Some questions can be confusing and lead us to believe that the answer causes problems precisely because of the way the question is formulated.

These questions, which are known as trick questions, can lead us to make simple mistakes . Not only that, but by answering them we can do it with total security and speed, believing that we are 100% right. Many times, the reasoning mistakes we make are due to the fact that our starting point is a trick question. Now, how do we recognize them?

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Leading questions: some examples

In the following lines you can find a list of trick questions which you cannot answer without being exposed, precisely because there is a trap in them.

1. What was the first name of King George VI?

Although in the question the name of George appears; in fact, the first name of this English king is Albert. Many people forget that kings often used a different name than their own, often because it was shortened.

In which month do Russians celebrate the “October Revolution”?

Almost instinctively most individuals would respond in October, but the date of the celebration is in the month of November, because at the time a different calendar was used.

3. What color are the “Black Boxes” on the planes?

Despite the colour of the question, the truth is that the black boxes on the planes are actually orange.

4. To what animal do the Canary Islands owe their name?

These islands, located in African territory, but belonging to Spain, owe their name to the dogs, in Latin called Canis .

5. What does it take to light a candle?

Possibly a lighter or a match, but mainly that it is off. This is the only option that is always necessary.

6. Which weighs more, a kilo of cotton or a kilo of lead?

Neither cotton nor lead, both weigh the same, it is the density that varies.

7. Where is the Thursday before Wednesday?

This question can lead people to think a lot, but the answer is simple: in the dictionary.

Do you know what they call the elevator in Japan?

In Japan, elevator has a name that can be pronounced, but the answer is: by pressing the button.

9. What are the brushes of “Camel Hair” made of?

Camel brushes are not made of this humped animal, but of squirrel hair.

10. What animal do you get the “Cat’s Gut Strings” from?

Like the previous question, it can be confusing. Actually, they are extracted from the entrails of sheep or horses.

11. How long did the famous 100 Years’ War last?

The answer is not 100, because this war lasted 116 years. It was a war between the kingdoms of France and England.

12. What is the longest day of the week?

Every day has 24 hours; however, when writing it, the longest name is Wednesday, with 9 letters.

13. What is the discomfort of 1+2?

This is a pretty far-fetched question. The answer has a lot to do with psychology: it’s stress.

14. What is the question that no one could answer in the affirmative?

Are you asleep? This is the answer. No one could answer that if they really were.

15. If I have five fish and three of them drown, how many fish do I have left?

The fish do not drown, and therefore the same fish remain, i.e. 5.

16. Which country makes the famous “Panama Hats”?

Many people would answer Panama, but the correct answer is Ecuador.

17. In English, what animal name begins with the last letter of the alphabet and ends with the first?

A complex question, but the correct answer is zebra.

18. How can a man go eight days without sleep?

Well, sleeping at night.

19. The word Paris begins with “P” and ends with “T”, right or wrong?

It’s true. If we think only of the word Paris, we’ll think not. But Paris starts with a “P” and ends with a “T”.

20. How does a cow look like two Argentines fighting?

Argentines say the word “Che” a lot. So, an Argentinean peeling will say to another “Dale Che”.

21. A trucker goes down a one-way street in the opposite direction, passing at least ten police officers. Why isn’t he arrested?

Because at no point does it say that the trucker is driving. The trucker’s driving on the sidewalk.

22. Two soldiers go to war, one to Africa and the other to Israel. What are the names of the soldiers?

It’s impossible to know their respective names, but they call each other on the phone.

23. What’s a guy doing running around the university in a hurry?

This sentence is more of a joke, and the answer is a college career.

24. If an electric train goes from north to south, where will it blow smoke?

Electric trains don’t smoke, but some people don’t realize the train is electric when they first ask.

25. How does a stove look like an airplane?

Both the stove and the plane have a pilot, otherwise they couldn’t do their job.

26. A is the father of B. But B is not the son of A. How is this possible?

Because B is actually his daughter and A is his father.

27. What is hairy and peeks out of your pajamas at night?

The first intuition may seem to be a sexually charged response, but it refers to the head.

28. What goes up and down, but is still in the same place?

You may think for a long time until you come to the conclusion that it’s the stairs.

29. I was on my way to “Old Town” when I ran into seven shepherds. Each shepherd with a sack, each sack with three sheep. How many shepherds were going to “Villa Vieja”?

No one was going to “Old Town, because they just crossed paths.

30. Year of the 20th century that does not change if you turn the figures around

The answer to this question is simpler than it appears at first glance. It’s 1961.

31. Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain in the world?

It was still Mount Everest, it just hadn’t been discovered yet.

32. We know that one is solitude, two are company and three are a multitude, but what will be four and five?

Another answer that is simple, but you only have to look at the question, because 4 and 5 are 9.

33. It has cat ears and is not a cat, it has a cat tail and is not a cat, it has cat eyes and is not a cat, so what is it?

It’s not a male cat, but a female, that is, a cat.

34. Some months have 31 days, others have 30 days. How many have 28 days?

February is the month that only has 28 days, but, in reality, everyone has 28.

35. A father and his son are driving along the highway until their car violently hits a car driving in the opposite direction. The father dies instantly, but the son survives and is taken to hospital. It requires a high-risk operation, so they call in an eminent physician to perform the surgery. But when he enters the operating room, he exclaims: “I can’t operate on him, he’s my son!” How is this possible?

Do you have the answer? Perhaps your sexist bias doesn’t allow you to deduce that the medical eminence is simply the mother of the child who requires the surgery.