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

Who always enjoys poor health?

Who enjoys poor health?

Asked by Neha on 22 Sep 2021


I have teeth but i don't bite. Who Am I ?

Teeth for showpiece

Asked by Neha on 29 Mar 2021

As a whole I am both
safe and secure.

Behead me and I become
a place of meeting.

Behead me again and I am
the partner of ready.

Restore me, and I become
the domain of beasts.

What am I?

Asked by Neha on 11 May 2021


In 1990, a person is 15 years old. In 1995, that same person is 10 years old. How can this be?

Asked by Neha on 06 Jul 2025

A man has to get a fox, a chicken, and a sack of corn across a river.

He has a rowboat, and it can only carry him and one other thing.
If the fox and the chicken are left together, the fox will eat the chicken.
If the chicken and the corn are left together, the chicken will eat the corn.

How does the man do it?

Asked by Neha on 04 May 2021

1. How can we put an elephant in the refrigerator?
2. How can we put a Giraffe in a refrigerator?
3. The king of the jungle invites all the animals to a party everyone comes except for one animal, which animal?
4. You come to a crocodile-infested lake, you can't go around it, you can't co under it and you can't go over it, how do you get across?

Asked by Neha on 25 May 2023


What is the next number in this series?

4,12,84,3612....

Asked by Neha on 18 Mar 2023

Bopanna was working on a murder case when he received a message about the location of the murder weapon.
The message was encrypted as below.

"deb mitciv eht edisni neddih si nopaew redrum ehT"

Tell me the location of the murder weapon.

Asked by Neha on 04 Jan 2026

Take away the whole and some still remain. What is it?

Asked by Neha on 19 Dec 2024


Today is John's birthday.
A year ago, John had five candles and he lit all the candles except the one at the last.
Now he is going to light all the candles.

How old is John Today?

(He is not five today.....)

Asked by Neha on 04 Feb 2025

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Rubik’s Cube

The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube didn’t realize he’d built a puzzle until he scrambled it the first time and tried to restore it.