The cleverest riddles often sound as if they are describing a person when they are really describing something you see every day. This one asks: I have a face but no eyes, and hands but no fingers. What am I?
The first clue is the word face. We normally think of eyes, a nose and a mouth, but the front surface of an object can also be called its face. The second clue is hands. Hands need not have fingers; the word has another familiar meaning in the world of timekeeping.
Take a closer look
Imagine an object that may hang on a kitchen wall, sit beside a bed or stand on a mantelpiece. Its face contains numbers or marks, and its hands move across those marks to show the hour and minute. Some examples even have a third hand that moves more quickly.
Old fashioned versions with Roman numerals or a ticking mechanism can bring back memories of a grandparent’s home. But the same basic idea appears in many modern designs. Once you recognize the two double meanings, the answer becomes clear.
The answer
The answer is a clock. It has a clock face but no eyes, and clock hands but no fingers. That simple play on ordinary language is what makes the riddle so memorable.
What did you think when you first saw this picture? Share your thoughts with friends and family.
