Aussie Toilets
These brain teasers rely on your ability to recognize groups of common attributes. For each of these puzzles you'll need to figure out why the words or letters are grouped as they are. Sometimes you will be asked to pick the odd-one-out or to place a new word into the correct group.
What word does not belong to the group below? Why?
Earth
CD's
Clock
Venus
DVD's
Watch
Earth
CD's
Clock
Venus
DVD's
Watch
Answer
EarthThe rest of the words all involve something that spins clockwise.
CD's/DVD's spin clockwise in machine
Clock/Watch have hands moving clockwise
Venus rotates clockwise on its axis
Earth is not unique. All of the planets in our solar system, except for Venus, rotate anti-clockwise on their axes.
Title: Aussie toilets are commonly misrepresented to spin clockwise due to the Coriolis effect.
Hide
Comments
|
Posted by andyjk on Nov 26, 2004 I tohught Earth spun clockwise |
|
Posted by hotchickattitude on Nov 27, 2004 gud teaser. would've neva thout uv it |
|
Posted by goldmare on Nov 28, 2004 Huh. I knew Venus was the oddball when it came to orbits, but I didn't know which direction it went in.   That was a good riddle. The only thing I can correct is that the word is counter-clockwise, not anti-clockwise. Sorry, I've always been picky about those things. *shrug* |
|
Posted by AXTON on Nov 29, 2004 in tdepends where you live! the correct word in Australia is anti clockwise |
|
Posted by Mad-Ade on Nov 29, 2004 same here in the UK, anti clockwise it the correct term. |
|
Posted by I_am_the_Omega on Dec 01, 2004 I would think (though I've never heard anti-clockwise before), that either term would be fine, since they both describe the motion in a perfectly understandable way, and are separate words. It's kind of like saying "no, it's not 'reverse,' it's 'backwards.'" |
|
Posted by pupluver10 on Dec 10, 2004 That was ez! |
|
Posted by pigpen978 on Dec 17, 2004 Of course once again I did not get it but I guessed it right!!  I didnt know that u said anti clockwise in Austraila. thats a cool word  |
|
Posted by darrenkhu on Dec 21, 2004 Well.. I thought it was earth bcoz its the only word that began with a vowel.. |
|
Posted by supernetz on Dec 22, 2004 Geographical location does not have any definite effect on the rotational direction of spiraling water. Water spirals due to a phenomenon known as the coriolis effect which deals with centripital force in water. Though it is more common for toilets to spin clockwise above the equator and counterclockwise below due to the Earth's rotation, it is not definite - other gravitational effects often play a role. |
|
Posted by AXTON on Dec 24, 2004 SUPERNETZ ; The coriolis effect has everything to do with what hemisphere you live in, and subsiquently is crucial to your argument. |
|
Posted by roseblood003 on Jan 06, 2005 don't "Aussie" toilets spin counter clockwise because they are below the equator?  |
|
Posted by bookworm696 on Jan 17, 2005 very cool, thought the title confused me, and i never realized the water went clockwise in aussie toilets... but i faintly remember something like this on the simpsons. lol. great try!! |
|
Posted by bbbz on Feb 15, 2005 Uranus and Pluto also have retrograde rotation. They rotate in the opposite direction of which they revolve around the sun like Venus does. I've always been curious about using the words "counter-clockwise" or "anti-clockwise" in describing Earth's rotation, because one must assume that your point of view is from above the North Pole looking back "down" at the Earth. These terms require a point of view reference to be meaningful like the words "right" and "left". If you were looking at it from the South Pole the Earth's rotation would appear to be "clockwise" from that perspective. |
|
Posted by cornfused on Mar 31, 2005 Thank you. Learned a couple of things today.  |
|
Posted by phrebh on May 12, 2005 I forget where I saw it, but somewhere online I saw a write up of the whole theory of the coriolis effect affecting toilets. Essentially it doesn't affect the toilets at all. In order for it to do so, you would have to have a toilet with a bowl was perfectly circular at the rim and hyperbolic in cross-section. The hole would have to be at the very center of the bowl and at the bottom-most part, and there would have to a stopper at the hole that would have to disappear instantaneously when the toilet was flushed. After the bowl was filled with water, you would have to wait days for the miniscule currents in the water to settle down. If all of that could happen, then you could see the coriolis effect in the toilet when it was flushed. In reality, the direction of spin has more to do with the shape of the bowl than it does with the Earth's spin. |
|
Posted by Princeford93 on May 27, 2005 That was interesting most people don't equate technology with planets. |
|
Posted by smarty_blondy on Sep 05, 2005 Briliant, great teaser!  |
|
Posted by Sunrose on Sep 22, 2005 Great Teaser!! Good Job |
|
Posted by drussel3 on Jun 14, 2007 Good Teaser - I knew it was related to rotation, but wasn't sure which one was the answer.... I like learning something new. |
|
Posted by SweetPotato on Jun 15, 2007 I guessed "watch" because it's the only thing on the list of which the entire thing doesn't rotate (only the hands). Add: Eddys in South American toilets (being below the equator) also spin counter. |
|
Posted by cooltigerr1 on Jun 15, 2007 NO WAY I GOT IT RIGHT!!!! YAY! u did a good job on this one |
|
Posted by ADrunkenMan on Jun 15, 2007 Well to tell you all the truth, Aussie toilets dont really spin much at all |
|
Posted by Trishgal on Jun 15, 2007 Who Knew.. about the toilets , i mean . great teaser. |
|
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 Another difference in the items listed, is that DVD's is the only term that doesn't have another meaning. Earth can also mean 'dirt', CD's can mean 'certificate's of deposit', Venus can also refer to the statue, watch can also mean to 'look at', and clock can refer to the act of timing something. DVD stands for 'digital versitale disk'. |
|
Posted by cloughme on Jun 15, 2007 Great Teaser! Any teaser that gets this kind of action in the comments is OK in my book! |
|
Posted by solotravlr on Jun 15, 2007 LET ME SEE IF I GET THIS, : ARE YOU SAYING URANUS SPINS COUNTER CLOCKWISE IN AN AUSSIE TOILET??? ouch... Hmmmmm, teehee  |
|
Posted by bradon182001 on Jun 15, 2007 I learned something new today. This is something I truly never thought about. So I have to say, this is a great teaser.  |
|
Posted by doehead on Jun 15, 2007 Got my head spinning,but I'm not sure in which direction.But really wasn't that hard to figure out. |
|
Posted by katamaster on Jun 15, 2007 I voted for watch. The reason, all the other things are circular. A watch does not have to be. |
|
Posted by katamaster on Jun 15, 2007 I thought of another reason for watch if we take the spin angle. All the other items spin in their entirety. A watch's hand move only and that is assuming it is not a digital display. |
|
Posted by saxman on Jun 15, 2007 I wanted to say watch, because it is the only word in the group that is both a noun and a verb. I thought of the rotation bit, but then thought of the possibility of a watch being digital, rather then analog. |
|
Posted by Spammy on Jun 15, 2007 http://www.snopes.com/science/coriolis.asp |
|
Posted by Fredonia2k on Jun 15, 2007 Saying you picked the watch because it doesn't rotate would mean that you have a rotating clock. Can I see it? |
|
Posted by Caleythia on Jun 15, 2007 Good trivia question, but not really a teaser. |
|
Posted by cecepeach83 on Jun 15, 2007 All those in favor of the "watch" answer: couldn't all of yoru arguments also hold for "clock"? It too does not necessarily have to be shaped like a circle, nor does any part but the hands spinning. Just wondering. Great teaser! |
|
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 I didnt get this one, not even close  |
|
Posted by adarcur on Jun 15, 2007 I said "Earth" only because it started with a vowel instead of a constanant |
|
Posted by galoman on Jun 15, 2007 IT MAKE MORE SENCE THAN I THOUGHT, GOOD WORK |
|
Posted by lilredc5 on Jun 15, 2007 If you view the Earth from underneath, would it not appear to rotate clockwise? |
|
Posted by lmurray on Jun 15, 2007 WITHOUT THE TITLE, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO THINK, BUT THE TITLE WAS AN IMMEDIATE GIVE AWAY. RENAME IT AND IT WON'T BE SO OBVIOUS. AN OLD PUZZLE REFERS TO THE DIRECTION OF THE WATER FLOW DOWN A TOILET IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE, AS DID OUR 9th GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER. WATER IN A SINK OR TOILET (AN OLDER ONE AT LEAST) IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE FLOWS OUT COUNTER/ANTI- CLOCKWISE. |
|
Posted by locutus13ds on Jun 15, 2007 all these comments, have my head spinning...Counter clockwise of couse!! |
|
Posted by mondayschild59 on Jun 15, 2007 I had to really think this one out, but I got it in the end. That was harder than I thought. Thanks for the post. Monday~ |
|
Posted by soccermissy29 on Jun 15, 2007 Ummmmm... what is an aussie toilet??? Well... it was a great teaser! I didn't get the answer though. I thought it was things that rotate, but then i looked at the things and they all rotated. Well that shows you just how smart I am. |
|
Posted by cheeny13 on Jun 15, 2007 The title told me that it had something to do with direction of ratation but I didn't know which way any of those rotated (except the clock and watch of course.. ). Anyway, great teaser!! |
|
Posted by fishpike on Jun 15, 2007 I knew it had to do with spinning, but that,s as far as I got/ |
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 If you're going to post to a list that intelligent people subscripe to, then learn how the difference between a plural and a possessive s. The plural of DVD is DVDs. |
|
Posted by phyllisa on Jun 15, 2007 Great teaser, I learned something and got a laugh out of it too |
|
Posted by Ashboo on Jun 15, 2007 is anti-clockwise a word? I always say counterclockwise, lol, but, this was still a very cool teaser! |
|
Posted by suganue on Jun 15, 2007 I really liked this teaser. The title did give the answer away. I only knew the answer b/c it. It is amazing how much you learn reading the comments. I would have never known that "anti-clockwise' was a term in other parts of the world. Also the whole "reason behind water rotation in toilets" debate is a little interesting, and also a little ridiculous after 3 or 4 comments. As for the whole possessive or plural 's' issue...Stop being so angry. You can make a comment without being ugly. It wasn't even something worth commenting on regardless to how intelligent you deem yourself. Again...really loved the teaser |
|
Posted by donfrench on Jun 15, 2007 It is incorrect to say that Earth or Venus rotates clockwise or counterclockwise (or anticlockwise). This is based only on a particular viewpoint. When viewed from above the north pole, Earth or Venus rotates in one direction. When viewed from above the other pole, it rotates in the opposite direction. This is similar to saying that New York is to the right of California. Rubbish! If you are facing south New York is to the left of California. While with clocks and CD players there exists a functional top, there is no functional top of Earth or Venus. North pole or south pole, they are equivalent. |
|
Posted by natriv on Jun 15, 2007 i got the right answer bot for the wrong reasons Earth is the only word that starts with a vowel |
|
Posted by hockeyfan94 on Jun 15, 2007 I said Venus. It is the only item on the list that is NOT found on Earth. |
|
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 To aantenna; DVD's is singular possesive, which is how I used it in the sentence. It could be read either way, DEPENDING on how it was punctuated. |
|
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 I did in my haste mispell 'versatile' in my first post,sorry. |
|
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 And I misspelled 'misspell' on purpose |
|
Posted by on Jun 15, 2007 'donfrench' has a good point. |
|
Posted by jabdr on Jun 15, 2007 I think you either 'know it' or don't know it. I'm of the latter, but enjoyed the answer and how it related to the title.  |
|
Posted by Quincess on Jun 15, 2007 I have read all the comments and "corrections", but aside from the spelling mistakes nobody corrected the use of the word AXES that should have been AXIS! |
|
Posted by breathesunshine on Jun 15, 2007 Some people have so much to say about toilet water rotation. I'm just happy if mine works!!! Fun teaser by the way. |
|
Posted by POPS on Jun 15, 2007 You really got me with that one,but it waws fun trying |
|
Posted by anniebee on Jun 15, 2007 I thought these teasers were supposed to be fun! I did'nt realize that some members were keeping score on mistakes! Petty Clever, and fun teaser Axton Aantenna, is there really such a word as subsripe as you used in your comment or did you make a simple mistake in spelling? If there is, then I am as dumb as they come |
|
Posted by LeafFan4life on Jun 15, 2007 quincess is right!! |
|
Posted by Caleythia on Jun 16, 2007 Actually, 'axes' is right where it is used. It is the plural form of 'axis.' |
|
Posted by siskiu on Jun 16, 2007 tat was really hard...or im just stupid |
|
Posted by Badger on Jun 17, 2007 Loved the teaser, though I didn't get it! I was glad to see phrebh's comment above, so I didn't have to write it. Murray has learned alot in ninth grade science class, though his teacher was wrong on this one. He/she fell victim to the urban legend (and passed it on) re:which direction water goes down the drain based on hemisphere... That's a theoretical example, not real life. THANKS FOR SUBMITTING A FUN TEASER! |
|
Posted by oddrey on Jun 19, 2007 very fun, very hard, very good. |
|
Posted by ric815 on Jun 21, 2007 I just thinking, everything except venus is on earth. so Venus is out of place. hehe |
|
Posted by Qrystal on Jul 27, 2007 I know we're not supposed to suggest corrections here, but I think it serves to respond to all those people talking about coreolis and whatnot as well .. and I can't be bothered to find the appropriate method to submit a correction. The only thing that could use an update is the mention of the spinning of water in Aussie toilets. It should just say that there is a common misconception that the direction of water swirling in the Southern Hemisphere is opposite to that in the Northern Hemisphere. That's all that's needed! |
|
Posted by precious1026 on Jun 16, 2010 GrossGross..............Gross.....Grosser |
|
Posted by precious1026 on Jun 16, 2010 iThe Terem is Counter Clockwise, not Anti. |
|
Posted by LogicalRoger on Jun 16, 2010 ^ You're very ethnocentric, I see. Decent teaser. Quite easy. |
|
Posted by doehead on Jun 16, 2010 Stick to my comment in 2007 |
|
Posted by bluemage on Jun 16, 2010 I am annoyed the title of the teaser totally gave the answer away before I really got to think about it on my own. I would have guessed watch because that's the only thing that does not necessarily involve turning, I was thinking of a digital watch. |
|
Posted by jeRussell on Jun 16, 2010 The Earth appears to spin clockwise when looking at at from the perspective of the south pole-Venus would be roating anti-clockwise. The hint of 'Aussie Toilets' was appently to reference the notion that they rotate opposite to toilets flushed in the Northern Hemisphere-This is a myth. Also it is 'DVDs' and 'Cds'-The plural and not the possessive form. Sorry if I this nitpicking. |
|
Posted by eclectric on Jun 16, 2010 Coriolis effect is a myth. Shape of toilet and the configuration and introduction of the water determines flow direction. CDs' is not correct jeRussell. Its just CDs. Only use ' after "s" when the word ends in s and is possessive. |
|
Posted by auntiesis on Jun 16, 2010 I figured they all rotate, but never thought of which direction. Silly me. |
|
Posted by patiencewithaP on Jun 16, 2010 Got it right away! Fun...great teaser! |
|
Posted by FatHead on Jun 16, 2010 Brilliant! |
To post a comment, please visit the Full Site
Back to Top