1260 Challenging Brain Teasers Page 12 of 84
Brain teasers are a good way to have fun, they are a kind of riddle that requires you to do some brain-storming to be able to solve them.
166. What is the four-digit number (no zeros) in which the first digit is the "lucky" number.
The second and third digits are the number of blackbirds in a pie, and the last digit completes the sentence, "My ____ and only." (The sum of all the digits is 14.)
167. January starts the really cold weather here in the Northeastern United States.
Can you go from COLD to WARM on paper in only four steps? Change one letter each time, forming a new word each time.
C O L D
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
W A R M
168. Here are a dozen names of countries and regions that have the letters scrambled. How many of them can you unscramble?
a. chain b. enemy c. erect d. laity e. plane f. reign
g. rumba h. unsad i. analog j. serial k. sprucy l. regalia
169. Sally has twice as many sisters as she has brothers. Her brother Patrick has five more sisters than he has brothers. What is the least number of girls and boys in the immediate family that fits the above configuration?
170. Your friend is color blind and, since he has four different colors of socks in his drawer, he usually just pulls out two and usually ends up wearing a mismatched pair. He has blue, brown, black, and gray socks in the drawer in the ratio of 8 blue to 6 brown, to 6 black, to 8 gray. How many socks would he have to pull out before he could be certain of having a matched pair?
171. A man left a legacy of $10,000 to three relatives and their wives. Together, the wives received $3960. June received $100 more than Camille, and Martha received $100 more than June. Jack Smith was given just as much as his wife, Horace Saunders got half as much again as his wife, and Terry Connors received twice as much as his wife. What was the first name of each man's wife?
172. Pick the correct letters from the explanation below and you'll have a new word. The answer will tell you if you are correct.
My first is in red, but not in head;
My second in high, but not in thy;
My third in grow, but not in blow;
My fourth in sigh, but not in sly;
My last in top, but not in drop.
173. Tony likes indigo, but not blue. He likes onions, but not turnips; he likes forms but not shapes. According to the same logic rule does he like tomatoes or avocados?
174. Two grandmothers, with their two granddaughters;
Two husbands, with their two wives;
Two fathers, with their two daughters;
Two mothers, with their two sons;
Two maidens, with their two mothers;
Two sisters, with their two brothers;
Yet only six in all lie buried here;
All born legitimate, from incest clear.
This 16th century epitaph can be explained. How is everyone related?
175. Delilah likes carrots but not peas, potatoes but not lettuce, and peanuts not pecans. Following the same logic, will she like radishes or cucumbers?
176. The same 5 letters, rearranged to make two different words, can fill in the blanks below. Complete the sentences.
"I had to fire that nincompoop," said the boss. "Our company _ _ _ _ _ somebody a lot less _ _ _ _ _ ."
177. I just bought a new car and ask 3 friends to guess the color.
Michael: "My guess is that it is not black".
Vivian: "It must be either blue or silver".
Nancy: "I'm placing my bet on silver".
Me: "The color of the car is one of the 3 colors that you have mentioned, in addition, at least one of you is correct and at least one of you is wrong".
What is the color of the car?
178. Start with the word GROUSE. Delete one letter then rearrange the remaining letters to make a new word. Now delete one letter from the new word and rearrange the remaining letters to make a new word. Keep doing this until only one letter is left. Now that you've done that, start over again and use different words. Now repeat the exercise a third time, still using different words.
179. Sheilah is now two-thirds of Sally's age. In six years, Sheilah will be four-fifths of Sally's age. In 15 years, Sheilah will be seven-eighths as old as sister Sally. If they are both under the age of ten, how old are they now?
180. If TEN = 20 - 5 - 14; and MEN = 13 - 5 - 14; what do WOMEN equal by the same logic?
