�10 Riddle

[Jaymo]

Does anyone remember an old riddle which was about someone going into a shop with a �10 note to buy some items, handing the money over and a complicated exchange of change to and fro, which ends up with it all adding back upto �9.99 - or something. Can anyone recite it word for word - sorry a long one i know!!

[Ewood27]

I've heard one that sounds the same, but about �30.  Three men agree to buy something for �30, so each pays �10 and they leave with their purchase.  The manager remembers the price is reduced to �25, so he sends his junior out after the men with 5 �1 coins to return to them.  The lad realises that �5 can't be split equally between 3, so he pockets �2 and gives the men the other �3.

So:-  Each man has paid �10 and got �1 back, so each has paid �9.  Three 9s are 27, plus 2 in the lad's pocket makes 29.  What happened to the last pound?

Is that it?

[Jaymo]

Well done Ewood - thanks for taking the time to write it all out, that's the one I was thinking of............. Cheers

[Mr.Ix]

So where is the missing pound then?

[bernardo]

There is no such thing as "the missing pound".  The customers have paid a total of �27 : �25 to the shop and �2 to the employee who has stolen the �2.  There is no logic in the wording of the riddle when it talks about adding the �2 on to the �27, because the �2 is part of the same �27 rather than in addition to it.  TODSFA

[Ewood27]

Oh, now you've gone and spoilt it by explaining.  It's a good one though, ain't it?  It can still catch people out.  Next the proof that you have eleven fingers (including thumbs).