Riddle me this

Cactus Col

I'm trying to remember a riddle or a puzzle, it's about three guys paying a bill, and getting money back. and paying a 1 euro tip each.... and there' being one euro missing when its added all together.


that might make sense if you know the riddle I'm talking about.

sorry if this is the wrong place ... don't need to know the answer, just the riddle .. cheers

DonkeyStyle \o/

A quick google of the phrase I remember most from that riddle "what happened to the last dollar?" turned up this...

Three guys check in to a hotel room and the clerk says the room is $30. Each man gives the clerk $10, for a total of $30.

The clerk later realizes he made a mistake, the room was only $25, so gives the bellhop five dollars in singles and tells him to go return it to the three men.

The bell hope decided to give back only 1 dollar each to the three men and keep the other $2.

So, in effect the three men each paid $9 each.

3×9=27

And the bell hope kept $2.

27+2=29.

But, the original amount paid out was $30.

$30-29 = $1 that can’t be accounted for.

What happened to the last dollar?

Every time I see it, it's in a different setting, but the underlying math is the same.

Le Rack

don't make my brain work!
How does it work!

Cactus Col

that's the one! cheers!

Goodshape

well, I've google now so I'm going to post up the version I found

Three ladies have lunch at a restaurant. When they are finished, the waiter tells them the bill comes to $30. They each hand him a ten dollar bill. When he brings the money to into the kitchen, the restaurant owner tells him that he made a mistake: The bill should only come to $25 and the owner hands him five singles. On the way to the table, the waiter realizes that he cannot divide five singles three, even ways, so he decides to pocket $2 and he gives each of the three ladies a one dollar bill. So now, each lady has paid $9, which comes to 3 x $9 = $27 and the waiter has $2. Twenty-seven plus two comes to $29, but there was originally $30. What happened to the extra dollar?

slightly different from DonkeyStyle's version. Linkage.

kawaii

That's great! Now I've got a headache!

skywalker

Le Rack wrote:

don't make my brain work!
How does it work!

It works by distracting you with the mention of an irrelevant $2. They all paid $10, & got $1 back. that makes $30

larryone

So the three of them were staying there.
Bill came to £30.
They each paid £10.
But then the desk clerk noticed an error, that they were overcharged by a fiver.
So he takes £5 out of the till, pockets £2 and gives each of them back £1.
So now each of them has paid £9. A total of £27.
£27 plus the £2 in his pocket equals £29.
Where has the other £1 gone???



The mind boggles.
Woooo!

vector

I understand everything down to the bellhop creaming off $2...
lets just end the story there

spartacus93

Still too early for this kinda thing, ill come back later.

Le Rack

skywalker wrote:

It works by distracting you with the mention of an irrelevant $2. They all paid $10, & got $1 back. that makes $30

......and here was I trying to work out the maths to it!

*adele*

$25 was paid to the hotel...so the clerk kept $2...putting the bill up to $27...but they got $3 change

3 men = $3
Bell hop = $2
Clerk= $ 25
3
2
+25
=30
mwahahahaah!

Le Rack

*adele* wrote:

$25 was paid to the hotel...so the clerk kept $2...putting the bill up to $27...but they got $3 change

3 men = $3
Bell hop = $2
Clerk= $ 25
3
2
+25
=30
mwahahahaah!

shut up! :rolleyes:

larryone

Basically, when you have the $27, and you ADD the $2, you should be SUBTRACTING the $2. $27 - $2 = $25..... Which is what the bill came to.
If you tell someone to add the $2, they do it without thinking.

Le Rack

larryone wrote:

Basically, when you have the $27, and you ADD the $2, you should be SUBTRACTING the $2. $27 - $2 = $25..... Which is what the bill came to.
If you tell someone to add the $2, they do it without thinking.

yeah but that still doesn't tell you where the other one went... I likest Adele's thingy the bestest!

*adele*

Le Rack wrote:

yeah but that still doesn't tell you where the other one went... I likest Adele's thingy the bestest!

I drew a diagram
and everyone has attractive hats on in it

DonkeyStyle \o/

Le Rack wrote:

yeah but that still doesn't tell you where the other one went... I likest Adele's thingy the bestest!

Of course it does.
Look at it this way...
Each man gets $1 back, so in effect they've payed $9 each (3x9=$27)
What they don't tell you is that the bell hops $2 tip is included in this €27 figure, so why would you add it again?
So you could solve it up by adding the $1x3 = $3
$3 + $27 = $30

vector

Lets ignore the silly story designed to confuse and just say

Hotel gets 25
Bellhop gets 2
Guests gets 3
==========
Total 30

there.

Le Rack

okay

larryone

It doesnt tell you where the other $1 went, because there is no other $1

kawaii

I hate this thread.

Le Rack

yeah they keep picking on me cuz I'm stupid!

DonkeyStyle \o/

The whole puzzle is based on a lie... they trick you at the start with accuate maths, then you just accept adding the $2

kawaii wrote:

I hate this thread.

Let's burn it.
Or vote it 1 star, that'll teach it.

kawaii

/Me votes

Heh heh heh

kawaii

Look at it in all it's disgrace!

*adele*

me voted too

Le Rack

votey votey

*adele*

*dances out of evilness*

Corben Dallas

Trick with this 'riddle' is saying they only paid $9 each per room they didnt,

They paid $30 got $5 off cause it was only $25 each only got $1 back when they should have got $1.666666(recuring) each(5 divided by 3)

so they each paid $9.3333333 per room

($9.33333 x 3 =$27.9999 (28) with Bell hop keeping the $2
28 +2 =30
easy

The hook with this riddle is they only paid $9 per room, <<they didnt!!!.
They paid $9.33 per room
(5 wont divide into 3 exacty- which is probably the other hook of this riddle)

kawaii

Corr, who hath givest this thread an good rating?

DonkeyStyle \o/

Corben Dallas wrote:

The hook with this riddle is they only paid $9 per room, <<they didnt!!!.
They paid $9.33 per room

Well if you count the tip the bell hop took, then they did pay $9 each... although this is very misleading wording.
The point is, that the tip was already included in the figure of $27 and that adding it again was unneeded.
So it's not a case of looking at the remaining $3 and wondering where it went after the bellhop took $2, because this $3 is the money returned to the 3 men.

Of course if you want to be picky, you can do it your way