It’s the Friday Puzzle!

Here are three answers
A) Answer A
B) Answer A or B
C) Answer B or C

There is only one correct answer to this question. Which answer is this?

As ever, please do NOT post your answers, but do say if you solved it and how long it took. Have a good weekend!

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76 Responses to “It’s the Friday Puzzle!”

  1. natselrox Says:

    Got it. Was too simple. Or maybe I’m wrong! *confused*

  2. Carl Says:

    Ok, I think I’ve got what the answer is supposed to be (couple of minutes), but I should point out that the answers are listed 1,2,3, not A,B,C. So, strictly speaking, there’s no right answer.

    • Roland Says:

      1) IMHO not true. Just using logic, it doesn’t really matter how the options are labelled.

      B) Since Richard changed the puzzle, it might be that his formal logic is not so formal ;-)

      III) Have a nice weekend ;-)

  3. infophile Says:

    If by 1, 2, 3 in labeling the answers, you mean (or they’re equivalent to) A, B, C, then I got in ~30 sec.

  4. windermerelodge Says:

    Seems straightforward enough to me but then I normally struggle so I’m probably wrong :-)

  5. Morgan Says:

    Apart from the confusion of the answers being labelled 1, 2 & 3 and also A, B & C, this was pretty simple. Under a minute. Clever though.

  6. Daniel Says:

    Easy enough. Got it in under 30 seconds

  7. cozdas Says:

    First I thought it’s the obvious one. Then realized that it’s not that obvious one but the other obvious one %). Took under a minute.

  8. Victoria Says:

    Cozdas has just made me look again and now I’ve changed my mind to the “other obvious one”. Good point. Yup. I reckon I’m there too now. X

  9. James Says:

    Under a minute!

  10. Marion Says:

    Well I’ve got an answer, whether it’s right or not I will have to wait and find out.
    Going back now to check if it makes sense and know I will probably change my mind!!

  11. inatrice Says:

    Great,
    Feeling low, thought I would pop over and have a quick look at the blog and now I feel even worse. It’s correct I really am Stupid!!! – I just don’t understand!! :-(

    • ScreamingGreenConure Says:

      Dude, chill. It’s just a puzzle. Puzzles are fun, it doesn’t really matter if you’re right or not. It’s not some kind of mega important IQ test, it’s a fun Friday game.

  12. Nick Sharratt Says:

    I agree ‘it’s the other obvious one’ – got that in about a min I guess, but only confident it’s right rather than being sure.

  13. Surendera M Bhanot Says:

    Its quite baffling between 123 & ABC, Anyway got it in under 2 minutes.

  14. Niklaus gerber Says:

    Well I have a way how to look at it and I have a proper solution. Took me 20 Seconds but I am not sure if it is the one you are looking for.

  15. Tommy Says:

    There’s an awful lot of contradiction in the supposedly “correct” answer. I’ll argue in defense of the more obvious answer (and against the puzzle! :) ) on Monday.

  16. lilabyrd Says:

    OK first I had to find the question and then thought I found the answer then read posts and got very, very confused as I don’t see the numbers 1, 2, 3 anywhere…..then I think maybe there were numbers and it was too confusing and Richard must have corrected it by posting A, B, and C………so now after 2 to 3 very long minutes I think I got the answer but will double check myself many times over before Monday……why? Heck if I know…lol…..

    • Joao Pedro Afonso Says:

      Never, never read other posts before putting your answer. Likely there will be confusion there and you’ll be worst.

      Feel the puzzle, be the puzzle, grok it, inhale the problem, exhale the solution… slowly… ahhh…

    • lilabyrd Says:

      Joao Pedro…..I felt the puzzle….I tried to be the puzzle but it kept getting away from me…..now IT is stalking me…..IT keeps trying to sneak up behind me…..I don’t know if I can make it to Monday….I hear it breathing and exhaling ……come on it’s either A, B or C……….ahhhhh……..

    • Joao Pedro Afonso Says:

      Wrong approach. If you are the puzzle, the puzzle is yourself. It’s you, you are hearing breathing behind you. Return to your body, he already knows the answer.

      (And don’t try to sneak in my mind! I charge rent there.)

  17. doug livesey Says:

    About 3 minutes, I think. First timer, so I’ll time it more accurately next time.

  18. Apple Says:

    10 seconds. Too easy. Good relaxation from studying tho :)

  19. Mark Says:

    This one has done my head in. I have an answer – actually I have two of them. What is the betting that my choices are both wrong? :D Confused. And I’ll have to wait until Monday to find the answer. Aaaargh.

  20. Berber Anna Says:

    There’s one answer that covers all options, which would be a nice out if not for the fact that there can only be one answer. Although maybe that doesn’t mean only one option. Now I’m confused.

    • Rob Says:

      I think that I am thinking what you are thinking, in which case you are right.

      Or maybe wrong.

      I like the ‘hedging your bets’ option.

      ps Hello Berber Anna, nice to see you here…

    • Berber Anna Says:

      Okay, now that I reread the question, I’m fairly sure my answer is the right one.

  21. Rob Says:

    I agree, it is the other obvious one. I would have plumped for the most obvious answer but I decided to revisit after reading the posts here. Seems so simple now…

  22. Timo Says:

    60 seconds

  23. McAllistair Says:

    There is no spoon.

  24. erica Says:

    just seconds, a couple each to consider each of the three answers and to see what they implied.
    would have been harder before the question was clarified in response to the earlier responder’s questions.

  25. Joao Pedro Afonso Says:

    Very nice puzzle. Never saw it before. 1 minute and half.

  26. anon Says:

    about a minute.

  27. D Says:

    Okay, that was surprisingly easy. I hope it’s right.

  28. Rob Says:

    Oh sorry, no timing included- took me about 30 seconds to come up with two answers, and a further 30 seconds to refine it to one answer.
    One minute in total.

  29. smoodaboo Says:

    The thing that got me the most about this puzzle, is how wrong the word “answer” looks when you look at it a long time.

  30. Lumpy Jay Says:

    Well it took me about a minute because I had to read it a couple of times to be sure my first thought was correct … A tad easy this one xxx

    • Lumpy Jay Says:

      I got a bit confused after reading the other replies, so I had to have another look for the other obvious answer … I think I’ll stick with my original answer ;)

  31. Sho Says:

    Well this is the first one I got straight off the bat, it almost seems too easy………..maybe I’m wrong…..um lemme think………:)

  32. FormerComposer Says:

    I’m pretty sure I’ve got it — about 2 mins.

  33. Emily Says:

    What fun! Took about 15 seconds, I guess.

  34. Ben Hastings Says:

    Stumped for 3 seconds, then I re-read it and the answer became obvious

  35. Waldo Says:

    Am I the only one who doesn’t understand the puzzle?

    A) Yes

    B) Yes and no

    C) Yes, we have no bananas (That was last weeks puzzle).

  36. faye Says:

    seems waaaaaay to simple, but i think i have it.

  37. George Says:

    was confused at first. then slowed down and went back to basics and logic. 3 min look fwd to the answer

  38. Anders E Says:

    I actually preferred it before Richard changed the answers from 1, 2 and 3 to A), B), and C). As it is now, answer A) is answer a, which is answer A), which is answer a. And B) is answer a or b, where b is answer B), which is… This actually makes the whole thing unsolvable, I think, because no answer can be distinct, as there is no way to refer to an answer that doesn’t refer to two anwers.

  39. Ole Jacob Says:

    Well, first I wondered what the question was. But then, after thinking that I may not need a question, I started trying to solve it, using about 20 seconds…

  40. Cuneiform Says:

    First had one answer, after a few seconds. Then read here that other people changed their minds. And indeed, after reading the comments I think Richards solution will be the “second” answer people have written about.

    I think both answers are correct, depending on how you read the question (I only saw the revised wording, i.e. no numbers 1, 2, 3).

  41. amorphous Says:

    i’m officially thick!!

    took me about 5 minutes, I know I have the correct answer…but its particularly unsatisfying.

    don’t like riddles like this :(

  42. Zach Says:

    easy, I think. 30 sec.

  43. Angus Says:

    Took about two minutes. Not usually that fast but haven’t looked at the FP for a while. Perhaps they’re getting easier…or I’m wrong

  44. Carlos Says:

    3 seconds, but maybe my answer isn´t correct

  45. Norman Says:

    whats the fucking question ._.

  46. JDvZ Says:

    Solved. 3 seconds

  47. Adan Ova Says:

    Really interesting one. Took me like 10 seconds to find an answer and about a minute to realise I was wrong. Then, about another minute to find a better answer. However, I do not count the time with anything so it may be more or less.

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  50. Jerry996 Says:

    Under a minute, I think.

  51. Steven C. Britton Says:

    I had to grab a pen and paper to work it out. It’s mainly a logic puzzle, and programmers should nail it very quickly. (no, I’m not going to tell you how to do it.)

    Ironically, my gut reaction was not the correct answer, which is why I had to revisit it. Once I wrote down the thought process, it all came clear in about a minute.

  52. Steve Ulven Says:

    If it has anything to do with truth tables I got it right away, otherwise I have no idea.

  53. Quincy Says:

    Stupid me… spend 4 minutes bashing through the propositional calculus when I could have used reasoning to get to the answer in under 30 secs…

    In short got in in 4 minutes initially, but am able to get that (now) mathematically proven answer in under 30s using a different method…

  54. yrumad Says:

    I think I got the answer. Took me about a minute. Hope I am right :)

  55. Rich Says:

    Back for the third time today and still don’t have a clue where to start.

  56. Samara Says:

    Very confusing, but I think I found the answer. Or may be not.

  57. Mihawk Says:

    Solved it in maybe three seconds… but I do maths for a living… maybe that helped :)

  58. Thomas Says:

    15 – 30 seconds. I’m probably wrong.

  59. Arthur Says:

    Haha… immediately.

    I just exclaimed it and made my comment :D

  60. Ducks Says:

    Nevermind the answer, I was sitting there asking myself “What’s the question?” and wondering if I had missed reading it. It took me about a minute to figure out what the question was, and then 3 seconds to figure out the answer from there. (At least I think I got it right…)

  61. McQ Says:

    It took me longer to read the question than it did to get the answer. So 20 seconds, total. Although this is one of the easier quizzes, I like it.

  62. James Says:

    Got it. Took about 15-20 seconds, if I am correct that is :)

  63. Flavio Says:

    I read the revised version. Anyway if I’m correct it took me the time to read the 3 answers… pretty obvious if you ask me!

  64. leslie Says:

    Got it! took about 30 seconds. Hey, it’s Sunday. ;)

  65. Mark McA Says:

    Very cool!

    Got an answer instantly, but with “RW is never going to be that obvious” ringing in my head, I looked again and found ‘the other obvious one’.

    But still my brain itched, so I started again from scratch.

    The ‘other obvious one’ is wrong, and it IS my first answer after all – only not for the reasons I first thought.

    Could also catch you out?

  66. Tony Lloyd Says:

    It took me 30 seconds to get the right answer. But it took me a *day* to realise that there was no need for the options to be labelled “1″, “2″, “3″.

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