62 Riddles Designed For Adults

Rise from earth, fall into bags,

Adorned with strings and tags,

A whiff and sip perks you up,

As I steep within your cup.

Celestial pendulum swing,

If I rip, danger I bring,

It’s said I turn when fate shifts,

As I rise I lift all ships.

Many small cells contained,

Work then die when they are drained,

A positive and negative end,

Allows my power to expend.

Through a black void, I streak and I dart,

With a tail that glows so bright,

Celestial traveler with a luminous heart,

As I pass, I shine in the night.

Describes close calls with death or law,

Or when refreshing skills forgot,

An ancient tool in daily routine,

Or an instrument in artistry.

I have teeth that bite, but never chew,

Bit by bit, grind their way through,

Back and forth, I hum along,

To bring down giants tall and strong.

On one side, I’m benign,

On the other, a dangerous line,

Sometimes used for no good,

But more often to prepare food.

In times of triumph, I am made,

I can be revealed, but can’t be changed,

Repeats time and time again,

Written by those who come out ahead.

One who socializes without stress,

Or in your stomach, a nervous mess,

Vibrant colors, the last of three phases,

A delicate leaf floats and amazes.

I twist with teeth that bind,

Enabling motion, accounting for time,

They say I turn when deep in thought,

Or when I shift, changing the plot.

Silver and glass,

Feature of a carnival maze,

If broken I bring misfortune,

The world in reverse, I display.

When put on me, made famous,

When off of me, obscure,

A guide with scale and key,

Followed around the world.

Born from a vine in sunshine,

Look at my legs, admire my nose,

In cold darkness I bide my time,

Stacked up in rows and rows.

Lucky offspring are born with me,

Or when two lovers cuddle closely,

Rest atop my shiny kin,

Before rising towards your chin.

With stud, but no wall,

Or hoop, but no ball,

I shine, I dangle, I sway,

In a premade puncture lay.

The longer I live, the shorter I grow,

An ancient tool with a gentle glow,

A fleeting life, can be killed by a breeze,

But can be brought back to life with ease.

Shake and a pop, and I take flight,

Plugs up a neck, snug and tight,

Soft and buoyant, born from a tree,

Holding liquid, or your notes maybe.

Hierarchy through orders flow,

Reaction moving like dominos,

Smoking without a break,

As strong as my weakest link.

Treasure of the depths,

Beneath the crests,

Charming and white,

I am set on a chest.

White faces with black eyes,

With luck may win you a prize,

I’m tossed, I tumble, I stop,

And then gaze upon my top.

Developed by minds that are best,

Describes a short path to success,

Long body and bright tail,

No wings yet clouds I impale.

A precious dome lays atop this cloud,

Soft fluff in a silky shroud,

A weapon used in some fights,

Whereupon you dream through nights.

A language transcending humankind,

A world of logic, we have defined,

Through these rules we have outlined,

Answers and truth you will find.

Out of hands, I easily fall,

Spheres sparkle from slippery slime,

A melodramatic television opera,

Or basic solution to grime.

I can signal that help is needed,

But bring harm if limits exceeded,

Too much of me will cloud your day,

But a gust of wind may blow me away.

I helped men find their direction,

Hold shapes and figures on inspection,

A tiny speck to your eye,

But great behemoths across the sky.

Talking in sport that brews displeasure,

Unwanted to one, but another’s treasure,

Taken out when I start to pile,

To land that may stretch a mile.

Digits pick and slide on me,

To vibrate into harmony,

A hollow body with wires tight,

In skilled hands, a charming sight.

I descend, burning bright,

What I touch I may smite,

Don’t stop until I reach the floor,

The flash before a mighty roar.

In your hands, at dawn’s kiss,

Fragrant and bold, to many pure bliss,

Gives the groggy a jolt,

And makes hearts bolt.

Always in one of eight groups,

River running in endless loops,

In the cruel, I may be cold,

In the angry, I may start to boil.

In day I hum, in night I glow,

I don't move, but people flow,

A testament to human powers,

Jagged line of soaring towers.

I have teeth, but do not bite,

Aiding your image to look just right,

I separate, and also align,

Getting knots out of a bind.

I weave among ivory towers,

Slender twine with purpose scours,

To preserve a charming grin,

I remove filth, nested within.

From hand to hand, I often go,

Or as numbers on screen, I may flow,

Lifeless, but some say I talk,

Of trade and work, the bedrock.

I rest on a bridge between two spheres,

On some when young and many when old,

Brings focus and makes things clear,

A delicate tool that may fold.

Some days I rise, some days I fall,

Piece of a giant, though I may be small,

Bulls seek me out, bears tend to flee,

Holding wealth, though not touched or seen.

I may sleep year after year,

Then raze that which you hold dear,

Coughing up great pools of red,

Shaping land with tears I’ve shed.

Measure of health, to any degree,

A tool for scientific discovery,

Measure the day, but not time,

Mercury through a column climbs.

Support a car, or tell time’s flow,

For power I may stow,

Do take care, for when wound tight,

I will snap back with all my might.

In my chamber I rest, dark and tight,

Waiting for my chance to take flight,

Flying fast and flying true,

Stand in my path and I’ll riddle you.

Thriving where most life flees,

Unbent by an arid breeze,

Feared for my jagged spines,

A basin of life, in harsh confines.

Through ages I could foot the bill,

Men yearn for me, and at times kill,

Can’t be formed, but can be found,

In riverbeds or underground.

I may destroy, or create,

Break to shards, or fabricate,

Work with rhythm, loud and strong,

My head is hard, my body long.

All through the day, I open and close,

I reflect your world, the highs and the lows,

Give you direction as I capture light,

But then rest as you dream through the night.

An ancient craft, where patience is king,

Waiting for the tug that luck might bring,

I am so calm, a quiet delight,

In the mirror of waters, under sunlight.

Over here, love is none,

In this game, the sly have spun,

Service is seen in this court,

A rhythmic flow, back and forth.

In a circle, we gather round,

Faces masked, emotions bound,

With every flip of rank and suit,

In hands of fate, you may win the loot.

My life is fleeting, bright but a phase,

No fury I have, but can stir up a blaze,

Tiny and slender, yet power I hold,

Only a scratch, and this power unfolds.

Born through a craftsman's patient grace,

Fragrant clouds from me derive,

A roll of leaves, in tight embrace,

In fire's kiss, I come alive.

Through paper, screen, or simple word,

A multitude's will is heard,

Through me, leaders come to power,

Determine rule from the marble tower.

I feel soft before my arc,

But then come down and leave my mark,

Without a voice, yet I can crack,

In days of old, on horse's back.

Raise me in a game of war,

Or for that which you adore,

With four brothers I oppose,

In tricks split, or mock a nose.

A whirl of loops and underlines,

On blank lines, a home it finds,

A seal, unique as a star,

Binds agreements, near and far!

From vessel sealed, or foamy cascade,

Tales of joy and sorrow wade,

What am I, this liquid cheer,

That loosens tongues when I am near?

We do not lie, it is said,

Given to those you wish to see again,

Ten pieces rearranged in any way,

Crunched by accountants every day.

If thick, you can handle criticism,

If thin, overly sensitive,

Irritating individuals get under me,

Body's largest organ.

With veins of rope, skeleton of wood,

I transform breeze to speed,

I soar and dance, a mariner's kite,

And propel a wooden steed.

Describes a mind in a daze,

Ships run aground in my haze,

An uncertain shroud in war,

A cloud close to the floor.

Dragged through me when disparaged,

Slung in political insults to embarrass,

I make slides you should avoid,

Hated by most, but leave pigs overjoyed.

Hit during a dance,

Found beneath your stance,

Given before an oration,

Made of lava in child's imagination.

Spread when gaining independence,

Clipped to limit freedom,

Invented by nature, harnessed by man,

With some speed, lift I can.