| Author | Message | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 177 Registered: 7-2006 |
*This puzzle is based on a true story that happened to me once. Shirley told me that I had four dollars in my pocket, and although I actually had five dollars in my pocket, she was exactly right. How is this possible? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2203 Registered: 2-2001 |
Well, if you have five dollars you've got any value up to five dollars (depending on which money units you've got), right? | ||
| Beccaann (Beccaann)
New member Username: Beccaann Post Number: 1741 Registered: 6-2006 |
Did you have 4 dollar pieces, or daollar bills, plus smaller change making up the other dollar? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 179 Registered: 7-2006 |
Well, if you have five dollars you've got any value up to five dollars (depending on which money units you've got), right? But not exactly four dollars, which is what this puzzle is referring to. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 180 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did you have 4 dollar pieces, or daollar bills, plus smaller change making up the other dollar? Irrelevant | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 660 Registered: 4-2007 |
Were both amounts in the same currency? Is the pocket Shirley was referring to the same one that had the 5 dollars in? Did she mean that you had four dollars, no more, no less? Did you in fact have five dollars, no more, no less? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2208 Registered: 2-2001 |
Relevant which pocket? Is a single pocket referred to in your statement? Uh, you're not a marsupial, or anything, are you? (: | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 182 Registered: 7-2006 |
Were both amounts in the same currency? yes Is the pocket Shirley was referring to the same one that had the 5 dollars in? yes Did she mean that you had four dollars, no more, no less? yes, exactly four dollars Did you in fact have five dollars, no more, no less? correct | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 183 Registered: 7-2006 |
Relevant which pocket? Is a single pocket referred to in your statement? Uh, you're not a marsupial, or anything, are you? (: The pocket in question is just one single pants pocket, no others are relevant. | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 178 Registered: 10-2005 |
Was one of the five dollars a fake or old, out-of-circulation coin/bill? So in fact you only had four dollars in legal tender? Were the five dollars in coins? A five dollar bill? Is there something relevant about how she knew what was in your pocket? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 184 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was one of the five dollars a fake or old, out-of-circulation coin/bill? no to all So in fact you only had four dollars in legal tender? no, I had 5 dollars in legal tender Were the five dollars in coins? A five dollar bill? not relevant Is there something relevant about how she knew what was in your pocket? False assumption in your question, but yes to the question. | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 664 Registered: 4-2007 |
Were the four dollars and five dollars in your pocket at the same time? By which I mean, she could have meant "you had four dollars in your pocket last tuesday" and have been right, but right now you have five dollars. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 185 Registered: 7-2006 |
Were the four dollars and five dollars in your pocket at the same time? By which I mean, she could have meant "you had four dollars in your pocket last tuesday" and have been right, but right now you have five dollars. Slight F/A in the wording of this question, and no to the question, she did mean that I had four dollars in my pocket at the exact time that I had five dollars in my pocket. | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2211 Registered: 2-2001 |
Is the country for which the dollars are legal tender relevant? Did she hav reason to believe that you had exactly four dollars in your pocket? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 186 Registered: 7-2006 |
**And just to get everyone caught up, the four dollars that Shirley said I had was not apart of the 5 dollars in total I actually had, she meant I had exactly four dollars, no more, no less, but in reality i had five dollars, no more no less. This has nothing to do with tricky math or anything of that sort. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 187 Registered: 7-2006 |
Is the country for which the dollars are legal tender relevant? no Did she hav reason to believe that you had exactly four dollars in your pocket? yesish | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 180 Registered: 10-2005 |
Would Shirley still have been right if you'd actually had four dollars in your pocket? Three dollars? Six? 100? $5.50? None? Would it work if you exchanged euros/pounds/yen for 'dollars'? Or a slang term e.g. bucks? Is a play on words involved? | ||
| Bentarm (Bentarm)
New member Username: Bentarm Post Number: 1282 Registered: 6-2001 |
Was she talking about the same time as the time you had 5 dollars in your pocket? Is it relevant exactly how she phrased it? Did she say "you have four dollars in your pocket"? could she have? If she'd said "you have five dollars in your pocket", would she have been wrong? | ||
| Sixtyeight (Sixtyeight)
New member Username: Sixtyeight Post Number: 686 Registered: 6-2007 |
was it a check for $5 but there was only $4 in the bank? was it cash? US legal tender? if the amount were converted to Euro, would the puzzle work? (using the current rate at this moment) (ie "Shirley told me that I had 2.83656 EUR in my pocket, and although I actually had 3.54570 EUR in my pocket, she was exactly right.") ? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 190 Registered: 7-2006 |
Would Shirley still have been right if you'd actually had four dollars in your pocket? yes Three dollars? Six? 100? $5.50? None? yes to all of those. Would it work if you exchanged euros/pounds/yen for 'dollars'? Or a slang term e.g. bucks? Is a play on words involved? No to all | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 191 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was she talking about the same time as the time you had 5 dollars in your pocket? yes Is it relevant exactly how she phrased it? yes Did she say "you have four dollars in your pocket"? yes could she have? As far as the situation, she could have phrased it in several ways for the same purpose. If she'd said "you have five dollars in your pocket", would she have been wrong? yes | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 192 Registered: 7-2006 |
was it a check for $5 but there was only $4 in the bank? no to both was it cash? US legal tender? yes to both if the amount were converted to Euro, would the puzzle work? (using the current rate at this moment) (ie "Shirley told me that I had 2.83656 EUR in my pocket, and although I actually had 3.54570 EUR in my pocket, she was exactly right.") ? no, irrelevant | ||
| ~damia~ (~damia~)
New member Username: ~damia~ Post Number: 1018 Registered: 9-2003 |
if you took the 5 dollars out of your pocket and asked anyone else would they agree you had 5 dollars? or would they agree you had 4 dollars? if you went to a shop could you buy 5 dollars worth of whatever? is some definition of dollar relevant? | ||
| Sixtyeight (Sixtyeight)
New member Username: Sixtyeight Post Number: 689 Registered: 6-2007 |
was Shirley referring to 4 US dollars? Was she referring to your pants pocket? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 194 Registered: 7-2006 |
*Clarification, on an earlier question it was asked whether the dollar amounts in question were composed of any particular dollar bill unit(s) and/or coins. I said irrelevant but in reflection I should have noted that the monetary units in question here are all one dollar bills, not a 5 dollar bill, no coins, just single dollar bills*. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 195 Registered: 7-2006 |
if you took the 5 dollars out of your pocket and asked anyone else would they agree you had 5 dollars? or would they agree you had 4 dollars? They'd agree that I had 5 dollars if you went to a shop could you buy 5 dollars worth of whatever? yes is some definition of dollar relevant? no, they are just ordinary (American) dollars. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 196 Registered: 7-2006 |
was Shirley referring to 4 US dollars? Was she referring to your pants pocket? yes to both | ||
| ~damia~ (~damia~)
New member Username: ~damia~ Post Number: 1020 Registered: 9-2003 |
if you took the 5 dollars out of your pocket, would Shirley still say you had 4? and be exact? or could she say you had 5 and be exact as well? | ||
| Zenith (Zenith)
New member Username: Zenith Post Number: 494 Registered: 10-2004 |
Was any of the dollar bills inside something else at the same time? i.e, you had four dollar notes in your pocket, plus a wallet with another dollar bill inside it. Thus, you pocket would contain five dollars, but only four dollars would be in your actual pocket. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 199 Registered: 7-2006 |
if you took the 5 dollars out of your pocket, would Shirley still say you had 4? and be exact? or could she say you had 5 and be exact as well? That depends, do you mean if she sees the money or if I just take it out of my pocket and not show her? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 200 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was any of the dollar bills inside something else at the same time? i.e, you had four dollar notes in your pocket, plus a wallet with another dollar bill inside it. Thus, you pocket would contain five dollars, but only four dollars would be in your actual pocket. no, the dollar bills were in my wallet which was in my pocket, thus I had 5 dollars in my pocket, the bills were all together. | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 185 Registered: 10-2005 |
Was there anything else of relevance in your pocket other than your wallet? Anything else relevant in your wallet? If your pocket was completely empty would she still be correct? Was her statement an answer to a question? Or just said out of the blue? Did you say you had 5, and she corrected you? Is Shirley the only person who could say you had 4 dollars in your pocket and be correct? Is she doing a magic trick? | ||
| Eli (Eli)
New member Username: Eli Post Number: 674 Registered: 11-2003 |
If the dollar bills had been loose in your pocket and not in your wallet, would she still be right? Is it relevant what you were talking about when she made that statement? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 203 Registered: 7-2006 |
Was there anything else of relevance in your pocket other than your wallet? no Anything else relevant in your wallet? no If your pocket was completely empty would she still be correct? If you mean no money in it as well, yes Was her statement an answer to a question? yes Or just said out of the blue? Did you say you had 5, and she corrected you? no Is Shirley the only person who could say you had 4 dollars in your pocket and be correct? In this specific situation, not the only person, but one of the only people. Is she doing a magic trick? Not exactly, I'll say noish. | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 204 Registered: 7-2006 |
If the dollar bills had been loose in your pocket and not in your wallet, would she still be right? yes Is it relevant what you were talking about when she made that statement? Highly relevant | ||
| Prontilee (Prontilee)
New member Username: Prontilee Post Number: 9 Registered: 8-2007 |
Something about telepathy? Were you doing a magic trick to Shirley? | ||
| Sixtyeight (Sixtyeight)
New member Username: Sixtyeight Post Number: 704 Registered: 6-2007 |
If a stranger named Ulrich appeared there at that moment and Ulrich said you had 4 dollars in your pocket, would Ulrich also be right? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 205 Registered: 7-2006 |
Something about telepathy? Noish, but you're very close. Were you doing a magic trick to Shirley? no | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 206 Registered: 7-2006 |
If a stranger named Ulrich appeared there at that moment and Ulrich said you had 4 dollars in your pocket, would Ulrich also be right? That would depend on why he is telling me how much money I have in my pocket. So N/A | ||
| Enjay (Enjay)
New member Username: Enjay Post Number: 674 Registered: 4-2007 |
Maybe this is a stupid question, but when you say "she was exactly right" was she exactly right about you having four dollars in your pocket? Or about something else? Was her saying that a kind of code? A signal for you? Were you performing a magic trick for someone else? Pretending to read their mind? Was Shirley your assistant? | ||
| Prontilee (Prontilee)
New member Username: Prontilee Post Number: 10 Registered: 8-2007 |
Something like this: You : "Look into my eyes and concentrate, with the power of my mind I can tell you how much I've got in my pocket" She : "No, you can't" You : "Come on, guess ! " She : "Uhm...four dollars ?" You : "Dammit! You were right!" | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 208 Registered: 7-2006 |
Maybe this is a stupid question, but when you say "she was exactly right" was she exactly right about you having four dollars in your pocket? no Or about something else? yesish Was her saying that a kind of code? no A signal for you? no Were you performing a magic trick for someone else? Pretending to read their mind? Was Shirley your assistant? no to rest | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 209 Registered: 7-2006 |
Something like this: You : "Look into my eyes and concentrate, with the power of my mind I can tell you how much I've got in my pocket" She : "No, you can't" You : "Come on, guess ! " She : "Uhm...four dollars ?" You : "Dammit! You were right!" no to all | ||
| Deathateaster (Deathateaster)
New member Username: Deathateaster Post Number: 93 Registered: 5-2007 |
Did you lie? Were you under mental influence? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 210 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did you lie? Were you under mental influence? No to both | ||
| Deathateaster (Deathateaster)
New member Username: Deathateaster Post Number: 98 Registered: 5-2007 |
Did you take money out? Put money in? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 211 Registered: 7-2006 |
Did you take money out? Put money in? no to both | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 187 Registered: 10-2005 |
So is it the case that her statement "you have four dollars in your pocket" is incorrect, but she is right to say it? Do we need to know something about your relationship to Shirley? Does she need to know something about you to rightly say this? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
New member Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 326 Registered: 9-2007 |
So obviously she wasn't right about the physical quantity in your pocket? Did you owe her a dollar? Someone else? Or was that an FA? You had 5$ in ur pocket, but she was somehow right in saying you had 4? So if I you had asked me, "How many $ do i have in my pocket?", would 5$ have been the correct answer? 4? Is it relevant who she was? Did she know something about you relevant? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
New member Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 327 Registered: 9-2007 |
Sorry asked a lot of redundant questions there! Ok i'll venture a weak unbased guess hoping to hit a random target. You said you would give 1$ to anyone who could tell you how many $s u had in ur pocket. Shirley somehow knew you had 5, but since you would have to pay her 1$, you in effect had 4? Is a bet of some sort relevant here? Was Shirley's estimate a random guess? something she already knew? based on some superhuman ability? or a normal human ability? Was one of the dollar bills special to you in some way? Something you wouldn't spend, say a lucky bill or the first bill you earned? And Shirley knew this so didn't count this one? I carry my lucky 1$ bill deep in my wallet folded neatly, so thought it was worth a shot... a bit woozy atm, gonna catch some sleep and maybe make more lateral sense tomorrow | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 217 Registered: 7-2006 |
So is it the case that her statement "you have four dollars in your pocket" is incorrect, yesish but she is right to say it? yes Do we need to know something about your relationship to Shirley? yesish Does she need to know something about you to rightly say this? yes | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 218 Registered: 7-2006 |
So obviously she wasn't right about the physical quantity in your pocket? yesish Did you owe her a dollar? Someone else? no to both Or was that an FA? You had 5$ in ur pocket, but she was somehow right in saying you had 4? yes So if I you had asked me, "How many $ do i have in my pocket?", would 5$ have been the correct answer? 4? that depends on something, thus can't answer Is it relevant who she was? yes Did she know something about you relevant? yes | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 219 Registered: 7-2006 |
Ok i'll venture a weak unbased guess hoping to hit a random target. You said you would give 1$ to anyone who could tell you how many $s u had in ur pocket. Shirley somehow knew you had 5, but since you would have to pay her 1$, you in effect had 4? no Is a bet of some sort relevant here? no Was Shirley's estimate a random guess? yesish something she already knew? yesish based on some superhuman ability? yes or a normal human ability? so no Was one of the dollar bills special to you in some way? Something you wouldn't spend, say a lucky bill or the first bill you earned? And Shirley knew this so didn't count this one? no I carry my lucky 1$ bill deep in my wallet folded neatly, so thought it was worth a shot... a bit woozy atm, gonna catch some sleep and maybe make more lateral sense tomorrow | ||
| Strongplacebo (Strongplacebo)
New member Username: Strongplacebo Post Number: 190 Registered: 10-2005 |
Is Shirley a relative of yours? a close friend? your partner? colleague? a stranger? The relevant factoid she knows about you: does it relate to your financial situation? your habits? your job? your family? something that has happened to you? a superstition you have? your likes/dislikes? Does anyone else know this about you, hence they could also correctly say you had $4 in your pocket? is it relevant where you are at the time? In a shop? restaurant? bar? racetrack? casino?somewhere else you might spend money? | ||
| Dlcygnet (Dlcygnet)
New member Username: Dlcygnet Post Number: 920 Registered: 6-2005 |
Are sand dollars relevant to this puzzle? | ||
| Noobdogg (Noobdogg)
New member Username: Noobdogg Post Number: 339 Registered: 9-2007 |
Is she psychic? If so she based the guess on what you were thinking? Was there some reason you were thinking 4$? If not, is her superhuman ability any of these: X-ray vision? Telepathy? Telekinetic? ESP? Hypnosis? Heightened senses? Hmm... another random thought... Shirley--> H? A? F? Suddenly getting a picture of a horse tapping its hoof lol! :-D | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 223 Registered: 7-2006 |
Is Shirley a relative of yours? yes a close friend? your partner? colleague? a stranger? no to rest The relevant factoid she knows about you: does it relate to your financial situation? yes, but misleading your habits? your job? your family? something that has happened to you? a superstition you have? your likes/dislikes? no to rest Does anyone else know this about you, hence they could also correctly say you had $4 in your pocket? In general, no is it relevant where you are at the time? no In a shop? restaurant? bar? racetrack? casino?somewhere else you might spend money? | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 224 Registered: 7-2006 |
Are sand dollars relevant to this puzzle? no | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 225 Registered: 7-2006 |
Is she psychic? yes If so she based the guess on what you were thinking? yes Was there some reason you were thinking 4$? yes. I'll post the spoiler to this puzzle in the next message, good job! If not, is her superhuman ability any of these: X-ray vision? Telepathy? Telekinetic? ESP? Hypnosis? Heightened senses? Hmm... another random thought... Shirley--> H? A? F? Suddenly getting a picture of a horse tapping its hoof lol! :-D | ||
| Crashknight (Crashknight)
New member Username: Crashknight Post Number: 226 Registered: 7-2006 |
*********Spoiler************* I had always thought that my Great Aunt Shirley had some pyschic ability due to various events and situations in her life. So one day when my family went to visit her I decided to test her, I asked her to try to 'read my mind' and tell me how much money I had in my pocket. (At that time, I thought I had 4 dollars in it.) She thought for a moment and said that I had 4 dollars in my pocket. It thought wow! and told her that she was right. When I took the money out of pocket to show her that she truly was right I saw that I actually had 5 dollars, not 4. But I explained to Shirley that although I had 5, she was exactly right. |
