Solve the Riddles (if you can)
One strand dangles. Two strands twist. Three or more can fashion this.
A home of wood in a wooded place, but built not by hand. High above the earthen ground, it holds its pale blue gems. What is it?
Three or four, I can stab through or rule the seas. You know my cousins. What am I?
What can be swallowed, but can swallow you?
Guided, I am scraping along, leaving behind my snow-white dust against that which I am scraping, for when I am scraping, I must.
What word of five letters has only one left when two letters are removed?
What gets easier to pick up the larger it gets?
You can tumble in it, roll in it, burn it, animals eat it, used to cover floors, still used beyond stall doors. Freshens whatever it is placed on, absorbs whatever is poured into it.
What's red and bad for your teeth?
What kind of cup doesn't hold water?
Two bodies with ribs, exposed.
Tear one off and scratch my head, what once was red is black instead!
Precious stones in a pack of cards.
When young, I am sweet in the sun. When middle-aged, I make you gay. When old, I am valued more than ever.
What's the red stuff between elephant’s toes?
Take away my first letter and I remain the same. Take away my last letter and I remain unchanged. Remove all my letters and I’m still me. What am I?
He has one and a person has two, a citizen has three and a human being has four, a personality has five and an inhabitant of earth has six. What am I?
I follow the orders of only two. I respect the work of only two. I am in constant battles with many, though one surpassed them all. With forces joined, we created hell, until our mutual enemy fell. Who am I?
What is it that leaps and runs and yet has no feet?
I love to dance and twist and prance, I shake my tail, as away I sail, wingless I fly into the sky. What am I?
Travel a mile and I will change, travel a million and I will end as I started. What am I?
At the sound of me, men may dream or stamp their feet. At the sound of me, women may laugh or sometimes weep.
Large as a mountain, small as a pea, endlessly swimming in a waterless sea.
What is the end to which we all like to come?
There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?
A child playing on the beach had 6 1/6 sand piles in one place and 3 1/3 in another. If he put them together, how many sand piles would he have?
A serpent swam in a silver urn, a golden bird did in its mouth abide. The serpent drank the water; this in turn killed the serpent. Then the gold bird died.
When is 1500 plus 20 and 1600 minus 40 the same thing?
In ye fire thou hear me scream! Creaking and whining yet I am dead before thoust layeth me upon ye hearth.
What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a million letters in it?
I have no wings, but I fly. I have no teeth, but I bite. What am I?
I know a thousand faces, and count the tailed heads, feasting bright upon the eyes, of many who have died. Wielding well a mighty power, who hath but humble stature. Masses fall upon their knees, to scarce behold my only side. What am I?
A blue house has blue bricks; a yellow house has yellow bricks. What is a green house made of?
What do we all put off until tomorrow?
What type of dress can never be worn?
What has one eye but cannot see?
My father has a grey horse in his yard, ride him nowhere but on his tail.
I'm round at the ends and high in the middle. What am I?
If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?
More precious than gold, but cannot be bought, can never be sold, only earned if it’s sought. If it is broken, it can still be mended. At birth it can’t start, nor by death is it ended.
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Riddles and Answers
1. One strand dangles. Two strands twist. Three or more can fashion this.
Answer: A braidExplanation: A single strand of hair dangles on its own. When two strands are twisted, they create a rope-like effect. However, when three or more strands are intertwined, they form a braid, a common hairstyle.
2. A home of wood in a wooded place, but built not by hand. High above the earthen ground, it holds its pale blue gems. What is it?
Answer: A bird’s nestExplanation: A bird’s nest is made from twigs and is found in trees (a wooded place). It is built by birds, not by human hands. Some bird eggs, like those of robins, are pale blue in color.
3. Three or four, I can stab through or rule the seas. You know my cousins. What am I?
Answer: A forkExplanation: A fork usually has three or four prongs, which can "stab" food. The reference to ruling the seas relates to Poseidon's trident, which resembles a fork. Its "cousins" are spoons and knives.
4. What can be swallowed, but can swallow you?
Answer: PrideExplanation: You can "swallow your pride" when you humble yourself, but excessive pride can consume a person’s character and lead to downfall.
5. Guided, I am scraping along, leaving behind my snow-white dust against that which I am scraping, for when I am scraping, I must.
Answer: ChalkExplanation: Chalk is used to write on blackboards and leaves behind white dust as it scrapes against the surface.
6. What word of five letters has only one left when two letters are removed?
Answer: StoneExplanation: If you remove "s" and "t" from "stone," you are left with "one."
7. What gets easier to pick up the larger it gets?
Answer: A womanExplanation: This plays on the idea that as a woman gains experience and wisdom, it becomes easier to understand her.
8. You can tumble in it, roll in it, burn it, animals eat it, used to cover floors, still used beyond stall doors. Freshens whatever it is placed on, absorbs whatever is poured into it.
Answer: HayExplanation: Hay is used for animal bedding, food, and even insulation. It can also be burned or used to soak up spills.
9. What's red and bad for your teeth?
Answer: A brickExplanation: This is a humorous riddle. A brick is red in color, and if you try to bite it, it would damage your teeth.
10. What kind of cup doesn't hold water?
Answer: A cupcakeExplanation: A cupcake has the word "cup" in it but is actually a small cake, not a drinking vessel.
11. Two bodies with ribs, exposed.
Answer: A ladderExplanation: A ladder has two vertical sides (bodies) with horizontal rungs (ribs) connecting them.
12. Tear one off and scratch my head, what once was red is black instead!
Answer: A matchstickExplanation: When you strike a match (scratch its head), the red tip burns and turns black.
13. Precious stones in a pack of cards.
Answer: DiamondsExplanation: The suit of diamonds in a deck of cards shares its name with the precious gemstone.
14. When young, I am sweet in the sun. When middle-aged, I make you gay. When old, I am valued more than ever.
Answer: WineExplanation: Grapes are sweet when fresh, become alcohol (which can make people feel joyful), and improve with age.
15. What's the red stuff between elephant’s toes?
Answer: Slow pygmiesExplanation: This is a joke riddle. It suggests that pygmies (small people) move too slowly to escape from an elephant’s step.
16. Take away my first letter and I remain the same. Take away my last letter and I remain unchanged. Remove all my letters and I’m still me. What am I?
Answer: A mailmanExplanation: Removing "m" or "n" from "mailman" doesn’t change its meaning.
17. He has one and a person has two, a citizen has three and a human being has four, a personality has five and an inhabitant of earth has six. What am I?
Answer: SyllablesExplanation: Each term has an increasing number of syllables.
18. I follow the orders of only two. I respect the work of only two. I am in constant battles with many, though one surpassed them all. With forces joined, we created hell, until our mutual enemy fell. Who am I?
Answer: PeevesExplanation: Personal annoyances that people must deal with.
19. What is it that leaps and runs and yet has no feet?
Answer: A ballExplanation: A ball bounces and rolls without having feet.
20. I love to dance and twist and prance, I shake my tail, as away I sail, wingless I fly into the sky. What am I?
Answer: A kiteExplanation: A kite moves in the air without wings.
21. Travel a mile and I will change, travel a million and I will end as I started. What am I?
Answer: An odometerExplanation: It changes numbers as you drive but resets at certain points.
22. At the sound of me, men may dream or stamp their feet. At the sound of me, women may laugh or sometimes weep.
Answer: MusicExplanation: Music can inspire joy, sadness, or dancing.
23. Large as a mountain, small as a pea, endlessly swimming in a waterless sea.
Answer: AsteroidsExplanation: Asteroids vary in size and travel through space.
24. What is the end to which we all like to come?
Answer: A dividendExplanation: People seek financial dividends.
25. There is a clerk at the butcher shop, he is five feet ten inches tall, and he wears size 13 sneakers. What does he weigh?
Answer: MeatExplanation: A butcher weighs meat.
26. A child playing on the beach had 6 1/6 sand piles in one place and 3 1/3 in another. If he put them together, how many sand piles would he have?
Answer: OneExplanation: Combining piles makes one big pile.
27. A serpent swam in a silver urn, a golden bird did in its mouth abide. The serpent drank the water; this in turn killed the serpent. Then the gold bird died.
Answer: An oil lampExplanation: The flame (bird) dies when the oil (serpent) is used up.
28. When is 1500 plus 20 and 1600 minus 40 the same thing?
Answer: Military time (3:20 PM)Explanation: Both 1520 and 1560 convert to the same time.
29. In ye fire thou hear me scream! Creaking and whining yet I am dead before thoust layeth me upon ye hearth.
Answer: A logExplanation: Wood crackles in fire.
30. What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a million letters in it?
Answer: A post officeExplanation: It contains letters in the mail.
31. I have no wings, but I fly. I have no teeth, but I bite.
Answer: A bulletExplanation: Bullets travel fast and are deadly.
32. I know a thousand faces, and count the tailed heads, feasting bright upon the eyes, of many who have died. Wielding well a mighty power, who hath but humble stature. Masses fall upon their knees, to scarce behold my only side. What am I?
Answer: A coinExplanation: A coin has two sides—one with a head and one with a tail. It is used by many people, and its value can hold great power despite its small size. People bow or kneel to collect coins, making the last line of the riddle significant.
33. A blue house has blue bricks; a yellow house has yellow bricks. What is a green house made of?
Answer: GlassExplanation: The riddle tricks you into thinking about a house painted green, but a "greenhouse" is actually made of glass, which is used to trap sunlight and grow plants.
34. What do we all put off until tomorrow?
Answer: Our clothesExplanation: The phrase "put off until tomorrow" usually means procrastination, but here it has a literal meaning—every day, we remove (or put off) our clothes before bed and wear new ones the next day.
35. What type of dress can never be worn?
Answer: An addressExplanation: The word "dress" in the riddle is misleading. While a dress is something you wear, an "address" is a location, which can never be worn.
36. What has one eye but cannot see?
Answer: A needleExplanation: A sewing needle has a small hole called an "eye" that is used for threading, but it obviously cannot see like a real eye.
37. My father has a grey horse in his yard, rides him nowhere but on his tail.
Answer: A pipeExplanation: The "grey horse" represents the smoke that comes from a pipe. "Riding on its tail" refers to the smoke trailing behind.
38. I'm round at the ends and high in the middle. What am I?
Answer: OhioExplanation: The word "Ohio" is shaped with round letters at the beginning and end (O's) and has "high" letters (H) in the middle.
39. If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?
Answer: A secretExplanation: A secret remains a secret only if you keep it to yourself. Once you share it, it is no longer a secret.
40. More precious than gold, but cannot be bought, Can never be sold, only earned if it’s sought. If it is broken, it can still be mended. At birth, it can’t start nor by death is it ended.
Answer: FriendshipExplanation: True friendship is more valuable than gold and cannot be purchased. It is built over time and, if broken, can be repaired. Unlike material possessions, it is not limited by life or death.
tricky!
Very nice