Are you good at riddles?
 

Here's a riddle.

A owes B £250.

A gives B £220 in cash and asks B to transfer £250 to his Paypal account so he can pay for something off ebay.

A sends B a text saying can you make that £420.

B transfers A the £420.

how much does A owe B in the end? :)

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

£450?

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

£2000


Oh sorry I'm getting mixed up with the money you owe me for Moon Lander ;)

As for the riddle, do we include paypal fees??

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

I'm still working it out.

---------- Post added at 16:46 ---------- Previous post was at 16:45 ----------

How did you manage that without cheating?

If I beat it what will you give me? ;)

No fees. just money that has changed hands.

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

£450 would be correct

---------- Post added at 16:48 ---------- Previous post was at 16:47 ----------

No cheating, just bored .. took about 30 minutes and the lander dropped like a stone at the end..

As for beating it I'll give you the cup back ;)

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

£30.00

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

I'm not sure.

I'd take the cup back anyway if I win, you plonker.

then you'll be naked and no cup :D

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

naked?? oh dear.. delusional again you be...

Back to the riddle..

A owes B 250 but then gives him 220 so then owes him 30.. then asks B to transfer 250 which he latter changes to 420.. so so A owes B 30+420 = 450

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

That's what I get it to, but surely that's not a riddle, just simple arithmetic.

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

It's standard misdirection in trying to make you thing that you should add the 250 to the 420 and the 30.. Used a lot is school..

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

The answer is £30.00

We can only deal in absolutes.

A owed B £250.00 and he gave B £220.00 leaving a balance due of £30.00

The £250 and £420 are irrelevant as they are subjective - A merely "asks" B to transfer those sums - we have no indication or proof that any transaction in relation to either sum took place.

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

I suppose it's context.. If you were doing a lesson in absolutes then yes it's £30.. but as a basic school lesson it would be £450

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

Riddle updated with absolutes. :)

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

I thought of that but "in the end" suggested to me that the transaction(s) had taken place.:confused:

Re: Are you good at riddles?
 

Yes, however without the absolutes it would be a bad basic school lesson as it would be based, in part, on hypothetical assumptions.

Once the absolutes are given it then becomes a basic school lesson - certainly not a "riddle" in the true context of the word.

On the matter of riddles here's one:

On holiday (assume it to be in an english / english speaking setting for convenience) you and a friend are trying to reach a village on foot and you come to a fork in the road.

At that fork there is a quaint little cottage which is occupied by two identical twin brothers one of whom only ever tells the truth and the other only ever tells lies.

There are no road signs and you can only ask one question to establish which direction you need to go to reach the village.

You walk up to the house and knock on the door. When the door is answered what is the question you would ask?