New Riddles With Answers - page 38 of 53
A guy bet his neighbor 50 bucks that his dog could jump higher than a house. Thinking this was not possible, the neighbor took the bet and lost. Why did he lose the bet?
Since a house cannot jump at all, any dog jumping any height at all technically jumps 'higher' than a house that jumps zero.
What is a dog's name with one letter and one number?
'K9' is read aloud as 'canine,' using one letter (K) and one number (9) to spell the sound of the word.
What kind of dog does Dracula have?
The pun connects Dracula's thirst for blood with the dog breed 'bloodhound.'
Walk on the living, they don't even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble.
Living leaves on trees stay silent underfoot, but dead, dried fallen leaves crunch and 'grumble' when stepped on.
What is the smallest sentence with all letters in the English alphabet?
This classic pangram sentence uses every letter of the alphabet at least once while remaining a short, natural sentence.
What do you get when you cross a dog and a clock?
The pun plays on 'ticks' (the clock sound and also blood-sucking parasites dogs get) sounding like 'tics.'
Two dogs are sitting on a porch - a fat dog and a thin dog. The little dog is the son of the fat dog, but the fat dog is not the father of the thin dog. Can you explain?
The riddle assumes 'parent' must mean 'father,' but the fat dog can still be related as the mother instead.
What type of dogs do scientists have?
'Laboratory retrievers' puns on the Labrador Retriever dog breed and a science lab.
There are 10 dogs in a yard. 3 go out, 4 run behind a tree, and 2 jump in the hole. How many are left?
Going out a bit, hiding behind a tree, or jumping in a hole are all still actions within the yard's boundary, so no dogs actually left.
Stranger: Does your dog bite? Farmer: Nope. All of a sudden the dog bites the stranger on the leg. Yet the farmer was telling the truth! How can this be?
The farmer truthfully said his own dog doesn't bite -- the dog that bit the stranger simply belonged to someone else.
If a dog is tied to a piece of rope that is 6m long, how can he reach a bone that is 7m away?
The riddle never says the rope's other end is anchored, so the dog can simply walk toward the bone dragging the loose rope.
How many cats are in a small room if in each of the four corners a cat is sitting, and opposite each cat there sit three cats, and on each cat's tail another is sitting?
The wording describes the same four corner cats from different vantage points, so the total is only four, not more.
If seven cats kill seven rats in 7 minutes, how many would be needed to kill one hundred rats in 50 minutes?
Each cat kills roughly one rat every 7 minutes, so about 14 cats are needed to kill 100 rats within 50 minutes.
If it takes four rat catchers four minutes to kill four rats, how many rat catchers would be needed to catch 50 rats in 50 minutes?
Each rat-catcher kills one rat per minute at that rate, so four of them working 50 minutes can catch 50 rats.
Cleopatra and Anthony were near a fish bowl and somehow they died. What happened?
The famous human names misdirect; Cleopatra and Anthony are actually pet fish killed when a cat tipped over their bowl.
My first is in chocolate but not in ham, my second's in cake and also in jam, my third at tea-time is easily found, my whole is a friend who's often around. What am I?
Taking one letter shared between each pair of word clues (C from chocolate not ham, A from cake and jam, T from tea-time) spells CAT.
Who was the most famous cat in the wild west?
The pun blends the frontiersman 'Kit Carson' with 'kitty.'
Why didn't the cat want to speak about his problems?
The pun blends a cat's 'purr' with the word 'personal.'
Why is green grass like a mouse?
'Cattle eat it' is a homophone pun for 'cat'll eat it,' tying grazing livestock to a cat hunting mice in the grass.
I am covered with three layers, two of them can be very sensitive, my layers can cover me in a heartbeat or a long time. What am I?
The eye has multiple sensitive layers and can close instantly in a blink or stay shut through a long nap.
Stealthy as a shadow in the dead of night, Cunning but affectionate if given a bite. Never owned but often loved. In my sport considered cruel, But that's because you never know me at all. What am I?
The description captures a cat's stealthy, independent, yet affectionate nature.
What sneaks through doors and windows without knocking? What heats an unlit stove? What gives the cat a snug place to rest?
Sunlight streams in uninvited through openings, warms surfaces even without a fire, and creates a warm sunny spot where a cat can nap.
What happens when a cat meets with a tragic accident?
The pun hides 'cat' inside the word 'catastrophe.'
What do you call a cat that gets anything it wants?
The pun blends a cat's 'purr' with the word 'persuasive.'
Give a name to a cat and it will call itself. What is the name?
A cat literally calls out its own name every time it meows, making 'Meeoow' both the sound and the joke answer.
Forward I catch fish, backward I am the tenth of numbers. What am I?
'Net' catches fish, and spelled backward it becomes 'ten,' the tenth number.
What side of a cat has the most fur?
It's a literal trick: any animal's fur is on its outside, not its inside.
Why was the cat sitting at the computer?
The pun relies on 'mouse' meaning both the computer device and the cat's natural prey.
Why was the cat thrown out of the card game?
The pun turns 'cheetah' into 'cheater,' since cheetahs sound like card-game cheats.
What do cats call mice on a skateboard?
The pun plays on the 'Meals on Wheels' food-delivery program, since a mouse on a skateboard is literally a meal on wheels.
When is the worst weather for rats and mice?
The idiom 'raining cats and dogs' is taken literally, since cats and dogs falling from the sky would be terrifying for rats and mice, their natural predators.
What do you call Santa for cats?
The pun swaps 'Claus' for 'paws,' referencing an animal's feet.
If three cats catch three mice in three minutes, how many cats would be needed to catch 100 mice in 100 minutes?
The rate of one mouse per minute for three cats scales directly to 100 mice in 100 minutes without needing more cats.
Where did the cat go after losing its tail?
The pun turns 'retail' into 're-tail,' as if the cat needed a replacement tail.
What word doesn't belong in this group? That, hat, what, mat, cat, sat, pat, or chat?
Every other word rhymes with a shared '-at' sound, but 'what' is pronounced 'wut,' breaking the pattern.
10 copycats were sitting in a car. One came out. How many are left?
Because they are 'copycats' that mimic one another, when one left, the rest all copied the action and left too.
What happens after it rains cats and dogs?
The pun swaps 'puddle' for 'poodle,' a dog breed, playing on the idiom 'raining cats and dogs.'
We're 5 little items of an everyday sort, you'll find us all in A Tennis Court. What are we?
The letters spelling "A Tennis Court" contain all five vowels, which is the wordplay answer.
Two men were playing tennis. They played five sets and each man won three sets. How can this be possible?
The trick is assuming a singles match; in doubles, each man is paired with a different partner so both can rack up three set wins.
Why were the tennis players arrested?
Pun on "racquets" sounding like "rackets," slang for illegal criminal schemes.
A pro fisherman decided to become a golfer and sold his old boat. What did he name his listing?
Wordplay — "Fore!," a golf warning shout, combines with "for sale," referencing his old fishing boat listing as "For Sail."
There was a man everybody called Batman who 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 known for hitting well with a bat, not the superhero.
What is served, but not by a waiter; and an ace but not a card?
In volleyball, "serving" starts play and an unreturnable serve is called an "ace," the same terms used elsewhere but applied on the court.
During a soccer match, a player makes a suggestive comment to the referee, and instead of ejecting him, the referee just gives a yellow card. Why?
The riddle plays on assuming the referee is male by default, when in fact she is a woman.
We are five little objects of an everyday sort, You will find us all in a tennis court. What are we?
The word "court" literally contains the vowels found within the phrase, pointing to the five vowels A E I O U.
When does boxing day come before Christmas?
Alphabetically, "boxing" comes before "Christmas" in a dictionary listing.
What game makes the most noise?
Pun on "racket," which means both a tennis paddle and a loud noise.
A man took the shell off his champion racing snail hoping it would go faster without the extra weight. Did it work?
Wordplay — without its shell, the snail becomes "sluggish," like a slug, rather than faster.
Streets can go through me, but roads can't. Trees can go through me, but bushes can't. Can a tennis ball go through me?
The riddle requires a word with a repeated double letter, which "tennis" (nn) and "ball" (ll) both satisfy.
There's one 'sport' in which neither spectators nor participants know the score or the leader until the contest ends. What is it?
In boxing, the final score from the judges isn't revealed until the match concludes.
This object can be driven, but has no wheels, and can go very far. What is it?
A golfer "drives" the ball off the tee, though it has no wheels or engine like a car.
Two teams were playing soccer. One player scored a hat trick that resulted in his team losing the game. How?
Scoring three goals into his own team's net, an own-goal hat trick, helped the opposing team win.
Two men were playing tennis. They played five sets and each man won three sets. How is this possible?
As doubles partners on the same team, both men share credit for all three winning sets.
What do you serve that you can't eat?
The riddle plays on the double meaning of "serve" as both serving food and serving a tennis ball to start play.
Why did the football team go to the bank?
Wordplay — "quarterback," a football position, sounds like getting "a quarter back" from the bank.
John bet Tom $100 that he can predict the football game score before it starts. Tom agreed. At the end of the game, John won the bet. How?
Before any game begins, the score is always 0-0 — a guaranteed correct "prediction."
Why weren't the tennis players allowed in the restaurant?
Pun on "racquet" sounding like "racket," meaning a loud disturbance.
What time does a tennis player get up?
Pun on "tennis" sounding like "ten-ish," meaning around ten o'clock.
A pro fisherman decided to become a pro golfer. In order to buy his clubs, he had to sell his boat. How did he list it?
"Fore Sail" is a play on the golfer's warning shout "Fore!" combined with the sailing term "foresail" and "for sale."
Why did the golfer change his socks?
The joke reinterprets the golfing term 'hole-in-one' as a literal hole worn through his sock.
This object can be driven, but has no wheels, and can also be sliced and remain whole. What is it?
In golf, you can 'drive' or 'slice' a shot, both terms that apply to hitting a golf ball, not a vehicle.
Why did the golfer wear two pairs of pants?
The pun plays on 'hole-in-one' meaning both a golf shot and a literal hole torn in his pants.
Why is it always hot at the end of a football game?
This puns on 'fans,' meaning both spectators and cooling devices, so their departure removes the 'cooling.'
What has 22 legs and 2 wings?
11 players (22 legs) make up a football team, and "wings" refers to the wide receiver positions on the field's flanks.
John bet Tom $100 that he can predict the score of the football game before it starts. Tom agrees but loses the bet. Why did Tom lose the bet?
John's prediction is trivially true since every game's score is 0-0 before it begins, a logic trick rather than real prediction.
What do you call a ghost who loves football?
This is a pun blending 'receiver,' a football position, with the ghostly-sounding word 'apparent,' or 'ant.'
What do you call a football player with no legs?
This is a dark pun combining 'ground,' as in being stuck on the ground, with 'beef,' slang for a big or tough player.
What do football players do when they get cold?
This plays on the geometry fact that a corner forms a 90-degree angle, punning on '90 degrees' as a temperature.
Why did the football coach go to the bank?
This puns on 'quarterback,' a football position, sounding like getting a quarter of change back.
What do you call a group of cows playing football?
This is a pun blending 'pasteurization,' the milk process, with 'pasture,' where cows graze and play.
What do you call a football player who can't stop talking?
This is a pun on 'quarterback,' sounding like someone who 'backs' up their talk endlessly, playing on the position name.
What is the only time you run in football?
This plays on 'kickoff' being the start of the game, associating 'run' loosely with beginning the play.
What has one foot but no legs?
A football has a 'foot' as a unit reference in the sport, but obviously no actual legs.
People who want to get rid of me forever, there are dreamers, there are ignorant people; people who are happy to greet me, there are indifferent people, there are crazy people; most people fear me, but I will come eventually. What am I?
People react to the idea of death in wildly different ways, but it remains universally inevitable in the end.
I bring death with a mighty blow. I can ruin nations with a mighty hole. Many people may die. Many people will cry. A battle is won at least. In the end I can bring peace. What am I?
War brings death and destruction to nations, but historically can also end in peace once battles are won.
In the olden days, you are a clever thief charged with treason against the king and sentenced to death. But the king decided to be a little lenient and let you choose your own way to die. What way should you choose?
Since the king only agreed to let the thief pick the manner of death, cleverly choosing "old age" delays it indefinitely.
To some I am kind, to others I am cold, but once I'm done with you, you'll never be bothered again. What am I?
Death is experienced differently by different people, but once it occurs, that person is beyond further worldly troubles.
I have no mind or a soul. I've been eternally attached since man's dawn. My kind disappear on and off, to everyone I accompany them to their death, and buried with them, then I hide away when the casket shuts. What am I?
A shadow follows a person their whole life and disappears into darkness once they are buried and the casket closes off all light.
Despised I am by knave and liar. After me, the wise inquire, I rise above all death and fire. What am I?
Liars despise truth, the wise seek it out, and truth endures beyond any lie, death, or destruction.
In shattered peace I find release. In death, I do delight. Where blood is spilled upon the ground, And men begin to fight. What am I?
War thrives on broken peace and bloodshed between fighting men.
I work very hard and never stop. When I stop, life is death. Who am I?
The heart must continuously pump blood; if it ever stops, the body dies.
The king of the jungle, rare as gold, black as night, in light not there and night not seen. Goes in water, goes on trees, goes in caves, goes on the ground. Claws of knives, teeth of swords, roar of death but silent as a mouse. What is it?
The description of a rare, all-black, silent jungle predator matches the melanistic black panther (black jaguar).
What grows but never gets taller, shrinks but never gets smaller, hurts the minds of men, doesn't live, but doesn't have a deathbed?
Sound can grow louder or fade softer without literally changing size, can damage hearing and minds, and isn't alive so it can't have a deathbed.
I am the kind of game that people play. But I used to be a death sentence back in the day. What kind of game am I?
The word game Hangman takes its name from the historical execution method of hanging.
Alive without breath, As cold as death, Never thirsty, Ever drinking, Clad in mail, Never clinking, Drowns on dry land, Thinks an island Is a mountain, Thinks a fountain Is a puff of air. What am I?
A fish lives without lungs, is cold-blooded, is always surrounded by water it 'drinks,' has scales like armor, and dies out of water.
What welcomes you with open arms, but many people try to avoid it?
Death is often depicted as inevitable and "welcoming," even though people try hard to avoid or delay it.
I am not a person nor 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 exists in a place where there is no gravity. What am I?
Black holes form when massive stars die and collapse, and their gravity is so extreme that even light cannot escape.
What do liars do after death?
The pun plays on "lie," meaning both telling falsehoods and lying motionless.
The fuel for life, Important parts of the day, Even if it is a long time away. Long lasting use, Long lasting fuse, Until my explosive death day. What am I?
The sun fuels life on Earth throughout the day and will eventually end in an explosive death far in the future.
I have a beginning, but no end and I end all things that begin. What am I?
Death marks a permanent turning point and ends every living thing that ever began.
I cause death yet make your day. I am your friend, but your enemy. I am the beginning and end. What am I?
Time both grants and ends life, at once welcomed for making your day and feared for bringing death.
Some try to hide, some try to cheat; but time will show, we always will meet. What am I?
No matter how people try to avoid or delay it, everyone eventually meets death.
Why do witches buy magazines?
Pun on "horoscopes" blended with "horror" to fit the witch theme.
Who do witches stop for on the highway?
Pun on "hitchhikers," reworked into "witch-hikers."
What is the difference between a deer fleeing from hunters and a midget witch?
The answer is a spoonerism, swapping the sounds of "hunted stag" and "stunted hag."
What do witches ask for when they stop at a hotel?
Pun on "room service" and "room with a view," swapped for "broom."
Why did the doctor switch jobs?
Pun on "patients" sounding like "patience," and "switch" hiding the word "witch" inside it.
Which school subject was the witch's favorite?
Pun on "spelling," the school subject, and "spells," a witch's magic.
What do you get if you cross a snowman with a witch?
Pun on "spell," meaning both a witch's magic spell and a cold weather spell.
What do you call a witch that lives on the beach?
Pun on "sandwich," split into "sand" and "witch."