Fun Missing Pound

michaellevenson

Member: Rank 8
Okay, not a quiz, but a puzzle.
You'd be amazed how many people will fall for this nonsense, it relies on the teller putting the right emphasis in the right places.

Two guys go into a restaurant for a meal, at the end the waiter gives them the bill, which is £30.
Unfortunately the restaurant internet is down so they have to pay cash.
The guys have exactly £15 pound each on them, so they give it to the waiter. The waiter hands the money to the manager working the till.
After examining the bill the manager says it's only £27 , and tells the waiter to hand back £3 .
On the way back the waiter decides to pocket £1 for himself , and he tells the guys the bill was £28 and hands them back £1 each.
The guys leave, contented having entered the restaurant with £15 each and leave with £1 obviously spending £14 each plus £1 the waiter has stolen equals £29 . Who has the other pound ? Tricky eh? Mmmm.
 

Hux

Member: Rank 6
There is no missing pound

£27 - for the meal
£2 - back to the men
£1 - for the waiter

The trick is putting the idea into your head that the men paid £28 (£14 each) for the meal when in fact, they (unknowingly) paid £27 (£13:50 each).

I think the original version of this puzzle has three men paying £10 each to further bamboozle.
 

michaellevenson

Member: Rank 8
There is no missing pound

£27 - for the meal
£2 - back to the men
£1 - for the waiter

The trick is putting the idea into your head that the men paid £28 (£14 each) for the meal when in fact, they (unknowingly) paid £27 (£13:50 each).

I think the original version of this puzzle has three men paying £10 each to further bamboozle.
Yes you're right of course.
The men have spent £28, 27 for the meal and one to the waiter plus the two pounds returned to them, which isn't mentioned in the original telling, but the waiter's pound counted twice.
I had a big puzzle book as a kid,printed in 1920's and full of these posers. Another that still catches people out is;

As I was travelling to St Ives coming toward me was a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven kids,
Each kid had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kittens,
Kittens, cats, kids, and wives,
How many were travelling to St Ives?
 
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