Riddles are some of the most fantastic things when it comes to exercising your brain. Very few problems are as easily accessible and fun and provide such a stimulus to our brains. Not only that, but they also make us think in a different way, regardless of the age of the one attempting it. In fact, almost everyone would agree that the harder they are, the more enjoyable they become. So, without further ado are 15 interesting riddles to fuel your inquisitive brains.
Riddle 1:
Chris was born in room number 1977. This is a classic example of misdirection using standard sentences. Usually, when we read the first sentence, we automatically assume that the number means the birth year. But, like in this case, it can also mean his birthplace, but I don’t know many places called 1997.
Riddle 2:
You don’t knock on your own hotel door. Unless you are traveling with someone, why would you knock on the door to your own room? Why would you ask someone else for permission to enter your own residence? In fact, the first thing you do is try to open it by using your key.
Riddle 3:
The 27th. The day before yesterday means the day before the day before today. So that means two days prior to today. From the question, that is the 23rd. So today will be 23 + 2 = 25th. Now, the day after tomorrow means the day after the day after today—so another two days in the future. So, from today, which is the 25th, it will be the 27th.
Riddle 4:
The dates are in BCE. There are two kinds of dating systems: BCE and CE. CE stands for Common Era, and BCE means Before CE. At present, we are at 2023 CE. In BCE, the years are counted descendingly as time progresses until it reaches 1 BCE. After that, it is 1 CE, and counting continues in ascending order.
Riddle 5:
Nothing. It is a bit of a cruel joke, but it is factually correct. Rich people need nothing, while poor people have nothing. Moreover, if you eat nothing for long enough, you will die of starvation.
Riddle 6:
The alphabet. This is an example of how a word with multiple meanings can be used to paint an out-of-the-box technique. In this case, it is the word “letter.” With the first sentence, we usually assume the word “letter” refers to the individual letters in the word being asked for. However, in this case, it refers to the collection of letters.
Riddle 7:
Your mother. Your uncle is the brother of your mother. So, his sister can be your aunt since she would also be your mother’s sister. However, since that is not the case, the only possible sister left for your uncle is your mother.
Riddle 8:
A hole. No matter what you add to a bucket, it will always get heavier. This is because you are adding more stuff to it. The only way to reduce the weight is by removing what’s already in it. Now you are only allowed to put stuff in. So, if you put a hole in, what’s inside will automatically get removed.
Riddle 9:
A shadow. A shadow can be cast anywhere, not just on the ground. But chances are, you will always encounter some kind of shadow on any ground. Since a shadow is not a physical object, it can never get dirty by whatever’s on the ground.
Riddle 10:
An envelope. This is another usage of a different meaning of the word “letter.” Here, it does not mean the letters of a word or a language. Instead, it means the paper that is sent via mail. Once you catch onto that misdirection, the rest is easy.
Riddle 11:
A deck of cards. There are four suits of cards in a deck of cards: spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts. Each of them has 13 cards numbered from A to K. However, the suit names are just terms for the symbol on the cards.
Riddle 12:
They were born in different time zones. Since the Sun does not hit all the places on Earth simultaneously, we devised time zones – separate areas that all follow a central time. However, there’s a gap of one hour between each time zone. So as we move from one area to another, time shifts by an hour. For example, 1 AM in a particular time zone is 2 AM at the next one simultaneously.
Riddle 13:
Second place. Imagine there are three people, including you, running in a race. You are in third place. Directly in front of you is the second-placed person. Then, further ahead is the first-placed person. Now, you overtake the person in front of you. So, now there is only the first-placed person in front of you – which makes you the second-placed runner.
Riddle 14:
The dictionary. By the words’ meanings, yesterday means the day before today. So, unless you can time travel, there is no way to experience yesterday after today physically. A dictionary, though, arranges words by their alphabetical words. Since ‘t’ comes before ‘y’, today occurs before yesterday.
Riddle 15:
Wrinkles. We will admit that this one misdirected a lot of us as well. Nevertheless, wrinkles can refer to both the folds in clothes and those on the skin that usually come with age. Moreover, no one likes looking older than they are.
So how many of them did you get correct? Let us know in the comments below! Also, if you enjoyed them, be sure to share them with your friends and family to test them out as well. Meanwhile, here are some more brain exercises you can try out:
- People Are Sharing Their Favorite Riddles – And We’re Scratching Our Heads
- 15 “What Am I?” Riddles for Kids That Can Even Challenge Adults
- 20 Riddles That Will Challenge Your Brainpower