Solve the Riddle: “I Met a Man on the London Bridge”
April 18, 2024
My pet peeve has always been scrolling endlessly through social media, looking at the same old posts. Don’t get me wrong, catching up with friends is great, but sometimes, you just can’t be serious all the time. That’s where my love for fun and interesting puzzles comes in. They’re like little mental workouts, you know? My husband and I even turn it into a competition to see who can guess the answers first. For example, there was this one time he spent ages puzzling over the “woman on a boat” riddle—it was a tough one, apparently!
Our nightly routine often includes these brain teasers. Sometimes, just before we turn out the lights, we challenge each other with riddles. It’s a quirky little ritual, but it’s ours. And that’s how I stumbled upon the “I Met a Man on the London Bridge” riddle.
So, the riddle goes like this: “I met a man on the London Bridge. He tipped his hat and drew his name. In this riddle, I told you his name.” The first time I heard it, I was completely stumped. I mean, where do you even start? Some people think it’s all about visualizing the scenario, like maybe he wrote his name in a notebook or on a foggy windowpane. Others think it’s a play on words, where the answer lies hidden in the structure of the sentence itself.
We tossed around different ideas for what it could be. My husband, ever the literal thinker, suggested names like “Art” or “Pen,” thinking maybe the man drew his name artistically or something. I, on the other hand, thought maybe the riddle was trying to be clever with homophones or something auditory hidden within the phrasing.
But guess what? The real answer is “Andrew.” Did you guess? What did you think it was?
When I first heard the solution, I had one of those classic facepalm moments. It’s so simple once you know it. The phrase “and drew” sounds exactly like “Andrew.” Clever, right? It’s just one of those riddles that perfectly encapsulates why I love these puzzles—they make you think outside the box and look at ordinary things in extraordinary ways.
Debating this riddle became quite the topic of conversation one evening when we had friends over for dinner. We even turned it into a little game, throwing out riddle after riddle, seeing who could answer first. It’s fascinating to see how different minds work, how some people can immediately crack a riddle wide open, while others, like me sometimes, get tangled up in overthinking the clues.
Riddles like “I Met a Man on the London Bridge” aren’t just about the answers; they’re about the journey of thought they prompt. They spark laughter, frustration, and sometimes, the sweet triumph of solving them. More importantly, they connect us in those little shared moments of “Aha!” or “Oh, no way!”
Next time you find yourself stuck in a scroll hole on your phone, maybe switch gears and try a riddle or two. You can use them as ice breakers at parties, as brain breaks during work, or like us, as a cozy, competitive pastime before bed. Not only do they stir your gray cells, but they also add a sprinkle of fun to the routine, making ordinary days a bit more memorable.
If someone asks you for a good riddle, you’ll have the perfect one up your sleeve. Just imagine the looks on their faces when you share the ‘I Met a Man on the London Bridge’ riddle and watch as they puzzle it out. Well, now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make my Dad guess this riddle. I know he will love it because I inherited my love for riddles from him!
