Giant Book of Jokes, Riddles, and Brain Teasers
Page 17
If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims
What can travel all over the world, without anyone seeing it?
The wind
What do the words yield, walk, merge, and slow have in common?
They're all street signs
Why did the plant get lost on its trip?
It took the wrong “root.”
How does a baby beetle get around?
In a buggy.
What do you call it when a highway stumbles?
A road trip.
How does milk travel around?
In a “carton.”
What does a skunk's car run on?
Fumes.
How does Robin Hood get from here to there?
In an “arrow plane.”
FUN FACT
A HYPO WHAT?
The hypothalamus gland in your brain is the reason you can laugh or find some things funny. It also controls your other emotions. One other interesting thing the hypothalamus does is remind your brain to stay awake.
The Hungry Traveler
The following riddle is missing 12 important letters! See if you can fit the letters from the box into the correct blanks. To create an ending that fits this silly story, unscramble the letters in the second box, and fit them into the blanks. HINT: You will use some of the letters more than once!
Car, tricycle, scooter, and wheelbarrow. What is special about this group?
Their order — 4 wheels, 3 wheels, 2 wheels, and 1
When Bartholomew went to the beach, he found an item that was strong enough to hold a rock, but unable to hold water. Do you know what this mystery item was?
A sieve
Why did the motorcycle stop by the side of the road?
It was “two tire-d” to go on.
What did the mother river name her baby?
Brook.
How do stones get where they are going?
They rock-it.
What do puppies like to ride in?
Waggins.
What do you get when you cross 2 curlers with 2 butter knives?
A pair of roller-blades.
TRY THIS
Write Your Own Comic Strip
If you like to read the “funny pages” or comics in the newspaper, you know a picture or comic can make you laugh. But have you ever tried to make your own comic strip? Learning how to draw or make comics can be a lot of fun. Try it on a rainy day — or try it today!
When the night guards found a tourist unconscious on the ground, they were unsure of who he was or whom to contact. Eventually, at the hospital, they “developed” a plan. What was it?
They processed the film from his camera
What's am I?
Some say the way that I solved the biggest escape puzzle of all time was simply magic. I like to think it was because I used my brain. Who am I?
Harry Houdini
FOOD AND DRINK
Words to Know
Conundrum: A conundrum is a riddle that has a pun (or something with two different meanings) for the answer. Here's an example: Why was the letter B in a boat? He was going out to C. But there's another meaning to “conundrum” — it could also be a dilemma or a problem that cannot be solved.
When is a riddle not a riddle?
When you put a “G” in front of it (griddle).
What do you call really scared pasta?
Chicken noodles.
What can rise without ever sleeping?
Bread.
If your dog's down, what's your cat?
Catsup.
Why did the coffee cup go down to the police station?
To report that he had been mugged.
How did the police officers help him?
They showed him several mug shots.
What's the next word?
Dirt, worm, bird, .
Cat (it's a food chain)
Once upon a time, a little girl dressed in blue went to her grandmother's Swiss cottage. Why?
She was hungry for some cheese
When Sara invited some friends over to watch a movie, her parents decided to order pizza for all of them. When the delivery came, there were 2 large pizzas and 1 small one. If a large pizza serves 8 people and a small pizza serves 4, how many friends were at Sara's house?
7 friends (20 servings minus 3 for Sara and her parents)
FUN FACT
WHAT'S YOUR IQ?
Your IQ or Intelligence Quotient is arrived at by measuring your chronological age with your mental age. The average score is around 100. The score of a genius will average around 40 to 50 points higher.
TRY THIS
Writing on the Wall
Over time researchers have found that no two people have the same handwriting, just like no two people have the same fingerprints. If you study a few samples of other people's handwriting, you may also discover that handwriting can sometimes reveal personality traits. For example, those who separate their letters may be artistic and independent, while those whose letters are very close together might enjoy some company.
When there was a knock at the door, a man who could not see and could not hear somehow knew that someone had left him apple pie outside. How did he know?
He could smell it
Jill left a solid object on the floor of her room for 3 hours. In those 3 hours, no one had touched it, and yet it completely disappeared on its own. What was the object?
A nice cube
What do you call a giggling field of corn?
Laughing stalks.
What does Count Dracula use to cut his food?
A“stake” knife.
What kind of food is sick all the time?
Wheat germ.
When 2 eggs were placed in a blender, the first egg asked, “What's going on here?” What did the second egg say?
“Beats me.”
How does bread get up in the morning?
It rises.
Why do melons rarely marry?
They “cantaloupe” (can't elope).
Cucumbers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, and peas — which one doesn't belong?
Tomatoes, because they are fruit
One day Katherine decided to make a picture out of food, just for fun. First she used strawberries, then oranges, then lemons, then kiwis, then blueberries, and then another fruit. What did she use last and why?
Purple grapes — she was making a fruity rainbow
TRY THIS
Let's Play Charades
One sure way to get everyone laughing is to start up a game of charades. The next time you get together with family or friends, try acting out one of these: Fun house mirrors, riding a roller-coaster, buying new shoes, shopping for groceries, and running a race. Can you think of any other fun charades?
What do trees eat their ice cream out of?
Pinecones.
Why did the knife cross the road?
Because there was a fork in it.
What do you call a little potato?
Small fry.
What do you get when a bunch of grapes tries to cross a highway?
A traffic jam.
How does a cucumber know when it's in trouble?
It's in a pickle.
What drink always comes to your rescue?
Lemon-aide.
What type of food can contain all of the food groups?
Pizza!
Frosting, platter, candles, and sprinkles — what's missing?
Birthday cake
Frightened Food
Use a colored marker to highlight each of the 30 foods stuffed into this letter grid. The words can go sideways, up and down, diagonal, and even backward! After you have found them all, collect the unused letters from TOP to BOTTOM and LEFT to RIGHT, and write them in order on the blank spaces provided. When you're finished, you'll have the answer to this riddle:
EXTRA FUN: Use three different colors of highlight markers to show your answers!
APPLE
BEET
BLINTZ
BREAD
BROWNIES
CAKE
CARROT
CHEESE
CLAM
EGG
HAMBURGER
HOTDOG
JELLY
KIWI
MILK
ORANGE
PEA
PEANUT BUTTER
PEAR
PEPPER
PIE
PIZZA
PLUM
PORK
RADISH
SALAD
SPAGHETTI
TUNA
FISH
TURKEY
YAM
Every night when Pop came home, as he opened his door a light came on, and as he closed it, the light went off. Why?
Pop was a soda, and his home was the refrigerator!
What's going on here?
Cup Plate
Fork Knife
Spoon Napkin
Glass Saucer
The second word in each pair begins with the same letter as the last letter of the first word
Daniel took a piece of bread, and on top of that he placed a slice of tomato. Next, he added a piece of lettuce, a slice of meat, and a piece of cheese. Do you know what he made?
A food pyramid
Good Home Cookin'
Start at the letter marked with a dot. As you spiral into the center of the shell, collect every other letter. Write them in order on the lines below. When you reach the middle, head back out again, collecting all the letters that you skipped over the first time. Write these letters in order on the lines. When you are finished, you will have the answer to this riddle:
What's So Funny?
When Chelsea ordered a cheese-burger at Burgers-R-Us, she waited patiently while Calvin carefully added the pickles, onion, cheese, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, and tomato. Just as she was about to take a bite, Calvin yelled, “Wait a minute!” What's so funny?
Heleftthe burgerout!
What's a pig's favorite way to cook?
Bakin' (bacon).
What did the potato call his son?
Chip.
What does a hog do in the sun?
Roast.
What do mugs build their homes out of?
“Cup boards.”
Why were the cups and the forks all alone?
Because the dish ran away with the spoon.
What did the syrup call her sweetheart?
Honey.
In cooking class the teacher asked for volunteers. Each volunteer had to answer a question. When it was Amy's turn, the teacher asked her what the difference was between freezing and boiling. Amy used the examples of ice cubes and hot cocoa. Although her teacher thought those were good examples, it wasn't the answer she was looking for. Do you know the answer?
180 degrees
When Ben and his father went to the grocery store, his father asked him if he could find 4 foods in the store that had holes in them but that were still whole. Ben found more than 4. How many can you think of?
Doughnuts, macaroni, bagels, olives, crackers, and Swiss cheese are just a few possible answers
What's am I?
“To be or not to be” is my hint of who I am. I could also mention Romeo and Juliet. I am well known for my plays as well as my poems. Who am I?
William Shakespeare
Second Helping
Place each of the seven-letter words into the boxes in alphabetical order, starting with the top row and working your way to the bottom.
When you're finished, read down the third column to get the answer to this riddle:
What food tastes better before it is cooked?
For a second helping of laughs, read down the fourth column to get the answer to this riddle:
What did the teddy bear say after eating a really big meal?
When Ozzy and his friend Owen went to tour their local greenhouse, the florist had a mystery for them to solve. “When is a flower not a flower?” the florist asked. Do you know the answer?
When it's flour
What is a liquid outside your fridge and a solid inside your fridge?
Flavored gelatin
TRY THIS
Now I See It, Now You Don't
The way the brain sees things is not always the same from one person to the next. Some people don't see color the same way as others. One way to check for color blindness is to find 4 socks, each one with a different shade of green. Can you tell the difference between the 4 colors? People who are color-blind cannot see the minor differences in the color.
What do comic book characters like to eat?
Superhero sandwiches.
What did the other groceries say when the sausage brought the salami to the party?
Well, he's bratwurst (brought worse).
Why were the windows “shuttering”?
Because they heard the homeowners say it was “curtains” for them!
What do you call a naughty glove?
Abad mitten.
When the builder had to climb onto the roof, did he pick the first thing he saw (the scaffolding) or the second thing?
He chose the ladder (latter).
What do cherubs serve at their parties?
Angel food cake.
Who's going to make the salad?
Let us (lettuce)!
What bear can grow 10 times its own size overnight?
A gummy bear in water.
Why wouldn't the apple join the other fruits in the salad?
She didn't find it as a-peeling.
Did you hear that the ice cream parlor closed?
Yeah, Iheard that the sundaes wouldn't work on weekdays, the ice cream bars went nuts, and the bananas split.
FUN FACT
SILLY “SCIENCE”
The study of the shape of your head is called phrenology. For years people thought the way that your head was shaped determined your talents, gifts, or traits. Luckily, this notion was eventually disproved.
When Ed's mother called out, “Ed, supper is ready!” 4 people came. Who were they?
Four generations of Eds — Ed I, Ed II, Ed III, and Ed IV
It goes in fast, but comes out slow — and yet, the amount is the same. What can this be?
A funnel
Every day a strange man walked past several grapevines growing on a fence. One very hot day the owner asked the strange man what he had done with his grapes. “I did not take your grapes,” replied the strange man, “I am innocent!” The strange man was telling the truth, yet the grapes were gone. Can you solve the mystery?
The owner's grapes had turned to raisinsin the hot sun
ACTING SILLY
TRY THIS
Front to Back — and Back Again
Have you ever tried to write a palindrome? Palindromes are words or phrases that read the same both forward and backward. “Dad” is a good example. Another is “Madam, I'm Adam.” How many palindromes can you think of?
How did Sonny know his son would be home soon?
He added another O
What do you get when you put .14 and 3 together? The answer is as easy as pie …
3.14
One night as the children were walking past the Parch house, a thick fog set in. Cold and scared, the children moved on down the street. Then as quickly as it had appeared, the fog ended, and there was no other fog anywhere in sight. How can that be?
It was Halloween and the “fog” came from dry ice
What do kindergarten teachers eat for lunch?
Alphabet soup.
How do you make a riddle stop?
You take away its “r” and “d” (idle).
What did the PE teacher name his son?
Gym (Jim).
Why couldn't the geometry teacher solve her own problems?
She didn't have the right angle.
Why did all the letters have to stay after school?
They were caught making “alpha bets.”<
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What did the sleeping pines do?
They knotted off.
You never write on what paper?
Toilet paper.
What happens if you stand when you sleep?
You dream “up” things.
What is the difference between being a fool and being foolish?
4 letters (a&ish).
What is something only two brains can have?
Abrain baby.
How many chickens does it take to make a pillow?
None, chickens can't sew!
Where does little bear keep his things at school?
In his cubby.
What do you call just one nap?
Asleep.
Words to Know
Tongue Twister: A word or phrase that is hard to repeat quickly due to the repetition of multiple consonants within the words.
FUN FACT
DOUBLE-SIDED
Did you know that your brain has two sides? The left side of the brain is in charge of things like art and picturing things in your head. The right side is in charge of things like speech, math, and language. Sometimes one side is stronger than the other. Which is your stronger side?
If Sheldon sells shells by the shore, and Dora drums drums by the door, then who sits on sofas on Saturdays? Is it Julie, Laura, Sophie, or Erin?
Sophie (because her name begins with “s”)
Tightrope, trapeze, water slide, and cannon — which one doesn't belong in this group?
The water slide (it belongs at as wimming pool, not acircus)
“Silly Sally sings songs as silly Sammy somersaults.” Can you say this 5 times fast? Can you make up your own tongue twister?