Work out for your brain

[Devious Angel]

I foound this really game with my friends where we ask eachother mind games questions.

Let's see if you know the answer to this :

If you had only one match, and entered a dark room containing an oil lamp, some newspaper, and some kindling wood, which would you light first?

Answer that and then I'll post another one... or you guys can help me with other brainy questions :D

[Bladewire]

The room

To me stating that you're entering "a dark room" means you're inside a building where you wouldn't want to light a fire anyway. Also, it's dark but light enough for you to see the oil lamp, newspaper & kindling, and you're not cold. So flip the light switch and light the room, you might be able to see more stuff of interest.

[CaptainHowdy]

You just walk right out of the room.

[Devious Angel]

Nope.
You do know that there are rooms that are not in office buildings, yes?

Imagine you're in a..idk.. cabin in the woods and you only have those things. What do you light up first?

[GFED]

You would light the match first.

[Bladewire]

Originally Posted by Devious Angel

Nope.
You do know that there are rooms that are not in office buildings, yes?

Imagine you're in a..idk.. cabin in the woods and you only have those things. What do you light up first?

There's no catalyst in the scenario creating the need to light anything. It's the middle of summer in a cabin in the woods, the moon is full and there's enough light in the room to see it's contents (newspaper, oil lamp, kindling).

[Devious Angel]

Originally Posted by GFED

You would light the match first.

Yeeeeeeeeeeey!!! You are right!

Wanna play another one?

[Devious Angel]

You're a bus driver. At the first stop 4 people get on. At the second stop 8 people get on, at the third stop 2 people get off and, at the forth stop everyone got off. The question is what color are the bus driver's eyes?

[GFED]

Originally Posted by Devious Angel

You're a bus driver. At the first stop 4 people get on. At the second stop 8 people get on, at the third stop 2 people get off and, at the forth stop everyone got off. The question is what color are the bus driver's eyes?

My eyes are brown.

[Devious Angel]

Originally Posted by GFED

My eyes are brown.

Ok, Mr Brainy- Brain.. LOL
Let's see if you can solve this one:

A man buys a new car and goes home to tell his girlfriend. He goes the wrong way up a one way street, bumps into seven people, goes on the pavement and takes a shortcut through a public park. He is seen by a policeman but is not arrested. Why?

[Elli]

Oh! I have a little book called Two Minute Mysteries. They are little murder mysteries much like these questions. Endless entertainment, but some are a bit tough to figure out.

Two-Minute Mysteries by Donald J. Sobol ? Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

The Case of the Green Pen

Except for the ambulance attendants, Sheriff Monahan, and Dr. Haledjian there was nobody at the Meadowbrook Bowling Lanes, the only alleys in town, except a young woman sprawled by the front door with a knife in her back.

"The lanes closed at midnight," said the sheriff. "One of my men discovered the body at 4 A.M., and I called you right away."

"Dead about an hour," said Haledjian. "Who was she?"

"Roberta Layne," replied the sheriff. "She just married Theodore Layne, a merchant captain, before he sailed for Hawaii last week. They have a little house on Bleaker Street."

"Any suspects?"

"Charlie Barnett - maybe. Roberta jilted him for Ted."

Haledjian dropped a green fountain pen by the door. "Let's pay Mr. Barnett a visit."

The suspect lived in a room behind the gasoline station he owned.

Haledjian's first words were, "Do you know Roberta has been murdered?"

"No!" gasped Barnett.

"Well, that's enough for now," said Haledjian.

Then, as if in afterthought, he added, "I must have dropped my fountain pen by the front door of the lanes where we found the body. I'm due in the city in an hour. Mind getting the pen for me and leaving it with the sheriff this morning?"

Barnett looked uncertain. He shrugged. "Sure."

Whe he brought the pen to the sheriff's office later that morning he was promptly arrested.

Why?

[GFED]

Originally Posted by Devious Angel

Ok, Mr Brainy- Brain.. LOL
Let's see if you can solve this one:

A man buys a new car and goes home to tell his girlfriend. He goes the wrong way up a one way street, bumps into seven people, goes on the pavement and takes a shortcut through a public park. He is seen by a policeman but is not arrested. Why?

1. My girlfriend is the police(man)
2. I bought a new car, but it doesn't specify if I was driving at the time. It says "goes" not "drives".

I think these work better in speech rather than text.

[GFED]

Originally Posted by Elli

Oh! I have a little book called Two Minute Mysteries. They are little murder mysteries much like these questions. Endless entertainment, but some are a bit tough to figure out.

Two-Minute Mysteries by Donald J. Sobol — Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

The Case of the Green Pen

Except for the ambulance attendants, Sheriff Monahan, and Dr. Haledjian there was nobody at the Meadowbrook Bowling Lanes, the only alleys in town, except a young woman sprawled by the front door with a knife in her back.

"The lanes closed at midnight," said the sheriff. "One of my men discovered the body at 4 A.M., and I called you right away."

"Dead about an hour," said Haledjian. "Who was she?"

"Roberta Layne," replied the sheriff. "She just married Theodore Layne, a merchant captain, before he sailed for Hawaii last week. They have a little house on Bleaker Street."

"Any suspects?"

"Charlie Barnett - maybe. Roberta jilted him for Ted."

Haledjian dropped a green fountain pen by the door. "Let's pay Mr. Barnett a visit."

The suspect lived in a room behind the gasoline station he owned.

Haledjian's first words were, "Do you know Roberta has been murdered?"

"No!" gasped Barnett.

"Well, that's enough for now," said Haledjian.

Then, as if in afterthought, he added, "I must have dropped my fountain pen by the front door of the lanes where we found the body. I'm due in the city in an hour. Mind getting the pen for me and leaving it with the sheriff this morning?"

Barnett looked uncertain. He shrugged. "Sure."

Whe he brought the pen to the sheriff's office later that morning he was promptly arrested.

Why?

He doesn't need to know where the body is to find the pen. So even if he finds the pen, it doesn't mean he knows where the body was. Too much irrelevant such as the time, street, ambulance, gas station, etc. This one hurts my head just to read.

You got me.

[maximoi]

A man buys a new car and goes home to tell his girlfriend. He goes the wrong way up a one way street, bumps into seven people, goes on the pavement and takes a shortcut through a public park. He is seen by a policeman but is not arrested. Why?

He is merely walking on the sidewalk. The puzzle is trying to make someone assume he's driving ;)

Whe he brought the pen to the sheriff's office later that morning he was promptly arrested.
Why?

The sheriff says I dropped my pen at the front of the lanes, he didn't say bowling lanes, nor did he ask what he meant by lanes, so that means he had to have known, so he got arrested. The only problem with this solution is that if this is a small town and since there is only one Bowling Lane in the town, he may have automatically known that he meant bowling lanes, also especially if he was a bowler himself.

[romeo22]

Brain workout only in the nature

[Elli]

Originally Posted by maximoi

The sheriff says I dropped my pen in the alley, he didn't say bowling alley, there are a lot of "alley's" everywhere and yet he knew that he meant the bowling alley, so that means he had to have known and lied to the sheriff, so he got arrested.

Oh, very well done!

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

The sheriff says I dropped my pen in the alley, he didn't say bowling alley, there are a lot of "alley's" everywhere and yet he knew that he meant the bowling alley, so that means he had to have known and lied to the sheriff, so he got arrested.

Then, as if in afterthought, he added, "I must have dropped my fountain pen by the front door of the lanes where we found the body. I'm due in the city in an hour. Mind getting the pen for me and leaving it with the sheriff this morning?"

No, he told him exactly where the pen was. It's the only Bowling alley in town.

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

The only problem with this solution is that if this is a small town and since there is only one Bowling Lane in the town, he may have automatically known that he meant bowling lanes, also especially if he was a bowler himself.

I see... I don't think I've even heard "lanes" used other than bowling. But yea, I'm a bowler.
Maybe a street lane while driving? But he specified front door.

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by Elli

Oh, very well done!

Thanks, now I want that book!

Originally Posted by GFED

I see... I don't think I've even heard "lanes" used other than bowling. But yea, I'm a bowler.
Maybe a street lane while driving? But he specified front door.

Even street lane is not used much to describe a location, the fact that he didn't even ask for clarification about what the Sheriff meant by "lane" is very suspect. I don't bowl a lot, do people call the place a bowling lane? Like let's go to a bowling lane? I always hear a bowling alley.

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

Thanks, now I want that book!



Even street lane is not used much to describe a location, the fact that he didn't even ask for clarification about what the Sheriff meant by "lane" is very suspect. I don't bowl a lot, do people call the place a bowling lane? Like let's go to a bowling lane? I always hear a bowling alley.

Yes, bowing alley or bowling lanes is common.

[Spunky]

I got a headache with all this thinking

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by GFED

Yes, bowing alley or bowling lanes is common.

Ok good to know but here is a thought.

Guess what? Lane and Layne (the girls last name) sound exactly the same right? So when the dude was hearing "lanes" he could've understood it as "Layne's" as in the Layne's residents front door. So if he was innocent he would've gone to the Layne's house (this is assuming he knew where she lived) and found no green pen, but instead he went to the bowling lanes and found it where they found the body, but I guess this puzzle is flawed since people call it bowling "lanes" too.

[TheDynasty]

Thanks but i get enough of a brain workout being a member of gfy

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

Ok good to know but here is a thought.

Guess what? Lane and Layne (the girls last name) sound exactly the same right? So when the dude was hearing "lanes" he could've understood it as "Layne's" as in the Layne's residents front door. So if he was innocent he would've gone to the Layne's house (this is assuming he knew where she lived) and found no green pen, but instead he went to the bowling lanes and found it where they found the body, but I guess this puzzle can be flawed if people call it bowling lanes too.

Ahhh, yes the names. I completely ignored everyone's name. HAHA!
I think you've come up with the correct answer there.

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by GFED

Ahhh, yes the names. I completely ignored everyone's name. HAHA!
I think you've come up with the correct answer there.

Haha! Need more!

[Elli]

Originally Posted by maximoi

Ok good to know but here is a thought.

Guess what? Lane and Layne (the girls last name) sound exactly the same right? So when the dude was hearing "lanes" he could've understood it as "Layne's" as in the Layne's residents front door. So if he was innocent he would've gone to the Layne's house (this is assuming he knew where she lived) and found no green pen, but instead he went to the bowling lanes and found it where they found the body, but I guess this puzzle is flawed since people call it bowling "lanes" too.

Sorry, I re-read it and YOU are correct!
" "I must have dropped my fountain pen by the front door of the lanes where we found the body."

The suspect would have heard the "Layne's" as he would have assumed the body would be at home. But he KNEW it was at the bowling alley and retrieved the pen correctly.

[Elli]

The Case of the Locked Room

"I think I've been taken for ten thousand dollars, but I can't figure out how it was done," said Archer Skeat, the blind violinist, to Dr. Haledjian, as the two friends sat in the musician's library.

"Last night Marty Scopes dropped by," continued Skeat. "Marty had a ginger ale - and we got to chatting about the locked room mysteries till I made this crazy ten-thousand-dollar bet.

"Marty then went to the bar over there, filled a glass with six cubes of ice and gave it to me. He took a bottle of ginger ale and left the room.

"I locked the door and the windows from the inside, felt to make sure that Marty's glass held only ice, and put it into the wall safe behind you. Then I turned off the lights and sat down to wait.

"The bet was that within an hour Marty could enter the dark, locked room, open the locked safe, take out the glass, remove the ice, pour in half a glass of ginger ale, lock the safe, and leave the room, locking it behind him - all without my hearing him!

"When the alarm rang after an hour, I had heard nothing. Confidently, I unlocked the door. I kept Marty whistling in the hall when I crossed the room to the opposite wall and opened the safe. The glass was inside. By heavens, it was half filled with ginger ale and only ginger ale. I tasted it! How he do it?"

"Undoubtedly by means of an insulated bag," replied Haledjian after a moment's thought. "There is nothing wrong with your hearing. But no man could have heard-"

Heard what?

------------------

Sorry, this is an extremely easy one.

[GFED]

Originally Posted by Elli

The Case of the Locked Room

"I think I've been taken for ten thousand dollars, but I can't figure out how it was done," said Archer Skeat, the blind violinist, to Dr. Haledjian, as the two friends sat in the musician's library.

"Last night Marty Scopes dropped by," continued Skeat. "Marty had a ginger ale - and we got to chatting about the locked room mysteries till I made this crazy ten-thousand-dollar bet.

"Marty then went to the bar over there, filled a glass with six cubes of ice and gave it to me. He took a bottle of ginger ale and left the room.

"I locked the door and the windows from the inside, felt to make sure that Marty's glass held only ice, and put it into the wall safe behind you. Then I turned off the lights and sat down to wait.

"The bet was that within an hour Marty could enter the dark, locked room, open the locked safe, take out the glass, remove the ice, pour in half a glass of ginger ale, lock the safe, and leave the room, locking it behind him - all without my hearing him!

"When the alarm rang after an hour, I had heard nothing. Confidently, I unlocked the door. I kept Marty whistling in the hall when I crossed the room to the opposite wall and opened the safe. The glass was inside. By heavens, it was half filled with ginger ale and only ginger ale. I tasted it! How he do it?"

"Undoubtedly by means of an insulated bag," replied Haledjian after a moment's thought. "There is nothing wrong with your hearing. But no man could have heard-"

Heard what?

------------------

Sorry, this is an extremely easy one.

Heard what? Hmmm... We have 1. Alarm 2. Whistling 3. Ice melting
You can't hear ice melting? Confused...
No idea how the ice turned into Ginger Ale.
Bahhh, I don't know... these are difficult for me because their is too much filler/fluff.

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by Elli

The Case of the Locked Room

"I think I've been taken for ten thousand dollars, but I can't figure out how it was done," said Archer Skeat, the blind violinist, to Dr. Haledjian, as the two friends sat in the musician's library.

"Last night Marty Scopes dropped by," continued Skeat. "Marty had a ginger ale - and we got to chatting about the locked room mysteries till I made this crazy ten-thousand-dollar bet.

"Marty then went to the bar over there, filled a glass with six cubes of ice and gave it to me. He took a bottle of ginger ale and left the room.

"I locked the door and the windows from the inside, felt to make sure that Marty's glass held only ice, and put it into the wall safe behind you. Then I turned off the lights and sat down to wait.

"The bet was that within an hour Marty could enter the dark, locked room, open the locked safe, take out the glass, remove the ice, pour in half a glass of ginger ale, lock the safe, and leave the room, locking it behind him - all without my hearing him!

"When the alarm rang after an hour, I had heard nothing. Confidently, I unlocked the door. I kept Marty whistling in the hall when I crossed the room to the opposite wall and opened the safe. The glass was inside. By heavens, it was half filled with ginger ale and only ginger ale. I tasted it! How he do it?"

"Undoubtedly by means of an insulated bag," replied Haledjian after a moment's thought. "There is nothing wrong with your hearing. But no man could have heard-"

Heard what?

------------------

Sorry, this is an extremely easy one.

No man could've heard what kind of ice it was? I think he put frozen gingerale cubes of ice in it, so after 1 hour it melted leaving only gingerale.

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

No man could've heard what kind of ice it was? I think he put frozen gingerale cubes of ice in it, so after 1 hour it melted leaving only gingerale.

How/when did he freeze the ginger ale?
It would be logical that the ice was frozen ginger ale, but he made cubes of it and everything while talking to the blind guy I assume?

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by GFED

How/when did he freeze the ginger ale?
It would be logical that the ice was frozen ginger ale, but he made cubes of it and everything while talking to the blind guy I assume?

Yeah I know, I ask that question myself, you can't just make ice in seconds, unless he had this idea way before hand and he froze those cubes and they "got to talking" about this bet and he had his ice ready somewhere. I don't know how else it could've been done, other than Marty set this thing all up way way before hand. What's odd is that why would he turn off the lights, he's blind anyways.

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

Yeah I know, I ask that question myself, you can't just make ice in seconds, unless he had this idea way before hand and he froze those cubes and they "got to talking" about this bet and he had his ice ready somewhere. I don't know how else it could've been done, other than Marty set this thing all up way way before hand. What's odd is that why would he turn off the lights, he's blind anyways.

Ahhh, yes. Marty must have been the one to propose the bet, not the blind guy. So the cubes were already made and that was why the reference to the insulated bag was included. You never accept someone's own bet.

Again, I think you are right.

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by GFED

Ahhh, yes. Marty must have been the one to propose the bet, not the blind guy. So the cubes were already made and that was why the reference to the insulated bag was included. You never accept someone's own bet.

Again, I think you are right.

I'm not sure I'm right, because I re-read the thing and it says " I made this crazy ten-thousand-dollar bet." so it wasn't even his bet. Back to drawing board lol

[GFED]

Originally Posted by maximoi

I'm not sure I'm right, because I re-read the thing and it says " I made this crazy ten-thousand-dollar bet." so it wasn't even his bet. Back to drawing board lol

Hmmm... True, it should be that he accepted the bet, not made the bet, for Marty to knowingly be prepared with the iced ginger ale.

[Elli]

Originally Posted by maximoi

No man could've heard what kind of ice it was? I think he put frozen gingerale cubes of ice in it, so after 1 hour it melted leaving only gingerale.

Yep. The blind guy knew Marty had "brought ginger ale" but he couldn't have known if he smuggled in some prepared ice cubes. Marty directed the conversation until the violinist made the bet, then put his plan into action. You can't hear ice melting.

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by GFED

Hmmm... True, it should be that he accepted the bet, not made the bet, for Marty to knowingly be prepared with the iced ginger ale.

The other solution might be that, he didn't hear him actually leaving the room, he could've faked the footsteps I guess towards the door. So he could've been inside the entire time. Since he had gingerale earlier he may have not finished his entire glass of gingerale leaving half of it while they got to talking. So he may have given him real ice cubes made of water, but when he opens the safe, Marty would've have to quickly put in his glass of gingerale while removing the glass of ice as he was putting it into the safe. Then later he says "he unlocked the door" this is when he could've left the room and start whistling in the hall, but he had to be basically a silent ninja in his socks to do all this, seems a bit far fetched but how the puzzle is layed out chronologically this could be possible. I wish they had said earlier in the puzzle that he was to keep whistling for 1 hr outside the hall but that isn't said .

Yep. The blind guy knew Marty had "brought ginger ale" but he couldn't have known if he smuggled in some prepared ice cubes. Marty directed the conversation until the violinist made the bet, then put his plan into action. You can't hear ice melting.

Ok cool

[Elli]

Last One:

Death at Sunrise

Inspector Winters raised the tattered window shade, letting morning light into the dingy room of Nick the Nose.
In the courtyard four stories below, policemen were gathered around the shattered body of a young woman.

"Let's hear it again," the inspector said to Nick.

Nick, who hadn't sold one of his phony tips to the police in months, shifted nervously.

"About sunrise I'm sitting in this chair reading the racing form," began the greasy little informer. "I got the insomnia, see? Suddenly I hear scuffling, and I see Mrs. Clark. She lives right across the court on the fourth floor.

"Well, she's strugglig with a man in a uniform. He gives her a shove toward the window, and whammy, out she goes!

"The first thing I think of is you -- maybe you'll figure it's suicide instead of murder. So I run down to the drugstore and telephone you. I stayed with the body till we came up here, just to keep everything like it was for you."

Nick licked his lips. "I see the killer's face. I figure I can identify him or at least tell you what kind of uniform he had on. That ought to be worth something."

"It is -- this!" growled the inspector, delivering his foot to the seat of Nick's pants.

"Quite the appropriate payment," commented Haledjian when he heard of Nick's latest attempt at a payday.

Why did Nick get the boot instead of the cash?

[GFED]

Originally Posted by Elli

Last One:

Death at Sunrise

Inspector Winters raised the tattered window shade, letting morning light into the dingy room of Nick the Nose.
In the courtyard four stories below, policemen were gathered around the shattered body of a young woman.

"Let's hear it again," the inspector said to Nick.

Nick, who hadn't sold one of his phony tips to the police in months, shifted nervously.

"About sunrise I'm sitting in this chair reading the racing form," began the greasy little informer. "I got the insomnia, see? Suddenly I hear scuffling, and I see Mrs. Clark. She lives right across the court on the fourth floor.

"Well, she's strugglig with a man in a uniform. He gives her a shove toward the window, and whammy, out she goes!

"The first thing I think of is you -- maybe you'll figure it's suicide instead of murder. So I run down to the drugstore and telephone you. I stayed with the body till we came up here, just to keep everything like it was for you."

Nick licked his lips. "I see the killer's face. I figure I can identify him or at least tell you what kind of uniform he had on. That ought to be worth something."

"It is -- this!" growled the inspector, delivering his foot to the seat of Nick's pants.

"Quite the appropriate payment," commented Haledjian when he heard of Nick's latest attempt at a payday.

Why did Nick get the boot instead of the cash?

Window shade was down?

[Elli]

Originally Posted by GFED

Window shade was down?

Damn, you're good!

[GFED]

This was entertaining. Thank you Angel & Elli.

[Elli]

Originally Posted by GFED

This was entertaining. Thank you Angel & Elli.

Thank you guys for playing along! That was fun!

[Devious Angel]

I really had fun and I got to train my brain a bit.
Thank you Elli and GFED! <3

[Zeiss]

Originally Posted by GFED

You would light the match first.

You would need a striking surface to do that.

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by GFED

This was entertaining. Thank you Angel & Elli.

Originally Posted by Elli

Thank you guys for playing along! That was fun!

I agree, thanks ladies!

[ContentPimp]

Keep them coming...

[Elli]

This one is harder! Or, potentially, very simple.

The Case of the Bumped Head

The express train running between New York and Los Angeles had to back up outside Chicago.

Alas, the engineer stopped the train too suddenly while in reverse. Passengers tumbled like tenpins, incurring several suits against the railroad.

"The stop happened at 9pm," said Mills, the railroad's insurance man, while discussing the incident with Dr. Haledjian.

Mills related the biggest headache -- Ted Sheldon, a passenger who was suiing for one hundred thousand dollars.

"At 8pm," said Mills, "Sheldon had the porter make up his berth in the last car. He claims he had just retired for the night when the stop occurred.

"He says he was so forcefully jerked that his head struck the wall behind his pillows.

"Because of terrific head pains, he says, he left the train at Chicago," concluded Mills. He showed Haledjian a Chicago doctor's affidavit that Sheldon had suffered a skull fracture.

"You think Sheldon hurt his head somewhere else?" asked the sleuth.

"If I can't disprove his story about his hitting his head in the Pullman berth, the company is going to have to settle."

"You won't have any trouble," said Haledjian.

Why not?

[maximoi]

Originally Posted by Elli

This one is harder! Or, potentially, very simple.

The Case of the Bumped Head

The express train running between New York and Los Angeles had to back up outside Chicago.

Alas, the engineer stopped the train too suddenly while in reverse. Passengers tumbled like tenpins, incurring several suits against the railroad.

"The stop happened at 9pm," said Mills, the railroad's insurance man, while discussing the incident with Dr. Haledjian.

Mills related the biggest headache -- Ted Sheldon, a passenger who was suiing for one hundred thousand dollars.

"At 8pm," said Mills, "Sheldon had the porter make up his berth in the last car. He claims he had just retired for the night when the stop occurred.

"He says he was so forcefully jerked that his head struck the wall behind his pillows.

"Because of terrific head pains, he says, he left the train at Chicago," concluded Mills. He showed Haledjian a Chicago doctor's affidavit that Sheldon had suffered a skull fracture.

"You think Sheldon hurt his head somewhere else?" asked the sleuth.

"If I can't disprove his story about his hitting his head in the Pullman berth, the company is going to have to settle."

"You won't have any trouble," said Haledjian.

Why not?

The position of a "berth" or sleeping bed in relation to a train is perpendicular not parallel. Which means it's impossible to hit the top of his head on the wall behind the pillows, if anything he would've collided with his whole body/face to wall on his right?

[maximoi]

What's the answer to the last question? Curious.

[Smack dat]

Originally Posted by maximoi

The position of a "berth" or sleeping bed in relation to a train is perpendicular not parallel. Which means it's impossible to hit the top of his head on the wall behind the pillows, if anything he would've collided with his whole body/face to wall on his right?

I think he would have hit his feet as the train was going in reverse.

[MatureKing]

Angel shadow of my pennies?