sinking" ship is actually a submarine intentionally diving underwater.
What does a toilet with a funny accent have?
Wordplay — "irritable vowel syndrome" sounds like "irritable bowel syndrome," a play on the toilet's bathroom connection.
What do you call a person who crosses the road twice without taking a shower?
Wordplay — "double-crosser" means crossing twice, and "dirty" refers to not showering, together forming the phrase for a betrayer.
When you are wet and it is dry and if you use it, it becomes wet but you're completely dry. What is it?
The towel starts dry, absorbs the water off your body, and ends up wet while you end up dry.
How can you make a needle float?
The tissue paper supports the needle on the water's surface tension until the paper dissolves and sinks away, leaving the needle floating.
A farmer has never taken a shower in his life. He gets dirty every day...How is this possible?
A trick question — the farmer stays clean by bathing, just never by showering.
Why do you never bring a Pokemon into the bathroom with you?
Wordplay — "Pikachu" sounds like "peek at you," an invasion of bathroom privacy.
What do you call a tree that has been TP'ed?
This is a pun combining 'toilet paper' with 'tree' to form 'toiletry'.
On a fine sunny day a ship was in the harbor. All of a sudden the ship began to sink...What caused the ship to sink?
A submarine is designed to submerge, so it wasn't sinking by accident — it was simply diving underwater as intended.
If April showers bring may flowers, what do may flowers bring?
Wordplay — "Mayflowers" sounds like "Mayflower," the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America.
A man takes a basketball and throws it as hard as he can. There is nothing in front, behind, or on either side of him, and yet, the ball comes back and hits him square in the face. How can this be?
Gravity brings a ball thrown straight up back down to the same spot, hitting the thrower.
There was a man who everybody called Batman he knew nothing about bats and thought they were gross. He still loved it when people called him Batman! How could this be?
"Batman" here refers to a baseball player who bats well, not the superhero, so his dislike of actual bats doesn't matter.
A man is running home, where he meets 2 men with masks on. Then he runs away from home. What is this man's job?
Running toward "home" plate, the man passes the catcher and umpire, both of whom wear protective masks.
I play on a diamond, I play fair, I always get dirty, And then I run home. What Am I?
'Diamond' refers to a baseball field, 'run home' refers to scoring by reaching home plate, and sliding in the dirt makes the player dirty.
What has 18 legs and catches flies?
A baseball team has 9 players, 18 legs, who "catch flies," meaning fly balls.
Name the only sport in which the ball is always in possession of the team on defense, and the offensive team can score without touching the ball?
In baseball, the pitching (defensive) team always holds the ball, while the batting team can score runs without ever touching it.
A guy was waiting at home, he swung a metal pole then took 3 left turns, and on his way back home there was a masked man waiting for him. What is he doing and who is the masked man?
The "metal pole" is a bat, "3 left turns" traces the bases, and the "masked man" is the catcher wearing his protective mask.
How many hairs are in a bunny rabbit's tail?
A play on words — hairs grow "out" of the tail rather than being "in" it, since none are inside the body.
You walk into a room with a rabbit holding a carrot, a pig eating slop, and a chimp holding a banana. Which animal in the room is the smartest?
The riddle's trick is that the person reading it, who 'walked into the room', is also an animal present and presumably the smartest.
A farmer has twenty sheep, ten pigs, and ten cows. If we call the pigs cows, how many cows will he have?
Renaming an animal doesn't change its species — the ten pigs are still pigs no matter what you call them.
What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and water, but no fish?
A map shows symbols for cities, forests, and water without containing any actual houses, trees, or fish.
There are two bodies on the floor. They are surrounded by water and broken glass. How did they die?
The "bodies" are goldfish, and the "broken glass" is their fishbowl, which spilled water onto the floor.
A mouse, a squirrel, a duck, a chicken, and an elephant are sitting on the side of the road. Someone offers them a lift, but one prefers to stay. Who preferred to stay?
The riddle relies on the folklore idea that elephants are afraid of mice, so the elephant refuses to get in a vehicle with one.
There are 2 ducks in front of 2 other ducks. There are 2 ducks behind 2 other ducks. There are 2 ducks beside 2 other ducks. How many ducks are there?
Four ducks arranged in a square each have two ducks in front of them, two behind, and two beside them, satisfying every clue at once with the fewest possible ducks.
To you, rude would I never be, Though I flag my tongue for all to see. What am I?
A panting dog visibly hangs its tongue out, which looks rude ('sticking out your tongue') but isn't meant that way.
All of Mrs. Smith's pets are dogs except one, and all her pets are cats except one. How many cats and dogs does she have?
With just one dog and one cat, "all pets except one" are dogs (the cat) and "all pets except one" are cats (the dog) — both statements hold true.
If there are four sheep, two dogs, and one herds-men, how many feet are there?
This is a wordplay trap: only humans technically have 'feet,' while sheep have hooves and dogs have paws, so only the herdsman's two feet count.
If it takes 5 microwaves 5 minutes to cook 5 chickens, how long does it take 100 microwaves to cook 100 chickens?
Each microwave cooks its own chicken in parallel, so the time per chicken stays 5 minutes no matter how many microwaves work at once.
If a chicken says, 'All chickens are liars'. Is the chicken telling the truth?
This dodges the classic liar's paradox by pointing out the premise itself is impossible since chickens can't speak.
If 5 cats catch 5 mice in 5 minutes, how long will it take one cat to catch a mouse?
Each cat catches one mouse in five minutes regardless of how many cats are working simultaneously, so a single cat still takes five minutes for one mouse.
It has a long neck, a name of a bird, feeds on ships cargo, and is not alive. What is it?
A construction "crane" shares its name with the long-necked bird and is used to lift ("feed on") cargo at ports.
What animal has no wings, but yet will fly?
A caterpillar has no wings at all, but through metamorphosis it becomes a butterfly or moth, which then can fly.
With what two animals do you always go to bed?
Wordplay — "calves" are baby cows, but also the muscles on the back of your legs, which go to bed with you.
How are people like animals?
Wordplay — several body parts share names with animals: bear/bare feet, frog in throat, calves, and "bull" as in bull talk.
Add a letter to an animal, and make a building. What is it?
Adding the letter "t" to "sable," a small mammal, creates "stable," a building for horses.
What animal would you get crossed a duck, a beaver, and an otter?
The platypus has a duck-like bill, a beaver-like flat tail, and swims like an otter, making it look like a combination of all three.
What kind of animal is a slope?
Wordplay — "hypotenuse," the slope of a triangle, sounds like "hypote-moose."
I eat animals but I don't hunt or kill. What am I?
Vultures are scavengers — they eat animals that are already dead instead of hunting them.
I can spell yet I have no mouth. I can speak to animals but can't speak to humans. I am fierce but small. What am I?
A bee can "spell" the letter B and "speaks" to other creatures through its sting, despite being small and fierce.
What flower would remind you of a certain animal that took a great deal of care about its appearance?
Wordplay — "dandelion" sounds like "dandy lion," a lion that's a dandy (fussy about looks).
What’s the quietest room in a house?
The answer lies in a darker interpretation of the clue provided.
No doors, no windows, yet people enter and never leave. What am I?
Refers to final resting places where people enter but do not leave.
I welcome all with open arms, yet none return my embrace. What am I?
The answer lies in a darker interpretation of the clue provided.
What’s the one place you can be sure you’ll never read your name?
The answer lies in a darker interpretation of the clue provided.
I take without asking, and no man can buy me off. What am I?
The Grim Reaper is the personification of death that claims everyone.
Why did the corpse go to school?
The answer lies in a darker interpretation of the clue provided.
Why are hair salons so terrifying?
The answer lies in a darker interpretation of the clue provided.