Lateral Thinking Puzzles
GOAL
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
• The term 'lateral thinking' was coined by Edward
de Bono to denote a problem-solving style that
involves looking at the given situation from
unexpected angles. Sometimes a problem
seems difficult or insoluble because our
assumptions about it are wrong.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
• The Surgeon... A father and his son are involved in a
car accident, as a result of which the father is very badly
injured and his son is rushed to hospital for emergency
surgery. However, the surgeon takes one look at the
boy and says "I cannot operate on him". When asked
why, the surgeon replies "Because he's my son...".
• How could this be the case?
• Answer: The surgeon is the boy's mother...
Edward De Bono's Six Thinking Hats
•
•
•
•
•
•
Blue Hat Thinking: Managing the thinking
White Hat Thinking: Just the facts
Green Hat Thinking: Creativity. Ideas. Possibilities
Yellow Hat Thinking: Benefits. Pluses
Black Hat Thinking: Difficulties. Problems
Red Hat Thinking: Feelings. Gut Instinct. Intuition
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
Puzzle # 1
• Bottleneck
• Put a coin in a bottle and then stop the opening with a
cork. How can you get the coin out of the bottle without
pulling out the cork or breaking the bottle?
• Push the cork into the bottle, and shake the coin out.
Puzzle # 2
• Can You Explain?
• Question: A girl who was just learning to drive
went down a one-way street in the wrong
direction, but didn't break the law. How come?
• She was walking the wrong way.
Puzzle # 3
• Can You Explain?
• Question: How can you throw a ball as hard as you can
and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't hit
anything, there is nothing attached to it, and no one else
catches or throws it?
• Answer: Throw the ball straight up in the air.
Puzzle # 4
• Can You Explain?
• Question: Two students are sitting on opposite sides of
the same desk. There is nothing in between them but the
desk. Why can't they see each other?
• Answer:
The two students have their backs to each other.
Puzzle # 5
•
•
Can You Explain?
Question: There are only two T's in Timothy
Tuttle. True or false?
•
Answer: True. There are only two T's (upper
case). There are also three t's (lower case).
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
Puzzle # 6
• Coast to Coast
• Train A and train B are crossing the country,
from coast to coast, over 3,000 miles of railroad
track. Train A is going from east to west at 80
miles per hour, and Train B is going from west to
east at 90 miles per hour. Which train will be
closer to the west coast when they meet? (Hint:
You don’t have to do any math to get the
answer. Just use your head!)
Puzzle # 6
• Answer: When the trains meet, they will be at
exactly the same point. Therefore, they will each
be the same distance from the west coast.
Puzzle # 7
• Crossing the River
• Jake was standing on one side of the river, and
his dog Scruffy was standing on the other side.
"Come on Scruffy, come, boy!" shouted Jake.
Scruffy crossed the river, ran to Jake, and got a
treat for being a good dog. The amazing thing
was that Scruffy didn't even get wet! How did
Scruffy do that?
Puzzle # 7
•
•
•
Possible Answers:
The river was frozen.
There was a bridge over the river, and
Scruffy crossed the bridge.
Puzzle # 8
• Digging Dirt:
• Question: How much dirt is in a round hole that
is 9 feet deep with a diameter of 3 feet? (Hint:
You don’t have to do any math to get the
answer. Just use your head!)
• Answer: None. You make a hole by digging out
the dirt, so the hole is empty.
Puzzle # 9
• Getting Younger? In the year 1201, a woman
was 35 years old. In the year 1206, the same
woman was 30. How is this possible?
•
Answer: The dates are B.C. rather than A.D.
Puzzle # 9
• Getting Younger? In the year 1201, a woman
was 35 years old. In the year 1206, the same
woman was 30. How is this possible?
•
Answer: The dates are B.C. rather than A.D.
1206
30 YRS OLD
1201
35 YRS OLD
0
BC
1201
AD
1206
Puzzle # 10
• Home: Regina left home one afternoon. She turned to
the right and started running straight ahead. Then she
turned to her left, ran, turned to her left again, ran,
turned to her left one more time, and ran even faster.
She headed for home. Then she saw a masked boy
waiting for her. Who was he?
• Answer: The masked boy was the catcher. Regina
played on a coed baseball team.
Puzzle # 11
• Name the Dog:
• Once a dog named Nelly lived on a farm. There
were three other dogs on the farm. Their names
were Blackie, Whitey, and Brownie. What do you
think the fourth dog’s name was?
• Answer: Nelly. (If there are only four dogs on
the farm, the fourth one must be Nelly!)
Puzzle # 12
• New Shoes:
• One day, two mothers and two daughters went
shopping for shoes. Their shopping spree was
successful — each bought a pair of shoes, and all
together, they had three pairs. How is this possible?
• Answer: Only three people went shopping: a
grandmother, a mother, and a daughter — but
remember that the mother was the grandmother's
daughter!
Puzzle # 13
• One for Each: You have a bag with four candy
bars in it. You promised to give each of your
three friends a candy bar, and you want one for
yourself. How can you accomplish this, and still
have one candy bar left in the bag?
• Answer: Take a candy bar for yourself. Then
take out two more and give them to two of your
friends. Give your third friend the bag with the
third candy bar still in it. Or, give each friend a
candy bar and keep the candy bar in the bag for
yourself.
Puzzle # 14
• Outsmarting the Donkey: Amir tied two sacks of salt to
the back of his donkey and headed for the market to sell
the salt. On the way, Amir and the donkey passed a
stream. The donkey jumped in to cool himself. As a result,
much of the salt dissolved into the water, ruining the salt
for Amir but improving matters for the donkey because his
load became much lighter. Amir tried to get to the market
on the following days, but the donkey always ruined the
salt. Finally, Amir decided to teach the donkey a lesson.
He once again set out with the donkey and the two sacks.
• What did Amir do differently this time so that after that day
the donkey stopped taking a swim?
Puzzle # 14
• Answer: Amir loaded the sacks not with salt but
with sand. When the donkey jumped in the
stream and got the sacks wet, they became
much heavier.
Puzzle # 15
• The Last Three: Each letter below stands for
the name of something. What should the last
three letters be?
• MVEMJS???
• Answer: U for Uranus, N for Neptune, and P for
Pluto
Puzzle # 16
• Regular or Diet? One teenager goes up to a food booth
at a fair and says, "A cola, please." The man working the
booth asks, "Regular or diet?" The teenager asks, "What's
the difference?" and is told that the regular costs 90 cents
but that the diet soda costs $1. The teenager says, "Give
me a diet cola, please" and places a dollar on the counter.
• Next, another teenager comes up to the booth and says,
"A cola, please," placing a dollar on the counter. The man
in the booth gives him a diet cola.
• How did the man in the booth know which soda-regular or
diet-the second teenager wanted?
Puzzle # 16
• Answer: The second teenager put a dollar in
change on the counter: 2 quarters and 5 dimes.
If the teenager had wanted a regular cola, he
would have put only 2 quarters and 4 dimes on
the counter.
Puzzle # 17
• Rising Tide: The rope ladder of a boat hangs
over the side of the boat and just reaches the
water. Its rungs are 8 inches apart.
• How many rungs will be under the water when
the tide rises 4 feet?
• Answer: When the tide rises 4 feet, the boat and
its ladder will also rise. So no rungs will be under
the water.
Puzzle # 18
• Time to Tell: A sundial is said to be the
timepiece with the fewest moving parts. What is
the timepiece with the most moving parts?
• Answer: An hourglass—filled with many grains
of sand or other granular material.
Puzzle # 19
• Ups and Downs: A man lives on the twelfth floor
of an apartment building. Every morning he
takes the elevator down to the lobby and leaves
the building. In the evening, he gets into the
elevator, and, if there is someone else in the
elevator -- or if it was raining that day -- he goes
back to his floor directly. Otherwise, he goes to
the tenth floor and walks up two flights of stairs
to his apartment.
Puzzle # 19
• Answer: The man is a dwarf. He can't reach the
upper elevator buttons, but he can ask people to
push them for him. He can also push them with
his umbrella.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
Puzzle # 20
• Explain Joe’s Actions:
• Joe, wearing a mask and carrying an empty
sack, leaves his house. An hour later he returns
with a full sack. He goes into a room and turns
out the lights.
• Joe is a kid who goes trick-or-treating for
Halloween, returns, and goes to sleep.
Puzzle # 21
• What do you see?
• Answer: an Eskimo or an Indian
Puzzle # 22
• How many faces
can you see in
this picture?
• Seven is good,
but if you can
see 10 you are
doing better ...
Puzzle # 23
Puzzle # 23
• If you look closely at the hypotenuse (long) edge of the triangle, you
will find that it is not straight. In one case it is slightly concave (bends
in) and in one case it is slightly convex (bends out). The difference
between these two, is the area of one square. Try cutting them out of
card and putting a ruler against the edge.
Puzzle # 24
• Three Switches and Three Bulbs:
• Three switches outside a windowless room are
connected to three light bulbs inside the room. How can
you determine which switch is connected to which bulb
if you may enter the room only once?
• Answer: Switch one light on for a minute; turn it off and
turn another one on. Go into the room and feel the offbulbs. The warm one is connected to the first switch,
the on-bulb is connected to the second.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
Puzzle # 25
• Nutty Problem
• A man is replacing a wheel on his car, when he
accidentally drops the four nuts used to hold the
wheel on the car, and they fall into a deep drain,
irretrievably lost. A passing girl offers him a
solution which enables him to drive home. What
is it?
• Use one nut from each of the four other wheels.
Puzzle # 26
• 15 Cents: Can 15 cents be made from 2 coins if
one coin is not a dime?
• Hint: What can the other coin be?
• Answer: Yes, a nickel and a dime, the question
only says that one coin can't be a dime.
Puzzle # 27
• To Light a Fire:
You are hiking with a friend in the deep woods of
northern Canada. A cold front quickly approaches and
you find cover behind a sheltered boulder. A fire will be
necessary if you are to survive the storm. In your pack
you have a only one match, a candle, a tightly wound
ball of birch bark and a roll of toilet paper. Which would
you light first?
• Answer: The match
Puzzle # 28
• Reading Light:
There is a girl reading quietly in a dark room. All
the lights are off and she has no special night
vision or anything. How is she reading?
• Answer: The girl is blind, she is reading Braille .
Puzzle # 29
• Make a word from boas that can be used to keep
you clean.
Puzzle # 30
• Pretend you are an alien who had managed to learn the
English language, but you do not know what
significance the days of the week have. On which day of
the week would you assume
1. You would cook a meal. Friday
2. You would get paid.
Monday
3. You would get married.
Wednesday
4. It would be unusually bright. Sunday
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
Puzzle # 31
• If none of the following statements are true, who can we
conclude broke the vase?
Mike: Sally broke the vase.
Tom: Mike will tell you who broke the vase.
April: Tom, Mike & I could not have broken the vase.
Chris: I did not break the vase.
Erik: Mike broke the vase, so Tom & April couldn't have.
Jim: I broke the vase, so Tom is innocent.
Puzzle # 31
• Chris. If the statement "I did not break the
vase" is definitely false, we can be certain
that Chris broke the vase. Statements that
some individuals "couldn't have" broken the
vase only mean that these individuals could
have broken the vase, but do not guarantee
that they did. Jim's statement that "Tom is
innocent" is too vague. We know that Tom is
not innocent, but this does not assure us that
he broke the vase.
Puzzle # 32
Puzzle # 33
Puzzle # 34
Puzzle # 35
Puzzle # 36
Puzzle # 37
Puzzle # 38
• ALPHABET TICKLE: Take away one of the
letters in this grid and yet still leave all 26 letters
of the alphabet. Which letter can be taken away?
Puzzle # 38
• ALPHABET TICKLE: Take away one of the
letters in this grid and yet still leave all 26 letters
of the alphabet. Which letter can be taken away?
Puzzle # 39
• Monday: A man rode into town on Monday. He
stayed for three nights and then left on Monday.
How come?
• Answer: Monday is the name of his horse.
Puzzle # 40
• Scientists Solve
Ancient Mystery
• It Baffled Researchers for a Century.
What do you think this 2,000-Year-Old Device
Did?
(Click for more details)
Puzzle # 40
• The sunken ship carrying the Antikythera
Mechanism was found in 1900, but for the past
century, the device baffled scientists.
(Click for more details)
Puzzle # 40
• Scientists built a reconstruction.
(Click for more details)
Puzzle # 40
• Another reconstruction of the device sits in
Athens. "If the ancient Greeks made this, what
else could they do?" said project leader Mike
Edmunds.
(Click for answer)
Puzzle # 40
• It was an "astrological calculator," amazingly accurate
and more complex than any instrument for the next
1,000 years.
• The box-shaped mechanism -- the size of office paper
and operated with a hand-crank -- could predict an
eclipse to a precise hour on a specific day.
41. The Coal, Carrot, and Scarf
• Five pieces of coal, a carrot, and a scarf are
lying on the lawn. Nobody put them on the lawn,
but there is a perfectly logical reason for their
being there. What is it?
41. The Coal, Carrot, and Scarf
• Ask:
• Does the time of year matter?
Yes
• Were the objects brought out to the yard by
human beings?
Yes
• Were they used for some entertainment
purpose?
Yes
41. The Coal, Carrot, and Scarf
• So why were they there?
• They were used by children who made a
snowman. The snow has now melted.
42. The Two Americans
• There were two Americans waiting at the
entrance to the British Museum. One of them
was the father of the other one’s son.
• How could this be?
42. The Two Americans
• This one is based on a familiar theme. You
either get it quickly or not at all. It does not lend
itself to a long line of intelligent questioning. It
boils down to the simple question – how can two
people have the same son?
• They were husband and wife
43. The Men in the Hotel
• Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones are two businessmen
who book into the same hotel for the night. They
are given adjacent rooms on the third floor.
During the night, Mr. Smith sleeps soundly.
However, despite being very tired, Mr. Jones
cannot fall asleep. He eventually phones Mr.
Smith and falls asleep immediately after hanging
up. Why should this be so?
43. The Men in the Hotel
• Was there something happening in Mr. Smith’s
room that was preventing Mr. Jones from
sleeping?
• Yes
• Was it a noise?
• Yes
• Did they speak for long on the phone?
• No
43. The Men in the Hotel
• Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones are two businessmen
who book into the same hotel for the night. They
are given adjacent rooms on the third floor.
During the night, Mr. Smith sleeps soundly.
However, despite being very tired, Mr. Jones
cannot fall asleep.
He could
eventually
phones
Mr. Jones
not sleep
becauseMr.
Mr.
was immediately
snoring. His phone
awoke
Smith and fallsSmith
asleep
aftercall
hanging
Mr.this
Smith
up. Why should
beand
so?stopped him from snoring
long enough for Mr. Jones to get to sleep.
44. Happy or Sad
• Three women dressed in swimsuits were
standing together. Two were sad and one was
happy. But the sad women were both smiling
and the happy one was crying. Why should that
be so?
44. Happy or Sad
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Were they on the beach or at a swimming pool?
No
Is it relevant that they were wearing swimsuits?
Yes
Was the happy one crying because she was happy?
Yes
Were the sad ones smiling because they were sad?
No
44. Happy or Sad
• It was the final of the Miss World Beauty
Contest. The winner always cries. The
disappointed runners-up smile because
everyone is watching them and they are
expected to look happy and radiant.
45. A Peculiar House
• Mrs. Jones wanted a new house. She very much
liked to see the sun shining into a room, so she
instructed the builders to construct a house of
which all four walls face south. After much
thought, the builder managed to erect just such a
house. How did he do it?
45. A Peculiar House
• This house had only four walls and they all faced
south. Think about where it might be located.
S
S
S
S
45. A Peculiar House
• Mrs. Jones wanted a new house. She very much
liked to see the sun shining into a room, so she
instructed the builders to construct a house of
which all four walls face south. After much
thought, the builder managed to erect just such a
house. How did he do it?
• The builder built the house at
the North Pole.
46. The Painted Tower
• A painter was hired to repaint the Eatonville water tower
which was located just off a very busy street in the
centre of the town.
• Everyday for two weeks the man painted diligently but
he was never seen working by anyone and nobody
noticed any change in the tower. When he had finished
he was congratulated for doing such a splendid job and
paid by the Eatonville Town Clerk.
• Why?
46. The Painted Tower
• Did he actually paint the tower?
• Yes
• Is there some way that the painter could do the
job and not be seen?
• Yes
• Did the shape of the water tower affect the view
of the painter working?
• No
46. The Painted Tower
• Answer
•
The painter had painted the inside of the water
tower, as he had been employed to do...
47. The Delivery
• A farmer in Somerset owns a beautiful pear tree, from
which he supplies the fruit to a nearby grocery store.
• The store owner has called the farmer to see how much
fruit is available for him to purchase. The farmer knows
that the main trunk has 24 branches. Each branch has
exactly 12 boughs and each bough has exactly 6 twigs.
Since each twig bears one piece of fruit, how many
plums will the farmer be able to deliver?
47. The Delivery
• Answer
•
None - the farmer owns a Pear tree, not a Plum
tree...
48. 15 Cents
• Can 15 cents be made from 2 coins if one coin is not a
dime?
• Hint:
What can the other coin be?
• Answer:
Yes, a nickel and a dime, the question only says that
one coin can't be a dime.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
49. A Chess Piece
• Two grandmasters played five games of chess.
Each won the same number of games and lost
the same number of games. There were no
draws in any of the games. How could this be
so?
49. A Chess Piece
• This is the kind of problem that depends on the reader
or the listener making the wrong assumptions. Test all
the assumptions with questions like the following:
• Q: Were they playing normal chess?
• A: yes
• Q: In chess, if one player wins then the other loses?
• Yes, always.
49. A Chess Piece
• Q: So when one of the grandmasters won a
game, the other grandmaster lost it?
• No.
• Q: Was there anybody else involved?
• Yes.
• Let’s see it one more time.
49. A Chess Piece
• Two grandmasters played five games of chess.
Each won the same number of games and lost
the same number of games. There were no
draws in any of the games. How could this be
so?
• Answer: Who said they were playing each other?
50. The Unseen Walker
• On a busy Friday afternoon, a man walked several
miles across London from Westminister to
Knightsbridge without seeing anybody or being seen by
anybody. The day was clear and bright. He had perfect
eyesight and he looked where he was going. He did not
travel by any method of transport other than by foot.
London was thronged with people yet not one of them
saw him. How?
50. The Unseen Walker
• Q: If he walked into this room now, would we see
him and he see us?
• A: Yes
• Q: Did he wear anything special?
• A: Yes. Clue: It was a miner’s helmet.
• Q: Did he walk along normal roads?
• A: No
50. The Unseen Walker
• On a busy Friday afternoon, a man walked several
miles across London from Westminister to
Knightsbridge without seeing anybody or being seen by
anybody. The day was clear and bright. He had perfect
eyesight and he looked where he was going. He did not
travel by any method of transport other than by foot.
London was thronged with people yet not one of them
saw him. How?
• He walked through the sewers.
51. A Riddle
• For a little light relief, we will now have an old
riddle. What is it that gets wetter as it dries?
No clues for this one.
• The answer is a towel
52. Five Men
• Five men were proceeding together down a
country path. It began to rain. Four of the men
quickened their step and began to walk faster.
The fifth man made no effort to move any faster.
However, he remained dry and the other four got
wet. They all arrived at their destination together.
How could this be so?
52. Five Men
• Clue: They all relied only on foot power.
• Did the man who stayed dry carry any kind of
umbrella or covering?
• Answer: No
• Did he walk?
• Answer: No
52. Five Men
• Five men were proceeding together down a
country path. It began to rain. Four of the men
quickened their step and began to walk faster.
The fifth man made no effort to move any faster.
However, he remained dry and the other four got
wet. They all arrived at their destination together.
How could this be so? (Click once for answer)
52. Five Men
• The four men were carrying the fifth man, who
was in his coffin.
53. Another Riddle
• What is it that the man who makes it does not
need; the man who buys it does not use himself,
and the person who uses it does so without
knowing?
• Clue: It might also be said that nobody wants it,
but everybody needs it.
• (Click once for answer)
53. Another Riddle
• What is it that the man who makes it does not
need; the man who buys it does not use himself,
and the person who uses it does so without
knowing?
• The answer is a coffin.
54. The Disappearing Pickles
• Peter Piper the pickle salesman went to market
and sold half of his pickles plus half a pickle. He
was left with one whole pickle. How many
pickles did Peter Piper start with?
(Click Once for Solution)
• Three. If he sold half of his pickles that would
leave him with one and a half. Then selling a
half, he has one pickle left.
55. Pied Piper Wanted
• How many rats are in the room if there is a rat in
each of the 4 corners and 3 rats across from
every rat and a rat in the corner next to every
rat?
• 4 rats: There are only 4 corners to the room.
56. Dog Dayz
• What is the next letter in the series?
D N O S A J __
(Click once for answer)
J (June – the letters are the first letters of the
month of the year in reverse order.)
57. Just Kidding
• “Let’s go play with the 3 kids up on that hill,” said
Silly Sally. Joe ran ahead but only found 2
children and some grazing farm animals when
he arrived. Where did the third kid go?
(Click
once
for
a
clue)
• Clue. Does a “kid” have to be a person?
(Click for answer)
57. Just Kidding
• “Let’s go play with the 3 kids up on that hill,” said
Silly Sally. Joe ran ahead but only found 2
children and some grazing farm animals when
he arrived. Where did the third kid go?
• The third kid was a baby goat.
58. Happy Family
• Homer’s mother has four children. Three of them
are named Spring, Summer and Autumn. What
is the fourth named?
• Homer (Of course!)
(Click for answer)
59. Wide Load
• Mr. Stone’s truck attempted to enter a parking
garage, but got caught underneath the garage
ceiling because of the truck’s 6’6” height. It won’t
budge forward or backward. How can he get the
truck out from under the garage ceiling?
(Click once for a clue)
59. Wide Load
• Mr. Stone’s truck attempted to enter a parking garage,
but got caught underneath the garage ceiling because
of the truck’s 6’6” height. It won’t budge forward or
backward. How can he get the truck out from under the
garage ceiling?
• Clue: Is there anything they could do to shorten the
truck’s overall height?
(Click for answer)
59. Wide Load
• Mr. Stone’s truck attempted to enter a parking garage,
but got caught underneath the garage ceiling because
of the truck’s 6’6” height. It won’t budge forward or
backward. How can he get the truck out from under the
garage ceiling?
• Answer: Let the air out of the tires (The truck will lower
and be able to drive forward.)
60. Life Lesson
• What is it that you need to have life,
f you won’t
have with death, and you can’t start ffun without?
(Click twice for clues)
• Answer: The letter “f.”
61. Sizzler
I sizzle like bacon.
I’m made with an egg.
I’ve got lots of backbone,
but not even one leg.
I peel like an onion,
yet still remain whole.
I’m long like a fishpole,
but fit in a hole.
(Click for answer)
61. Sizzler
I sizzle like bacon.
I’m made with an egg.
I’ve got lots of backbone,
but not even one leg.
I peel like an onion,
yet still remain whole.
I’m long like a fishpole,
but fit in a hole.
62. Exciting!
I start with the letter E.
I end with the letter E.
I usually contain one letter.
But I am not the letter E.
(Click for answer)
62. Exciting!
I start with the letter E.
I end with the letter E.
I usually contain one letter.
But I am not the letter E.
I am an
envelope
63. I’m Never Blue
Sometimes I’m green,
sometimes I’m black.
When I’m yellow,
I’m a very nice fellow.
That’s when I’m feeling
mighty a-peeling.
What am I?
(Click for answer)
63. I’m Never Blue
Sometimes I’m green,
sometimes I’m black.
When I’m yellow,
I’m a very nice fellow.
That’s when I’m feeling
mighty a-peeling.
What am I?
64. Out of Touch
• Hey, What’s up?
They Don’t touch when you say “TOUCH.”
-- but they do touch when you say “SEPARATE.”
What are they?
(Click for answer)
64. Out of Touch
• Hey, What’s up?
They Don’t touch when you say “TOUCH.”
-- but they do touch when you say “SEPARATE.”
What are they?
Your lips
65. E-X-T-R-A Credit
• What two European cities would you visit to find
Ed and Sara?
Ed
Sara
Scotland
Bosnia and Herzegovina
65. E-X-T-R-A Credit
• What two European cities would you visit to find
Ed and Sara?
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
66. SSSSSSS
• What word becomes plural when an “s” is added,
but becomes singular again by adding another
“s”?
hint
(Click for answer)
66. SSSSSSS
• What word becomes plural when an “s” is added,
but becomes singular again by adding another
“s”?
Prince
Princes
Princess
hint
67. Peanut Riddle
• A peanut tree was planted on the west side if a
house. The wind is blowing from the north. When
the peanuts fall to the ground, will they fall on the
north or south side of the tree?
(Click for answer)
67. Peanut Riddle
• A peanut tree was planted on the west side if a
house. The wind is blowing from the north. When
the peanuts fall to the ground, will they fall on the
north or south side of the tree?
Peanuts don’t grow on trees – they grow under
ground
68. Meaty Guy
• At a local market, the meat manager is 5 feet 9
inches tall, wears a size 16 shirt and size 7
shoes. What does he weigh?
• Hint: You don’t have to do any math to solve this
one.
(Click once for a hint)
68. Meaty Guy
• At a local market, the meat manager is 5 feet 9
inches tall, wears a size 16 shirt and size 7
shoes. What does he weigh?
• The meat manager weighs meat.
69. Door-to-Door
• Going to school you count 15 houses on the
right side of the street. Going home you count 15
on the left side. How many houses did you
count?
(Click for answer)
69. Door-to-Door
• Going to school you count 15 houses on the
right side of the street. Going home you count 15
on the left side. How many houses did you
count?
• Fifteen. You count the same number of houses
because it is the same side of the street.
70. My Hero Zero
• How can the number 8 be divided into two equal
halves so that the result is zero?
oo
• There is no math involved.
(Click once for a hint)
70. My Hero Zero
• How can the number 8 be divided into two equal
halves so that the result is zero?
oo
71. Day by Day
• Some months have 30 days; others have 31.
How many months have 28 days?
71. Day by Day
• Some months have 30 days; others have 31.
How many months have 28 days?
• All the months have 28 days.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
72. The Secretary’s Daughter
• A woman went to visit her bank manager and she took
her daughter with her. The bank manager said the
woman’s daughter could stay with his secretary during
the meeting. When the woman and her daughter left,
the secretary turned to another secretary and said to
her, “That little girl was my daughter.” How could that
be?
72. The Secretary’s Daughter
• A woman went to visit her bank manager and she took
her daughter with her. The bank manager said the
woman’s daughter could stay with his secretary during
the meeting. When the woman and her daughter left,
the secretary turned to another secretary and said to
her, “That little girl was my daughter.” How could that
be?
Clue: This does not involve adoptions, step-parents, in-laws, or
grandparents. The little girl was the secretary’s daughter and she
was the daughter of the woman who visited the bank manager. That
is all you need to know.
72. The Secretary’s Daughter
• A woman went to visit her bank manager and she took
her daughter with her. The bank manager said the
woman’s daughter could stay with his secretary during
the meeting. When the woman and her daughter left,
the secretary turned to another secretary and said to
her, “That little girl was my daughter.” How could that
be?
• Answer: the secretary was the girl’s father.
73. Pizza
• A man walks into a take-away pizza parlor. He ordered one
deep-dish pizza with cheese, tomatoes, and double anchovies,
one crispy pizza with asparagus, cheese, and tuna, and one
house special with extra cheese, two portions of onion rings, a
diet cola with ice, a diet cola without ice, a water, and an orange
juice. The woman behind the counter served the man and then
said, “You are a plainclothes police officer aren’t you?” The man
was indeed a plainclothes officer. He had never been in the pizza
parlor before and the woman didn’t know him and had never
seen him before, so how did she know what he did?
73. Pizza
• A man walks into a take-away pizza parlor. He ordered one
deep-dish pizza with cheese, tomatoes, and double anchovies,
one crispy pizza with asparagus, cheese, and tuna, and one
house special with extra cheese, two portions of onion rings, a
diet cola with ice, a diet cola without ice, a water, and an orange
juice. The woman behind the counter served the man and then
said, “You are a plainclothes police officer aren’t you?” The man
was indeed a plainclothes officer. He had never been in the pizza
Clues: parlor before and the woman didn’t know him and had never
seen him before, so how did she know what he did?
1. There was no visible sign from the man’s appearance, speech, or
mannerisms that he was a police officer. The assistant deduced it
from his order.
2. The assistant had heard the same order before
73. Pizza
• Answer: At 11 p.m. every Thursday evening a
police officer (in uniform) would come into the
pizza parlor and place a particular order, which
the night shift at the local station then shared.
One Thursday evening the man in plain clothes
came and placed the same regular order.
74. The Fishermen’s Riddle
• An old riddle tells the tale of two fishermen who
returned one day and made the following
statement: “The ones we caught we threw away.
The ones we could not catch we kept.” What did
they mean?
74. The Fishermen’s Riddle
• An old riddle tells the tale of two fishermen who
returned one day and made the following
statement: “The ones we caught we threw away.
The ones we could not catch we kept.” What did
they mean?
Clue:
They were not talking about fish. But they were talking about
other creatures which were unwelcome.
74. The Fishermen’s Riddle
• An old riddle tells the tale of two fishermen who
returned one day and made the following
statement: “The ones we caught we threw away.
The ones we could not catch we kept.” What did
they mean?
• Answer: The two fishermen were talking about
their fleas!
75. The Barber Paradox
• In a town in ancient Greece there was a law
stating that all men must be clean-shaven and
that no man might shave himself. The only
person allowed to shave people was the
licensed town barber (who was forty years old)
There was only one barber. Since the barber
was bound by the same law, who shaved the
barber?
75. The Barber Paradox
• In a town in ancient Greece there was a law
stating that all men must be clean-shaven and
that no man might shave himself. The only
person allowed to shave people was the
licensed town barber (who was forty years old)
There was only one barber. Since the barber
Clue: was bound by the same law, who shaved the
barber?
The barber did not break the law. There was no beard,
moustache, or whisker on the barber’s face, yet that face was not
shaved by the barber.
75. The Barber Paradox
• In a town in ancient Greece there was a law stating that
all men must be clean-shaven and that no man might
shave himself. The only person allowed to shave people
was the licensed town barber (who was forty years old)
There was only one barber. Since the barber was
bound by the same law, who shaved the barber?
• Answer: The barber is a woman.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
76. The Late Arrival
• A father was speaking to his teenage daughter.
“You arrived very late, at 3 o’clock in the
morning, and you kept me and your mother up
waiting anxiously for you. I do not want that to
ever happen again.”
“But, Father,” the girl replied, “I will never be
able to do that again.” What did she mean?
76. The Late Arrival
• A father was speaking to his teenage daughter.
“You arrived very late, at 3 o’clock in the
morning, and you kept me and your mother up
waiting anxiously for you. I do not want that to
ever happen again.”
“But, Father,” the girl replied, “I will never be
Clue:
able to do that again.” What did she mean?
1. All the statements were correct. The father was not angry. He was teasing his
daughter. The girl could not arrive in that fashion again because what she did
can only be done once.
2. The statements made did not refer to the previous night or any recent night.
76. The Late Arrival
• A father was speaking to his teenage daughter.
“You arrived very late, at 3 o’clock in the
morning, and you kept me and your mother up
waiting anxiously for you. I do not want that to
ever happen again.”
“But, Father,” the girl replied, “I will never be able to
do that again.” What did she mean?
• Answer: They had been talking about the girl’s
birth.
77. Watch That Movie
• Hugh had never seen the movie “Top Gun”
before he got on the transatlantic flight to take
him from London to Los Angeles. However, he
had heard that it was good and was pleased to
see that it was due to be shown during the flight.
After lunch, “Top Gun” was screened but Hugh
did not bother to watch it even though he had a
clear view of the screen and the sound and
picture quality were fine. Why not?
77. Watch That Movie
• Hugh had never seen the movie “Top Gun”
before he got on the transatlantic flight to take
him from London to Los Angeles. However, he
had heard that it was good and was pleased to
Clue:
seetothat
was
due
shown
during
the itflight.
1. He wanted
watchitthe
movie
whento
hebe
got on
the plane
but not when
was
shown after lunch. Nobody had ruined the movie for him by telling him the plot.
After lunch, “Top Gun” was screened but Hugh
He had nothing particularly interesting to do after lunch. He had a perfect view
of the screen.
did not bother to watch it even though he had a
2. This has
nothing
to doof
with
the screen
lunch or theand
planethe
or anyone
elseand
on the
clear
view
the
sound
plane. It has everything to do with the timing of showing the movie after lunch.
picture quality were fine. Why not?
3. He watched the movie.
77. Watch That Movie
• Hugh had never seen the movie “Top Gun” before he
got on the transatlantic flight to take him from London to
Los Angeles. However, he had heard that it was good
and was pleased to see that it was due to be shown
during the flight. After lunch, “Top Gun” was screened
but Hugh did not bother to watch it even though he had
a clear view of the screen and the sound and picture
quality were fine. Why not?
• Answer: The movie was shown twice on the flight, once
before lunch and once after lunch. Hugh watched it the
first time and was therefore not interested the second
time.
78. The Cabin
• In the mountains there is a cabin. Inside, three
people lie dead. The cabin is locked from the
inside and there is no sign of a struggle or of any
weapons. What happened?
78. The Cabin
Clue:
• In the mountains there is a cabin. Inside, three
people lie dead. The cabin is locked from the
inside and there is no sign of a struggle or of any
weapons. What happened?
.
1. All three died at the same time. Their deaths were violent but accidental.
2. They knew they were going to die immediately before they died. They died
because they were in the cabin.
3. If they had gotten out of the cabin three hours earlier they would have lived.
If they could have gotten out three minutes earlier they still would have died.
78. The Cabin
• In the mountains there is a cabin. Inside, three
people lie dead. The cabin is locked from the
inside and there is no sign of a struggle or of any
weapons. What happened?
• Answer: It is a plane cabin. The plane crashed,
killing both pilots and the passenger.
79. The Unkind Cut
• A man deliberately cut off some of his fingers
and one of his ears. Why?
79. The Unkind Cut
• A man deliberately cut off some of his fingers
and one of his ears. Why?
Clue:
1. He did this deliberately to deceive certain people.
2. The man was imprisoned at the time he did this.
79. The Unkind Cut
• A man deliberately cut off some of his fingers and one
of his ears. Why?
• Answer: The man imprisoned in the notorious Devil’s
Island penal colony. Over a period of months he cut off
fingers and an ear and he feigned numbness in a leg in
order to pretend that he had leprosy. He was
transferred to a different island which held only lepers. It
was much easier to escape from this island and he duly
made his getaway and reached Brazil. Unfortunately
(for this is a true story) he was subsequently found to
have developed leprosy.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
80. The Bird
• A man saw a bird on a tree in his garden and he
immediately knew he lost something of value to
him. What was it?
80. The Bird
• A man saw a bird on a tree in his garden and he
immediately knew he lost something of value to
him. What was it? (Click for two clues)
• Clues:
• The bird was a large but not particularly rare
bird. The type of bird is not important.
• The bird had taken what he had lost but he could
now get it back from the bird. What he lost was
something he had recently bought at
considerable expense. (Click once for answer)
80. The Bird
• A man saw a bird on a tree in his garden and he
immediately knew he lost something of value to
him. What was it?
• Answer: He saw a big heron in the tree over his
ornamental pond and guessed (correctly) that it
had eaten his large and valuable koi carp.
81. The Bank Manager
• A bank manager was on his way to work one
day. He was wearing a mask. Why?
81. The Bank Manager
• A bank manager was on his way to work one
day. He was wearing a mask. Why? (Click for
two clues)
• Clues:
• He had a very long journey to work.
• He was not trying to hide anything. He was trying
to exclude something – but not something you
breathe. (Click once for answer)
81. The Bank Manager
• A bank manager was on his way to work one
day. He was wearing a mask. Why?
• Answer: He was flying from New York to
Switzerland for an important meeting. He wore
the face-mask to exclude the light so that he
could sleep on the flight.
82. Luigi’s
• Luigi’s is an excellent restaurant with a fine
reputation. However, one day all the people who
had lunch there were sick. There was nothing
wrong with the food. What happened?
82. Luigi’s
• Luigi’s is an excellent restaurant with a fine reputation.
However, one day all the people who had lunch there
were sick. There was nothing wrong with the food. What
happened? (Click once for a clue)
• Clue:
• There was nothing wrong with the food, the drink that
was served, or the atmosphere. The people eating
lunch were normal, healthy people. Other people eating
lunch at other places that day were fine. It was not
something they saw. The problem was caused by the
location of Luigi’s restaurant. (Click once for answer)
82. Luigi’s
• Luigi’s is an excellent restaurant with a fine
reputation. However, one day all the people who
had lunch there were sick. There was nothing
wrong with the food. What happened?
• Answer: Luigi’s restaurant is on board a ship.
The passengers became seasick from a rocky
patch of ocean.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
83. What a Drive
• A golfer in the United States took a club from his
golf bag and hit a drive so that the ball traveled
through four states. How did he do this?
83. What a Drive
• A golfer in the United States took a club from his golf
bag and hit a drive so that the ball traveled through four
states. How did he do this? (Click for 3 clues)
• He was a regular golfer with no special skills. He stood
on the ground and hit the ball, which then traveled
through four states before coming to rest. No one else
touched the ball after he hit it, and no additional speed
or energy was imparted to the ball in any way.
• The ball did hit something and was deflected.
• The four U.S. states are big states, including Arizona
and Colorado.
83. What a Drive
• A golfer in the United States took a club from his
golf bag and hit a drive so that the ball traveled
through four states. How did he do this?
(Answer)
• The four states are Arizona, New Mexico, Utah
and Colorado, which meet at a single point. A
pipe was set up there in the form of a large
circle, and placed so that it lay in all four states.
A well-struck golf ball entering the pipe would
travel through the four states.
83. What a Drive
• Four Corners
84. Tall Buildings
• A well-respected Japanese insurance company
has many offices around the world. All its offices
are at least ten stories high and the company
insists on taking at least a ten-story building
even if it does not need all that space. Why does
it do this?
84. Tall Buildings
• A well-respected Japanese insurance company
has many offices around the world. All its offices
are at least ten stories high and the company
insists on taking at least a ten-story building
even if it does not need all that space. Why does
it do this? (Click twice for clues)
• This has nothing to do with the company’s
products, name, or advertising, but it has to do
with the company philosophy.
• The company does this with its employees in
mind.
84. Tall Buildings
• A well-respected Japanese insurance company has
many offices around the world. All its offices are at least
ten stories high and the company insists on taking at
least a ten-story building even if it does not need all that
space. Why does it do this? (Click for answer)
• The Japanese insurance company believes strongly in
physical fitness and that going up and down stairs
keeps its employees healthier and more alert. No
employee is allowed to use the elevator unless she or
he has a medical certificate!
85. Cutting the Cake
• How could you cut a plain circular cake into eight
equal portions with just three straight cuts of a
knife? No rearrangements of the pieces after
cutting is allowed?
85. Cutting the Cake
• How could you cut a plain circular cake into eight
equal portions with just three straight cuts of a
knife? No rearrangements of the pieces after
cutting is allowed?
• You make three straight cuts while the cake is in
place. The first two are rather obvious and the
third is very lateral.
85. Cutting the Cake
• How could you cut a plain circular cake into eight
equal portions with just three straight cuts of a
knife? No rearrangements of the pieces after
cutting is allowed?
• With the first two cuts you divide the cake from
the top into quarters. You then take the knife and
slice through the middle of the side of the cake.
85. Cutting the Cake
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
86. Trouble with Sons
• A woman had two sons who were born on the
same hour of the same day of the same year.
But they were not twins. How could this be so?
86. Trouble with Sons
• A woman had two sons who were born on the same
hour of the same day of the same year. But they were
not twins. How could this be so?
• (Click once for answer)
• They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets etc.)
• (This simple little puzzle stumps many people. They try
outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or
surrogate mothers. Why does the brain search for
complex solutions when there is a much simpler one
available?)
87. Push that Car
• A man pushed his car. He stopped when he
reached a hotel at which point he knew he was
bankrupt. Why?
87. Push that Car
• A man pushed his car. He stopped when he
reached a hotel at which point he knew he was
bankrupt. Why?
• (Click once for answer)
• He was playing Monopoly.
88. The Blind Beggar
• A blind beggar had a brother who died. What
relation was the blind beggar to the brother who
died? (Brother is not the answer).
88. The Blind Beggar
• A blind beggar had a brother who died. What
relation was the blind beggar to the brother who
died? (Brother is not the answer).
• Answer: The blind beggar was the sister of her
brother who died.
89. The Broken Match
• A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a
broken match. What happened?
89. The Broken Match
• A man is found dead in a field. He is clutching a
broken match. What happened?
• (Answer) He and a number of other passengers
were making a balloon trip in a desperate
attempt to flee a country. The balloon had to lose
weight to stop it from crashing. He drew the short
match and had to jump.
90. The Music Stopped
• The music stopped. She died. Explain.
.
90. The Music Stopped
• The music stopped. She died. Explain.
• (Answer) She was a circus tight-rope walker who
walked blindfolded over a high wire. The band played
as she crossed and when the music stopped it was the
signal that she had reached the end of the walk and
could safely alight. One day the conductor was taken ill
and the stand-in conductor ended the piece of music
too early. She stepped off to her death.
91. The Elder Twin
• One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two
days later her older twin brother, Terry,
celebrated his birthday. How come?
91. The Elder Twin
• One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later
her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday.
How come?
• (Answer) At the time she went into labor, the mother of
the twins was traveling by boat. The older twin, Terry,
was born first early on March 1st. The boat then
crossed the International Date line (or any time zone
line) and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February
the 28th. In a leap year the younger twin celebrates her
birthday two days before her older brother.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
92. The All-Night Party
• In a small town in the United States a teenage boy
asked his parents if he could go to a friends party. His
parents agreed, provided that he was back before
sunrise. He left the house that evening clean-shaven
and when he returned just before the following sunrise
his parents were amazed to see that he had a fully
grown beard. What happened?
(Click once for clues)
92. The All-Night Party
• (Clue) No potions, transplants, wigs or tricks are
involved. It was the same boy and he returned
before the next sunrise, having been out long
enough to grow a proper beard.
(Click once for the answer)
92. The All-Night Party
• (Answer) The small town was Barrow in Alaska,
the northernmost town in the United States.
When the sun sets there in the middle of
November, it does not rise again for 65 days.
That allowed plenty of time for the boy to grow a
beard before the next sunrise.
93. The Legacy
• A man received an envelope in the mail. Inside it
there was another envelope which contained
only a letter. The letter said, “Here is the $20,000
I promised you. Best regards, Dad.” There was
no check or cash but the man was perfectly
satisfied. Why?
(Click once for clues)
93. The Legacy
• There was no secret or coded information passed in the letter or
envelope.
• There was an outer envelope, an inner envelope, and a letter.
Yet the man had received something worth $20,000.
• The outer envelope was new and had the man’s address on it.
The inner envelope was old and had someone else’s address on
it.
• The address on the inner envelope was not of someone known
to either man.
(Click once for the answer)
93. The Legacy
• (Answer) The man and his father were stamp
collectors. The inner envelope had a rare stamp
on it worth $20,000.
95. Food for Thought
• The Danish government issues all the staff in
one government department free biscuits every
morning. Why?
(Click once for clues)
95. Food for Thought
•
The Danish government issues all the staff in one
government department free biscuits every morning.
Why?
(Clues)
1. The biscuits are not for the staff’s own consumption.
They give them away.
2. They give them away for their own protection.
(Click once for the answer)
95. Food for Thought
• The Danish government issues all the staff in
one government department free biscuits every
morning. Why?
(Answer) The Danish government issues dog
biscuits to all its postal delivery people every
morning so that they can use them to distract
hostile dogs.
Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Mr. Comm
GOAL
96. Guess Who? Puzzle
Which famous person is spelled out above?
(Click for a clue)
96. Guess Who? Puzzle
AIVNDIC
Which famous person is spelled out above?
(Click for answer)
96. Guess Who? Puzzle
DA VINCI
Which famous person is spelled out above?
97. You can’t answer this brain teaser, but a
preschooler can
Which way is the bus below traveling? To the left
or to the right?
(Click for a clue)
97. You can’t answer this brain teaser, but a
preschooler can
Can’t make up your mind?
Look carefully at the picture again.
Still don’t know?
Preschoolers all over the United States were shown this picture and
asked the same question. 90% of preschooler’s gave this
answer.
(Click for answer)
97. You can’t answer this brain teaser, but a
preschooler can
Which way is the bus below traveling? To the left or to
the right?
Answer: To the left because you can’t see the door to get
on the bus
98. I Build My House of Sticks
Rearrange two of these five toothpicks to leave a
view of a famous building in the USA.
(Click for answer)
98. I Build My House of Sticks
Rearrange two of these five toothpicks to leave a
view of a famous building in the USA.
99. Twister
Can you figure out what these weird looking
things are?
(Click for answer)
99. Twister
Can you figure out what these weird looking
things are?