Solutions Old Chestnuts

The young woman thought: "Why did the German kiss the old woman?" The old woman thought: "The German got what he deserved." (a slap from the young woman for taking liberties). The German thought: "How unfair, the Frenchman kisses the young lady but I get slapped." The Frenchman thought: "Score one for the resistance. I kiss the back of my hand and get to slap a German with no one the wiser."

The jars were closed when the peasant got them, and closed when the merchant returned. There is no reason for the peasant to have opened the jars. Therefore, if the peasant has opened the jars, which he would have had to do in order to know that they were only half full, then something's clearly amiss, and the peasant is not to be trusted. Thus, one can be more inclined to trust the merchant in this case.

Put the first switch on. Wait for 8-10 minutes. Then turn it off. Put the next switch on. Immediately go inside the room with the bulbs. The one, which is lit, is connected with the second switch. The one, which is warm, is connected with the first switch (since it was left on for some time). The one, which is neither lit nor hot to touch is connected to the third switch.

There is of course a limit to how many bulbs you can distinguish in this way, but here are solutions for Four and Five bulbs, too.

Four: Turn on switch A and B, and wait a few minutes. Then switch B off, switch C on and quickly move into the room where the bulbs are.

The bulb that is on and hot is A.
The bulb that is off and hot is B.
The bulb that is on and just beginning to warm up is C.
The bulb that is off and cold is D.

Five: Turn on switches A and B. Wait half an hour. Turn on switch E. Wait 5 more minutes. Turn off B and E, turn C on and quickly move into the other room.

The bulb that is on and hot is A.
The bulb that is off and hot is B.
The bulb that is on and just beginning to warm up is C.
The bulb that is off and cold is D.
The bulb that is off and warm but not as hot as B is E.

First assign a number to each switch (1, 2, 3)
(1) Toggle switch 1 at least a million times, or enough to ensure that the light bulb will have been blown out.
(2) Then for one hour, toggle switch 2 between its two positions once every minute.
(3) Run down to the cellar.

The light bulb that is not blown and that is blazing hot or stone cold is switch 3.
The slightly warm light bulb is switch 2.
The blown bulb is switch 1.
To see if the lamp is broken, it has to be a clear-glass lamp or you can unscrew it and listen to it.

Solution and problem by Houghi

The man misses one rib and doesn't have a navel (belly button).

The non-moving clock is right twice a day, and the other only once every two years.
The straight man objects that you would never know WHEN the non-moving clock was correct, and Carroll says of course you would, for example if the non-moving clock says 8 o'clock, then it would be right at 8 o'clock. OK, but how do you know when it's 8 o'clock? Just watch the clock. When it's right, then it's 8 o'clock.

She bought 3 numbers: one 2, one 0 and one 5 to make house nr. 250.

The wise man borrowed a camel from a townsman. He now had 24 camels to work with, and 1/2 of 24 is 12 for Volkan, 1/3 of 24 is 8 for Idi, and 1/8 of 24 is 3 for Hassan. This added up to a total of 23. He then returned the camel that he had borrowed to the townsman.

The key: get your fast guys over first, so that one of them can come back with the flashlight after your slow people cross.

2 and 1 cross the path    ( 2 minutes)
1 comes back.             ( 3 minutes)
10 and 5 cross the path.  (13 minutes)
2 comes back              (15 minutes)
1 and 2 cross the path    (17 minutes)

You do the trick if you say: