Puzzels on Lateral Thinking

8/12/2019 Puzzels on Lateral Thinking

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1. A healthy man checks into the hospital. Soon afterwards he is dead.The proper answer: The man was going in for an MRI, because he

thought he might have a brain tumor. However, unbeknownst to him, a

doctor had left a metal instrument inside him during an earlier surgery

(let's say a stomach operation). The MRI's powerful magnet ripped the

instrument out of his abdomen.

My answer: Elevator accident.

1. The Man in the Elevator

A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day he takes the elevator to go down to the

ground floor to go to work or to go shopping. When he returns he takes the elevator to the

seventh floor and walks up the stairs to reach his apartment on the tenth floor. He hates walking

so why does he do it?

This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking puzzles. It is a true

classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the

canonical answer is truly satisfying.

2. 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.

3. The Man who Hanged Himself

There is a large wooden barn which is completely empty except for a dead man hanging from the

middle of the central rafter. The rope around his neck is ten feet long and his feet are three feet

off the ground. The nearest wall is 20 feet away from the man. It is not possible to climb up the

walls or along the rafters. The man hanged himself. How did he do it?

4. Death in a Field

A man is lying dead in a field. Next to him there is an unopened package. There is no other

creature in the field. How did he die?

5. The Deadly Dish

Two men went into a restaurant. They both ordered the same dish from the menu. After they

tasted it, one of the men went outside the restaurant and shot himself. Why?

6. The Coal, Carrot and Scarf

Five pieces of coal, a carrot and a scarf are lying on the lawn. Nobody put them on the lawn but

there is a perfectly logical reason why they should be there. What is it?

7. 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?

8. Push that Car

A man pushed his car. He stopped when he reached a hotel at which point he knew he was

bankrupt. Why?

9. The Arm of the Postal Service

One day a man received a parcel in the post. Carefully packed inside was a human arm. He

examined it, repacked it and then sent it on to another man. The second man also carefully

examined the arm before taking it to the woods and burying it. Why did they do this?


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This one probably has more variations than any other. A great one to puzzle out. It requires

plenty of good questions.

10. Heaven

A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all

naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21. He looked around to see if there was anyone

he recognised. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. Howdid he know?

1. The man in the Elevator

The man is (of course) a dwarf. Variants of this puzzle include the clue that on rainy days he

goes up in the elevator to the tenth floor (he uses his umbrella!)

2. The Man in the Bar

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 hiccupsso the man no longer needed the water.

The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seeminglyirrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this

classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.

3. The Man who Hanged Himself

He climbed on a block of ice which has since melted.

This one is often stated with the clue of a puddle of water, but surely this is too much assistance.

It is one of several problems which depend on the change of state of water (snow or ice to water

or steam).

4. Death in a Field

The man had jumped from a plane but his parachute had failed to open. It is the unopened

package.

This is sometimes given with the following rather elegant clueas he approached the centre ofthe field he knew he was going to die. This is another of the top classics which is right up there

with The Man in the Bar. If the solver is thinking along the wrong lines (i.e. in the two

dimensions of the ground) then the lateral jump to the third dimension can be tough to make.

5. The Deadly Dish

The dish that the two men ordered was albatross. They had been stranded many years earlier on

a desert island. When the man tasted albatross he realized that he had never tasted it before.

This meant that the meat he had been given on the island was not albatross as he had been told.

He correctly deduced that he had eaten the flesh of his son who had died when they first reached

the island.

This has something in common with No. 9 below but is in my opinion even better. It is fiendishly

difficult to figure out from a standing start. A beautiful aspect of this problem is the subtle fact thathe shot himself because he did not recognise the taste of the dish!

6. The Coal, Carrot and Scarf

They were used by children who made a snowman. The snow has now melted.

Another change of state puzzle. After this you should be on the look-out for them!

7. Trouble with Sons

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?

8. Push that Car

He was playing Monopoly.9. The Arm of the Postal Service


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The three men had been stranded on a desert island. Desperate for food, they had agreed to

amputate their left arms in order to eat them. They swore an oath that each would have his left

arm cut off. One of them was a doctor and he cut the arms off his two companions. They were

then rescued. But his oath was still binding so he later had to have his arm amputated and sent

to his colleagues.

This is often told with a further twist whereby a doctor pays a tramp a large sum in order toamputate the tramps arm which the doctor then sends to another man who inspects it etc. This

variation can make for a long night of questioning!

10. Heaven

He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because they were not born of

women, they had never had umbilical cords and therefore they never had navels.

This one seems perfectly logical but it can sometimes spark fierce theological arguments!

Lateral Thinking Puzzles

by Paul Sloane

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

Answer:

2. Deep in the forest was found the body of a man who was wearing only swimming trunks, snorkeland face mask. The nearest lake was 8 miles away and the sea was 100 miles away. How had hedied?

Answer:

3. A blind beggar had a brother who died. What relation was the blind beggar to the brother who died?(Brother is not the answer).

Answer:

4. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the partywho drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?

Answer:

5. Several truck drivers at a roadside cafe started to play poker. The pot was large and the game wasserious. Suddenly one of the men accused the dealer of cheating. The dealer drew a knife and, inplain view of all the others, stabbed the man and killed him. The police were called and theyinterviewed everyone who had been present. But no man was arrested or charged with any offense.Why not?

Answer:
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6. A man was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Both his parents were born in Boston, Massachusetts.He lived all his life in Boston but he was not a United States citizen. How come?

Answer:

7. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?

Answer:

8. John and David were brothers. John married Jane. David married Diana. The strange thing was,John and Diana shared the same wedding anniversary. David's wedding anniversary was one monthbefore this date and Jane's was one month after it. None of them had ever been divorced orremarried.What was going on here?

Answer:

9. A truck became wedged under a low bridge. It could not move forward or backward withoutseverely damaging its roof. The truck driver was perplexed until the little girl standing nearbysuggested an easy solution. What was it?

Answer:

10. A man rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Friday. How come?

Answer:

11. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. Butthey were not twins. How could this be so?

Answer:

12. When Archduke Ferdinand was shot, in 1914, his attendants could not undo his coat to stem hisbleeding wound. Why not?

Answer:

13. During WWII, why did German soldiers have to shoot the dogs they had carefully trained?

Answer:

14. Anthony and Cleopatra are lying dead on the floor of a villa in Egypt. Nearby is broken glass.There is no mark on either of their bodies and they were not poisoned. How did they die?

Answer:

15. A man lives on the tenth floor of a building. Every day, he takes the elevator to the first floor to go
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shopping. When he returns, he always takes the elevator to the seventh floor and walks the rest of thefight of stairs to his apartment in the tenth floor. Why does he do this?

Answer:

16. One night during the Second World War, an allied bomber was on a mission over Germany. Theplane was in perfect condition and everything on it worked properly. When it had reached its target,the pilot ordered the bomb doors open. They opened. He then ordered the bombs released. The werereleased. But the bombs did not fall from the plane. Why should this be so?

Answer:

17. Five pieces of coal, a carrot, and a scarf are lying on the lawn. Nobody put them on the lawn, butthere is a perfectly logical reason for them being there. What is it?

Answer:

18. There were two Americans waiting at the entrance to the British Museum. One of them was thefather of the other one's son. How could this be so?

Answer:

19. Not far from Madrid, there is a large wooden barn. The barn is completely empty except for adead man hanging from the central rafter. The rope around his neck is ten feet long and his feet arethree feet from the ground. The nearest wall is 20 feet away. It is not possible to climb up the walls oralong rafters, yet he hanged himself. How did he manage it?

Answer:

20. What happened in the second half of the 20th century and will not happen again for another 4000years?

Answer:

21. Why did an old lady always answer the door wearing her hat and coat?

Answer:

22. Many more children are involved as pedestrians in road accidents than might be expected fromtheir numbers and road use. An expert on road accidents has put forward an ingenious theory toaccount for this. What do you think the theory might be?

Answer:

23. Two drivers drove slowly and safely in the correct direction down a wide road before coming to astop in front of a red stop light. A nearby police officer immediately arrested one of the drivers and let

the other one driver off. The police officer had never seen or heard either driver before. Neither driverhad a criminal record. They were both fully dressed and no one had been drinking. Both cars were in
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excellent roadworthy condition and had not been stolen. The arrested driver was charged andconvicted. Of what?

Answer:

24. A man locks his keys inside his car and is unable to get them out despite trying for an hour. Apolice officer comes along and offers to help. He discovers that the back door of the car is unlockedand he consequently recovers the keys. The man thanks him, but when the officer departs the manlocks the back door, leaving the keys inside. Why?

Answer:

25. A man wanted to construct an important building and he received tenders from a hundredbuilders, who each presented their qualifications and claimed to be the best builder around. How didhe chose between them?

Answer:

26. A very unlucky gambler had lost all his money . His friends organized a raffle, rigged so he wouldbe sure to win. Knowing the ticket number he held, they filled a hat with tickets bearing the samenumber. The asked him to draw the winning number. "Well," they asked him, "who won?" "Not me,anyway," he replied sadly. What had happened?

Answer:

27. A man is lying dead in a field. Next to him there is an unopened package. There is no other

creature in the field. How did he die?Answer:

1.

SOLUTION

At the time she went into labor, the mother of

the twins was travelling 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
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the younger twin celebrates her birthday two

days before her older brother

2.

SOLUTION

During a forest fire, a fire-fighting plane had

scooped up some water from the lake to drop on

the fire. The plane had accidentally picked up

the unfortunate swimmer.


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3.

SOLUTION

The blind beggar was the sister of her brother

who died.

4.


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SOLUTION

The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes.

When the man drank the punch the ice was fullyfrozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.

5.

SOLUTION

The police arrested the dealer and charged HERwith murder.


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6.

SOLUTION

He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in the

early eighteenth century when it was still aBritish colony.

He was British.


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7.

SOLUTION

A square manhole cover can be turned anddropped down the diagonal of the manhole.

A round manhole cannot be dropped down the

manhole. So for safety and practicality, allmanhole covers should be round.


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8.

SOLUTION

John and David were both clergymen. David

married John to to Diana. That is why they share

the same anniversary. John married Jane to her

husband. On a seperate occasion John marriedDavid to his wife.

9.

SOLUTION


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The little girl suggested that the driver let some

air out of the truck's tires. He let out enough to

lower the truck by a small amount required to let

it pass under the bridge.

10.

SOLUTION

The man's horse was called Friday.


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11.

SOLUTION

They were two of a set of triplets (orquadruplets etc.)


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12.

SOLUTION

The Archduke Ferdinand's uniform was sewn on

to his body so that he looked immaculately

smart. It could not be removed quickly. His

desire to look smart probably cost him his life.

13.

SOLUTION


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During W.W.II, the German soldiers trained

dogs to carry explosive charges under tanks and

then wait there until the charge exploded,

destroying dog and tank. They then released the

dogs near Russian tank positions. Unfortunately

for the Germans, Russian tanks did not smell

anything like German tanks, on which the dogs

had been trained, so the dogs hunted around

until they found German tanks to sit under.

Consequently, they had to be shot and the wholesorry scheme abandoned.

14.

SOLUTION

Anthony and Cleopatra were goldfish whose bowlwas knocked over by a clumsy dog.


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15.

SOLUTION

The man is a dwarf. He can reach the button on

the bottom of the elevator for the first floor,

but he cannot reach the button for the tenth

floor. The seventh floor button is the farthesthe can reach.


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16.

SOLUTION

The plane was flying upside down.

17.


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SOLUTION

They were used by the childern who built a

snowman.

The snow has now melted.

18.

SOLUTION

They were husband and wife.


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19.

SOLUTION

He climbed on a block of ice, which has since

melted.


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20.

SOLUTION

The numbers of the year 1961 read the same in

you turned it upside down. This will not happen

again until 6009.


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21.

SOLUTION

If it was someone she wanted to invite in she

said she had just come in. If it was someone she

did not want to invite in she said she was justabout to go out.

22.

SOLUTION

The expert believes that some drivers mistake

children for adults and subconsciously assume

that, because the figure are small the childrenare farther away than they actually are.


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23.

SOLUTION

The incident took place in Saudi Arabia in 1995.

It is illegal for woman to drive in Saudi Arabia.

One driver was a man and the other was a woman.

The police arrested the woman who was chargedand convicted.


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24.

SOLUTION

The man had already phoned his wife, who was a

100 miles away, and persuaded her to drive him

with a set of spare keys. He does not want to

explain to her that her journey was unnecessary,

and face her wrath.

25.


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SOLUTION

He asked each builder to nominate an alternate

in case he could not take up the contract. He

gave the contract to the builder most nominated

as backup.

26.

SOLUTION

The unlucky gambler had drawn a "ticket"

bearing the number 6 7/8, i.e., the hat label withthe size marked on it.


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27.

SOLUTION

The man had jumped from a plane but his

parachute had failed to open.

It is the unopened package.


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Puzzels on Lateral Thinking