Questions tagged [lateral-thinking]
A puzzle solved through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable only using logic.
1,324 questions
14
votes
5
answers
2k
views
I can't count on my coworkers
I asked the people I worked with what 1+1 equalled.
Alice said 2
Bob wrote 10
Charlie answered 11
My final coworker tried to give me an answer as well, but I cut her off angrily saying I hadn't ...
- 1,649
7
votes
5
answers
396
views
Add three lines to get a bird and add four to get a metal
TEXT
Add exactly 3 straight lines to turn these five lines into a bird.
Add exactly 4 straight lines to turn the same into a metal.
HINT
- 7,497
2
votes
2
answers
267
views
Trapped in a Room [closed]
You are in a room with a table. On the table are 35 tiny holes. Now each hole has a number or letter on it. There are holes with a number range from 1 to 9, and there are also ones with letters from A ...
- 37
9
votes
1
answer
538
views
Lost calculation
A couple did a couple of calculations, but lost the last one ...
Can you recover the result?
345 53507 514 4914 ?
Hint: (unhide if you want to see 4 possible ...
- 1,852
-4
votes
1
answer
239
views
Word, number and letter
Revelation occurs in stages so investigation may be required for this.
Account for each of the following numbers:
789629
1034
150
1034
186
3
178
10
198
2
1184
29913
22
Once the counts are explained, ...
- 914
8
votes
0
answers
477
views
Hidden operation
Here are ten non-negative integers represented by symbols in numerical order. They're the ten first of their kind.
What are the symbols telling you?
...
- 43.7k
6
votes
9
answers
3k
views
It's right in front of you
What should replace the question mark and which three words is it equal to? (I've given you one of them - per).
? = ----- per ------
It's a known "...
- 43.7k
9
votes
1
answer
991
views
Who was revolutionary?
Who Am I?
ו•chiו•nh
It might look like enough info hasn't been given but all you need to know has been given. Google (if necessary) to be sure that your ...
- 43.7k
0
votes
6
answers
2k
views
The son of a professor's father is talking to the father of the professor's son but the professor does not take part in the conversation. Can this be?
The son of a professor's father is talking to the father of the professor's son, but the professor does not take part in the conversation. Is this possible?
Attribution: Mathematical Circles (...
- 21.4k
31
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Solving the unsolvable 15 puzzle
I got this new sliding-block puzzle. There is a 4x4 square wooden tray with fifteen 1x1 square tiles. The tiles can slide around inside the tray without overlapping by using the one empty space.
This ...
- 3,996
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How many days until Halloween?
The decoration below displays the number of days until Halloween using two cubes, with each face showing one digit. By rotating and rearranging the cubes, what is the largest number from which you can ...
- 9,883
-10
votes
1
answer
181
views
The answer is a single word [closed]
The answer is a single word.
Major Hints
5
votes
2
answers
373
views
The Barking Question
"Uncle I'm bored!" exclaimed young Baz on their journey to London.
"I have an odd-one-out puzzle for you" said the elder.
On a piece of paper, he wrote the words "AH, EM, UH, ...
- 3,706
7
votes
3
answers
335
views
The Clock Tower Enigma
In a small, mysterious town stands an ancient clock tower that has puzzled the townsfolk for centuries. The clock doesn’t tell time as expected—it follows an unusual pattern that nobody has been able ...
- 135
21
votes
1
answer
1k
views
3
votes
2
answers
290
views
Why am I here? What about my dad?
We are both quite nerdy, but he often has to call me for tech support.
Hint 1:
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
319
views
The Fourth Daughter
Proud as punch, the parents Dr and Sergeant Pepper beamed from side to side. The birth of their fourth daughter, a younger sister to Alice, Buffy and Victoria was the cause for this elation. Sergeant ...
- 3,706
3
votes
1
answer
158
views
Can you find what these letters might be?
ZXCSDE
XCVDFR
CVBFGT
BNMHJU
And if you want to do a similar pattern:
QWESDX
ERTFGV
TYUHJN
YUIJKM
- 297
1
vote
3
answers
486
views
An odd odd one out
Which of the following is the odd one out and why?
Nearly successful actress
Aim in France
Movie Doctor
A type of lute
- 3,706
9
votes
4
answers
634
views
Who am I? Where do I live?
I live in a house.
To the north, there's a squad of gamers living in an apartment. One of their rooms is directly at the exit of the apartment, next to my house so I sometimes visit them.
To the west, ...
- 91
11
votes
1
answer
532
views
-1
votes
4
answers
1k
views
efficiently reverse EISH to HSIE
Reverse
**** * **** * *
* * * * *
**** * **** ****
* * * * *
**** * **** * *
to
...
- 1,342
17
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Arrange yourselves in a more interesting order
The items below are arranged in alphabetical order. However, there is a more interesting way to order them.
...
- 14k
7
votes
1
answer
470
views
7
votes
1
answer
805
views
Add three lines to make a Capital City
Add exactly three lines to the image below to make a capital city (note the tags):
- 21.8k
1
vote
1
answer
214
views
A Suspicious Criminal Confounds A Superhero Conference Committee
Every year, The League of Freedom, Earth's foremost superhero team, holds a conference to discuss crime fighting strategies and potential threats. Every year, tryouts are held in order to select this ...
- 554
1
vote
0
answers
108
views
Why math is hard to understand or explain in reverse [duplicate]
Three people go into a restaurant and each of us has \$10. So we start with \$30.
The bill comes to \$25 which means there is \$5 left over. Out of that \$5 we each take back \$1 (which would be \$3 ...
- 11
10
votes
1
answer
668
views
Why did the general choose this as the exact time of attack?
It is the WWII.
The general ordered his troops to start a surprise attack on the enemy at this exact time:
18:49:06
After the attack which was succssesful some ...
- 508
10
votes
1
answer
469
views
Connect Wall With A Fun Fact
Instructions:
• Four mystery words are replaced with a double question mark and must be deduced by the solver. NOTE: words are not necessarily in alphabetical order after the mystery words are ...
- 7,862
4
votes
1
answer
226
views
What number completes the sequence? 2, 1, 7.5, ...,
What number completes the sequence?
2 , 1 , 7.5 , 6.5 , 5 , 6.5 , 7.5 , 5 , 6.5 , 7.5 , 1 , 6.5 , 7.5 , 6.5 , 5 , 4.5 , ...
- 193
24
votes
1
answer
2k
views
I am international anyway
When I was zero, I was Central African.
When I was one, I was Japanese.
When I was two, I was Laotian.
When I was three, I was Dominican.
When I was four, I was Danish.
When I was five, I was ...
- 5,541
10
votes
2
answers
490
views
Letters and numbers that share something in common
Why are these two "equations" true?
L + I = 900
7 + 1 = 405
Note: They're not all super accurate, but accurate enough once you realize the method I used to make this little puzzle. No ...
- 43.7k
1
vote
3
answers
301
views
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
17
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Where is he working?
Inspired by @Will Octagon Gibson Beginner Puzzles, here is my attempt.
My friend said, "My manager asked me to do an inventory at this Specialty Shop I am working at right now. I counted 160 bags,...
- 7,497
-4
votes
2
answers
424
views
Two digits in one
Here is a digit:
However, it is, at the same time, another digit.
How can it be?
- 1,445
27
votes
1
answer
2k
views
A riddle with seemingly-unrelated clues
I am Catholic, but my boss isn't the pope.
I am black, but people say I'm light.
Moving one step, I can play a chord.
What am I?
- 5,541
7
votes
1
answer
536
views
Numbers reminding me of cities
I look at these numbers and they can be related to cities. Which? Why?
35108
1710
50337
Think creatively.
- 7,497
2
votes
1
answer
215
views
Quick find the unique answer, it may not be unique otherwise!
Replace the question mark with the correct 5-digit number.
...
- 43.7k
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
0
votes
2
answers
228
views
Dramatic follow-up 3D masyu problem
This is follow-up problem for Another four 3D masyu
Your little dog has been abducted by aliens, and they will do unthinkable things to it. That is unless you provide solutions for problems C and D, ...
- 209
27
votes
8
answers
5k
views
Make the number 606 50 percent bigger
Beginner puzzle
This puzzle is intended to be suitable for people who are new to puzzle solving.
Clarification: Both experienced solvers and new solvers are welcome to post solutions to this puzzle.
...
- 21.4k
1
vote
1
answer
558
views
This bird is so popular, many countries around the world share a name with it
There's a bird, it's very popular.
Several IRL Earth countries (more than 2) around the world share a name with the same bird, although the relation between the country name and the bird is not ...
9
votes
1
answer
323
views
A Venndredi Special!
Another Venn based puzzle from me. The three overlapping ellipses form seven curved regions. Your task is to place exactly one tile per region, so that the four tiles in any one ellipse can solve ...
- 3,706
16
votes
1
answer
948
views
Data is plural?
The three overlapping ellipses form seven curved regions. Your task is to place exactly one tile per region, so that the four tiles in any one ellipse can solve the corresponding clue!
- 3,706
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
I am obviously not a thief!
Tearing from fearing,
Thumbs nervously interlocking because of the robbing,
Since the cheating done in that meeting,
So in the center of a dark alley I hide,
Like a rudiment the heart pounds at my ...
- 21.8k
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Four-cornered cow inheritance
While travelling down a road in a socialist country you meet a group of four young men and women sitting in the front porch of their house, with a lively cattle ranch adjoining.
"Our father died, ...
- 8,815
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
5
votes
1
answer
276
views
13
votes
3
answers
859
views
Mr. Martin And The Mismanaged Airport Terminal
There is a small international airport in Greece. It has just 6 gates, lined up from 1 to 6 going away from the front desk. Tickets here only have the last names of passengers and gate numbers clearly ...
- 554