Riddle of the day

[Brad Imsdahl]

Some say this is a flaw in mathematics that cannot be explained. Is there a logical answer to this, or not? If you have heard this before, do not give away the answer right away. Let others try to figure it out first.

Here goes:

Three nicely dressed teenage boys go to a restaurant for lunch. At the end of the meal, they each hand the waiter a $10 bill for the cost of the meal plus the waiter’s tip. The waiter brings the $30 back to the till to ring up, when the restaurant owner takes out $5 and tells the waiter to give it back to the boys for being polite and nicely dressed in his establishment. The waiter gives each boy $1 and keeps $2 for himself.

Problem:

The boys each paid $9 for the meal ($10 - $1 = $9). $9 X 3 = $27. The waiter kept $2. $27 + $2 = $29. The boys originally paid $30. Where did the other dollar go?

[jainen]

The tip

The boys did not pay $9 plus the tip. The waiter subtracted his gratuity from the $27. Where you live, do waiters put extra money into the till?

[Brad Imsdahl]

Wrong answer…try again.

I never said they paid $9 plus the tip. The $9 includes their tip. That still does not explain where the missing dollar went.

[jainen]

The food

They came in with $30. Now the restaurant has $25, the waiter has $2, and they have $3. The only thing missing is the food.

[Lion]

From the restaurant owner's view

From the restaurant owner's view, he took in $30 for food and tip but returned $5. He now has $25 and nothing is missing. (Unless you consider that he still has to tip out the waiter from the $25 and the waiter also took another $2 from the boys' change.) $25 restaurant + $2 waiter + $3 boys = $30.

[Lion]

From the boys' view

From the boys' view, they thought they were paying $30 for meal and tip. Didn't know owner refunded $5, making their total $25. Before they received any change, waiter kept $2 of their $5 change, making their new total $27 for meal and tip. They each paid $9 which adds up to the $27 with nothing missing.

[Lion]

From the waiter's view

From the waiter's view, he went to the register with $30 including his tip. He carried $5 change per the owner back to the table, pocketing $2 on his way. And, probably still expects his tip from the original $30 in put in the register! He probably thinks something is missing, because the owner reduced the dinner price. My son's culinary arts major girlfriend says you make a lot more in the front of the house than in the kitchen.

[Brad Imsdahl]

OK, you both solved the riddle. The inherent problem with the riddle is trying to add income to expenses, as if that is supposed to mean something.

The boys each paid $9 for a total of $27. The waiter received $2.

Yes, $27 + $2 = $29, not $30. But so what?

Income plus expenses means nothing. The boys paid $27. The waiter received $2 and the restaurant owner received $25 (not counting the original tip).

$25 + $2 = $27 means something.

$27 + $2 = $29 means nothing.

[Brad Imsdahl]

Try it at a party sometime with non-accountant type people and you will get all kinds of goofy answers.

[Armando Beaujolais]

You have two US coins, one is not a nickle. How do you get 55 cents?

[Lion]

One is not

You have a fifty-cent piece and a nickel. One is not a nickel, the other one is.

[Lion]

If

If I post once more, am I a Senior Member?

[Lion]

Guess

Guess not!

[Armando Beaujolais]

You have a fifty-cent piece and a nickel. One is not a nickel, the other one is.

Yeah, I guess you're right. I gotta come up with tougher riddles.

[Bees Knees]

I think I hit senior at 100.