New Riddles With Answers - page 36 of 53
What is that which has many leaves, but no stem?
A book's pages are called "leaves," but unlike a plant, it has no stem.
I am the king's, given by the people; Used by the king, on the people who gave him; everyone obeys him because he has me. What am I?
Authority is granted to a ruler by the people, yet is then used to govern those same people.
Why were the notebooks afraid to go to college?
"College ruled" is a pun on the type of lined paper and sounds like the college "ruling over" the notebooks.
I am very important to all living creatures. I was firstborn in the sun. I am a chapter in textbooks and I am not made of fire. I make the sun-worthy. Too much of me may kill you. But humans can still prevent me. What am I?
Heat originates from the sun, is studied in science textbooks, and can be deadly in excess yet is manageable by humans.
What makes "Book, Box, and Noon" the same?
Despite unrelated meanings, book, box, and noon are grammatically all nouns.
Don't judge a book by its cover. What is the contradictory proverb?
This proverb argues the opposite point: that outward appearance does define a person, contradicting 'don't judge by appearances.'
There once was a book that was only owned by the wealthy, but now everyone can have it. You can't buy it in a bookstore or take it from a library. What book is it?
Telephones were once luxuries for the rich, so phone books were once rare, but became common and are given free by phone companies rather than sold.
I sit here collecting dust, I can wait forever to open me and you will not be disappointed, I can make you laugh, cry, and sad, I contain all the knowledge of the world, let me take you to a faraway land. What am I?
Sitting unopened collecting dust, holding knowledge and emotion, and transporting you to far places are all classic descriptions of a book.
What is the highest public building in your city?
"Stories" again puns on both a building's floors and the tales inside library books.
Four legs I do have, yet I never walk. I work not, yet I have food. All the food I get, none do I eat but you do. I cannot read yet many times I'm found with books. I am only but a carpenter's work. What am I?
A table has four legs, holds food and books, but never moves, eats, or reads.
I wiggled 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 a book. What am I?
A blind, wiggling creature is a worm, and "worm" plus "book" makes "bookworm," an avid reader.
Where do books sleep?
"Covers" doubles as a book's front and back cover and the bedcovers one sleeps between.
What are the smartest creatures?
"Bookworm" is slang for an avid reader, making them the punniest choice for "smartest."
Why did everybody like to go out to eat with the librarian?
"Book a reservation" puns on making a restaurant reservation and a librarian's book expertise.
There were 5 children in a room. Iris drew a picture, Barry played video games, Andrew played chess, and Trina read a book. What is the fifth child, Mindy, doing?
Since chess needs two players, the child unaccounted for must be Andrew's opponent.
My numbers may vary, thin as a sheet, take one away, and we're just not complete. What am I?
A book's pages are thin sheets numbered in sequence, and removing one leaves it incomplete.
What did one math book say to another?
This is a pun: math books are literally full of practice 'problems,' which doubles as an emotional complaint between two books.
I am the shell of something interesting. My front is very eye-catching but my inside tells all. What am I?
The eye-catching "shell" is the book's cover, while its pages hold the real content.
My life is often a volume of grief, your help is needed to turn a new leaf. Stiff is my spine and my body is pale, but I'm always ready to tell a tale. What am I?
A book is measured in 'volumes,' has 'leaves' (pages) you turn, a spine, pale white pages, and exists to tell a story.
A teacher is yelling, she closes the door, the window, and a book. What did she forget to close?
Despite closing every physical thing listed, she never stops yelling, meaning her mouth stayed "open."
Where do bedtime books sleep?
"Covers" is a double meaning: a book's cover and the blankets (covers) people sleep under.
What did one math book say to the other math book?
The pun plays on "problems" meaning both math exercises and personal troubles.
Why was the student's homework in his father's handwriting?
An absurd non-sequitur answer, since borrowing a pen would not actually change one's handwriting.
Why was Miss Cow sad?
Pun on "bull," referring to both her romantic partner and the animal facing danger in a bullfight.
Why was the ocean arrested?
Pun on "beat," meaning both to physically assault someone and waves striking the shore.
Why was the Joke Factory made to close down?
Pun on "cracks," meaning both structural cracks and cracking jokes.
Why was the plumber so tired?
Pun on "drained," meaning both exhausted and water being drained through pipes.
Why was Cinderella bad at sports?
Double pun on "coach" (a vehicle vs. a sports trainer) and "ball" (a dance vs. a sports ball).
Why was the photographer arrested?
Pun on photography terms "shot" and "blew up" (enlarged a photo), which sound violent.
Why was the cell phone wearing glasses?
Pun on "contacts," meaning both a phone's contact list and eye contact lenses.
Why was the geologist's wife unhappy?
Pun on "granite" sounding like "granted," as in being taken for granted.
Why was the nose so tired?
Pun on "running," since a nose can run (with mucus) and running causes fatigue.
Why was the picture sent to jail?
Pun on "framed," meaning both put in a picture frame and falsely accused of a crime.
Why was the broom late?
This puns on 'over-swept,' sounding like 'overslept,' referencing a broom's sweeping function.
What can be heard and caught but never seen?
A remark, a spoken comment, can be "heard" and figuratively "caught," meaning understood, but has no visible physical form.
What can go up a chimney down, but cannot go down a chimney up?
This plays on the word 'up': an umbrella that is 'up' (open) can be pushed up a chimney, but an open ('up') umbrella cannot be brought down through a chimney the same way.
A prisoner is told, 'If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you.' What can he say to save himself?
If he says "you will hang me," it can't be confirmed true or false without contradicting itself, a paradox that spares him either penalty.
What can double in number, but is still singular?
Doubling the letter "u" gives "uu," which is exactly how the letter "W" got its name, "double-u," while U itself remains a single letter.
What can grasp the world's edges with great precision, yet always perceive the imagery as vague conceptions?
Peripheral vision detects movement and shapes at the edges of sight but never renders them in sharp detail.
What can emit an umbra on the earth, and provide phosphorescence for all its creatures, all while altering the visual surface of itself within phases?
The moon casts a shadow (umbra) during eclipses and reflects glowing light that changes as it moves through phases.
What can be done but not undone?
Once hurtful words are spoken aloud, they can never be truly taken back, unlike a written note that can be erased.
If every second equals a minute every minute equals an hour every hour equals a day every day equals a month and every month equals a year. What can equal one year?
Following the doubling chain of equivalencies given, tracing back from "year" leads all the way down to "one second."
I'm two for one, I speckle and I sparkle, I give and I take, and I come in many forms. Who or what can I be?
A "present" can mean a gift, being in attendance, or the current moment, fitting its many different forms and meanings.
What can you find in Texas but not in the states of Ohio, Utah, or Iowa?
The letter "e" appears in "Texas" but is absent from "Ohio," "Utah," and "Iowa."
What can be seen, but cannot be touched, and when put in a barrel, will make the barrel lighter?
Light is visible yet intangible, and adding it doesn't add physical weight to anything.
What can be given and can be accepted, is worth a great deal but costs nothing, yet has no monetary value?
An apology carries emotional worth and can mend relationships, yet it's free to give and has no cash value.
What can be underwater, under fire, on fire, and taking water all at the same time?
A submarine can be submerged (underwater), attacked (under fire), damaged and burning (on fire), and flooding (taking on water) all simultaneously during combat.
What can burn the eyes, sting the mouth, yet be consumed?
Salt can irritate the eyes and sting cuts in the mouth, yet it's a common food seasoning eaten daily.
What can you hear, but not see or touch, even though you control it?
Your voice is entirely intangible, yet you consciously produce and control it.
What can bring tears to your eyes, make you move faster, make you move slower, and knock you over?
Wind can sting your eyes, push you along, slow your steps against it, and even knock you off balance.
What can go forward but never back?
Time always moves in one direction, forward, and can never reverse.
What can cut like a knife, sting like a bee, bite like a lion? Carry truth and lies but never move or speak?
Words can hurt emotionally in many ways, carry both honesty and deception, yet remain intangible and voiceless on their own.
What can you throw but never catch and throw it again?
Wordplay — you "throw" a tantrum, an emotional outburst, but it can't be physically caught and reused.
What can bring back the dead; make us cry, make us laugh, make us young; born in an instant yet lasts a lifetime?
A memory can bring the past -- even the dead -- back to mind, stir every emotion, and forms in an instant yet can last a whole lifetime.
What can be held without hands but has to be let go?
You metaphorically "hold" a grudge emotionally, and healing requires consciously "letting it go."
What can be put in a cup, but never be taken out?
A crack becomes part of the cup's structure — it can't be physically removed once it's there.
What can you break without hitting or dropping it?
A promise is an intangible commitment that can be broken without any physical force applied to it.
What can be forever wound up but never annoyed?
Wordplay — "wound up" means both cranking a mechanism and becoming irritated, but a toy can only do the former.
A prisoner was stuck in a metal room with a metal door that was locked. There were no windows and nothing in the room but a piano. What can he do to escape?
Wordplay — a piano's "keys" double as the literal key needed to unlock the door.
What can chew, but can't eat?
Wordplay — a "choo choo" train sounds like "chew," but a train obviously can't actually eat.
What can climb mountains, cross streams, and handle hundreds of feet each day, yet never move?
A trail itself stays fixed in place while countless hikers' feet travel across it daily.
What can be saved but not made, can be taken but not given, can be short or long, and can be happy or sad?
Life can be "saved" through rescue, "taken" through death, and varies in length and emotional tone, but it cannot literally be manufactured or gifted.
What can be used only once and after it's used it will be gone?
A bomb detonates entirely upon use and cannot be used a second time.
What can you put in a barrel, that will make the barrel lighter?
Punching a hole removes material from the barrel, making it lighter, unlike adding any object.
What can't be burned in fire, nor drowned in water?
Ice melts rather than burns in fire, and since it's frozen water, it can't be 'drowned' by more water either.
What can fill a room and a bowl but not change shape?
Air fills whatever container it's in, from a room to a bowl, while remaining formless itself.
What can run but can't walk?
A refrigerator "runs," meaning it operates continuously, but obviously cannot physically walk.
What's more precious than ruby, more lasting than gold, what can never be traded stolen, or sold, What comes with great effort, takes time but then once yours will serve you again and again?
Knowledge is earned through effort and time, and once gained, it can be used repeatedly without ever being taken away.
Fashions change but what can a person wear that is never out of style?
Unlike clothing trends, a smile is a timeless expression that never goes out of fashion.
What can't be put into a saucepan?
A saucepan's own lid is sized to cover it from outside, not fit inside the pan itself.
What can you break without holding it?
A promise is an intangible commitment that can be broken without any physical object involved.
What can be lost, but not returned?
Once life is lost, unlike most possessions, it cannot be given back or recovered.
What can be seen in the middle of March and April that cannot be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
The letter "r" sits in the middle of both "March" and "April" but not at either word's start or end.
What can you find in the center of gravity?
Counting letters in "gravity," the middle letter lands on "v."
What can be picked but not chosen?
Wordplay — you can "pick" your nose, but you don't get to select which nose you have.
What can fill a room but take up no space?
Light fills a room by illuminating it without occupying physical volume.
What can be stolen, mistaken, or altered, yet never leave you your entire life?
Your identity can be stolen through fraud or mistaken for someone else's, yet it remains fundamentally yours forever.
What can be touched but can't be seen?
You can emotionally "touch" someone's heart without physically seeing the abstract feeling itself.
What can be swallowed, but can also swallow you?
You can "swallow your pride" and humble yourself, or let pride "swallow you" by becoming consumed with arrogance.
What can hold water even though it has holes?
A sponge's holes actually help it absorb and retain water within its structure.
What can go up and come down without moving?
Temperature rises and falls numerically without any physical object moving.
What can run, but never walk; has a mouth, but never talk; has a head, but never weeps; has a bed, but never sleeps?
A river "runs," has a "mouth" where it meets the sea, a "head" at its source, and a "bed" as its channel.
What can you hold in your right hand, but not in your left?
Your left hand can be held by your right hand, but your left hand can't hold itself.
What can you catch but never throw?
Wordplay — you "catch" an illness like a cold, but can't throw it.
What can point in every direction but can't reach the destination by itself?
A compass needle or a pointing finger indicates direction but cannot travel there on its own.
John was very tired after a long day of work. He went to bed at 10 p.m., wound his alarm clock, and set it for noon the next day. Since John fell asleep almost immediately, how many hours of sleep did he get before the alarm woke him?
A wind-up alarm clock's dial only goes up to 12 hours, so it would ring at 10 a.m. (2 hours later), not noon the next day.
There are two moms and two daughters. One mom is the daughters mom. The other mom is the mom's mom. One daughter is the mom for the little daughter. One daughter is the little daughter. How many people are all together?
The three generations (grandmother, mother, daughter) each fill two roles at once, so only three actual people exist.
I have 10 books and I label them with their number. I take seven out to read. How many books are left?
Since the books are labeled by number, taking out 'book number seven' removes only one book, leaving nine.
How many Easter eggs can you put into an empty basket?
The basket stops being 'empty' the instant the first egg is placed inside.
If you have 10 peaches and take 7 peaches away, how many do you have?
The riddle asks how many 'you' have, and you personally now hold the 7 peaches you took.
A new medical building containing 100 offices had just been completed. Mark was hired to paint the numbers 1 to 100 on the doors. How many times will Mark have to paint the number nine?
Counting every appearance of the digit 9 (both as a tens digit in 90-99 and as a units digit) across 1-100 totals 20.
A farmer has 17 sheep and all but 9 die. How many are left alive?
'All but 9' means every sheep except those 9 died, so exactly 9 survive.
You are sitting at a table eating lunch and there are ten flies on the table. With a quick swat, you are able to kill three flies. How many flies are left on the table?
The living flies would fly away after being startled, leaving only the three dead ones physically on the table.
There are 10 bombs on the ground, 1 bomb explodes. How many bombs are there left?
A chain reaction from the first explosion is implied to detonate all the remaining bombs as well.
If it takes 3 people to dig 1 hole how many people does it takes for 1/2 an hole?
As soon as digging starts, the result is simply 'a hole,' not a fractional one, so half a hole doesn't logically exist.
I went to city OZ on the way I saw four women, with four bags, who had four kittens. Each woman had two children with her. How many people went to the city OZ? (count correctly)
The narrator only met the women and their children on the way; nothing states they were also traveling to Oz.
How many bananas can you eat on an empty stomach?
As soon as you eat the first banana, your stomach is no longer empty, limiting the true answer to one.
How many months have 28 days?
Every month has at least 28 days -- February has exactly 28 (or 29), while the rest simply have more -- so the trick answer is all twelve months.
If two peacocks lay two eggs in two days how many eggs does one peacock lay in four days?
Only female peahens lay eggs; male peacocks never do, making the math question a trick.
As I was going to the fair, I saw a man with golden hair. He had 3 sons each with another one. How many people were going to the fair?
The narrator only says they met the man and his sons on the way, not that the group was also headed to the fair.