When we were still kids, my cousins from the UK came to visit. The youngest R presented a question, a sort of a puzzle, which I found fascinating. She said, "A rabbit's egg is rolling down the hill. When it gets to the bottom of the hill, will it break?"
Of course the answer to that question is neither 'YES' nor 'NO' simply because rabbits don't have eggs. (I thought that was really smart and witty!)
I found out that this question is actually a conundrum. Conundrums are defined as anything that puzzles; a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words.
I was lucky to chance upon a book of conundrums when I dropped by a bookstore near the office during one of my lunch breaks last summer. The book has 278 conundrums. When I got back from the bookstore, I immediately gave RD a call and asked him to give me a number from 1 to 278. RD chose a number and I read out the puzzle. That was his first introduction to conundrums. I gave him a couple more before I put the phone down.
After I got the book, RD had a great time boggling everyone around him with conundrums left and right.
What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper.
A red house is made of red bricks. A blue house is made of blue bricks. A pink house is made of pink bricks. What is a green house made of? Glass, of course.
(And of course, one of RD's favorite. I think this is among the ones I first asked him when we were on the phone.)
There are two barbers in a town. One has messy hair, the other has neat hair. You are in town and need a haircut. Where should you go?
Of course the answer to that question is neither 'YES' nor 'NO' simply because rabbits don't have eggs. (I thought that was really smart and witty!)
I found out that this question is actually a conundrum. Conundrums are defined as anything that puzzles; a riddle, the answer to which involves a pun or play on words.
I was lucky to chance upon a book of conundrums when I dropped by a bookstore near the office during one of my lunch breaks last summer. The book has 278 conundrums. When I got back from the bookstore, I immediately gave RD a call and asked him to give me a number from 1 to 278. RD chose a number and I read out the puzzle. That was his first introduction to conundrums. I gave him a couple more before I put the phone down.
After I got the book, RD had a great time boggling everyone around him with conundrums left and right.
What is black and white and read all over? A newspaper.
A red house is made of red bricks. A blue house is made of blue bricks. A pink house is made of pink bricks. What is a green house made of? Glass, of course.
(And of course, one of RD's favorite. I think this is among the ones I first asked him when we were on the phone.)
There are two barbers in a town. One has messy hair, the other has neat hair. You are in town and need a haircut. Where should you go?
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