Riddles and optical illusions are a lot of fun, even when they are just so hard to figure out. A new riddle on TikTok is stumping everyone on social media. Can you figure it out?
Do you love brain teasers and puzzles?
Are you someone who loves to challenge your brain? Whether you like to solve riddles, crosswords, or Sudoku, all of these exercises are both fun and enriching. But, it can become maddening when you can’t figure it out.
Here’s the viral riddle.
The riddle which has been making the rounds on TikTok goes like this: “There’s a woman in a boat. On a lake wearing a coat. If you want to know her name, it’s in the riddle I just wrote. What is the woman’s name?”
Can you figure it out without Googling?
If you’re like me, you might be tempted to just Google the answer right away…or keep scrolling to find it in this article. After all, my brain has never done well with riddles.
Figuring it out yourself can be rewarding!
While it might be tricky, the answer does lie in the riddle itself. So, why not try to sit with it for a minute and see if you can deduce the answer? It makes sense when you know the answer, even if the riddle wants to trip you up.
Ready for the answer?
Her name isn’t a common one. In fact, it is hidden in the very first line of the riddle. The woman’s name is “there.” Now, you might be wondering how this works or just annoyed by the answer. So, let’s examine it further.
The riddle uses clever wordplay.
Often, riddles use wordplay to reveal an answer. In a riddle like this one, the answer helps us see things in a new light beyond normal conventions.
Often, “there” is a word to describe a noun in the place of a person’s name. So, you might say “Look over there at that woman.”
But, it could also be used as a name.
However, it’s possible that “there” could be a name. So, while the riddle is playing around with grammar conventions, the sentence can make sense either way. “There” can be the name of a woman in this case.
What do you think about this riddle?
The answer makes sense once you know it, but it’s still a little infuriating. What did you think of this riddle? Do you have a favorite riddle you like to share with others?