Are you good at riddles?

[Gary L]

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?

[Julian]

£450?

[Kymmy]

£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??

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Julian

£450?

I'm still working it out.

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

Originally Posted by Kymmy

£2000


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

How did you manage that without cheating?

If I beat it what will you give me?

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

No fees. just money that has changed hands.

[Kymmy]

£450 would be correct

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

Originally Posted by Gary L

How did you manage that without cheating?

If I beat it what will you give me?

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

[Mr Angry]

£30.00

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

£450 would be correct

I'm not sure.

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

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

then you'll be naked and no cup

[Kymmy]

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

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

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

[Kymmy]

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..

[Mr Angry]

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.

[Kymmy]

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

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

The answer is £30.00

We can only deal in absolutes.

Riddle updated with absolutes.

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

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.

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

[Mr Angry]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

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

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?