Curio Cabinet / Teaser Curio

Danny Estuary has it in his head that he wants to rob a bank of its gold coins, and he knows the exact 10 unnaturally good-looking friends he wants to invite to join him on his escapade. After extensive planning, they arrive at an overcomplicated scheme that involves haute couture costume changes, heart-rate-raising music, fake British accents, and quick cuts. It's on. After the successful heist (was there ever any doubt?), the 11 burglars retreat to the hideout to divvy up the gold coins evenly. Then, Danny realizes that the plan was even more perfect than he thought. If there were 2 burglars, there would have been one gold coin leftover and they would have fought over it. If there were 3 burglars, there would have been one gold coin left and they would have fought over it. If there were 4 burglars, there would have been one gold coin left and they would have fought over it. In fact, there would have been one coin leftover (and fighting) if there were 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 burglars to split the coins. But there were 11 burglars and the haul was split evenly. What's the smallest number of coins Danny and team could have stolen?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #213" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Technology advances so quickly these days, it's hard to keep up. All this time we've all been training to sketch metal deer is completely for naught. The secret? Move to Burbank, CA and run a daytime talk show, even if you fail at it. Confused? Two phrases from this Alvin Toffler quote have been scrambled. The phrases of the original quote have the number of words and letters shown below. The phrases were scrambled independently (i.e., the letters from the first phrase aren't scrambled into the second phrase). Can you figure out the original phrases? The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot draw a tin deer, but those who cannot near LA, run an 'Ellen', and err. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot (4) (3) (5), but those who cannot (5) (7) (3) (7).

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #212" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!
 

Do you take delight in feeling bright? Or erudite? Whether by candlelight or with alight anthracite, we invite you tonight to write the answer with the forthright might of an uptight White Knight with an appetite for dolomite. Alright? Dynamite! This is a common 6-letter English word. (The original word) Having an audible bite (Change the first letter to a T) It tends to excite (Remove the 1st & 3rd letters) Mound of adequate height (Remove the 1st three letters) Not feeling quite right What's the original word?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #211" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Saint Francis of Assisi once wrote "For it is in giving that we receive." We assume he meant that it is through charity that we receive the higher benefits of doing good, but it's possible he was a free market capitalist who was describing how money can be exchanged for goods and services. Today's teaser is to submit a 30-page essay discussing how the relevance of this quote has changed over the last 800 years since he wrote it.   Just kidding. Please don't send in any essays; we're not going to read them. Instead, just do our word square about giving and receiving. It's definitely easier.   Remember: a word square is similar to a square crossword puzzle, but the same words appear across and down. Here's an example of a 3x3 word square:   CAT AGO TOY   Below are four clues, not in order. Can you make a 4x4 word square out of it? Send something away Something to send away Received It comes back

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #210" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

It's October, and peaches are way, way, way out of season. But now, it's clearly peach emoji season (though still a distant second to pumpkin spice season in the ranking of current non-fruit season popularity). This season may last a while, so this week, we give you a longer word ladder to take you from the delicious PEACH to the not-delicious peachy ICONS. Can you make a word ladder from PEACH to ICONS that satisfies the clues below? PEACH      Agreement        Getting warm    An old woman (not common)  A trusted friend     ICONS Remember: a word ladder is a series of words, starting from one word and ending with another, where each subsequent word is a one-letter change from the previous word (without rearranging, adding, or removing letters). And, of course, each step is a common, valid English word. For instance, you can change CAT to DOG like this: CAT => COT => DOT => DOG.
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #209" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

In an attempt to resolve their differences on the correct way to macaronage when making French macarons, Larry, Moe, and Curly have decided to step into the Octagon. As all fine bakers know, that's the only way to settle disputes. After a disturbingly brutal Round 1, the referee sent each of them to random corners of the Octagon for the break before Round 2 (of course, octagons have corners; they're just not right angles). Unfortunately, they're so angry with each other that if two of them end up on adjacent corners, they'll just continue fighting. What is the probability we'll have a peaceful break between rounds?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #208" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

At this point, we should have a joke here that somehow combines "see right through you" and "baaaa" but well, we're just not that clever. If you can think of a good one, send it in!
 
Two phrases from this Alexander Graham Bell quote have been scrambled. The phrases of the original quote have the number of words and letters shown below. The phrases were scrambled independently (i.e., the letters from the first phrase aren't scrambled into the second phrase). Can you figure out the original phrases?

Sometimes we stare so long at a radiologist's notch that we see too late the sheep notation. — Alexander Graham Bell
 
Sometimes we stare so long at a (4) (4) (2) (7) that we see too late the (3) (4) (2) (4). — Alexander Graham Bell

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #207" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

It's quite hard to make teasers that you like. Balancing the difficulty, injecting the creativity, finding the "oh, that's cool" factor are all really quite tricky. So we'll just lower your expectations and say that you're going to hate this word riddle that is basically about hate. Enjoy. Or not. This is a common 7-letter English word. (The original word) Harmful or hostile (Remove the 2nd letter) Definitely not a fan of (Remove the 1st two letters) Many are about lost loves (Remove the last two letters and add a B on the end) Disgustingly, revoltingly, or reluctantly What's the original word?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #206" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Words are incredibly useful. Talking, for instance. And warnings on dangerous chemicals. For us, however, words are best used for brain teasers, and today, we're using them in a word square about talking.   Remember: a word square is similar to a square crossword puzzle, but the same words appear across and down. Here's an example of a 3x3 word square:   CAT AGO TOY   Below are four clues, not in order. Can you make a 4x4 word square out of it? It's basically someone talking alone. It's basically someone talking to someone else. A group who works together, often by talking. You usually have to talk to a lot of people to find one of these.
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #205" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Are you ready for some football? We hope so because whether or not you like the sport, football season is in full swing. Unfortunately for Panthers fans, not every player is in full swing. Punt returner Ray-Ray McCloud "muffed" two punts last night; "muff" is football's fantastically fun name for trying to catch a kicked ball but flubbing it. To celebrate that word, and really not to harass Ray-Ray about it, can you make a word ladder from MUFF to PUNT that satisfies the clues below? MUFF      A sport where dropping the ball isn't necessarily a bad thing        Do this well to stay on the ball     PUNT Remember: a word ladder is a series of words, starting from one word and ending with another, where each subsequent word is a one-letter change from the previous word (without rearranging, adding, or removing letters). And, of course, each step is a common, valid English word. For instance, you can change CAT to DOG like this: CAT => COT => DOT => DOG.
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #204" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Can you hear the sobs of children saying good-bye to their summer vacation? Their games are being replaced by teachers, books, and dirty looks. But those games of summer have to go somewhere, so they came here, to the Curious Teaser Curio. In the addition problem below, each unique letter represents a different single digit. None of the number "words" starts with a 0 (i.e., G and S are not 0). What are the values of GAMES and SUMMER?
 

  GAMES   GAMES + GAMES  SUMMER

 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #203" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

With summer vacation ending, kids everywhere are heading back to school, and some of them don't like it at all. Did you know? Nelson Mandela may have been a great man, but he really didn't value education very much. He even went so far as to insult it and call it poop! Can you imagine? Two phrases from this Nelson Mandela quote have been scrambled. The phrases of the original quote have the number of words and letters shown below. The phrases were scrambled independently (i.e., the letters from the first phrase aren't scrambled into the second phrase). Can you figure out the original phrases? Education is the most newer awful poop which you can use to drench a hog welt. — Nelson Mandela Education is the most (8) (6) which you can use to (6) (3) (5). — Nelson Mandela

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #202" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

The world can be a dangerous place. We have microplastic in our food. We have drug-resistant bacteria. We have alligators climbing fences. And if that wasn't enough, we now have our most dangerous riddle. Be very afraid... This is a common 8-letter English word. (The original word) It could send you hurtling through the air. (Replace the 2nd letter with R) If done improperly, you could be buried in rubble. (Replace the 2nd letter with L) It could bury you in a landslide. (Replace the 2nd letter with L and 6th letter with R) Enough of these could fry you. What's the original word?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #201" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!
 

We, here at Curious, believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way; show them all the beauty they possess inside. But most of all, shoehorn them into a brain teaser. Whitney Houston (and George Benson) wouldn't have it any other way.   Remember: a word square is similar to a square crossword puzzle, but the same words appear across and down. Here's an example of a 3x3 word square:   CAT AGO TOY   Below are four clues, not in order. Can you make a 4x4 word square out of it? A young child may not like it, but you have to do it. A young child can figure out how to use these in ~2 months. Where you might find multiple young children, clamoring for food. A literary young child who was an orphan.
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #200" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!
 

It's already August, and you're running out of time to throw those grand summer barbecues. Putting meat to heat (or meat-like vegetarian options, if that's the way you roll) is a rite of summer, then standing above that meat, drinking a beer, pretending you know exactly when it's done when you're totally guessing. Ahhh... summer... To celebrate your non-judgmental meat-heating companion, can you find the word ladder that connects DRINK to BEERS that satisfies the clues below? DRINK      ← The space to the left          Generally, you only see them outside, but not at a BBQ.     BEERS Remember: a word ladder is a series of words, starting from one word and ending with another, where each subsequent word is a one-letter change from the previous word (without rearranging, adding, or removing letters). And, of course, each step is a common, valid English word. For instance, you can change CAT to DOG like this: CAT => COT => DOT => DOG.
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #199" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

John and Kyle are working on getting into shape. Nothing too crazy, but just starting with some jogging on the track. John, possibly thinking he's a British racehorse or something, decides to run it clockwise while Kyle runs it counter-clockwise. Every time they pass each other, they high-five to congratulate each other on getting into shape.
 
Kyle takes 45 seconds to get around the track and they high-five each other every 30 seconds.
 
How long does it take for John to run a lap on the track?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #198" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Langston Hughes was a poet and playwright who was a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance spanning the 1920's. He was an innovator in a movement known as jazz poetry and usually wrote his poetry using sordid viper quills. Who knew vipers had quills? We suppose it's possible it takes the creativity of a poet to even imagine that. Or we messed something up. Two phrases from this Langston Hughes quote have been scrambled. The phrases of the original quote have the number of words and letters shown below. The phrases were scrambled independently (i.e., the letters from the first phrase aren't scrambled into the second phrase). Can you figure out the original phrases? Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with sordid viper quills. Let the rain buy you a li'l slang. — Langston Hughes Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with (6) (6) (5). Let the rain (4) (3) (1) (7). — Langston Hughes

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #197" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!
 

This week, we gathered a bunch of letters together, wadded them up, and then started buffing. Rubbing, sanding, wiping, maybe a little varnish, more buffing, etc... until we got this shiny riddle. It's so shiny you can see your face in it. Ya know, your face with sunglasses on because the riddle is so shiny, it's blinding. We hope you take a shine to this one. This is a common 6-letter English word. (The original word) White & shiny (Remove the first letter) Rise-y & shiny? (Remove the last two letters) The shape of something shiny, upside-down (Remove the first and last two letters) Even if it's tin, it's still not shiny. What's the original word?
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #196" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Of course, all of our word square teasers are at a loss for words: the words are missing. Duh. This one is a little more meta, though... Here the missing words are about words that are missing (or negative). So in a teaser about missing words, why is this preamble still going? We'll just stop.   Remember: a word square is similar to a square crossword puzzle, but the same words appear across and down. Here's an example of a 3x3 word square:   CAT AGO TOY   Below are four clues, not in order. Can you make a 4x4 word square out of it? Its booklets have frustratingly few words in them. It has no words when you buy it, but it can fit ~500,000 of them. It can't speak but it can sing (well, it most likely can't speak) What negative words can do to positive thoughts

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #195" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!

Did you have an explosive Fourth of July? The tradition of fireworks displays for Independence Day started on the very first Independence Day when Benjamin Franklin dropped his pipe in a comically large shed filled with explosives. Or at least that's what we heard once. We didn't really research that. What we do know is that we love fireworks. Can you find the word ladder that connects FIRE to WORK to BOOM that satisfies the clue below? FIRE     WORK      The best way to use fire on July 4th     BOOM Remember: a word ladder is a series of words, starting from one word and ending with another, where each subsequent word is a one-letter change from the previous word (without rearranging, adding, or removing letters). And, of course, each step is a common, valid English word. For instance, you can change CAT to DOG like this: CAT => COT => DOT => DOG.
 

Think you know the answer? Email support@curious.com with the subject "Teaser #194" and let us know, or check back next week to find out!