“All is a riddle and the key to a riddle is another riddle.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Oh, the cleverness of me!” - Peter Pan
If comedy comes in threes then clever riddles come in fifteens… at least for the most clever amongst you readers who get to the very last clever riddle at this blog’s cleft bottom! “Shhh!”(That was a hint). And a sign that this proverbial “show” is about to get started. Consider it a prologue to the real life clever riddles in which you can participate (i.e. American Escape Rooms). We’re not saying you have to ace this quiz, but if you “quinze” - make sure you continue challenging yourself with more riddles to solve. Because if you’ve grown older than Pan, but still enjoy philosophy, you’ll need them: for laughs, for thoughts, for (5 x 3)....
((grab a friend or a coffee))
1. Turn me on my side and I am everything. Cut me in half, and I am nothing. What am I?
2. David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle and ?
3. You live in a one-story house made entirely of redwood. What color would the stairs be?
Alright, so we’ll break these clever riddles up a little. Maybe you’ve found a simple answer to one but have to ponder the other two… Maybe you’ve already: solved them all, slapped your friend, or spilled your coffee. Might we give you some hints? And a chance to play at an escape room as an apology.
The first three clever riddles were gleefully thieved from a friend we’ve never seen. Number 1 is a number (no, to solve it, seriously). Number 2 should send you to the beginning, as should number 3. (You can’t have stairs in a one-story. And if you said “Pop”, he cannot be his own son. Bring back David, reverse...delete.) Oh! And the first answer was “8”- because… infinity.
4. What can you hold in your left hand but not in your right?
5. What has 13 hearts but no other organs?
6. I am a seven letter word and very heavy. Take away two letters from me and you will get eight. Take away one letter and you will get 80. Who am I?
Question: if you have 13 hearts, are you more compassionate, emotional or just walking around with your heart on BOTH sleeves, your pant legs, your socks, forehead… I mean, that just sounds complicated- a clever riddle unto itself. So to solve number 4, you need to know about the elbow. To solve clever riddles 5 and 6, it depends on how much time you’ve spent at a casino or spelling bee. In other words, a deck of cards gets you the token and the word “weighty” actually gets you to the win! Speaking of numbers…
7. I am an animal named after the animal I eat. What am I?
8. What flies when it’s born, lies when it’s alive and runs when it’s dead?
9. What connects two people but touches only one?
Can I get a “woot!” for the “Miscellaneous Section”? Also, this seems like a good time to ask if you’ve booked that American Escape Room challenge yet. Allow us to plant a silly subheading here.
Let’s talk strategy when you have riddles to solve. We went right to the source on How To Solve a Riddle for more insight on these brain-benders. (Now is a good time to grab that second friend or refill your mug of joe).
::Clears throat:: Language is the key during wordplay - that contrived, confabulated, mysterious mound of sounds and rhythms in your inner ear. The wondrous, colorful, Seuss-like syntax of which you must stare and compare for the double meaning.
Also, when you have riddles to solve you must think as if you are the one doing the stumping- which makes this a game of pure psychology. In other words, which words have multiple meanings? Are the clues merely there to mislead you into trailing off to what that cereal slogan really said or thinking of non-redwood stairs? Which animal has 13 hearts? And poor David just wants his daddy!
Now, quickly - for our math people - don’t forget to analyze the numbers in creative ways. If you find yourself in a situation getting caught up by the equation, take the actual numbers and ponder something new.
By now you’ve considered what animals are named after the animals they eat (clever riddle #7); What could possibly run when it’s deceased (clever riddle #8); and connect two people by touching just one (clever riddle #9).
Your Answers are: an anteater, snowflake, and wedding ring.
Colour us impressed! We said 15 Clever Riddles and you’ve worked your way to numbers 10-12!? You must feel so proud! (Our version of the Montessori approach). Only 10? Get back in there (Tough Love Approach - Uncle Tony didn’t have those 13 hearts…) And Keep Going! (Standard Positive Phrase).
10. I am heavy forwards and not backwards. What am I?
11. I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?
12. I am the beginning of everything, the end of everywhere. I’m the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?
Have you ever bought a “ton” of “candles” that were shaped like “the letter e”? Us either.
If you missed it, the answers to the clever riddles were in order in quotations there. But we’d be surprised after you’ve swiggled all that delicious coffee.
But before we get to the final 3, we want to thank you for playing with us! And remember, you’re not just reading a crafty blog on a website for American Escape Room, you’re really sharpening your brain power in very cool ways with these clever riddles to solve.
Take this complementary/complimentary blog regarding solving clever riddles: “Why are Brain-Teasers so Good for Your Brain?” You’re not just thinking, you’re creating elasticity, kind of how “a sculptor molds clay.” You can shift the wiring you’ve got and improve your overall cognitive function!
Cognitive Function: refers to multiple mental abilities, including learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, decision-making, and attention (sciencedirect.com).
So, we’re talking about firing up your brain with clever riddles the same way you warm-up your pitching arm or light up the grill. (YOU may have eaten, but there’s no fridge here.) Please send your support for our writers to info@americanescaperooms.com
13. What 4-letter word can be written forward, backward or upside down, and can still be read from left to right?
14. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
15. What disappears as soon as you say its name?
By now you are a master at picking these phrases apart, like you analyze your potential sister-in-law. You’ve climbed the invisible stairs in that one-story and found a treasure trove of tricks and tropes to unlock your inner riddler. No longer riddled with confusion…. you’re …. You’re… You’re going to have to fill that one in yourself, we seem to have suffered a “brain fart.”
And with that! The end of this fantastic blog. The caboose. The finale. The cleft bottom. The final phrases. The final bow for this Clever Riddles for Clever People columnist.
We’ve enjoyed our time with you! And don’t forget, if you’re ready for a real challenge, American Escape Rooms offers opportunities to solve real puzzles with your family or small group of friends in a themed room with lots of fun surprises! One thing you must figure out, how to get to Orlando, Tampa or Tallahassee Florida :)
How many of you are planning a day trip?
If you leave at “NOON” please take a “map” and remember, there’s no such thing as riding in “silence” if no one agrees on the radio.