#@$#! Brain Teaser

[hukarez]

A friend of mine gave me a brain teaser, and I've been working on this for days. It's pretty much driving me nuts. In any case, I figure one of you blokes would probably figure it out before I will:

A man makes it, but does not use it.

A man uses it, but does not know it.

A man buys it, but doesn't want it.

What is it?

[digamma]

There is another thread on this board relating to the answer.

[SirFozzie]

Coffin

[rkmsuf]

can't you make a coffin and use it?

[digamma]

Now that Fozzie has blown the fun, here is the other thread: http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/for...ad.php?t=27044

[hukarez]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Coffin

Arg! I've been pestering him with things like, "Shower caps" and "EPT Pregnancy Kits" and the like. Sonuva!

[rkmsuf]

I still think coffin is bogus. Haven't you seen the KISS coffin they are selling? It doubles as a beer fridge. Seriously.

[hukarez]

Just finished confirming it's indeed a coffin!

However, he's now e-mailed me a new riddle for me to figure out:

A man is sitting in a pub feeling rather poor. He sees the man next to him pull a wad of £50 notes out of his wallet.
He turns to the rich man and says to him,
"I have an amazing talent: I know almost every song that has ever existed."
The rich man laughs.
The poor man says, "I am willing to bet you all the money you have in your wallet that I can sing a genuine song with a lady's name of your choice in it."
The rich man laughs again and says, "Ok how about my daughters name, Joanna Armstrong-Miller."
The rich man goes home poor. The poor man goes home rich.

What song did he sing?

[Desert Dweeb]

How about Happy Birthday?

[hukarez]

That sounds about right! Sending an e-mail right now!

[sovereignstar]

Next.

[hukarez]

Alright! You guys are clutch!

Here's his last one:

Two men working at a construction site were up for a challenge, and they were pretty mad at each other. Finally, at lunch break, they confronted. One man, obviously stronger, said "See that wheelbarrow? I'm willin' to bet $100 (that's all I have in my wallet here) that you can't wheel something to that cone and back that I can't do twice as far. Do you have a bet?"
The other man, too dignified to decline, shook his hand, but he had a plan formulating. He looked at the objects lying around:

a pile of 400 bricks
a steel beam
the 10 men that had gathered around to watch
his pickup truck
a stack of ten bags of concrete mix

"All right," he said, and revealed his object.

That night, the strong man went home thoroughly teased and $100 poorer. What did the other man choose?

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by hukarez

A man makes it, but does not use it.

A man uses it, but does not know it.

A man buys it, but doesn't want it.

What is it?

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't this question invalid, since the first two of these contradict each other? Either a man uses it, or a man does not use it.

If a man uses it without knowing it, isn't it possible that he nonetheless made it? Conversely, if a man made it, but does not use it, then the man cannot have used it, whether he knows it or not.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't this question invalid, since the first two of these contradict each other? Either a man uses it, or a man does not use it.

If a man uses it without knowing it, isn't it possible that he nonetheless made it? Conversely, if a man made it, but does not use it, then the man cannot have used it, whether he knows it or not.

As I have contended, the whole thing is very flawed.

[hukarez]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't this question invalid, since the first two of these contradict each other? Either a man uses it, or a man does not use it.

If a man uses it without knowing it, isn't it possible that he nonetheless made it? Conversely, if a man made it, but does not use it, then the man cannot have used it, whether he knows it or not.

Apparently, it's not the same 'man' and all. Probably could've been phrased better, I'm sure...but it was enough to piss me off for the past few days!

[dacman]

I've always heard it like this:

One man makes it, but does not use it.

Another man uses it, but does not know it.

A third man buys it, but doesn't want it.

What is it?

[dacman]

Originally Posted by hukarez

That night, the strong man went home thoroughly teased and $100 poorer. What did the other man choose?

You want the answer yet?

[SnDvls]

The weaker of the two men puts the stronger one in and wheels him around.

[QuikSand]

I've always heard the original stated a little differently -- either:

"The man who... doesn't..."

or perhaps

"One man ... but doesn't ... "


Either of those should resolve the conundrum raised above.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by dacman

I've always heard it like this:

One man makes it, but does not use it.

Another man uses it, but does not know it.

A third man buys it, but doesn't want it.

What is it?

That makes much more sense, although I agree with rmksuf that I don't see why one man who makes a coffin can't also use it. If it has to do with being dead, then how does the second man "use" a coffin? If it has to do with probability or likelihood that one person would make his own coffin...that's irrelevant, as the sentence indicates affirmatively that the man who makes it doesn't use it, but that's not necessarily true as a rule.

[SirFozzie]

It never said WHAT he could wheel in.. so the guy chooses the 10 other men in the crew. The stronger guy can't wheel them around.. the weaker guy put the 10 guys into the truck and drives off

[hukarez]

Arg! I'm stuck on this one. He hasn't replied yet to the answers I submitted to him a few minutes ago - SirFozzie's and SnDvls'. I'm beginning to think it's something I've clearly overlooked. I need to figure out where the heck he's pulling these brain teasers from...

EDIT: ACK! He's given me another one!

One day a father went to his three sons and told them that he would die soon and that he needed to decide which one of them to give his property to. He decided to give them all a test. He said, "Go to the market my sons and purchase something that is large enough to fill my bedroom, but small enough to fit in your pocket. From this I will decide who of you is the wisest and worthy enough to inherit my land." So they all went to the market and bought something that they thought would fill the room, yet was still small enough that they could fit into their pockets. Each son came back with a different item. The father told his sons to come into his bedroom one at a time and try to fill up his bedroom with whatever they had purchased. The first son came in and put some pieces of cloth that he had bought and placed them down end to end across the room, but it barely covered any of the floor. Then the second son came in and placed down some hay that he had purchased on the floor, but there was only enough to cover half of the floor. The third son came in and showed his father what he had purchased and how it could fill the entire room - yet still fit into his pocket. The father replied, "You are truly the wisest of all my sons and you shall receive my property."

What was it that the son had showed to his father?

BTW - SnDvls' answer was the right one. Clearly, I'm looking too hard into these puzzles!

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by SnDvls

The weaker of the two men puts the stronger one in and wheels him around.

That was my guess as well...

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by hukarez

Arg! I'm stuck on this one. He hasn't replied yet to the answers I submitted to him a few minutes ago - SirFozzie's and SnDvls'. I'm beginning to think it's something I've clearly overlooked. I need to figure out where the heck he's pulling these brain teasers from...

EDIT: ACK! He's given me another one!

One day a father went to his three sons and told them that he would die soon and that he needed to decide which one of them to give his property to. He decided to give them all a test. He said, "Go to the market my sons and purchase something that is large enough to fill my bedroom, but small enough to fit in your pocket. From this I will decide who of you is the wisest and worthy enough to inherit my land." So they all went to the market and bought something that they thought would fill the room, yet was still small enough that they could fit into their pockets. Each son came back with a different item. The father told his sons to come into his bedroom one at a time and try to fill up his bedroom with whatever they had purchased. The first son came in and put some pieces of cloth that he had bought and placed them down end to end across the room, but it barely covered any of the floor. Then the second son came in and placed down some hay that he had purchased on the floor, but there was only enough to cover half of the floor. The third son came in and showed his father what he had purchased and how it could fill the entire room - yet still fit into his pocket. The father replied, "You are truly the wisest of all my sons and you shall receive my property."

What was it that the son had showed to his father?

BTW - SnDvls' answer was the right one. Clearly, I'm looking too hard into these puzzles!

A flashlight (fills the room with light)?

[SirFozzie]

Here's a puzzle.

This story takes place in the early 1700's. It seems that the man known far and wide as the world's greatest thief was spotted in the city of London. He had never been tied to a specific theft.. but some of the greatest treasures of the day had disappeared while he was in town. The King, upset that his best men had never caught the thief in the act, so he can be hung, asked one of his knights to watch the thief every time he left the city, and if he found so much as a pfennig that he couldn't account for, to arrest him.

Well.. the knight travels to London, and meets the thief as he's heading out the gate of London with a wheelbarrow full of hay. "I have you now, you scoundrel! Stop and be searched!"

The thief turns to the knight and grins.. "Of cours, noble Sir. I am a loyal subject of his Majesty. I know you have heard the awful rumors about my past. I am but a poor farmer, but I am honest!".

The knight tears through the hay, and finds nothing. He then searches the man and finds nothing. He growls, and asks the thief what his latest heist had been. But the man again just responds he's getting hay for his farm. Very upset, but unable to pin anything on the man (especially with others watching them), the knight sends him on his way.

Over the next year, the knight stops the man 30 more times. Each time he tears the hay out of the wheelbarow the man is pushing. Each time he searches the man, and each time, there is nothing.

The knight finally gives up when the thief leaves the city one last time and disappears into the countryside.

Years later, the two meet in an inn. The clearly frustrated knight Exclaims. "I Don't understand it. You were rumored to be the greatest thief of all time, but I swear I searched you 30 times, and you were clean each time.. I would give ANYTHING to learn your secret."

The man perks up at this.. "Anything.. including a pardon for any and all things I may have done in my youth?"

The knight growls, but his curiosity is too strong, and he writes out a writ of pardon, against his authority under the King.. and the thief tells him his secret. What was the thief's secret?

[timmynausea]

Originally Posted by hukarez

EDIT: ACK! He's given me another one!

One day a father went to his three sons and told them that he would die soon and that he needed to decide which one of them to give his property to. He decided to give them all a test. He said, "Go to the market my sons and purchase something that is large enough to fill my bedroom, but small enough to fit in your pocket. From this I will decide who of you is the wisest and worthy enough to inherit my land." So they all went to the market and bought something that they thought would fill the room, yet was still small enough that they could fit into their pockets. Each son came back with a different item. The father told his sons to come into his bedroom one at a time and try to fill up his bedroom with whatever they had purchased. The first son came in and put some pieces of cloth that he had bought and placed them down end to end across the room, but it barely covered any of the floor. Then the second son came in and placed down some hay that he had purchased on the floor, but there was only enough to cover half of the floor. The third son came in and showed his father what he had purchased and how it could fill the entire room - yet still fit into his pocket. The father replied, "You are truly the wisest of all my sons and you shall receive my property."

What was it that the son had showed to his father?

My girlfriend and I came up with either perfume or a candle.

[JeeberD]

He was stealing hay?

[JeeberD]

Dola-

Or wheelbarrows...

[SirFozzie]

You got it right on the second try, JeeberD

[Wolfpack]

For the room one, I was going to say a vial of air or something like that, but that isn't exactly something you buy at the corner market.

[SnDvls]

how about a deflated balloon. he then goes into his dad's room and blows it up filling the room with them?

[thealmighty]

What kind of "world's greatest thief" steals wheelbarrows?

[hukarez]

Had to check my e-mail just now, to figure out what the answer was.

Apparently, it was a match, that filled the room with light. Guess JohnGalt and timmynausea got close enough!

Though, I don't see why he would say a match. Guess these 'variations' and all can be rather confusing!

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by thealmighty

What kind of "world's greatest thief" steals wheelbarrows?

I can only assume that since the beginning of the story makes it clear that he has never directly been tied to any thefts, that his reputation is undeserved. If not, then a better question is what kind of wheelbarrow would be a great treasure?

[SirFozzie]

In this case, it's a gentleman thief. He doesn't do it for wealth (although most of his thefts make him wealthy).. he does it for the tweak to authority it provides

[hukarez]

I think my head's going to explode.


Hints! More hints!