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

Why do Chinese men eat more rice than Japanese men do ?

Asked by Neha on 02 Sep 2021


Keyboard words are not in alphabetical order, Why?

Asked by Neha on 26 Jul 2023

What will be the best approach to finding all the prime numbers less than 75 that leave an odd reminder when we divide them with 5?

Asked by Neha on 12 Jul 2021


You see a mathematical expression in the picture. Can you think of a movie that this expression refers to?

Movie in Maths

Asked by Neha on 05 Aug 2021

Can you find out the smallest number that can be conveyed as the sum of three squares in three unique ways?

Asked by Neha on 27 Aug 2023

My grandson is about as many days as my son in weeks, and my grandson is as many months as I am in years. My grandson, my son and I together are 120 years. Can you tell me my age in years ?

Asked by Neha on 20 Jun 2021


What can run but never walk, have a mouth that never speaks, have a head that never weeps, and have a bed but never sleeps?

Asked by Neha on 05 Sep 2025

I have one of the three numbers: 1, 2, or 3 in my mind. I speak only truth. You can ask me just one question for which I will only reply in yes or no or don't know. What question will you ask from me so that you are able to know the number?

I Speak only the Truth

Asked by Neha on 15 May 2023

Peter wakes up daily to pick up his cycle and crosses the border between Spain and France daily with a bag on his shoulder. He is investigated daily by the officials but they don't find anything suspicious.

If we tell you that he is smuggling something what would it be?

Asked by Neha on 25 Jun 2024


When I got four, I have it none.
When I got two, I have it some.
When I got none, I have it all.

What is it?

Asked by Neha on 31 Aug 2024

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Challenging

There is a cryptic organization called Cicada 3301 that posts challenging puzzles online, possibly to recruit codebreakers and linguists.