New Riddles With Answers - page 19 of 53
I travel in a gaggle. What am I?
A flock of geese traveling together is specifically called a 'gaggle.'
It is a path of cow juice spread across the sky but cannot be seen by the naked eye.
This is a pun: the Milky Way galaxy's name evokes a trail of spilled milk ('cow juice') stretched across the night sky, invisible without a telescope.
I wiggle and cannot see, sometimes underground and sometimes on a tree. I really don't want to be on a hook, and I become a person when combined with book. What am I?
A worm is blind and legless, lives underground or in tree bark, dreads being used as fishing bait, and combines with 'book' to form 'bookworm,' an avid reader.
This noble creature has the embarrassing inability to get up once it's been flipped onto its back.
A turtle's heavy, rounded shell makes it nearly impossible for it to right itself once flipped onto its back.
Cows do this to salt and humans do it to ice cream.
Cows lick salt blocks for minerals, and people lick ice cream cones -- the same action, two very different treats.
I am very afraid of doing scary activities. What am I?
Calling someone a 'chicken' is a common way to say they're too afraid to do something daring.
I am the home for feathery animals. What am I?
Birds -- feathery animals -- build nests as their homes to lay eggs and raise their young.
I am shared by goats, devils, and unicorns. What am I?
Goats, mythical devils, and unicorns are all traditionally depicted with a horn (or horns) on their heads.
What lives where it cannot breathe and has a hole in its back?
A whale lives underwater where it cannot breathe water (it needs air), and it has a blowhole -- a 'hole in its back.'
If a dog were filling out a resume, he might list his mastery of this game under "skills."
Fetch is the classic game where a dog retrieves a thrown ball or stick, making it a natural 'skill' for a dog's resume.
I am an animal and a hair product. What am I?
'Moose' sounds identical to 'mousse,' which is both a hairstyling product and a dessert, while a moose is the large animal.
A king without a crown.
The lion is called the 'king of the jungle,' but it wears no literal crown -- its 'crown' is just its mane.
What animal dwells in water and best known for its work ethic?
Beavers live in and around water and build dams and lodges through tireless labor, giving rise to the phrase "busy as a beaver."
What is green, has four legs, no tail, and usually heard at night?
A frog is green, stands on four legs with no tail, and its croaking chorus is a familiar nighttime sound.
Old Grandpa Diddle Daddle jumped in the mud puddle, green cap and yellow shoes. Guess all your loftiness and you can't guess these news.
The playful nonsense verse describes a green-topped, yellow-footed creature that loves jumping into puddles, which points to a frog.
It can be white or blue or black, humped or have a horn. And when it talks it sings its menuets, as it's travelling the depths.
Various whale species vary in color (white, blue, or black), some have humps (humpback whale) and one relative has a horn-like tusk (narwhal), and whales communicate through complex "songs" as they swim the ocean depths.
With four oars it swims but it is always at home. Its back is like armor, tougher than chrome. What is it?
A turtle uses its four flipper-like limbs to swim, and its hard shell, its permanent home, is far tougher than any metal plating.
Microparasite expert at sucking the blood of mammals and birds.
Fleas are tiny parasites specialized for piercing skin and feeding on the blood of warm-blooded hosts.
Black and scary, small and hairy. In the night you hear it preach, through its noisy high pitched screech.
Bats are small, dark, furry creatures active at night, and they emit high-pitched screeching sounds as part of their echolocation calls.
A blackbird similar to, but much bigger than a crow.
A raven looks like a larger, heavier-billed cousin of the common crow, both being members of the corvid family.
The homes of tiny creatures that collect in corners if you aren't vigilant about dusting.
Spiders spin webs in neglected corners, and those webs accumulate visibly if a room isn't regularly dusted.
I don't forget! What am I?
Elephants are proverbially known for having excellent memories, giving rise to the popular saying "an elephant never forgets."
It has a long neck, a name of a bird, feeds on cargo of ships, it's not alive. What am I?
A construction crane has a long extending 'neck,' shares its name with a bird, and lifts cargo at shipping docks, though it's a machine, not a living thing.
If a man carried my burden, he would break his back. I am not rich, but I leave silver in my track. What am I?
A snail's shell would be an impossibly heavy burden for a human to carry at that relative scale, and it leaves a shiny, silvery slime trail as it moves.
I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg. I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole. I can be long like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole. What am I?
A snake sheds its skin in layers yet stays whole, has a long spine but no legs, and can coil tightly into a small space or stretch out long like a flagpole.
I come in many colors, some are blue and white. While some people annoy me, I am not much for the fight. I live where people rarely tread, but you will find me close to bed. What am I?
The official answer key gives 'whales' here, but the riddle's imagery — many colors, found near the bed, rarely stepped on — actually describes something like slippers far better than an ocean mammal; this looks like an error in the source worksheet, which we've preserved as printed.
I fall with the waves, rise with the tide, and drift with the current alongside. What am I?
Plankton are too weak to swim against the ocean, so they simply drift wherever the waves, tides, and currents carry them.
Although my cow is dead, I still beat her. What a racket she makes!
This plays on words: a drum is often made from cowhide (leather), so "beating" the dead cow (the drum) produces its loud sound.
When they are caught, they are thrown away. When they escape, you itch all day.
Fleas are caught and discarded, but if they escape by jumping away, their bites make you itch throughout the day.
From that which comes within itself, it builds its table on my shelf.
A spider spins its web -- its "table" for catching food -- entirely out of silk that it produces from within its own body.
Oh how I love my dancing feet! They stay together - oh so neat. And when I want to walk a line, they all stay together and do double time. I count them up, ten times or more, and race on-off, across the floor.
A centipede has dozens of legs ("ten times or more") that move together in rhythm as it scurries across the floor -- "centi-" itself hints at its hundred-ish feet.
What has a coat? Hugs you not in sympathy? Whose smile you'd rather not see? Whose stance is a terrible thing to see? Who is it that brave men run away from? Whose fingers are clawed? Whose sleep lasts for months? And who's company we shunt?
A bear wears a thick 'coat' of fur, has a fearsome stance and clawed paws, hibernates for months, and is generally avoided by even brave outdoorsmen.
When it was young, it had a tail. When it grew up, it had knees.
A tadpole swims with a long tail, but as it matures into a frog the tail is absorbed and jointed legs with knees grow in.
Always well dressed, but I never fly. Black and white, sometimes in a tie. I swim and slide, and dance and glide, with one person by my side. What am I?
A penguin's black-and-white feathers look like a tuxedo ("well dressed... in a tie"), it can't fly, and it swims, slides on its belly, and even "dances" during courtship, often with a mate at its side.
Tall when seated, short when standing.
Many four-legged animals like dogs appear taller when sitting up on their haunches than when standing level on all fours -- a classic observational riddle.
What jumps when it walks and sits when it stands?
A kangaroo moves by hopping (jumping), and at rest it appears to be sitting back on its tail and haunches even while upright.
Above the kingdom I reign, spotted, speckled, with a mane, I travel in packs, and if you're lucky, you'd ride me. What am I?
A giraffe has a spotted, speckled coat and a mane, towers over the savanna ('reigns' above the kingdom), and travels in herds you can sometimes ride at a safari.
The strangest creature you'll ever find: two eyes in front and many many more behind.
A peacock's tail feathers are covered in eye-shaped spots in addition to its two real eyes up front.
For our ambrosia we were blessed, by Jupiter, with a sting of death. Though our might, to some is jest, we have quelled the dragon's breath. Who are we?
Bees produce sweet 'ambrosia' (honey), carry a fatal sting for some, and their collective swarm is mythically powerful enough to overwhelm even fearsome foes.
Full of dark, filled with everything. Both on my skin they color. With my pack, I am always afraid of the cat. What am I?
A zebra is covered in dark stripes, travels in herds ('packs'), and is natural prey for big cats such as lions.
I have a pet, his body is full of coins.
A piggy bank is shaped like a pig (a 'pet') and its hollow body is filled with saved coins.
He's small but he can climb a tower.
This is a pun on the Eiffel Tower -- an ant is small, but 'Eiffel' sounds like 'a fill,' or more directly, an ant can literally climb any small tower.
What can you not eat for breakfast?
Since lunch and dinner happen later in the day, neither can technically be eaten during breakfast time.
How many seconds are in a year?
This is a pun: rather than counting time in seconds, it counts the twelve calendar 'seconds' -- the 2nd of January, the 2nd of February, and so on.
Your parents come over for a surprise breakfast while you are sleeping. You get out pancakes, toast, maple syrup, and jam. What do you open first?
Before touching any food on the table, you first have to open your eyes to wake up and notice the surprise breakfast in front of you.
What day, within a week of today, does not end in "Y"?
Every named day of the week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.) ends in the letter 'y,' but 'tomorrow' -- which falls within a week of today -- does not.
What do elves do after school?
This is a pun combining "gnome," a mythical creature like an elf, with "homework."
What rains at the north pole?
This is a pun — "reindeer" sounds like "rain, dear," making them the thing that "rains" at the North Pole.
What's an insect's favourite sport?
"Cricket" is both a popular sport and a type of insect, making it the punny answer.
What do you get when you cross a vampire and teacher?
"Blood test" combines a vampire's thirst for blood with a teacher's habit of giving tests.
Where do tadpoles change?
This is a pun: tadpoles "change" into frogs in the "croak-room," a play on "cloakroom" and the croaking sound frogs make.
What can you never have for breakfast?
By definition, lunch is a midday meal, so you cannot have it in the morning at breakfast time.
What is big and yellow and comes in the morning to brighten mom's day?
The big yellow school bus arrives each morning to take the kids to school, giving a parent a welcome break.
What are you certain to find inside your pocket when you reach into it?
No matter what else is or isn't in your pocket, your hand itself is always there when you reach in.
On what kind of ship do students study?
This is a pun -- 'scholarship' contains the word 'ship' and refers to funding for students' study.
When your undies attack you.
A wedgie is when underwear rides up uncomfortably, as if it were attacking you.
A device for finding furniture in the dark.
This is a joking riddle: you "find" furniture in the dark by painfully bumping your shin into it, not with an actual device.
What smells the most in the kitchen?
This is a play on words -- your nose is the thing doing the 'smelling,' not necessarily the smelliest object.
What is a foot long and slippery?
This plays on the word 'slipper,' which literally is worn on a foot and sounds like 'slippery.'
What goes up and down the stairs without moving?
A carpet or runner laid on a staircase extends up and down its length, but it never actually moves itself.
According to many students, dogs have an appetite for this paper item.
My dog ate my homework is the classic excuse blaming a dog's appetite for missing schoolwork.
What is Saturn's favorite day of the week?
It's a pun -- 'Saturday' sounds like 'Saturn-day,' the planet's namesake day. (The source text playfully spells it 'Saturnday' to highlight the pun.)
What did the rain cloud wear under his raincoat?
This is a pun on 'underwear' -- the cloud wears 'thunderwear' (thunder + underwear).
What do you get when you cross an automobile with a household animal?
"Carpet" blends "car" and "pet," the two things being crossed.
The coziest place for Dracula.
Vampire lore, including Dracula, depicts him resting comfortably in a coffin by day.
This guy crossed a road and everyone wants an explanation.
This references the classic "why did the chicken cross the road" joke, needing no real explanation beyond that.
Why do French people like to eat snails?
This is a pun-based joke: snails are extremely slow, so the French 'don't like fast food' -- they prefer their food (snails) slow.
What age most travelers have?
This is a wordplay riddle: the word 'baggage' -- which travelers carry -- ends with the letters 'age,' answering what 'age' most travelers have.
What suits do lawyers wear?
This is a pun: lawyers argue 'lawsuits,' which sounds like 'law suits' -- the clothing lawyers might wear.
What snacks do you serve at a robot party?
This is a pun: robots are built with nuts and bolts, so 'assorted nuts' makes a fitting robot party snack.
What is a bunny's favorite music?
This is a pun: rabbits hop, so their favorite music genre would be 'hip-hop.'
What is a cat on ice?
"Cool cat" is slang for someone stylish, punning on the literal coldness of ice.
What is the first thing a gardener plants in the garden?
This is a trick question: before planting anything else, the gardener first plants (sets down) their own foot in the garden soil.
Without what would everyone lose their head?
The head is physically attached to the body by the neck, so without a neck, everyone would literally "lose their head."
If you drop a yellow hat in the Red Sea what does it become?
It's a simple trick question -- dropping anything in any sea just makes it wet, regardless of the sea's name or the hat's color.
How far will a blind dog walk into a forest?
Once a dog reaches the middle of the forest, every remaining step is technically walking back out of it -- so it only ever walks "halfway" in.
What kind of fish chases a mouse?
This is a pun: a cat chases a mouse, and "catfish" contains the word "cat."
If two is a company and three is a crowd, what are four and five?
It's a play on words: while two is "company" and three a "crowd," four plus five simply adds up to nine.
What do you get if you milk a cow after an earthquake?
The shaking motion of an earthquake makes the pun of getting a "milkshake" when milking a cow during one.
I am the place to turn when nature calls. What am I?
"When nature calls" is a common euphemism for needing to use the bathroom.
What runs around a house but doesn't move?
A fence encircles ("runs around") a house's perimeter, but it stays perfectly still.
I stink in living but when dead smells good. What am I?
Live pigs and pig farms are notorious for their strong odor, but once turned into bacon or ham and cooked, the smell becomes appetizing.
Out of all the celestial bodies, this one has the funniest name.
Uranus is the planet whose name is a perennial source of juvenile jokes because of how it sounds.
What kind of nail can be grown?
Unlike a metal nail used in carpentry, a fingernail is living tissue that naturally grows out of your finger.
What stays the same size no matter how much they weight?
A weighing scale itself doesn't change size regardless of how heavy or light the object placed on it is.
What key is the hardest to turn?
This is a wordplay riddle: the word "donkey" contains "key," and donkeys are famously stubborn, making them the hardest "key" to turn (persuade).
What kind of table has no legs?
The periodic table of elements is a chart, not a piece of furniture, so it has no physical legs.
Mr. Blue lives in the blue house, Mr. Pink lives in the pink house, and Mr. Brown lives in the brown house. Who lives in the white house?
This is a trick riddle - the White House isn't matched to a color-named 'Mr. White,' but is actually the residence of the President of the United States.
The offspring of a feline and a Xerox machine.
"Copycat" literally combines "copy" (what a Xerox machine does) with "cat" (a feline).
What shoes should you wear when your basement is flooded?
It's a pun on "pumps," a style of shoe, since you would also need a water pump to deal with a flooded basement.
Before Mt. Everest was discovered as the highest mountain in the world, which mountain was the highest?
Mount Everest was always the tallest mountain physically; "discovering" it as the tallest didn't change its actual height.
What kind of dog chases anything red?
This puns on 'bull,' since bulls are famously provoked by the color red, even though real bulls are actually colorblind.
What bone has a sense of humor?
The 'humerus' (upper arm bone) sounds identical to 'humorous,' the trick behind this riddle.
What do you call a rabbit with fleas?
This is a pun on the cartoon character Bugs Bunny, combining 'bugs' (fleas) with 'bunny.'
How a big, hibernating mammal would show affection.
This is a pun: bears hibernate through winter, and a tight, affectionate squeeze is called a 'bear hug.'
There is an ancient invention, still used in some parts of the world today, that allows people to see through walls.
Windows have let people see through walls for thousands of years, long before modern technology.
Teddy bears are never hungry because they are always what?
This is a pun: teddy bears are filled with stuffing, so they're always 'stuffed' rather than hungry.
How can a pants pocket be empty and still have something in it?
An empty pocket can still contain a hole -- the hole itself counts as "something," even though the pocket holds nothing else.
What does a cat have that no other animal has?
While traits like purring or claws appear in variations elsewhere, "kittens" are specifically and exclusively baby cats -- no other animal has kittens by definition.
Where do sailors take their baths?
This is a pun blending 'tub' (where you bathe) with 'submarine' (a sailor's vessel) into 'tubmarine.'