Lateral Thinking Exercises

Lateral Thinking Exercises

He Didn't Break the Law
A boy who was learning how to drive went down a one-way street in the wrong direction, but he didn't break the law. How come?


Women and Shoes
One day, two mothers and two daughters went shopping for shoes. Their shopping spree was successful — each bought a pair of shoes, and all together, they had three pairs. How is this possible?


It only takes Five Minutes 
A lady shoots her husband, she then holds him under the water for over five minutes. Finally she hangs him. Five minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a lovely meal. How can that be?


Three Consecutive Days
Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday? 

Deep Question
How much dirt is in a round hole that is 9 feet deep with a diameter of 3 feet? (Hint: You don't have to do any math to get the answer. Just use your head!)


Need for Speed
Why was a lady able to pass three cars going 70 miles-per-hour, while she was going only 60 miles-per-hour?


Which Room? You decide
A man is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in three years. Which room is the safest?


The Horse and the Hay
A horse is tied to a rope six feet long and there is a bale of hay 8 feet away.  How can the horse get to the hay if he does not bite or undo the rope?


Who is that man?
John and Mark are chatting at a party.  John notices a man on the other side of the room and points him out to Mark.  John says: "Brothers and sisters, I have none, but that man's father is my father's son." Who is john talking about?


How can this be?
A man and his son where involved in a road traffic accident, the father died at the scene of the accident and the little boy was rushed to hospital.  When he arrived the surgeon said "I cannot operate on this boy, he is my son." How can this be?


Men in Black
A man wearing all black, black shoes, socks, trousers, top even a balaclava.  He is walking down a street where all the street lights were off.  A lady comes towards him in a car and stops to let him across the road. How did the driver see the man? 


Round or Square?
Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?


Party Punch
A man went to a friend's party and drank some punch.  He then left early. Later everyone else drank the punch and died of poisoning.  Nobody had anything to the punch after the man left.  He did not die and he is not superman! How is this possible?


Barman with a Gun
A man walks into a bar, sits down and asks the barman for a glass of water.  With that the barman pulls a gun out of his pocket and points it at the man.  The man stands up, says "Thank you" and leaves the bar.  Why did the man express his gratitude?


Crossing the River
A man has to get a fox, a chicken, and a sack of corn across a river. 
He has a rowboat, and it can only carry him and one other thing. 
If the fox and the chicken are left together, the fox will eat the chicken. 
If the chicken and the corn are left together, the chicken will eat the corn. 
How does the man do it? 
 

Solutions to Lateral Thinking Puzzles

Hope you didn't cheat !! 

He Didn't Break the Law 
He was walking.


Women and Shoes
Only three people went shopping: a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter — but remember that the mother was the grandmother's daughter!


It only takes Five Minutes 
The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it and then hung it up to dry.


Three Consecutive Days
Yesterday, today, tomorrow.


Deep Question
None. You make a hole by digging out the dirt, so the hole is empty.


Need for Speed
The cars she passed where going in the opposite direction.


Which Room? You Decide
The third. The lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.


The Horse and the Hay
The rope is not tied to anything, so the horse has no problem getting to the bale of hay.


Who is that man?
John's son.


How can this be?
The surgeon is the boy's mother.


Men in Black
It was daytime.


Round or Square
A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole.  A round cover cannot fall into the manhole.  From a practical view point, it's much easier to move as it can be rolled.


Party Punch
The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes.  When the man drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen.  Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.


Barman with a Gun
The man had hiccups.  The barman recognised this and decided to shock the man to get rid of them.  It worked so the man left without his water.


Crossing the River
The man and the chicken cross the river, (the fox and corn are safe together), he leaves the chicken on the other side and goes back across.

The man then takes the fox across the river, and since he can't leave the fox and chicken together, he brings the chicken back.

Again, since the chicken and corn can't be left together, he leaves the chicken and he takes the corn across and leaves it with the fox.

He then returns to pick up the chicken and heads across the river one last time.