The Waiter

Three men in a cafe order a meal the total cost of which is $15. They each contribute $5. The waiter takes the money to the chef who recognises the three as friends and asks the waiter to return $5 to the men.

The waiter is not only poor at mathematics but dishonest and instead of going to the trouble of splitting the $5 between the three he simply gives them $1 each and pockets the remaining $2 for himself.

Now, each of the men effectively paid $4, the total paid is therefore $12. Add the $2 in the waiters pocket and this comes to $14. Where has the other $1 gone from the original $15?




Similar Riddles

What number when divided in half becomes zero?

Asked by Neha on 20 Jul 2024


As easy as you can get into me, it is as hard to get out of me.

Do you know what I am?

Asked by Neha on 23 Apr 2023

Find a 9-digit number, which you will gradually round off starting with units, then tenth, hundred etc., until you get to the last numeral, which you do not round off. The rounding alternates (up, down, up ...). After rounding off 8 times, the final number is 500000000. The original number is commensurable by 6 and 7, all the numbers from 1 to 9 are used, and after rounding four times the sum of the not rounded numerals equals 24.

Asked by Neha on 01 Sep 2021


He runs but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats?

Asked by Neha on 24 Jul 2025

A wife and her husband were driving in their car on the highway. All of a sudden, they ran out of gas. So the husband said to the wife, 'Now, you stay here. I will go down the highway to the nearest gas station, and it will be about 1 hour. Just listen to the radio and read some books, and remember to lock all the windows and doors. I will leave the keys with you.' So, off the husband went, and the wife first locked ALL the windows and doors. Next, she turned on the radio, and this is what she heard on the news report:
'THERE IS A MURDERER ON THE LOOSE. HE WAS LAST SEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, WEARING ALL BLACK, ABOUT 5 FOOT 11 INCHES. PLEASE, BE AWARE AND CONTACT THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY.' The wife got very scared. She turned off the radio and double-checked the locked doors. Then she saw the murderer, only a couple of feet away from the car. An hour later, the husband returned to his car. Inside the car, his wife was DEAD, she had been murdered. All the windows were still locked, and the doors. No windows were broken, and the car was in PERFECT condition. No scratches or anything, it was the same way as when he left it. How did the murderer kill the wife?

Asked by Neha on 13 Jul 2023

Remove two matchsticks to make the below equation correct.

Make the Equation Correct

Asked by Neha on 23 Dec 2023


There is a jar in which there are two types of candies.
20 blueberries and 16 strawberries. You perform the following steps:
1) You take out two candies.
2) If the two candies are of the same flavour, you add a blueberry one otherwise, you add the strawberry one.

You repeat these two steps till there is just one candy remaining in the jar. Which flavoured candy will be left?

Asked by Neha on 30 Aug 2023

Count the squares in the matchstick puzzle below?

Count the Squares

Asked by Neha on 17 Sep 2023

In the picture that is attached with this question, you can find a square which comprises of four little squares inside it. Consider this square to be made with matchsticks. You have to remove two matchsticks such that only two squares remain instead of five.How will you do it ?

Make Two Square

Asked by Neha on 14 May 2021


What can you see in the middle of March and April that you can never see in any other month?

Asked by Neha on 13 Oct 2021

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Crossword

The day before the 1996 U.S. presidential election, the NYT Crossword contained the clue “Lead story in tomorrow’s newspaper,” the puzzle was built so that both electoral outcomes were correct answers, requiring 7 other clues to have dual responses.