Braingle: 'Question 1' Brain Teaser

Question 1

Trick brain teasers appear difficult at first, but they have a trick that makes them really easy.

Puzzle ID:	#20934
Fun:	(2.98)
Difficulty:	(1.6)
Category:	Trick
Submitted By:	GarrettPorter
Corrected By:	lyris

How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

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Comments

jpfrank1 Feb 10, 2005	i thought it was by wrapping the egg in bubble wrap or a pillow.
Acestudent04 Feb 10, 2005	I liked it not one of my favs though.Keep up the good work!
castanz Feb 10, 2005	Technically I think this one would fall under the joke category.
Acestudent04 Feb 10, 2005	hey castanz dont you think it is really not a joke!
castanz Feb 10, 2005	Never mind. The category is Trick. I guess I was...
Acestudent04 Feb 10, 2005	now do you get it?
HughJazz510 Feb 10, 2005	Pretty nice teaser.
Sane Feb 11, 2005	What about: A. You can't crack a raw egg itself. (Take it out of the shell, you are still dropping a raw egg).
chuckelect Feb 11, 2005	good one
GarrettPorter Feb 11, 2005	..............
(user deleted) Feb 12, 2005	so just about any answer that involves an egg drop can be right since concrete is hard to crack
IMCUL4E Feb 13, 2005	if you dropped it 1 cm from the air, that would work too.
doggyxp Feb 13, 2005	That's what is so great about English - the language is vey ambiguous.
doggyxp Feb 13, 2005	*very. Typo.
smatypants Feb 14, 2005	eeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
(user deleted) Feb 15, 2005	garrettporter, u should say 1 of ur answers in comment, since u didnt actually give an answer that answers the question. and its ur teaser.
Tree Feb 17, 2005	I thought I wasn't going to like this one. It was the first trick I looked at.
texashorty4ever Feb 17, 2005	I liked this one and thought that you did a good job. For anybody who did not get this you had to be a complete blond and if you thought that it was dumb then you prob. did not get it your self.
coughdrop777 Feb 20, 2005	real funny!
marigold Feb 21, 2005	HA! HA! HA... no.
JoHnM Feb 21, 2005	Thats a good one!
p4karthi Mar 14, 2005	This is nice and enjoyable
p4karthi Mar 14, 2005	This is nice and enjoyable
froggygg Mar 26, 2005	Now that was funny!!
koolkat57 Mar 27, 2005	That was easy! Still, that was a real good 1!
deadeye823 Apr 02, 2005	i thought it was by dropping the egg from about 1/2 an inch off the ground
Leviathan Apr 18, 2005	woah, tricky
kcelf27 Apr 30, 2005	I roll my eyes w/ laughter, That was very cute... I will tell my kid that one. It's always nice to have something 'safe' to make ya laugh that you can pass on to your kids!
shandela May 07, 2005	in response I say, I bet I can jump higher than a house.
sweetime May 24, 2005	damn science - when i was in year 8 (or something) we actually did an experiment that involved dropping a raw egg onto concrete to see if you could not crack it (the egg, not the concrete) - it is actually possible if you drop the egg on one of the "points" - difficult to do, but there you go...anyway, what i was trying to say is that the damn experiment sent me along the completely wrong path!
Kukmiester May 30, 2005	Ha Ha Ha! I got that one!!!
(user deleted) Jun 01, 2005	The ambiguity of English which is the key to the trick here does NOT apply. "onto a concrete floor" is a prepositional phrase and not part of the main clause, so "it" cannot refer back to it. "it" is a subject complement, meaning that it renames the subject of the sentence, in this case "egg." There is no ambiguity - "it" clearly refers to the egg and not the floor, and the trick for this riddle becomes null. Some might argue that pronouns refer to the last named noun in a sentence, but not in this case, because "floor" is part of a prepositional phrase.
blondecutie Jun 01, 2005	TEHE
Lunar_Light Jun 09, 2005	I was going to say what fxman said.
silverblade987 Jun 11, 2005	.... yeah, i was going to say what fxman said too....
zigthepig Jul 03, 2005	i feel like a dumbbrain
tigershelton Jul 12, 2005	Fun one.
gemini13 Jul 13, 2005	Has anyone considered that the concrete floor has just been poured and it is still wet, therefore the egg would not break, just sink into it.
smarty_blondy Oct 29, 2005	Very cute.
peppamintp Nov 30, 2005	Funny
dude7 Dec 28, 2005	How about... A: Crack the egg first then trhrow it (you can't crack it, it's already cracked)
Jay_ Feb 01, 2006	I agree with fixman
brandiMcBride20 Feb 07, 2006	ughhhh,, got me....
Psychic_Master Apr 27, 2006	castanz, there is no joke category. Besides, most trick questions are funny. Actually, there are two other ways you could have done it. 1. You could wrap the egg up. The teaser never said the egg wasn't wrapped up in something. 2. If you put an egg in vinegar, and leave it for a few days, it becomes bouncy. So that is another way this teaser could have been done.
Vudluxi Jun 01, 2006	Very good Why did the chicken cross the road? So he could drop an egg on concrete without fxman taking the humour out of the situation.
vbguy101 Mar 04, 2007	Oh! I thought "it" was referring to the egg!
Smudge Mar 04, 2007	Uh, how about: Answer: drop it from a height of 1cm
Smudge Mar 04, 2007	This is a stupid teaser!
cloughme Mar 04, 2007	Cool!
craniac Mar 04, 2007	Ditto what fxman51 said.
lmurray Mar 04, 2007	FXMAN51 IS THE MAN!!
Tryer Mar 04, 2007	Lighten up chaps, its a teaser!! and it teased me Nice to have a little light teasing now and again
jimbo58 Mar 04, 2007	I'm new to this. Where do I click to rate a puzzle?
puttumup Mar 04, 2007	well alrighty i think the jokes are on the other page..
doehead Mar 04, 2007	( one word) STUPID
soccermip337 Mar 04, 2007	I thought that "it" was refering to the egg too.
soccermip337 Mar 04, 2007	I thought that that one was a little dumb. It was a trick queston. I'm new here, and I was wondering how I submit teasers and quizs'? Today is my first day
bookwormRLB Mar 04, 2007	HEHEH. My answer was to hold the egg only a quarter inch above the concrete floor and drop it. I doubt the egg would crack then.
Pizzazz2u Mar 04, 2007	It was a trick question, so yes....it was referring to the concrete. This was an enjoyable teaser! It is too bad that some people, can only find reasons to not give someone a positive comment on their teasers. No matter, how good they can be! A very good teaser. Keep up the terrific work!
anion Mar 04, 2007	It was a cool teaser. I think some people just like to ruin the fun of teasers. They are for fun. Not every teaser has to have perfect grammer. I liked this one. Great job.
cnahorses Mar 04, 2007	That is so funny! I enjoyed alot! Thanks!!!!
bradon182001 Mar 04, 2007	Should have know when I saw it was a trick question. Good one, you got me.
Kyrin Mar 04, 2007	In the context, correct english would have "it" referring to "egg" not "concrete." So really all this puzzle is is affirmation that perhaps your riddle skills and science skills are sharp, but your sense of grammar is idiotic.
OhEmGee Mar 04, 2007	fixman51, why did you have to ruin the teaser? it was all just fun and games! just because you may have gotten it wrong doesnt mean you have to come up with some lame excuse and take the fun out!!!!!!!!
OhEmGee Mar 04, 2007	also i thought it was a very good teaser and everyone who left a negative comment is practically insane! great teaser!
sftball_rocks13 Mar 04, 2007	Fxman, why did you have to take the fun out of this teaser? It's a great teaser, really tricky, it made me laugh Can't anybody just enjoy a trick teaser and not try to take the trick out
OhEmGee Mar 04, 2007	please please message me!!!!! im so bored! im begging you!!
masquerademe235 Mar 04, 2007	ah- very good teaser- and tricky too!
dachshund2k3 Mar 04, 2007	You need to add specifics, like dropping the egg from 10 ft. and the egg cannot be wrapped in anything (however this does not lead you to the answer).
superben Mar 04, 2007	UNCLEARLY WRITTEN
Aarghonauts Mar 04, 2007	I liked this one A LOT!!!!! Made me smile which is always a worthy cause
jamy400 Mar 04, 2007	nice one!! I got it after I saw the answer.
speedqueenkmw Mar 04, 2007
auntiesis Mar 04, 2007	I did not find anything wrong with the English, it was a trick !!! And it was a good trick. I had the wrong answer, but so what, I had fun. I thought that if you cracked the egg first and just dropped the egg and not the shell that would be the way to go.... Oh well, back to the drawing board. I just don't know why so many people are negative about a funny trick.
Quizme Mar 04, 2007	I think Texashorty4ever is a blonde her or himself and didnt even get it right !! well anyway i liked it and i didnt get it right ! suprse
feste Mar 04, 2007	Love trick stuff. Reminds me: If a hen laid an egg and a half in a day and a half how long would it take a rooster to lay a doorknob.
phazt Mar 04, 2007	well... i'm not too amused.. but I did learn to not assume the "it's" and feel the need to be more specific when I speak... or maybe i'll play the "it" game on some people. I'm half-amused.
basketballchica Mar 04, 2007	Cute! that was fun and nicely worded!
jabdr Mar 04, 2007	C'mon guys...it's a teaser and the category is 'trick'. So, no need to diagram the sentence....just look for the trick! It's cute .
ViaTunisi Mar 04, 2007	Hmm... I didn't really care for this one. There were so many possible answers.
gaylewolf Mar 04, 2007	I LOVED this one! It could be called a "trick question" and a great laugh!! Bookworm, I'm with you - re 1/4" distance from egg to floor. Kyrin - lighten up! Thanks for a light, bit of fun!!
katjojo Mar 04, 2007	Ha Ha!!
FatHead Mar 04, 2007	Real cute.
Snowlovers Mar 04, 2007	meh. After coming up with about 10 answers i just clicked answer and found out that this was worded worse than it first appeared. I prefer teasers that can be answered.
Darkalyan Mar 04, 2007	How about, smash it on the ground so it breaks open. It never actually cracked, but it did smash open!
acmetoaster Mar 04, 2007	"Being intentionally unclear, then acting smug when you're misunderstood, is not cleverness."
(user deleted) Mar 04, 2007	That was funny! The comments were also funny! Thanks.
LeafFan4life Mar 04, 2007	(2 words) Very Stupid
(user deleted) Mar 04, 2007	Sure was a cute one! Another oldie but goodie is take 2 cans of frozen juice, keep the lid on, it ain't messy. Or any 2 indentical cans. YOu will need a ruler and a table. Lay the can on its side on the floor, lay the can on the table standing up. Measure the distance from the top of the side of the laying can, and the opt of the can standing up. Now reverse the cans now the laying down can is on top of the table, so you are measuring from the side of that can, to the top of the can sitting on the floor. Why is there a difference in measurments? Nope, don't know the answer for that one either, BUT, its kept me wondering now for almost 40 yrs!
(user deleted) Mar 04, 2007	Sure was a cute one! Another oldie but goodie is take 2 cans of frozen juice, keep the lid on, it ain't messy. Or any 2 indentical cans. You will need a ruler and a table. Lay the can on its side on the floor, lay the can on the table standing up. Measure the distance from the top of the side of the laying can, and the top of the can standing up. Now reverse the cans now the laying down can is on top of the table, so you are measuring from the side of that can, to the top of the can sitting on the floor. Why is there a difference in measurments? Nope, don't know the answer for that one either, BUT, its kept me wondering now for almost 40 yrs!
LeonRes-Evil2 Mar 04, 2007	people either love this teaser or hate it. I think the teaser could have used elaboration. It feels like the teaser was cooked up in about 30 seconds, basing itself on wordplay, instead of knowledge. A 'raw' egg cannot be broken, anyways.
GobyDude Mar 04, 2007	Stupid teaser. The question implied that you are trying not to crack the EGG, not the FLOOR.
cripple1315 Mar 04, 2007	Dangling modifier
frozenrose_885 Mar 04, 2007	well, my answer would have worked
statsporter Mar 04, 2007	That's not the answer! You drop it from a 1/4-inch height. It won't break. It's not a question of cracking the concrete.
samwise_jedi Mar 04, 2007	Haha! I liked it. My answer would have involved the egg being a reptile egg, soft shelled, because it doesn't specify what kind of egg. Very good though! Can't those people not pick apart and analyze everything grammatically like that?
jcann Mar 04, 2007	GobyDude--that's why it's called a "trick" question. There have been trick questions like that around for years, and I've never heard them analyzed like this before. I just got a good laugh out of it. You got me!
breathesunshine Mar 04, 2007	I fell on the side of not caring for this one. It reminds me of the "groaners" my kids like to read from joke books.
elduce Mar 04, 2007	I read a magazine article that said an egg can be dropped from hundreds of feet and, after being dropped, will absorb the impact and not break. I thought that was the answer.
peeve30 Mar 04, 2007	Thanks for the effort on this one, but not my style....
scallio Mar 04, 2007	That was hilarious! I laughed out loud! Good one!
vlerma Mar 05, 2007	It was good egg. JKJK I can't believe some of the sorehead remarks just because people refuse to admit they were tricked by thinking he meant the egg cracking. It said trick right at the top of the page, Good Job. Oh and for those who were totally obnoxious I am glad we have a place to vote "This is Offensive." I exercised my rights to so vote.
Barret Mar 06, 2007	How about dropping the egg from a height of about 1/4" of an inch? There won't be enough velocity to crack the egg.
Qrystal Mar 09, 2007	I also guessed that you just drop the egg from a low height (I said a couple millimetres though; metric rules! -- yes that was meant to be a pun.) I vote for leaving the comments where people actively display their ignorance, because it shows quite accurately who was "had" by this teaser. Teehee! I was "had". You got me. I thought it was hilarious though!! But I was a big fan of those groaners from joke books, and I bugged my parents with them like crazy!!
snoopunicorn Mar 11, 2007	hmm i thot it would be to drop it from like a centimer off the floor
reptile5000 Jun 16, 2007	drop the egg in bubble wrap, 1 centimeter over the ground
smartsandsoccer Dec 17, 2007	You could have dropped an Easter egg
sweetpretty1 Feb 08, 2008	Err... If this was the answer this wouldn't be in trick but i know how to do that, i think you put a raw egg in vinegar, then wait for a few days then when you drop it it bounces, Crack! the shell dissapears.
sashomarine Jan 15, 2010	I was thinking along the lines of- Attach a parachute to the egg... But if that were the answer it wouldn't be in the trick category, now would it?
elentir Mar 04, 2010	I think that any riddle in the 'Trick' category does not get a pass on obeying the rules of grammar. It is free to play on biases, assumptions, and such. But once you start violating grammatical or any other rules, then reason/logic no longer applies and any answer anyone, including the creator, gives is right and wrong. For instance, the answer could also have been 'it's very hard to crack you' implying that the 'it' referred to 'you' in the sentence. Obviously this is ridiculous. Why? Because it violates the commonly accepted grammatical usage of 'it'. So why would it be anymore correct to assume 'it' refers to the concrete? Finally, for everyone who is trouncing on those who are objecting to the teaser, we are not doing it out of spite or trying to create an excuse for why we got it wrong. We are doing it because we see a valid flaw with the teaser that should be addressed. This serves to make better teasers in the future, and hopefully teach others something that they may not have thought about or known to begin with. Criticism can be constructive and we rarely advance when all we receive is praise all the time.
doehead Mar 04, 2010	6 years that this STUPID teaser has been published. The editors need 30 lashes with a wet noodle (change that to a hot poker).
patiencewithaP Mar 04, 2010	Funny
bestgirl Mar 04, 2010	Considering the initial criticisms this teaser received, I don't understand why it was used again, and yes, I got it easily. But the grammerians have a point.
Flamey500 Mar 04, 2010	Nice and fun teaser!
gargph Mar 04, 2010	I just said 'drop the egg a milimeter from the floor '
avonma Mar 04, 2010	I thought about the concrete being too hard to crack; but I thought that was too easy...
avonma Mar 04, 2010	I thought about the concrete being too hard to crack; but I thought that was too easy...
marie7771 Jun 15, 2010	you could also drop it like a centimetre above the floor
GreenApples27 Mar 18, 2011	That's clever! Don't listen to all the people talking about "it" referring to whatnot. It makes perfect sense how it is, and I enjoyed it.
Babe Mar 04, 2013	It was funny the first time I heard it and the second and the third, ...Okay it is an old one, but still makes you smile. Looks like it was the first time for many!
cutebug Mar 04, 2013	Very old,very easy,and very worn out.
HABS2933 Mar 04, 2013	I thought teasers had to be original to be submitted? OR at least a source cited if you were using a previously published one. Not only has this riddle been around on Braingle for years, it is as old as time itself. I first heard this when I was about 5 years old. Didn't like it then, and still don't.
gaylewolf Mar 04, 2013	I must have still been sleeping when I read this one, because I didn't figure it out and I LOVE jokes like this one. It's a good one to tell to my grandchildren. Beautiful, sunny day her - have a good one, everyone!
gaylewolf Mar 04, 2013	oops! that's "here" !
iggy39 Mar 04, 2013	A groaner for certain.