New Riddles With Answers - page 5 of 53
What is the thing that stays the same size, but the more it's used the more it decreases?
The source lists 'iron' as the answer here, though the description of shrinking with use actually fits an item like a bar of soap far better; this appears to be a weak or mismatched answer in the original worksheet, which we retain as given.
My first is in some but not in all. My second is into but not in tall. My third in little but not in big. My fourth in pork but not in pig. My whole is made in nature's way. For clothing, rugs used every day.
Each clue isolates one letter present in the first word but absent from the second, spelling S-I-L-K -- the natural fiber woven into clothing and rugs. (The source text's "port" appears to be a scanning error for "pork," which is what actually supplies the letter K.)
The more holes you cover the lower it goes.
On a recorder, covering more finger holes lengthens the vibrating air column, which lowers the pitch of the note.
As I went across the bridge, I met a man with a load of wood which was neither straight nor crooked. What kind of wood was it?
Sawdust is just loose wood particles with no defined shape at all, so it is neither straight nor crooked.
Twigs and spheres and poles and plates. Join and bind to reason make.
The bones of a skeleton resemble twigs, round joints resemble spheres, long bones resemble poles, and flat bones resemble plates, all joined together to form a functioning ('reasoning') body.
Without coolant, you'll have some trouble with this.
A car's radiator relies on coolant to prevent the engine from overheating.
My first is a slice affords so nice; my second discomposes; my whole's a bed where honor's head devotedly reposes.
"Ham" is a nice slice of meat and "mock" means to unsettle or disturb (discompose); together they form "hammock," a bed where one might rest with honor.
I open wide and tight I shut, sharp am I and paper-cut fingers too. So do take care, I'm good and bad, so best beware.
Scissors open and shut with sharp blades that can cut paper -- useful but also capable of nicking your fingers.
In the forest, this blends in just right, but every December it is covered with lights. What is it?
Evergreens blend into the forest year-round, but one is chosen each December and decorated with lights as a Christmas tree.
My first is a term to relate a circumstance present or past; and those who are much prone to prate, my second will spout away fast. My whole, in the days of our youth, is what we extremely despised; and though it say nothing but truth, yet it never need hope to be prized.
"Tell" relates a past or present circumstance, and someone who prates (chatters) spins a "tale" quickly; together they form "telltale," a name children hated to be called even when telling the truth.
What goes inside boots and outside shoes?
Tall boots cover the ankles, while low-cut shoes leave them exposed -- so ankles go inside boots but outside shoes.
In many hallways you would stand, if not with this in hand.
Without your key in hand, you would be stuck standing in the hallway, locked out.
Defends your noggin from the hard pavement.
A helmet protects your head from injury if you fall onto hard pavement, such as while biking or skating.
Tiny creatures that have a special relationship with flowers.
Bumblebees pollinate flowers as they gather nectar, forming a close, mutually beneficial relationship with them.
What stays on the ground but never gets dirty?
A shadow lies flat on the ground wherever you go, but being just an absence of light, it can never actually get dirty.
You might accuse someone living with a stolen identity of being this.
Someone using a stolen identity to pass themselves off as another person is, by definition, an imposter.
I am but three holes. When you come out of me, you are still inside me. What am I?
A shirt has three openings -- the collar and two sleeves -- and pulling your head through the collar hole still leaves you wearing the shirt.
This became a fashion statement in the garden of Eden.
In the Bible, Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves after eating the forbidden fruit, the first 'clothing.'
A big shiny black car nobody wants to be a passenger in.
A hearse is the black car that carries a coffin to a funeral -- not a ride anyone wants to take as a passenger.
A white horned symbol of purity and grace.
The unicorn, with its single white horn, has long symbolized purity and grace in mythology and heraldry.
It can be clear like water, but it burns like fire.
Some alcohols, like vodka or rubbing alcohol, are clear like water but are highly flammable and burn readily.
What eight letter word has 'kst' in middle, in the beginning and at the end?
The intended answer, INKSTAND (from "ink" plus "stand"), does contain the letters K, S and T clustered near its middle, though the printed clue about that pattern repeating at the very start and end appears distorted by scanning errors and doesn't check out cleanly letter-by-letter.
It's tough as nails, or soft as snow. People use it for their rink, some just put in their drink.
Ice can be hard as nails for skating rinks or soft like snow, and it's also the ice people drop into drinks.
I am round as a bowl, deep as a tub, but all the world's water couldn't fill me up.
A sieve is full of holes, so no matter how much water is poured in, it all drains right back out.
What can speak without a tongue and listen without ears?
A telephone transmits speech and sound electronically, with no physical tongue or ears of its own.
What measures out time until in time all is smashed to it?
An hourglass uses falling sand to measure time, and over enough time rocks and everything else erode down into sand.
An art-form and its colourful result.
Painting is both the artistic technique and the name for the finished, colorful artwork it produces.
What has one hand longer than the other, and goes on all day and night?
A clock's minute hand is longer than its hour hand, and the clock keeps ticking continuously day and night.
The epic tale of two women battling over a sparkly pair of shoes.
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West both want the sparkling ruby slippers.
What can touch someone once and last them a lifetime?
A single loving moment or act of love can leave a lasting emotional impact that stays with someone forever.
People are hired to get rid of me. I'm often hiding under your bed. In time I'll always return you see. Bite me and you're surely dead.
Cleaners are hired to remove dust, which collects under beds and always comes back -- and the idiom "bite the dust" means to die.
According to the music industry, you can count on a midnight train and the devil to turn up here.
"Midnight Train to Georgia" and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" are both famous songs set in the state of Georgia.
Commits friendly home invasions one night a year.
Santa Claus is said to sneak into homes through chimneys on Christmas Eve, but only to leave gifts, not to cause harm.
It is sometimes known to have silver linings.
The idiom "every cloud has a silver lining" means even a gloomy situation, like an actual storm cloud, has a bright side.
What flies without wings?
The saying "time flies" describes how quickly time passes, even though it has no physical wings.
What is something yet nothing, but if you fill it up it will disappear?
A hole is a real, describable thing, yet it is essentially an absence of matter, and it vanishes once you fill it in.
You row in one while you float.
You use oars to row a boat, which floats on the water as you do so.
What can be any size or shape and gets bigger the more you take from it?
Digging more material out of a hole only makes the hole itself larger, no matter what shape or size it started as.
Put into a pit, locked beneath a grate, guarded through the night, yet it still goes out.
A fire is built in a pit, covered by a metal grate, and watched overnight -- yet it eventually "goes out," playing on the double meaning of extinguishing versus escaping.
What becomes white when it is dirty?
A blackboard turns whitish as chalk dust builds up on it -- the more it is used ("dirtied"), the whiter it looks.
Ambitious people will climb the social version of this contraption.
"Climbing the social ladder" is a common idiom for advancing one's status or career, comparing social advancement to climbing the rungs of a ladder.
A type of hammer that brings a room to order.
A judge uses a gavel, a small ceremonial hammer, to strike the bench and call a courtroom to order.
What can get you there in eco style, pushed by your legs mile after mile?
A bicycle is human-powered via pedaling and produces no emissions, making it an eco-friendly way to travel long distances.
I am a place with substance and story, where many masquerade to there glory. What am I?
A stage is where actors "masquerade" as characters in stories for the sake of performance and recognition.
What binds two people yet touches only one?
A wedding ring is worn (touches) only one person's finger, yet it symbolically binds two people together in marriage.
This is in a realm of true and in a realm false, but you experience me as you turn and toss.
Dreams occur while sleeping, often accompanied by tossing and turning, and blend elements that feel real with things that are entirely fictional.
This thing runs but cannot walk, sometimes sings but never talks. Lacks arms, has hands; lacks a head but has a face.
A clock 'runs,' has 'hands' (the pointers) and a 'face' (the dial), and some clocks chime or 'sing' the hours without ever speaking words.
Can describe a distress signal or flashy accessories.
A "flare" can mean an emergency distress signal (a flare gun) or describe something stylish and eye-catching, like flared, flashy clothing or accessories.
A certain wizard resided in a city made from this gemstone.
In "The Wizard of Oz," the Wizard resides in the Emerald City, a city famously built from emerald-green architecture.
Though not a plant, has leaves. Though not a beast, has spine. Though many wouldn't need this thing, It's more valuable than wine.
A book has pages ("leaves") like a plant and a "spine" like an animal, yet is neither -- and a good book can be treasured more than any fine wine.
It is the electronic version of junk mail or a salty meat in a can.
"Spam" refers both to unwanted junk email and to the well-known brand of canned, salted meat.
They're up near the sky, on something very tall. Sometimes they die, only then do they fall.
Leaves grow high in trees and typically only fall to the ground once they have died -- dried out and changed color in autumn.
My first is equality; my second is inferiority; my whole is superiority.
Reading the described letter-clues in sequence spells "peerless," meaning without equal, matching the riddle's own play on "equality," "inferiority," and "superiority."
He has a genie to thank for the fact that he married a princess.
In the story of Aladdin, a genie from a magic lamp grants his wishes, ultimately helping him win the hand of Princess Jasmine.
Held firmly in the hands, like a sword it cuts deep. Bloodless strokes, all, then forward we leap.
A canoe paddle is gripped tightly and 'cuts' through the water with each stroke, propelling the boat forward without spilling any blood.
I can be short and sometimes hot. When displayed, I rarely impress.
A "short temper" or "hot temper" describes someone who gets angry quickly, and openly displaying such a temper rarely leaves a good impression.
Found under bridges and on the Internet.
Mythological trolls are said to live under bridges, while "internet trolls" are people who provoke others online -- a clever double meaning.
Something wholly unreal, yet seems real to I. Think my friend, tell me where does it lie?
The mind can create thoughts and illusions that feel completely real even though they exist only internally, and the riddle plays on "where does it lie," both meaning location and the act of telling a lie.
You are having a bad day if 12 peers deem you to be this.
A 12-person jury (your "peers") delivering a verdict against you in court means you have been found guilty.
Can you guess the next letter in the series? "CYGTNLIT"
Each letter in 'CYGTNLIT' is the first letter of a word in the question itself ('Can You Guess The Next Letter In The...'), so the next letter continues the phrase with 'Series' -- S.
In the Tour de France, what is the position of a rider, after he passes the second placed rider?
Passing the rider in second place means you take over second place -- you'd need to pass the leader as well to become first.
Two people are born at the same moment, but they don't have the same birthdays. How could this be?
Two babies born at the exact same instant could have different calendar dates recorded if they are born in different time zones.
What is neither inside the house nor outside the house but a necessity for any home?
Windows are set into the wall of a house -- not purely inside or outside -- yet every home needs them for light and ventilation.
Round as an apple, deep as a cup, and all the kings' horses can't fill it up. What is it?
A well is round like the cross-section of an apple and deep like a cup, yet said to be so deep that even an army's worth of horses couldn't fill it up.
I am a strong as ten men Yet ten men cannot stand me up. What am I?
Water can be extremely forceful, yet because it has no fixed shape, no number of strong men could ever make it physically "stand up" on its own.
There are two meanings to me. With one I may need to be broken, with the other I hold on. My favorite characteristic is my charming dimple.
"Tie" has multiple meanings: a game "tie" may need to be broken to determine a winner, while a necktie is something you hold onto (wear), and a well-tied necktie often features a stylish dimple.
Poorly behaved children often find themselves sitting in these.
Sending a misbehaving child to stand or sit in the corner is a classic, mild form of discipline.
A tree with 5 branches, no leaves and no fruits.
A human arm has a "tree" shape ending in five "branches" -- the fingers -- with no leaves or fruit.
What can be swallowed, but can swallow you?
You can "swallow your pride" (humble yourself), but unchecked pride can also "swallow" or consume a person's character.
What can burn the eyes, sting the mouth, yet be consumed and thought delicious?
Salt can sting your eyes if it gets in them and has a sharp taste in the mouth, yet it's a common and enjoyable seasoning in food.
What kinds of men are always above board?
A pun on the idiom "above board" (meaning honest) -- chessmen (chess pieces) are literally always above the board during play.
Just head and foot yet never tires of dancing.
A spinning top has a rounded "head" and a pointed "foot" (the tip it spins on), appearing to dance tirelessly while it spins.
What is never used unless it's in a tight place?
A cork only serves its purpose by being squeezed into a tight space, like the neck of a bottle.
Steals an event or even a mood. Reveals the truth or shatters it.
A camera captures ("steals") a moment or mood, and the resulting photograph can reveal the truth of an event or, if manipulated, distort it.
What goes through a door but never goes in and never comes out?
A keyhole passes through the thickness of a door itself but, being part of the door, never travels in or out of it.
Today he is there to trip you up and he will torture you tomorrow.
Alcohol can cause you to stumble ("trip you up") while drinking, and the resulting hangover the next day can feel like torture.
Not a priest, not a king but wears different kinds of clothes.
A clothesline holds all sorts of garments hung out to dry, without itself being a person of any title.
Who is it that rows quickly with four oars but never comes out under his own roof?
A turtle's four legs act like oars for swimming, yet it always carries its shell -- its own "roof" -- with it, so it never truly leaves home.
You can have it, and be at it, But it never lasts forever.
You can possess peace and be "at peace," but like most states of being, it is not a permanent condition.
What is lengthened by being cut at both ends?
Digging out (cutting into) both ends of a ditch extends its overall length.
It produces a flower but it is not its fruit; it produces branches which are its fruit.
A corn plant grows a tassel (flower) at its top, which is not the harvested part; instead, the ears growing along its stalk ("branches") are its useful "fruit."
We chop its feet; we drink its blood.
Sugarcane stalks are cut at the base ("chop its feet"), and the sweet juice ("blood") is extracted and processed into sugar.
What has feet and legs and nothing else?
Stockings are shaped like feet and legs but have no other "body" -- they are simply leg- and foot-shaped fabric.
What can be right but never wrong?
This is a wordplay riddle: a "right angle" is called "right" (a 90-degree angle) by name, so it can never technically be described as a "wrong angle."
You'll have me at night and if you remove the first letter I denote the top, such as on a train. What am I?
You eat "supper" at night, and removing its first letter leaves "upper," as in an "upper" berth or deck, such as on a train.
Blend a teapot shot so the pearlies won't rot!
"Pearlies" refers to teeth (pearly whites), and toothpaste is used to keep them from decaying ("rot"). Note: the riddle's own phrasing is oddly worded in the source, but the intended answer is clearly toothpaste.
I grow for a surface, even if you cut me. I continue to grow even after death.
Hair keeps growing from the scalp regardless of cutting; the claim that it keeps growing after death is a popular myth, though -- the apparent growth actually comes from skin dehydrating and retracting.
Fly with me to the Pitch! With a seeker, a keeper, Or a chaser, a beater, Wizard or witch; I play a mean game of Quidditch. What am I?
In the Harry Potter Quidditch games, seekers, keepers, chasers, and beaters -- wizards and witches alike -- all fly across the pitch on broomsticks.
I'm not man's best friend, I'm their enemy, I can mark your end, yet you do not see me, I am very small, but very tough, If you have me, then you have it rough. Faster than a twitch!
A virus is microscopic yet can be deadly ("mark your end"), and it works against humans rather than for them, like a tiny, tough foe.
What's the red stuff between an elephant's toes?
This is a dark-humor pun riddle: the joke answer is that elephants step on slow-moving pygmies, leaving red stuff between their toes, rather than any literal substance like ketchup or mud.
A plane crashed on the border of the US and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?
This is a classic trick question: you don't bury survivors, since by definition they're still alive.
You are a bus driver. 8 people get on, 2 people get off, 2 more people get on and another 1 gets off. Finally, 3 more people get on and 2 get off again. How old is the bus driver?
The riddle's trick is in the framing: since it says 'you are the bus driver,' the answer is simply your own age, not a number calculated from the passenger counts.
During what month do people sleep the least? (Also asked in this range as "What month do people sleep the least?")
With the fewest days of any month, February gives people the least total sleep time across the month, even at a normal nightly pace. NOTE: riddle #996 in the source ("What month do people sleep the least?") is a near-identical restatement of this same riddle and answer; it has been merged into this single row.
What is heavy forward but not backward?
'Ton' is a heavy unit of weight, but spelled backward it becomes 'not,' which isn't heavy at all -- a letter-reversal wordplay.
What goes up and never comes down?
A person's age only ever increases with time; it never decreases.
Do what he says and you'll be fine, don't and you lose the game.
In the children's game Simon Says, players must obey commands only when prefaced with 'Simon says,' or they're out.
Sheets of paper that tell new stories each day.
A newspaper is printed sheets of paper delivering fresh stories every day.
Reaching stiffly for the sky, I bare my fingers when it's cold. In warmth I wear an emerald glove and in between I dress in gold.
A tree stands tall with bare branches ('fingers') in winter, grows green ('emerald') leaves in warm weather, and turns golden in the fall between seasons.
A sport with love and service played by singles and pairs.
Tennis uses the term 'love' for a zero score and 'service' to start each point, and it's played in both singles and doubles.
A mechanism to discover who is following you.
A rearview mirror lets a driver see the vehicles behind them, revealing anyone following.