New Riddles With Answers - page 32 of 53
A pot-hole filled valley, where rains often fall; A land through which no river shall crawl. What am I?
A sieve is riddled with holes like a pockmarked valley, and water passes through it rather than flowing along it like a river.
Endlessly, I hunger, Lazily, I sleep. Murderous, I thunder, Desires, I do seek. Hoarding countless treasures, so my stature I retain, Envious of others whose feet on Earth remain.
Each line corresponds to a deadly sin in order: gluttony, sloth, wrath, lust, greed, pride, and envy.
I'm an object; good at drawing. I draws without using any drawing instrument, yet I can draw even better and faster than the world's best artist. But what I will draw won't stay permanent and what I draws may see me or not. What am I?
A mirror instantly 'draws' an exact likeness of whatever faces it, though the image vanishes once you look away.
How does a caterpillar cross the river?
This puns on 'moth' sounding like the word 'moth' rhymes with... actually the joke is a caterpillar can only fly across once it metamorphoses into a moth.
Where are the lakes that are referred to in the "Los Angeles Lakers?"
The team began in Minneapolis, the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes,' and kept its 'Lakers' name after relocating to Los Angeles.
What river in Bavaria answers the question, Who is there?
The Bavarian river 'Isar' sounds like 'Is-er,' or phonetically 'I, ser' answering 'who's there?'
Both happiness and sorrow I bring from ancient taps a plenty. I dull the pain of cuts and life, some drowning in my embrace. What am I?
Alcohol has long been served from taps at taverns, brings both celebration and regret, numbs pain, and some people metaphorically 'drown their sorrows' in it.
Like a snake I constrict. Like a flowing river I glitter. However if I am licked. I will be bloody not bitter. What am I?
A necklace wraps ('constricts') the throat, sparkles like water, and metal jewelry tastes metallic, almost like blood, if licked.
Asher and Miles were shipwrecked. Miles was swept away by a strong current and woke up on an island. And Asher found a small wooden boat in the middle of the ocean. Both guys were thirsty and hungry. Who's going to survive for longer?
An island typically offers fresh water sources, while a person adrift at sea can't safely drink the salty ocean water.
Though liquid in nature, don't push me too far; for then I will break, and the damage may scar. What am I?
Glass is popularly described as an extremely slow-flowing liquid, and while solid to the touch, pushing or bending it too far causes it to shatter and leave damage.
When I looked In the lake, I saw my reflection, but yet I disappear from every picture I take. What am I?
Ghosts are traditionally said to have no reflection captured by cameras, even though they can appear in mirrors or water in folklore riddles.
Upon my top there is a golden shop wherein a dollar can't be spent. Along my sides stretch nature's slides which will never relent. At my feet where people meet full of ire, dread and lament. What am I?
A mountain's peak offers priceless views ('golden shop'), its slopes are natural 'slides' like rivers, and its base is where a difficult climb begins.
Two people are standing on the bank of a river looking forward to crossing to the other side. There is one boat with a capacity for one person. The two people managed to cross the river safely. How did they do it?
Because the two people started on opposite banks, the single-capacity boat only needed one trip for each person to reach their destination.
I am named for my fleeting motion. Numbered zero and four score more. A barren desert and a heavy ocean. One is flowing, the other a solid core. Who are we?
The planet Mercury (atomic number 80, named for the swift god) and the liquid metal mercury share a name; one is a barren world, the other a heavy flowing liquid.
I create my lair with earthen string riddle, and dispatch my prey with a biting sting. What am I?
A spider spins silk ('earthen string') into a web-lair and kills prey with a venomous bite.
While Sam was traveling, he saw a lake, a tree, and a city. What did he see?
Read it as the letters spelling 'a lake, a tree, a city' sounding out a hidden word.
You'll rarely find me in the forest, and hardly want to in the desert. I'm deadly in flight, but I never dance on water without an audience. What am I?
A stone thrown to skip across water needs someone watching to skip it, is common near lakes rather than forests or deserts, and could be deadly if thrown hard.
Make me thy lyre, even as the forests are. What if my leaves fell like its own -- The tumult of thy mighty harmonies Will take from both a deep autumnal tone. What am I?
This alludes to Shelley's 'Ode to the West Wind,' where the wind plays the forest like a lyre and scatters autumn leaves.
What has emotions, but isn't living? Can be as Blue as the ocean or Red as blood. sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes angry.
A mood ring changes color supposedly reflecting the wearer's emotions, without being alive itself.
Created by man. There you stand, but don't stand over here. Understand? I'm invisible, yet oddly divisional. I follow rivers and cross continents. What am I?
Borders are human-made invisible lines that divide land, often tracing rivers and cutting across continents.
I can flow like a river, and come from dust, I age hard as iron, but never rust. What am I?
Wet concrete flows like liquid, is made from dust-like aggregate, and cures into a rock-hard material that doesn't rust like metal.
What does a river do when told a joke?
'Gushes' puns on a river gushing water and someone gushing with laughter.
What happened when the crooks fell into the ocean?
'Crime wave' puns on the literal ocean wave the crooks created falling in.
You can see me in a mirror, see me in a picture, and can even spot me in nature. What am I?
Beauty is something that can be perceived in reflections, images, and the natural world alike.
What do you call an ocean of orange soda?
'Fanta-sea' is a pun combining the soda brand Fanta with 'fantasy.'
My first is in ocean but never in sea, my second's in wasp but never in bee. My third is in glider and also in flight, my whole is a creature that comes out at night.
Taking letters found in 'ocean' not 'sea' (O), in 'wasp' not 'bee' (W), and in both 'glider' and 'flight' (L), spells clues pointing to the nocturnal bird, the owl.
I roam the empty oceans pounding up over rocks, I make streams pour down peoples faces but some people like to ride me. What am I?
Ocean waves crash on rocks, can bring people to tears (metaphorically), and surfers love to ride them.
How do crazy people go through the forest?
This is a pun on 'psychopath' sounding like 'psycho path,' a trail through the woods.
Who does the ocean date?
This puns on 'tide' sounding like 'tied,' as in going steady with someone, and the literal ocean tide.
Why did the outlaw go to the river?
This puns on 'bank' as a riverbank and as a place to rob for money.
Two men had to go to the other side of the river, there is one boat, but only one person fits on it. Luckily they both got to the other side of the river. How?
Since the men started on opposite banks, the one-person boat only had to make a single crossing for each of them to reach the far side.
What did the ocean say to the other ocean?
This is a pun on ocean 'waves' as both a greeting gesture and the literal water movement.
I have a mouth, I do not talk, I always run, I never walk. What am I?
A river's 'mouth' is where it meets the sea, and it's always described as 'running' water.
What kind of rocks are found in the Mississippi River?
This is a simple joke: any rock sitting in a river is, obviously, wet.
Big as a biscuit, deep as a cup, even a river can't fill it up. What is it?
A strainer is full of holes, so no matter how much water pours through it, it never actually holds or 'fills up.'
What has five eyes but cannot see?
The word 'Mississippi' contains five letter i's, punning on 'eyes.'
I'm not an airplane, but I can fly through the sky. I'm not a river, but I'm full of water. What am I?
A cloud drifts through the sky like a plane and holds water like a river, without being either.
Where do rivers sleep?
"River bed" is the literal term for the ground a river flows over, punned with a bed for sleeping.
I sail an ocean you'll never swim, and I voyage seas with white-cotton ease yet my hold is filled with water. What am I?
A cloud drifts across the 'ocean' of sky, looks like white cotton, and carries water inside it.
How do shells get around in the ocean?
'Taxi crab' is a pun on 'taxi cab,' since crabs live in the ocean alongside shells.
What did the ocean say to the beach?
'Shore' sounds like 'sure,' making this a pun about the ocean being uncertain.
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 an eagle I fly. Now can you guess, what am I?
Time only moves forward, has no known limit, and people always feel they lack enough of it.
What has four eyes and runs south?
'Mississippi' contains four letter i's (read as 'eyes'), and the river flows south.
I am four letters long, I can be seen in the sky, I am the ocean & I am the sea. Can you guess me?
The sky, ocean, and sea all share the color blue, and the word 'blue' has four letters.
I am a path situated between high natural masses. Remove my first letter and you have a path situated between man-made masses. What am I?
'Valley' sits between mountains (natural masses); drop the 'V' and you get 'alley,' a path between buildings (man-made masses).
I run through hills; I veer around mountains. I leap over rivers and crawl through the forests. Step out your door to find me. What am I?
Roads are built to wind through hills, skirt mountains, and bridge rivers, connecting places just outside your door.
I'm the part of the bird that's not in the sky riddle. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?
A shadow moves wherever the bird goes, even over water, without ever getting wet.
I have lakes but no water, No cars but I have streets; Many places and borders, But I'm in one piece. What am I?
A map shows lakes, streets, and borders as drawings, not the real physical things themselves.
There was a man who wanted to prove his love to his wife. So, he climbed the highest mountain, swam the deepest ocean and walked the biggest desert. What do you think his wife said?
The twist is that grand gestures mean nothing if you neglect the relationship itself; he was never actually home with her.
Pregnant every time you see her, yet she never will give birth. What is it?
A full moon looks round like a pregnant belly but of course never actually gives birth.
What is yellow, looks like the moon and has seeds?
A banana is yellow and curved like a crescent moon, and it has small seeds inside.
What snack does the Man in the Moon like?
Wordplay — "space chips" plays on potato chips, set in a space theme.
Pregnant every time you see her, yet she never will give birth. What is she?
A full moon looks round and "swollen" like pregnancy, but of course never actually gives birth.
Why isn't the moon a good vacation destintion?
Again a pun on 'atmosphere' as both a pleasant vacation vibe and the moon's literal absence of air.
Why would it be boring to eat at a restaurant on the moon?
It's a pun on 'atmosphere' meaning both a restaurant's ambiance and the moon's lack of a literal atmosphere.
There was a man driving a truck. There was a woman standing in front of the truck. The truck had no lights on and the moon was not up. How did the man see the woman?
The riddle misleads you into assuming night, but with no moon or lights needed, it must simply be daytime.
If you don't move I move, if you move I still move. I can shine but am not a light bulb. I will fall before you wake up. What am I?
The moon appears to travel across the sky no matter what you do, glows without being an artificial light, and sets before morning.
When is the moon heaviest?
It plays on 'full' meaning both the full moon phase and being 'heavy' from being full, like a full stomach.
Can you complete each list? 1. Red, White, and 2. Stop, Look, and 3. Sun, Moon, and 4. Ready, Set, ? 5. Readin', writin', and
Each is the third item of a well-known three-part phrase (flag colors, traffic safety, sky bodies, race starts, the three R's).
When was beef the highest that it has ever been?
It's a pun on 'beef' (cattle/meat) being physically high up, referencing the nursery rhyme 'the cow jumped over the moon'.
I'm far away from you, but I still shine bright. I sleep at day, I wake up by night. I stay by the moon, but never get close to it. What am I?
Stars are only visible at night alongside the moon, appearing near it but always at vast, unchanging distances.
I can be half without getting thinner. I can shine with no fire. I can be hidden but never taken. I can stay dry while moving the ocean. What am I?
The Moon can appear as a 'half moon,' reflects sunlight without burning, can be hidden by clouds, and its gravity moves ocean tides while staying dry in space.
It's been around for millions of years, but it's no more than a month old. What is it?
The moon has existed for billions of years, but its visible phase completes a full cycle roughly every month, so it always looks "new" again.
I am strongest when you see me as round, but I am often viewed in other forms. I lift and drop the sea with my tremendous strength, and a man with a name like 'powerful bicep' was the first to tread on me. What am I?
The 'powerful bicep' man is a play on 'Armstrong' (arm + strong), referencing Neil Armstrong who first walked on the moon.
Why did the moon skip diner?
It puns on 'full' meaning both a full moon phase and being full from eating.
How does the moon cut his hair?
Wordplay — "eclipse" sounds like "e-clips," as in hair clippers.
Why is the moon like a dollar?
It plays on the double meaning of 'quarters': the moon's phases versus a dollar's four coin quarters.
My farther is the moon, my mother is the sea, I die when I reach land. What am I?
The moon's gravity pulls the sea to create waves, which break apart ('die') when they hit the shore.
When is a ship at sea not on the water?
The pun plays on 'on fire' replacing 'on water,' a twist on the phrase describing a ship's location.
The fire shows - my kin, born. The fire grows - my kin, adorn. The fire slows - my kin, deform. The fire goes - my kin, mourn.
The 'fire' here symbolizes the sun's warmth across seasons, with the tree's fruit ('kin') being born in spring, flourishing in summer, withering in fall, and gone by winter.
Inside a burning house, this thing is best to make. And best to make it quickly, before the fire's too much to take!
The phrase "make haste" means to hurry -- exactly what you should do to escape a burning building quickly.
What did the firecracker say to the other firecracker?
The pun plays on 'pop,' both the sound firecrackers make and a boastful comparison, like children saying 'my dad is bigger than your dad.'
My head and the point are made from same. I am held by what's taken apart from the grain. I am atop of a great ocean beast. My swing will let fire and lead release. What am I?
The riddle describes a hammer: its head and claws are one piece of metal, its handle is wood (from grain), it tops a whale (great ocean beast, i.e., a hammerhead), and its swing can strike a flintlock to release fire and a lead bullet.
Why is the letter F like an incendiary?
Adding the letter F to the front of the word 'ire' creates 'fire,' just as an incendiary device creates fire.
I give you a group of three. One is sitting down, and will never get up. The second eats as much as is given to him, yet is always hungry. The third goes away and never returns. What are the three things?
A stove stays fixed in place, a fire always 'hungers' for more fuel no matter how much is added, and smoke rises and disperses, never returning.
In me a gas is confined, Upon my head a pot, And out of me is fire. What I am?
The clues describe a kitchen appliance that holds gas, supports a pot, and produces a flame -- a gas stove.
As destructive as life, As healing as death; An institutioner of strife, Just as prone to bless. It is all that is good, Yet with an evil trend; As it was the beginning of things, It can also be the end. What is it?
Fire is described through contradictions -- it can destroy or warm, harm or help -- capturing its dual nature as both creative and destructive force.
I can make many people scream yet I can still be seen. I can hurt without touching. What am I?
Fire causes people to scream in fear or pain and can be clearly seen, and its heat can burn without direct contact.
I am very important to all living creatures. I was firstborn in the sun.
Heat originates from the sun's nuclear reactions and is essential for sustaining life on Earth.
A group of men are suddenly awakened by a loud, piercing, continuous sound.
The alarm and their immediate readiness identify them as firefighters roused by their station's emergency alarm.
I am energy. I am heat. I am hot. I am red. What am I?
Each descriptive clue (energy, heat, hot, red) directly characterizes fire.
Why does a firefly glow?
The pun plays on 'light meals' meaning both small meals and meals that produce light, explaining the firefly's glow.
Fire is often maintained above me, and if you remove my first letter I still remain a place where fire burns.
Removing the 'H' from 'Hearth' leaves 'earth,' and a hearth is literally the place where a household fire is maintained.
A group of men is suddenly awakened by a loud, piercing, continuous sound. Immediately, they climb into their boots, dress, and clamber onto a red truck.
The clues (alarm sound, boots, red truck) all point to firefighters responding to an emergency alarm at their firehouse.
The ghost of the mountain never to be seen, leaps like a raging fire to catch his prey...
Snow leopards are elusive ('ghost of the mountain') and pounce with explosive speed, likened to a fire's leaping flames.
I am hewn from Earth and Fire; But to the sky, I aspire. I am nothing but contented; Until my patient rage is vented.
A volcano is formed from molten earth and fire, appears calm ('contented') for long periods, and eventually erupts skyward when its 'rage' is released.
Despised I am by knave and liar. After me, the wise inquire, I rise above all death and fire.
Liars hate the truth, wise people seek it out, and it endures beyond even death and destruction, describing truth as an abstract concept.
I have a butt, but I'm not alive. I bring smoke, but am not fire. I destroy, I kill, though I am not used in a war.
A cigarette has a 'butt' (its end), produces smoke without being an open flame, and causes harm to health without being a weapon.
I truly am cause for alarm. When you see me you can lose your house or your life. When you hear me you can also lose your job.
Seeing fire threatens your home and life, and a false 'fire' alarm at work could also cost someone their job -- a play on 'fire' meaning both flames and termination.
Crimson I am born, yellow I dance, ebony I die.
The riddle traces fire's color life cycle: starting red/crimson, burning bright yellow, and leaving black (ebony) ash or char when it dies out.
I live in a really noisy place, And I only appear when my loud friend is with me. I have my house high in the air, and I cause deadly fires.
Lightning is always accompanied by the sound of thunder, strikes from high in the sky, and can spark wildfires.
I can be half without getting thinner. I can shine with no fire. I can be hidden but never taken. I can stay dry while moving the ocean.
The moon appears as a 'half moon' without losing mass, reflects light without burning, can be obscured by clouds, and its gravity moves ocean tides without ever getting wet.
One day, a thirty story building was on fire. A man jumped out a window and nothing happened to him. Nothing was under him. How is this possible?
The riddle misleads with 'thirty story building,' but the man simply jumped from the ground floor window, so no fall occurred.
If I drink, I die. If i eat, I am fine.
Water ('drinking') puts fire out, while fuel ('eating') sustains it.
I eat, I live. I breathe, I live. I drink, I die.
Fire needs fuel and oxygen to keep burning but is extinguished the moment water touches it.
I am always hungry, I must always be fed, The finger I touch will soon turn red.
Fire constantly needs fuel ('hungry') and burns anything it touches, turning skin red.
If I drink, I die, if I eat, I'm fine. What am I?
Water ('drinking') extinguishes fire, while fuel ('eating') keeps it burning.
Give me food, and I will live; give me water, and I will die. What am I?
Fire needs fuel ('food') to keep burning and is extinguished ('dies') when doused with water. (Source key spelled this 'fre,' a dropped-ligature OCR artifact for 'fire.')
You can feel me but, I can't feel you. I can uproot trees and tear roofs off their houses. Yet, I can make a Baby sleep and be gentle. I can howl and whisper. I can spread and stop fires. I can toss boats and help them glide too. What am I?
Wind can be destructive (uprooting trees) or gentle (lulling a baby to sleep), and it can fan flames or blow them out, matching every contrasting clue.
If you feed me, I live, but if you water me, I die. What am I?
Feeding fuel keeps fire burning, while water puts it out, another phrasing of the classic fire riddle.