This classic logic riddle sounds like an arithmetic problem: A farmer has 20 chickens. All but 6 run away. How many are left?
The answer is 6
The words “all but six” mean that all the chickens except six ran away. So six chickens are still there.
Why many people say 14
Some readers see the numbers 20 and 6 and instinctively subtract 6 from 20. But six isn’t the number that left; six is the number that remained. In fact, fourteen chickens ran away.
It’s about reading carefully
The trick lies in interpreting the phrase “all but.” Once you recognize that it means “all except,” no real calculation is necessary.
Try asking someone the question aloud and let them answer quickly. Did they understand the wording or jump straight into subtraction?
