Author |
Topic: I could be a millionaire (Read 1149 times) |
|
BNC
Uberpuzzler
Gender: 
Posts: 1732
|
 |
I could be a millionaire
« on: Jan 5th, 2003, 10:15am » |
 Quote  Modify
|
I was selling riddle books in my shop the other day. A guy I know well came into the store and asked for the price of the books. I told him they are $10 a book.
The guy smiled at me and said: “I know a place where I can sell the books I buy from you for $5 a book. So, naturally, if I’ll do it, I could be a millionaire in no time”
I know this guy. He knows his arithmetic. And I know he wasn’t joking either. How come?
|
|
 IP Logged |
How about supercalifragilisticexpialidociouspuzzler [Towr, 2007]
|
|
|
Jeremiah Smith
Full Member
Beep!
Posts: 172
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #1 on: Jan 5th, 2003, 10:21am » |
Quote Modify
|
Maybe he's already a millionaire...?
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
BNC
Uberpuzzler
Gender:
Posts: 1732
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #2 on: Jan 5th, 2003, 10:29am » |
Quote Modify
|
easy indeed... 
|
|
IP Logged |
How about supercalifragilisticexpialidociouspuzzler [Towr, 2007]
|
|
|
Cyrus
Newbie
 
Gender:
Posts: 27
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #3 on: Jan 6th, 2003, 9:05am » |
Quote Modify
|
Hahahaha. I thought about this one for 20 minutes and couldn't get it. Then I scrolled down and realized that I need to think less. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the toughest to find.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
redPEPPER
Full Member
Posts: 160
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #4 on: Jan 6th, 2003, 2:45pm » |
Quote Modify
|
Hmm, not too fond of that answer. The guy states "So, naturally, if I’ll do it, I could be a millionaire in no time". This is intentionally misleading, as it's phrased to make us think "being a millionaire" is a consequence of "doing it". So the guy IS joking. Or ... he's bad at arithmetics. But then how did he become a millionaire 
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
Jeremiah Smith
Full Member
Beep!
Posts: 172
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #5 on: Jan 6th, 2003, 2:53pm » |
Quote Modify
|
ORRR... the guy is a billionaire, and since that transaction would make him lose money in the long run, he would end up as a mere millionaire.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
towr
wu::riddles Moderator
Uberpuzzler
Some people are average, some are just mean.
Gender:
Posts: 13730
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #6 on: Jan 7th, 2003, 12:41am » |
Quote Modify
|
Or, if you remember the laws of logic, and particularly implication, he would just never do it..
(A -> B) is true when A is false..
Anyway.. If he were to buy books there, and sell them, he may be millionair in 'no time' (now), but poor in 'some time' (future)..
An other option is 'no time' being a place/country where $5 is over a million in local currency..
|
| « Last Edit: Jan 7th, 2003, 12:42am by towr » |
IP Logged |
Wikipedia, Google, Mathworld, Integer sequence DB
|
|
|
Kozo Morimoto
Junior Member
Posts: 114
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #7 on: Jan 7th, 2003, 5:16pm » |
Quote Modify
|
1) maybe he is talking about 2 different $ currencies i.e. HK$ against US$
2) maybe his sale location has government subsidies whereby the government pitches in $6 for every book sold.
|
|
IP Logged |
|
|
|
wowbagger
Uberpuzzler
Gender:
Posts: 727
|
|
Re: I could be a millionaire
« Reply #8 on: Jan 8th, 2003, 5:01am » |
Quote Modify
|
on Jan 7th, 2003, 5:16pm, Kozo Morimoto wrote:| 1) maybe he is talking about 2 different $ currencies i.e. HK$ against US$ |
|
That was also my first non-standard answer.
Quote:| 2) maybe his sale location has government subsidies whereby the government pitches in $6 for every book sold. |
|
I really like that answer! 
The problem with "in no time" remains, however. Which in my opinion is a hint at the intended answer.
|
| « Last Edit: Jan 8th, 2003, 5:01am by wowbagger » |
IP Logged |
"You're a jerk, <your surname>!"
|
|
|
|
RIDDLES SITE
WRITE MATH!
Home 
Help 
Search 
Members 
Login 
Register
Reply
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print