Paul’s height is six feet, he’s an assistant at a butcher’s shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: He weighs meat.
This question is a classic example of a riddle or brain teaser. It is designed to mislead the reader into focusing on irrelevant information. The height of Paul (six feet), his job title (assistant at a butcher’s shop), and his shoe size (9) are all distractions that set the mind into thinking it is a question about physical attributes or personal details.
However, the key to solving the riddle lies in the last part of the sentence: “What does he weigh?” It is a play on words. The verb “weigh” can refer either to how much a person weighs or to what they are responsible for weighing. Because Paul is an assistant at a butcher’s shop, his job most likely includes weighing meat for customers. Therefore, the correct and clever answer is that he weighs meat.
This kind of question is meant to test critical thinking and the ability to look beyond surface details. Many people fall into the trap of overthinking and assume the question asks for Paul’s body weight, which the setup subtly encourages by providing physical data. In reality, it is a linguistic trick based on double meaning.
Understanding riddles like this helps to improve comprehension, logical reasoning, and the ability to identify the true focus of a question. These skills are useful not just for solving puzzles but also for interpreting exam questions, analyzing problems, and communicating effectively in both academic and professional settings. The answer hinges on understanding context rather than facts, which is a valuable lesson in critical reading and thinking.