Some riddles require creative math skills, such as this riddle: “A barrel of water weighs 50 pounds. What must you add to it to make it weigh 35 pounds?” (Answer: a hole.) Although both enigmas and conundrums often ask the riddle in the form of a question, enigmas are often more complex problems, while conundrums may ask a simple question. With a challenging riddle, it may be helpful to break down the riddle into parts, as demonstrated in Part 2. While breaking down a riddle into parts and considering multiple possible solutions may seem awkward or clunky at first, it will get much faster and easier with practice. One of the most important tactics when listening to or reading a riddle is to not jump to conclusions. To solve a riddle, you will need to consider both the literal and the potential meanings of the words. For example, this riddle asks: “What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?” (Answer: a towel.) Even though the actions seem contradictory, a towel does dry things and get wet as it dries those things. Try to think of different ways to interpret the clues the riddle gives. Enigmas in particular are often very figurative, meaning they will use words with a literal meaning to convey something metaphorical. For example, this riddle asks: “What has golden hair and stands in the corner?” The answer is a broom: the “golden hair” is the yellow straw of a traditional straw broom, and it “stands” in the corner when it isn’t being used. This is particularly common with riddles that are written to sound like they are asking for an inappropriate or explicit answer. The possibility of multiple answers allows for a laugh from both parties. The goal of a trick riddle is to get you to give the most “obvious” (and also usually most explicit) answer. For example, there are several answers to this riddle: “What four-letter word ending in K means ‘intercourse’?” In order to give the “right” answer (“talk”), you must look past the most common assumptions and think more flexibly.

Summary:
Determine what type of riddle you’re working with. Consider the possibilities. Suspend judgment on the answer. Practice flexibility in considering answers. Understand that sometimes riddles will try to trick you.