How every item is checked

Editorial Standards

A riddle with two good answers spoils the moment it was meant to make, and a trivia answer that is wrong makes the whole list untrustworthy. So nothing goes on this site until it has passed the checks below, and the site's build refuses to publish any item that hasn't.

The numbers so far

Counted from our item records when this page was last built.

Items drafted
4,184
Published
3,215
Solved blind
2,086
Sent to a deciding check
140
Rewritten and re-tested
8
Cut after blind testing
19
Trivia sources checked
662
Questions reviewed
1,691
Cut or fixed in review
150
Cut as repeats
326

1. Riddles and brain teasers are solved blind

Every riddle, brain teaser and rebus puzzle is given to a second solver with the answer, the notes and the source removed. They see only what a visitor sees: the words of the riddle and the name of the page it is on. They write down their answer, any other answer that fits every clue just as well, and how sure they are.

If they reach our answer and name no rival, the riddle passes. Anything else goes to a deciding check that sees everything, and gets one of four outcomes:

  • Same answer, different words ("a tea kettle" for "a kettle"): the wording is accepted and the riddle passes.
  • The solver's answer breaks a clue: the riddle passes, with the reason recorded. Maths and logic answers are worked through again to show the solver's slip.
  • A rival answer really fits: the riddle is rewritten to rule it out, then goes back to a new blind solver as if it were new.
  • It can't be saved (a second answer fits as well, the pun is too weak to land, or a fact is wrong): it is cut.

Each page shows its own numbers: how many items were drafted for it, how many were cut or rewritten after testing.

2. Trivia has a source, and is answered twice

Every trivia question names the article it was checked against, linked under its answer. Before publishing, a script downloads that article and confirms two things: the answer is in it, and the sentence we based the question on really appears there. Then a second solver answers the question blind, without the multiple-choice options. A mismatch goes to the deciding check, which can rewrite the question, cut it, or accept a second wording of the answer.

We leave out facts that change: current record holders, populations, the newest anything, and the ages of living people. If two reliable sources disagree, the question is dropped rather than picking a side. Bible trivia is answered from the text of the King James Version, which is in the public domain, and cites the chapter.

3. Questions without one right answer are reviewed

Would-you-rather dilemmas, this-or-that picks, icebreakers, conversation starters, two-truths-and-a-lie prompts, 20-questions lists and charades words have no single answer to test, so a second reviewer reads every one before it goes up. They cut or fix anything unbalanced (a dilemma where nearly everyone would pick the same side), intrusive (questions that push people to share private things or assume a partner, children, money, religion or a happy childhood), generic filler, near-repeats, and anything that would not suit a classroom or an office.

4. Original first, classics marked, old books credited

  • Original items are ideas and wording made for this site. At least half of every page is original, and the build checks this page by page.
  • Classic riddles are the well-known traditional ones that belong to everyone. We tell them in our own words and mark them "Classic".
  • Quoted from old books: riddles copied exactly, spelling and all, from public-domain books printed between 1778 and 1914, found on Project Gutenberg. Each one names the book, the author where known, and the year, and links to the book. So far they come from 9 books.

We never copy another website's lists. Riddles are a commons, so some of our originals will resemble riddles elsewhere; if you think one of ours is too close to someone else's work, tell us and we will look at it.

5. Every page is clean

The site is written for adults first, with kids' pages pitched for the adult reading them aloud, and everything is family-safe. That means no innuendo, no alcohol, drugs or gambling, no swearing, no violence played for laughs, and no jokes at the expense of any group. We name no brands, films, games or celebrities. These rules are checked by software on every build as well as by the reviewers, and a page with a single breach does not publish.

The same item never appears on two pages. A riddle's answer is used once across the whole site, so moving from one list to the next never gives you a repeat.

6. Votes are real or not shown

Would-you-rather and this-or-that questions have live votes. Each browser gets one vote per question, and we cap votes from any one network so a result can't be stuffed. A question's split appears only once 50 people have voted on it; until then you see how many votes it has so far. We never start a question with made-up votes, and we never show "popular" or "most voted" labels that aren't drawn from real votes. The <a href="/privacy/">privacy policy</a> explains what is stored.

7. What the build refuses to publish

The site is generated from our item records, and the build fails, publishing nothing, if any page has:

  • an item that has not passed its check (blind solve, deciding check or review);
  • a trivia question without a cited source, or one whose source check failed;
  • an old-book riddle without its title, year and link;
  • the same item, or the same riddle answer, on two pages;
  • a word on our blocked list, a trademark, or fewer than half original items.

Corrections

We will still get things wrong sometimes. If you find a riddle with a second answer, a trivia answer that is out of date or a broken source link, email hello@riddleslab.com with the page and the card number. Fixes go through the same checks as new items.