This classic riddle asks:
“What has a tail and a head but no legs?”
The wording makes you picture an animal at first, but an animal with both a head and a tail would normally have legs or some other way to move. The trick is that “head” and “tail” are being used in a completely different sense.
The answer is a coin.
Coins traditionally have two sides referred to as “heads” and “tails.” One side usually shows a portrait or emblem, while the opposite side is called tails. A coin has no legs at all, of course.
That simple wordplay is what makes the riddle effective. It takes familiar words from the animal world and applies them to an everyday object.
Answer: A coin.
Once you know the answer, it seems obvious, but the animal-style wording can easily send your mind in the wrong direction. Did you solve it before looking?
