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Brain Teasers – Can We Stump You?

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(Solutions are posted at end of page.)

1) The Elder Twin

One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her
older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How
come?

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2) Manhole Covers

Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square
ones?
(This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle
which can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is
supposedly used by a very well-known software company as an
interview question for prospective employees. )

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3) The Deadly Party

A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then
left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch
subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?
(no, he didn’t have anything to do with the poisoning.)

4) 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?

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5) The Man in the Bar

A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of
water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man.
The man says, “Thank you” and walks out.

This puzzle has claims to be the best of the genre. It is
simple in its statement, absolutely baffling, and yet with a
completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very
hard to solve this one, yet they like the answer when they
hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.

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SOLUTIONS:

1) 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.

2) A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the
diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped
down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all
manhole covers should be round.

3) The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the
man drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it
melted, poisoning the punch.

4) 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?

5) The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his
speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It
worked and cured the hiccups, so the man no longer needed
the water.