HARD RIDDLES Options

[lilxroxy]

language..?

whyy??

[Paradox of Life]

This one is extremely hard:

The thieves spent 6 hours in the home of Ted Duda. At first they searched the house, trying to find where he hid his huge diamond, valued at half a million dollars.
Then they tried beating the information out of him. They fled at dawn, fearing detection.
Fatally hurt, Duda crawled to his desk and typed a note to his partner, John Madden. In a desperate race to type it before he bled to death, he near blindly typed his death note.

It read:

John -- four men tried to make me tell where I had hidden the diamond. At first they looked through the house, raving like madmen. Then, in desperation, the barbarians split open the cat! When all failed, they beat me, but I did not tell. I'm dying. The diamond The diamond is hidden in the vane."

"Duda died this morning," Inspector Winters told Dr. Haledjian. "We have his murderers, but not the diamond."
The inspector handed Haledjian a copy of the death note. "We took down the vane, the weathervane, a cock, but there was nothing inside it," the inspector said, "We're still searching the house."
Haledjian read the note and said, "You also failed to find the body of the cat, but you did find a broken barrel of liquor."
"Why, yes," said the inspector. "The thieves were throrough. They broke the barrel and every bottle in Duda's little wine cellar."
"How many walking sticks did Duda own?"
The inspector looked puzzled. "One."
"It must be hollow," said Haledjian. "You'll find the diamond inside it."

The inspector found the diamond, but how did Haledjian know?

[iheartjohn]

This one is extremely hard:

The thieves spent 6 hours in the home of Ted Duda. At first they searched the house, trying to find where he hid his huge diamond, valued at half a million dollars.
Then they tried beating the information out of him. They fled at dawn, fearing detection.
Fatally hurt, Duda crawled to his desk and typed a note to his partner, John Madden. In a desperate race to type it before he bled to death, he near blindly typed his death note.

It read:

John -- four men tried to make me tell where I had hidden the diamond. At first they looked through the house, raving like madmen. Then, in desperation, the barbarians split open the cat! When all failed, they beat me, but I did not tell. I'm dying. The diamond The diamond is hidden in the vane."

"Duda died this morning," Inspector Winters told Dr. Haledjian. "We have his murderers, but not the diamond."
The inspector handed Haledjian a copy of the death note. "We took down the vane, the weathervane, a cock, but there was nothing inside it," the inspector said, "We're still searching the house."
Haledjian read the note and said, "You also failed to find the body of the cat, but you did find a broken barrel of liquor."
"Why, yes," said the inspector. "The thieves were throrough. They broke the barrel and every bottle in Duda's little wine cellar."
"How many walking sticks did Duda own?"
The inspector looked puzzled. "One."
"It must be hollow," said Haledjian. "You'll find the diamond inside it."

The inspector found the diamond, but how did Haledjian know?

When he was typing, Duda hit the V key, instead of the C key. (They're next to each other.)


*shrug*

[Paradox of Life]

When he was typing, Duda hit the V key, instead of the C key. (They're next to each other.)
*shrug*

Whoa, you're a smart one. I could never have figured that out (until I looked at the answers).

The 6 foot 4, 240-pound body of Earl Moon lay on the tile veranda amid a welter of shattered glass. Dr. Haledjian studied the left side of Moon's jaw, which was bruised outside and bloody inside from a cut caused by two broken teeth. The bruise on the back of the head showed where Moon was struck tiles. The back of the dead man's sports jacket was stitched with glass splinter.
"Apparently somebody punched Moon awfully hard on the side of the jaw," mused Haledjian, "Moon was thrown backward and he crashed through the sliding glass door. Falling, he struck his head on the veranda tiles and died of a broken neck."
"That confirms the account, we have from Buster Epps, a neighbor," said Inspector Winters.
Epps moved from behind the inspector and stared in disbelief at the body. He still seemed in a state of shock.
"I was tending my roses about half an hour ago when I noticed Moon and a stranger standing near this glass door. The stranger was not quite as tall as Moon, but just as broad. And he handled himself like a professional boxer. They seemed to be quarreling, but the door was shut and I couldn't overhear distinctly," continued Epps. "Suddenly, Moon swung his fist. The stranger sidestepped expertly and hooked a left to Moon's jaw. Moon went crashing through the glass. He struck his head -- I could hear the crack! The stranger fled immediately. I called the police when I couldn't overtake him."
"Now now, Mr. Epps," said Haledjian, "Suppose you tell us what really happened."

Why didn't Haledjian believe Epps?

[pshaa.shauna]

Uhm...because the guy said that the suspect fled immediatley, but then said that he called the police when he couldn't overtake him? And if he flew immediatley, there wouldn't any time to actually try to overtake him?

[oneandonlytammie]

Water was frozen. I guess he hang himself or jump or something and turned on the heat until the ice melted.

I think you told the riddle wrong it it similar to this other riddle with the same kind of answer.
Here one:
A man lives on the 50th floor. When returning home, this man takes the elevator to the 20th floor and walk the rest of the way up by stairs. Other nights, he would take the elevator straight up to the 50th floor.
Why does he do this??

Because he is very short and the days he uses the elevator it is raining. He has an umbrella so that he can reach the buttons.

[b0st0ngrl]

The 6 foot 4, 240-pound body of Earl Moon lay on the tile veranda amid a welter of shattered glass. Dr. Haledjian studied the left side of Moon's jaw, which was bruised outside and bloody inside from a cut caused by two broken teeth. The bruise on the back of the head showed where Moon was struck tiles. The back of the dead man's sports jacket was stitched with glass splinter.
"Apparently somebody punched Moon awfully hard on the side of the jaw," mused Haledjian, "Moon was thrown backward and he crashed through the sliding glass door. Falling, he struck his head on the veranda tiles and died of a broken neck."
"That confirms the account, we have from Buster Epps, a neighbor," said Inspector Winters.
Epps moved from behind the inspector and stared in disbelief at the body. He still seemed in a state of shock.
"I was tending my roses about half an hour ago when I noticed Moon and a stranger standing near this glass door. The stranger was not quite as tall as Moon, but just as broad. And he handled himself like a professional boxer. They seemed to be quarreling, but the door was shut and I couldn't overhear distinctly," continued Epps. "Suddenly, Moon swung his fist. The stranger sidestepped expertly and hooked a left to Moon's jaw. Moon went crashing through the glass. He struck his head -- I could hear the crack! The stranger fled immediately. I called the police when I couldn't overtake him."
"Now now, Mr. Epps," said Haledjian, "Suppose you tell us what really happened."

Why didn't Haledjian believe Epps?

Because he broke his neck, not his head? That's hard..

//edit
OOOH maybe because the other guy wasn't as tall so how would he have been able to punch him in the face..?
Ugh...too much thinking on the weekend (:

[Paradox of Life]

None of you have gotten it. Nice try though.

[JustAnotherTeena...]

The 6 foot 4, 240-pound body of Earl Moon lay on the tile veranda amid a welter of shattered glass. Dr. Haledjian studied the left side of Moon's jaw, which was bruised outside and bloody inside from a cut caused by two broken teeth. The bruise on the back of the head showed where Moon was struck tiles. The back of the dead man's sports jacket was stitched with glass splinter.
"Apparently somebody punched Moon awfully hard on the side of the jaw," mused Haledjian, "Moon was thrown backward and he crashed through the sliding glass door. Falling, he struck his head on the veranda tiles and died of a broken neck."
"That confirms the account, we have from Buster Epps, a neighbor," said Inspector Winters.
Epps moved from behind the inspector and stared in disbelief at the body. He still seemed in a state of shock.
"I was tending my roses about half an hour ago when I noticed Moon and a stranger standing near this glass door. The stranger was not quite as tall as Moon, but just as broad. And he handled himself like a professional boxer. They seemed to be quarreling, but the door was shut and I couldn't overhear distinctly," continued Epps. "Suddenly, Moon swung his fist. The stranger sidestepped expertly and hooked a left to Moon's jaw. Moon went crashing through the glass. He struck his head -- I could hear the crack! The stranger fled immediately. I called the police when I couldn't overtake him."
"Now now, Mr. Epps," said Haledjian, "Suppose you tell us what really happened."

Why didn't Haledjian believe Epps?

Oooh, ohh, I know!! Epps said that the stranger struck Moon with his left hand. The bruise would have been on the right side of Moon's jaw if that were true. But the bruise was on the left side of Moon's face.

[Joss-eh-lime]

a coffin ';o

k i'll post one up:

We can lift you up, and help your day.
Sarcastically taken we can go either way.
Short as a whole, lengthy in the middle.
Six letter word brings laughter to this riddle.

what am i?

dreams?

[Paradox of Life]

Oooh, ohh, I know!! Epps said that the stranger struck Moon with his left hand. But the bruise was on the left side of Moon's face. The bruise would have been on the right side of Moon's jaw if that were true.

YOU GOT IT!

"Bill would have met your train himself, Dr. Haledjian," said Nora Perkins. "But since I was in town, he asked me to pick you up. He wanted more time to prepare the barbecue."
Bill Perkins, however, was past worrying about barbecues when Haledjian and his hostess arrived at the house half and hour later. Nora shrieked. Her husband lay on the lawn, a knife protruding from his chest.
A hasty examination indicated to Haledjian that the killing had occurred about an hour before. He studied the scene.
A half-cooked steak lay above flameless coals banked in a stone barbecue pit. Upon an iron shelf were a tray of condiments and a long-handled knife and fork.
"Who are you?" demanded Haledjian as a young man burst through the woods.
"Ed Magden. My house is about a hundred yards back there. I heard a shriek -- what happened?"
"Where were you an hour ago?" inquired Haledjian.
"Over at the boat yard. I'd just entered my driveway when I heard a shriek," replied Magden. "Here -- what's this?"
Magden pointed to a metallic object partly buried under the coals. WIth a quick stride, he reached the pit, thrust in his hand and pulled out a charred earring.
"Why, it's mine!" gasped Nora. Suddenly her expression hardened, "Ed Magden, you hated Bill. What are you trying to do?"
"You hated him more than anyone," snapped back Magden.
"You hated enough to kill," Haledjian said to --

Which one and why?

[charanjust4yu]

my reply is talking bout the first riddle.. when you get shot then it takes you 15 minutes to die so the dead guy could have rewinded it himself... this could change the solution but i dont know if you all want to get so technical.

[/QUOTE]"Bill would have met your train himself, Dr. Haledjian," said Nora Perkins. "But since I was in town, he asked me to pick you up. He wanted more time to prepare the barbecue."
Bill Perkins, however, was past worrying about barbecues when Haledjian and his hostess arrived at the house half and hour later. Nora shrieked. Her husband lay on the lawn, a knife protruding from his chest.
A hasty examination indicated to Haledjian that the killing had occurred about an hour before. He studied the scene.
A half-cooked steak lay above flameless coals banked in a stone barbecue pit. Upon an iron shelf were a tray of condiments and a long-handled knife and fork.
"Who are you?" demanded Haledjian as a young man burst through the woods.
"Ed Magden. My house is about a hundred yards back there. I heard a shriek -- what happened?"
"Where were you an hour ago?" inquired Haledjian.
"Over at the boat yard. I'd just entered my driveway when I heard a shriek," replied Magden. "Here -- what's this?"
Magden pointed to a metallic object partly buried under the coals. WIth a quick stride, he reached the pit, thrust in his hand and pulled out a charred earring.
"Why, it's mine!" gasped Nora. Suddenly her expression hardened, "Ed Magden, you hated Bill. What are you trying to do?"
"You hated him more than anyone," snapped back Magden.
"You hated enough to kill," Haledjian said to --

Which one and why?

Magden because nora was with dr. haledjian half an hour ago.. and magden was the only one remaining

[pshaa.shauna]

YOU GOT IT!

"Bill would have met your train himself, Dr. Haledjian," said Nora Perkins. "But since I was in town, he asked me to pick you up. He wanted more time to prepare the barbecue."
Bill Perkins, however, was past worrying about barbecues when Haledjian and his hostess arrived at the house half and hour later. Nora shrieked. Her husband lay on the lawn, a knife protruding from his chest.
A hasty examination indicated to Haledjian that the killing had occurred about an hour before. He studied the scene.
A half-cooked steak lay above flameless coals banked in a stone barbecue pit. Upon an iron shelf were a tray of condiments and a long-handled knife and fork.
"Who are you?" demanded Haledjian as a young man burst through the woods.
"Ed Magden. My house is about a hundred yards back there. I heard a shriek -- what happened?"
"Where were you an hour ago?" inquired Haledjian.
"Over at the boat yard. I'd just entered my driveway when I heard a shriek," replied Magden. "Here -- what's this?"
Magden pointed to a metallic object partly buried under the coals. WIth a quick stride, he reached the pit, thrust in his hand and pulled out a charred earring.
"Why, it's mine!" gasped Nora. Suddenly her expression hardened, "Ed Magden, you hated Bill. What are you trying to do?"
"You hated him more than anyone," snapped back Magden.
"You hated enough to kill," Haledjian said to --

Which one and why?

Magden
How else would he see the earing in the coal so quickLY. He was busy talking to Haledjian, and if it was partly buried, the only way he would've known it was there by placing it himself, framing Nora.

(Note: I am so totally guessing, I really have no clue.)

//edit//

my reply is talking bout the first riddle.. when you get shot then it takes you 15 minutes to die so the dead guy could have rewinded it himself...  this could change the solution but i dont know if you all want to get so technical.

He most likely shot himself in the head, which would've killed him instantly, or paralyzed him until he bled to death.

[Ington]

YOU GOT IT!

"Bill would have met your train himself, Dr. Haledjian," said Nora Perkins. "But since I was in town, he asked me to pick you up. He wanted more time to prepare the barbecue."
Bill Perkins, however, was past worrying about barbecues when Haledjian and his hostess arrived at the house half and hour later. Nora shrieked. Her husband lay on the lawn, a knife protruding from his chest.
A hasty examination indicated to Haledjian that the killing had occurred about an hour before. He studied the scene.
A half-cooked steak lay above flameless coals banked in a stone barbecue pit. Upon an iron shelf were a tray of condiments and a long-handled knife and fork.
"Who are you?" demanded Haledjian as a young man burst through the woods.
"Ed Magden. My house is about a hundred yards back there. I heard a shriek -- what happened?"
"Where were you an hour ago?" inquired Haledjian.
"Over at the boat yard. I'd just entered my driveway when I heard a shriek," replied Magden. "Here -- what's this?"
Magden pointed to a metallic object partly buried under the coals. WIth a quick stride, he reached the pit, thrust in his hand and pulled out a charred earring.
"Why, it's mine!" gasped Nora. Suddenly her expression hardened, "Ed Magden, you hated Bill. What are you trying to do?"
"You hated him more than anyone," snapped back Magden.
"You hated enough to kill," Haledjian said to --

Which one and why?

Magden. How would he have heard the shriek from a hundred yards in the woods?

Oh. And Nora and the detective were together half an hour before the killing. She picked him up from the train station.

[*mona lisa*]

"Bill would have met your train himself, Dr. Haledjian," said Nora Perkins. "But since I was in town, he asked me to pick you up. He wanted more time to prepare the barbecue."
Bill Perkins, however, was past worrying about barbecues when Haledjian and his hostess arrived at the house half and hour later. Nora shrieked. Her husband lay on the lawn, a knife protruding from his chest.
A hasty examination indicated to Haledjian that the killing had occurred about an hour before. He studied the scene.
A half-cooked steak lay above flameless coals banked in a stone barbecue pit. Upon an iron shelf were a tray of condiments and a long-handled knife and fork.
"Who are you?" demanded Haledjian as a young man burst through the woods.
"Ed Magden. My house is about a hundred yards back there. I heard a shriek -- what happened?"
"Where were you an hour ago?" inquired Haledjian.
"Over at the boat yard. I'd just entered my driveway when I heard a shriek," replied Magden. "Here -- what's this?"
Magden pointed to a metallic object partly buried under the coals. WIth a quick stride, he reached the pit, thrust in his hand and pulled out a charred earring.
"Why, it's mine!" gasped Nora. Suddenly her expression hardened, "Ed Magden, you hated Bill. What are you trying to do?"
"You hated him more than anyone," snapped back Magden.
"You hated enough to kill," Haledjian said to --

Which one and why?

I'm guessing Magden. He framed Nora Perkins.

[Paradox of Life]

Magden
How else would he see the earing in the coal so quickLY. He was busy talking to Haledjian, and if it was partly buried, the only way he would've known it was there by placing it himself, framing Nora.

(Note: I am so totally guessing, I really have no clue.)

//edit//

He most likely shot himself in the head, which would've killed him instantly, or paralyzed him until he bled to death.

Yeah, close enough. The reason was that there was no way he could've known the coals were safe to put his hand into if he'd just come.

Dr. Evelyn Williams, a London-born New York dentist, was preparing to take a wax impression of the right lower teeth of his patient, Dorothy Hoover. Silently, the door behind him opened. A gloved hand holding an automatic appeared.
Two shots sounded. Miss Hoover slumped over, dead.

--
"We've got a suspect," Inspector Winters told Dr. Haledjian at his office an hour afterward. "The elevator boy took a nervous man to the fifteenth floor -- Dr. Williams has one of six offices on that floor -- a few moments before the shooting. The description fits John 'Torpedo' Burton.
"Burton is out on parole," continued the inspector, "I had him picked up at his rooming house. As far as he knows, I want to question him about a minor parole infraction."
Burton was ushered in and angrily demanded, "What's this all about?"
"Ever hear of Dr. Evelyn Williams?" said the inspector.
"No! Why?"
"Dorothy Hoover was shot to death less than two hours ago as she sat in the chair in Dr. William's office."
"I've been sleeping all afternoon."
"An elevator operator says he took a man answering your description to the fifteenth floor a moment before the shots."
"It wasn't me," snarled Burton indignantly, "I look like a lot of guys. I ain't been near a dentist's office since Sing Sing. This Williams, I bet he never saw me, so what can you prove?"
"Enough," snapped Dr. Haledjian, "to send you to the chair!"

What was the basis of Haledjian's remark?

[Ington]

The title 'Dr.' can be for a male or female.

"This Williams, I bet he never saw me, so what can you prove?"

Also, Evelyn is usually a girls name. However, Burton used 'he', which meant he lied about not knowing him.

That was pretty easy.

[Paradox of Life]

The title 'Dr.' can be for a male or female.
Also, Evelyn is usually a girls name. However, Burton used 'he', which meant he lied about not knowing him.

That was pretty easy.

Ah, you win! ARIEL I THINK I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU.

Here's just a plain ol' riddle.

I have four wings, but I cannot fly, I never laugh and never cry; On the same spot I'm always found, toiling away with little sound. What am I?

[JustAnotherTeena...]

I have four wings, but I cannot fly, I never laugh and never cry; On the same spot I'm always found, toiling away with little sound. What am I?

A windmill?

[Paradox of Life]

A windmill?

Indeed!

When Inspector Winters slammed on the brakes, Dr. Haledjian would have been pitched through the windshielf had he not been wearing his seat belt.
The reason for the inspector's sudden stop was horribly evident.
A red sports care had come racing around the hairpin turn on the mountain road ahead. Out of control, the car had crashed through the gardrail.
The impact didn't stop the car, but it flung the driver straight up. He seemed to hang in the air a moment before plunging out of sight.
Haledjian and the inspector scrambled down the two hundred-foot precipice.
The driver's body was a shattered mass of broken bones and blood. About one hundred feet beyond, a sports car lay on its side, a total wreck.
"Strange," muttered the inspector, pointing to the seat belt, obviously unused, which lay in the fresh blood that covered the driver's bucket seat.
"I doubt that even a sear belt could have saved his life," said Haledjian.
"I'd better telephone the state police," said the inspector, "It looks like one more traffic fatality for the year. Do you think he fell asleep on the wheel?"
"No," said HAledjian. "He was murdered."

Why murder?

[Ington]

Indeed!
"Strange," muttered the inspector, pointing to the seat belt, obviously unused, which lay in the fresh blood that covered the driver's bucket seat.

Strange indeed. The driver was thrown out of the car before falling. How could blood have possibly gotten onto the seat?

I love you too.

[Paradox of Life]

Strange indeed. The driver was thrown out of the car before falling. How could blood have possibly gotten onto the seat?

I love you too. 

Wow, you're a smart one. And you have a really nice body. Sweet.

"At 8 AM on Monday, March 4, 1968, you were drinking coffee in a rear booth in the Sandwich Shop at the airport?" asked the district attorney.
"I was," answered McCarthy, the murder defendant.
"And you didn't see the man in the booth across the aisle - not five feet from you - stabbed to death!"
"No, I was reading the local morning newspaper."
"The cashier remembers you. You were in an awful hurry. You gave her a half-dollar in payment for a 15-cent check, and you didn't wait for your change."
"I had to catch a plane."
"You were aware of the time, but you didn't notice the man in the next booth was dead - with a knife sticking out of his chest?"
"I might have seen him, but I never looked directly at him."
"You didn't hear him order eggs and coffee?"
"I might have. I don't remember. I was busy reading the New York Stock Exchange listings. I own some shares."
"How long did that take you?"
"A couple of minutes. Then I read the market news. There was a long article forecasting steel prospects for next year. After I finished reading the article, I noticed the time. I had less than two minutes to catch my plane to Los Angeles."
In the rear of the courtroom, Dr. Haledjian leaned over and whispered to Inspector Winters: "If he isn't convicted of murder, he'll draw a stiff sentence for perjury."

How come?

[pshaa.shauna]

Wow, you're a smart one. And you have a really nice body. Sweet.

"At 8 AM on Monday, March 4, 1968, you were drinking coffee in a rear booth in the Sandwich Shop at the airport?" asked the district attorney.
"I was," answered McCarthy, the murder defendant.
"And you didn't see the man in the booth across the aisle - not five feet from you - stabbed to death!"
"No, I was reading the local morning newspaper."
"The cashier remembers you. You were in an awful hurry. You gave her a half-dollar in payment for a 15-cent check, and you didn't wait for your change."
"I had to catch a plane."
"You were aware of the time, but you didn't notice the man in the next booth was dead - with a knife sticking out of his chest?"
"I might have seen him, but I never looked directly at him."
"You didn't hear him order eggs and coffee?"
"I might have. I don't remember. I was busy reading the New York Stock Exchange listings. I own some shares."
"How long did that take you?"
"A couple of minutes. Then I read the market news. There was a long article forecasting steel prospects for next year. After I finished reading the article, I noticed the time. I had less than two minutes to catch my plane to Los Angeles."
In the rear of the courtroom, Dr. Haledjian leaned over and whispered to Inspector Winters: "If he isn't convicted of murder, he'll draw a stiff sentence for perjury."

How come?

Because he lied about not seeing him?

Where do you get these?

[Paradox of Life]

Because he lied about not seeing him?

Where do you get these?

Nope and I bought a book - "Two Minute Mysteries Collection" by Donald J. Sobol () at the book fair. I just type them down. There are two hundred or so in there.

[Ington]

I got it again. :]

You can't get the NYSE on a Monday.