I discovered this puzzle in an old magic magazine (it was either "M-U-M" or "The Linking Ring") in a collumn by the late Williard Smith. I am not sure if it was original to him or an old chestnut that I just wasn't familiar with. Since I'm primarily a performance poet, I converted it into a rhyming riddle and presented it in a show I did, entitled "Meter, Math & Magic" It's meant to be recited in front of an audience, and you can actually demonstrate " the solution". If anyone can use it, please do and have fun:

"Here's a little riddle for you to contemplate:
What is it if you take four from four and left with eight?

If figuring out a solution is giving you trouble,
Remember whatever amount you remove, what remains is double.

And here is a final clue, I'd like to say:
The answer to this riddle is literately a cliche'."

I posted this "rhyming math riddle" way back in March. Inspite of quite a few views, no one yet has attempted to provide a solution. I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me if the answer is just too obvious, the riddle too confusing, or just plain boring to prompt a response. Thanks so much!

Paul

I posted this "rhyming math riddle" way back in March. Inspite of quite a few views, no one yet has attempted to provide a solution. I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me if the answer is just too obvious, the riddle too confusing, or just plain boring to prompt a response. Thanks so much!

Paul

It could be worse Paul, you might have asked something pertinant and gotten no useful replies.

Sounds something like a hole. You remove four cubic feet fro a four cubic foot hole, and you have an eight cubic foot hole.

Agreed,
It's the cliche and double parts that left me silent.

The hole sounds good but where does the cliche fit in?

The only cliche that came to mind that has to do with double the amount is:

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

But I don't think that is applicable to the rhyme.

Well, there is a old riddle. I don't know if it could be considered cliche, but it goes, "What gets bigger the more you remove from it?".

I'm not convinced that "hole" is that answer. Rather, I think it is some other thing which signifies the absence of something else. Perhaps it is debt?

Thanks for responding!

A hole is a good quess, but not the answer I had in mind.

The solution is CORNERS. If you cut off the four corners of a square or rectangle,
you would be left with a shape with eight corners. In fact, the act of cutting off each corner always leaves you with two more. The cliche'I referred to in the rhyme is "CUTTING CORNERS" , an overused and trite expression.

Thanks for responding!

A hole is a good quess, but not the answer I had in mind.

The solution is CORNERS. If you cut off the four corners of a square or rectangle,
you would be left with a shape with eight corners. In fact, the act of cutting off each corner always leaves you with two more. The cliche'I referred to in the rhyme is "CUTTING CORNERS" , an overused and trite expression.

That is a much better answer. Very nice.

Works for me.