Shell Shock
Why do players very rarely win at the “shell game,” where they have to say which of three shuffled shells covers a pea? Clue: The game is rigged. The dealer is fast,...
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Plane and Simple
A boy who is three feet tall puts a nail into a tree at his exact height. He returns two years later when he has grown by six inches and the tree has grown by twelve...
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Material Witness
In the fabric shop, the curtains are neatly arranged by style. The floral-patterned ones are in a section marked “Floral,” the plain ones are in a section...
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Criminal Assistance
The police put up notices warning the public about a certain type of crime, but actually helped the criminals. How? Clue: The police notices were to worn people about...
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In the Middle of the Night
A man wakes up at night in the pitch dark. He knows that on his bedside table are a razor, a watch, and a glass of water. How can he reach for the table and be sure to...
Read MoreSick Leave
Walter spent three days in the hospital. He was neither sick nor injured, but when it was time to leave he had to be carried out. Why?Clue: Walter was human and...
Read MoreThe Tracks of My Tires
The police found a murder victim and they noticed a pair of tire tracks leading to and from the body. They followed the tracks to a nearby farmhouse where two men and a...
Read MoreBertha’s Travels
Every day Bertha travels 30 miles in the course of her work. She doesn’t travel in a wheeled vehicle and never has problems with traffic, the police, weather, or...
Read MoreAlex Ferguson
In the early 1990’s, Alex Ferguson was the coach of Manchester United, the most successful professional soccer team in England at that time. Previously he had...
Read MoreTop at Last
William was the least intelligent and laziest boy in a class of 30 students who took an examination. Yet when the results were announced, William’s name was at the top...
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