Brain Teasers
How Many Am I?
Riddle
Riddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.Riddle
My first is a number, my second another,
And each, I assure you, will rhyme with the other.
My first you will find is one-fifth of my second,
And truly my whole, a long period reckoned.
Yet my first and my second (nay, think not I cozen),
When added together, will make but two dozen.
How many am I?
And each, I assure you, will rhyme with the other.
My first you will find is one-fifth of my second,
And truly my whole, a long period reckoned.
Yet my first and my second (nay, think not I cozen),
When added together, will make but two dozen.
How many am I?
Answer
Four Score.Hide Answer Show Answer
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Comments
It took a couple of reading before I got it...a good one for sure.
Thank you!!
GR8 Teaser and a fun read.
I liked it
DUH!!!! i can't believe i didn't get that!!!! ya got me!
WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!wtg gurlie
very nice indeed. i got the 4 and 20 but didnt get score...duh
Haha..ty people!!
Good one!
I had to read it at least a couple of times to get it, but great teaser!
yay!!
great 1 hannah
yay...
Had to read it about 4 times, but awesome teaser!!!! One of my favorites!
Awesome teaser, Hannah!
May 07, 2006
Classy all the way.
Thank you people!!
Lincoln woulda loved it!
haha, cool!!
(didnt expect people to like it)
(didnt expect people to like it)
Who's Lincoln?
Sorry, I'm from overseas.
Sorry, I'm from overseas.
(President)
Thats ok..
Thats ok..
Wonderful. One of the best teasers I've seen in quite a while.
i didn't get it but good job
Thank you!
best teaser i came across so far... got the 4, and the 20 but i missed the score.
ok, Fair enough!
how does it it make two dozen...I don't get it................
I DONT GET IT!
I DONT GET IT! IF U DO CAN U PLZ PM ME?!
Me Too............
EXCELLENT!
thanks
i think it wuz alright but still fun
Fun!
RaD
I totally do not understand...can someone please explain!!!
After reading all the comments I get how it would be 4 and 20 but I still don't see where 'score' fits into that
After reading all the comments I get how it would be 4 and 20 but I still don't see where 'score' fits into that
score is 20 and score rhymes with 4
Nice!
To those who don't get it, especially those who aren't USA citizens -- a "score" is an archaic English term for 20 of anything, and 4 score means 4 times 20, or 80. A famous speech by President Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg (during the US Civil War) began "Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation. . ." -- so every USA school kid learns in history class what "four score" means. If you're not from the USA, you probably won't know that, nor can you be expected to. But it makes a good teaser, and even knowing all that is no guarantee of solving the riddle. I got the 4 and 20, but didn't come up with the phrase four score on my own.
Thanks Craniac for that explanation... I was wondering myself about that score!
Making out the 4 and 20 was easy... But I had no idea how I was supposed to have both rhyme!
Great!
Making out the 4 and 20 was easy... But I had no idea how I was supposed to have both rhyme!
Great!
Gosh, I sure do feel like a wet blanket... I'm so glad so many people love this teaser. I just , well, I also thought "4" and "20", but it said "my first is a NUMBER, my second ANOTHER" and so I didn't understand that it would have a WORD like "score" in it, although technically it's not wrong, since "score" is 20. But, I think that if it gave some indication that it's not necessarily two numerals, I might have enjoyed it more. But it's a great idea, and I think the "riddle poem" itself was excellent! Thanks for the hard work!
good one! enjoyed it.
That was wonderful! Thank you!
That was really creative
Great teaser
Great teaser
You got me on tht one!!
Great teaser!! It took me back to my school days in history class!! Way to go!!
Good teaser. I didn't get it, but after seeing the answer, makes sense. Isn't that the way it always is?
well, I didn't get it but I'm glad for the explanation. Nice job.
It was so good,I sent it to five people.
Very nice job. I got the 4 and 20 right away, but had to think a while and put on my stove pipe thinking cap. Ha ha. Neighbor kid hit my cap off my head with a snowball and yelled "Score!",, Aha says me.
Not really, but this one was very good.
Not really, but this one was very good.
The third and sixth lines turned it into an algebra problem, and gave it away. Now I just had to find out how 4 and 20 rhymed. That wasn't too hard.
You lost me
Fun and well written, but as the term 'score' meaning 20 is not used very often the answer could do with an explanation.
Excellent! I didn't get it but that was half the fun! I shoulda!! Well done! Keep 'em comin!
XIN NIAN KUAI LE! (HAPPY NEW YEAR)
HEN HAO! (VERY GOOD!)
HEN HAO! (VERY GOOD!)
I couldn't for the life of me find a rhyme to go with this and then was kicking myself when I saw the answer. Great stumper!
great
good one!
Yayyyy I got it I got it!! (and am not American, though I guess I get some of their culture, living right next door)
I was so sure that the algebraic approach wouldn't work, but I went for it anyways, because I couldn't see anything else to try... and then like FatHead said above, I just had to find out how 20 rhymed with 4 -- and then gleefully, I saw how it would! SCORE!!!!!
I was so sure that the algebraic approach wouldn't work, but I went for it anyways, because I couldn't see anything else to try... and then like FatHead said above, I just had to find out how 20 rhymed with 4 -- and then gleefully, I saw how it would! SCORE!!!!!
Awsome Hannah one of the best I loved it.
~Coltonr1~
~Coltonr1~
I realize that it is probably to late for this, but it would have probably benefited to somehow incorporate into the riddle or as a hint that four score also equalled 80. Just a suggestion... great riddle otherwise!
Poor selection for a teaser, If you are not American you probably have no idea what four score is!!!
Great teaser!
Doehead obviously believes any teaser she gets is too easy and if she doesn't get it, its horrible.
Doehead obviously believes any teaser she gets is too easy and if she doesn't get it, its horrible.
You got me! Great teaser and well written!
Very clever.
Great teaser.
I've never heard of 'score' before..
Clever.
I have to agree with doehead,although I got it.
I didn't get the riddle, but I *LOVED* reading the comments!
I was with BreatheSunshine-didn't take the time, but appreciated it once I knew!
Brilliant riddle, took me a long time to get the 4 and 20 as I focused on the rhyme rather than the maths, then when I realised the only answer was '4' and '20' I suddenly thought '4 score'!
Very clever!
Very clever!
Haha, like many others I missed it because I didn't know score meant 20. After I googled "fourscore" it made much more sense! Learned something at least!
Good teaser! It took a second reading to really get all the nuances. Very well done!
I came up with the 4 and 20 also - but I rationalized by reciting "four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie!"
Since that is part of a poem - that should satisfy the rhyming part!
I know - that was a stretch of the imagination! Great Teaser!!!
Since that is part of a poem - that should satisfy the rhyming part!
I know - that was a stretch of the imagination! Great Teaser!!!
Sybil.
I am another who did not get it! I am glad some of you did, but it looks like I am in good company!
Quite simple from a mathematician's point of view. Sorting through the rhetoric, it became apparent that the solution was x + x/5 = 24. Solve for x...x=20. x/5 = 4. So 4 and 20 don't rhyme, but 4 and "score" (another name for twenty) do...
I took a different approach. 85,425. The "first" is 85, the "second" is 425, and added together by digit you get 8+5+4+2+5=24.
This is a duplicate of teaser #6830.
As an Aussie, I'm with: doehead, plus like: thecatladycac; I also thought of - ...4 & 20 Blackbirds.... from: 'Sing a Song of Sixpense' nursery rhyme?
Fun and entertaining teaser. I also got 4 and 20. I never thought of substituting score for 20 to satisfy the rhyming part.
I forgot about the rhyme part and just did the math part: 12, 12; 11, 13; 10, 14; 9, 15; 8, 16; 7, 17; 6, 18; 5, 19; 4, 20. 20 x 0.2 = 4. Four and Twenty was my answer. I got it somewhat right?
I couldn't even wrap my head around the concept of the riddle, so this is either a terribly constructed problem or I'm just not smart enough to have worked it out.
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