English Riddles

English Riddles

Betty’s Tea Betty signals to the headwaiter in a restaurant, and says, "There's a fly in my tea." The waiter says, "No problem, madam. I will bring you a fresh cup of tea." A few minutes later Betty shouts, "Get the manager! This is the same cup of tea!" How did she know? Finley and Lucy Finley and Lucy are lying dead on the bedroom floor. Nearby is a broken bowl. There is no mark on either of their bodies and they were not poisoned. How did they die? The Two Priests Two priests sitting in the castle's chapel see the queen attack the king and kill him. The priests rise, shake hands, and leave the room. Why are they so calm? The Stones, the Carrot and the Scarf Five stones, a carrot and a scarf are lying on the grass. Nobody put them on the grass but there is a good reason that they are there. What is it? Betty and Bill Simon was coming home after work. He heard his wife Betty scream, “Bill, don’t kill me!” He runs inside and finds Betty dead with a knife in her chest. Standing around her are a postman, a doctor, and a lawyer. Simon immediately knows it was the postman that killed his wife. How? Trouble with Sons A woman with 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? The Soldier A soldier had a brother who died. What relation was the soldier to the brother who died? (Brother is not the answer.) The Barber In a city in ancient Greece there was a law that all men must be clean-shaven, and that no one could shave himself. The only person allowed to shave people was the town barber. There was only one barber and the barber was bound by the same law… so who shaved the barber? The Great Swimmer A woman dived into a swimming pool where other people were safely swimming around. She was a good swimmer and in perfect health. As soon as she dove in, however, she immediately regretted it and shrieked in horror. Why?

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009