This classic riddle asks: What can you buy by the yard and wear by the foot? The clue uses two measurements in different ways.
The answer is: carpet.
Carpet is often sold by the yard or by another unit of area, depending on where you buy it. Once installed, it lies on the floor and is constantly “worn” or walked on by your feet.
The phrase “wear by the foot” is the trick. It does not mean putting carpet on your feet like shoes. It means your feet wear down the carpet over time as you walk across it.
That double meaning makes the riddle work: you buy the material by one measurement and wear it through everyday foot traffic.
