Bit of a riddle to occupy your brain over lunch

[laserblazer]

Ok! so, you are trapped in a city where all the people speak either only truth or they lie. You want to move out of the city but you don't know the directions. So, you stop three ladies and ask, "Are you truth-tellers?" The 1st lady replies," two of us speak truth". The second lady replies," only one of us speaks truth". The last lady replies," The second woman is true". Which of them is actually speaking the truth?

[Bromcom_John]

SPOILER SPACE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as I can tell, none of them are.

If 1 is telling the truth then her and at least one other lady must be telling the truth. 2 cannot therefore be true as her statement contradicts 1 and 3 cannot therefore be true as her statement confirms 2

If 2 is telling the truth then 3's statement is false and thus undermines her own potential truthtelling

If 3 is telling the truth then her statement is undermined by the statement of 2.

 

Its unusual for one of these logic puzzles not to have at least 1 telling the truth so maybe I'm wrong

[Butuz]

I say beat the truth out of all three of 'em. People always tell the truth when the pain gets "just so"

 

Butuz

[laserblazer]

Its unusual for one of these logic puzzles not to have at least 1 telling the truth so maybe I'm wrong

 

and maybe you are just saying you are wrong.

[Bromcom_John]

One of the lads on helpdesk just stated without pausing for thought

"They are all lying."

"Why?" we all asked.

"They're women", he replied!

 

Bad experience methinks

 

BUt about 5 other people in house have all just agreed (independently) with my original logic.

[jamesfed]

Its like playing a game of minesweeper!

[synaesthesia]

Oddly enough the first and only thought I got after

 

"Ok! so, you are trapped in a city where all the people speak either only truth or they lie"

 

was

 

"So, that's everyone in a normal city then"

 

It's almost as bad as that "missing dollar" riddle that people for some reason keep trying me with and get the same answer all the time.

[witch]

The second lady is the truth teller

[clareq]

If the 2nd is the truth teller, then the 3rd is also telling the truth, by saying the 2nd is telling the truth. But that means that the 2nd's statement is false. I agree with JohnCondon - they are all lying.

[SkywOrca]

Are you using some horrible semantic variation on the meaning of the word true, as in the third woman is suggesting (falsely) that the second woman is a true and loyal person, hence the second woman is the only one speaking truth and should be asked for directions?

 

If not then I'm as stumped as everyone else and can only conclude that they are all lying...

[laserblazer]

I figured that they are all telling lies.

[chrisredfield93]

I would show them a card with a name on it and ask them what was written on it lol than we should work out who's telling the truth and who's telling lies

[TechMonkey]

1st lady. The second and third lady are linked. & if they are both true then that would make the first ladies statement impossible (2 telling the truth would make her statement also true therefore 3 telling the truth making her statement false.).

 

EDIT: But the whole basis is flawed as being a bloke I wouldn't ask directions I would just start walking till I got out, even if it was the furthest distance.

[MK-2]

easiest way is just say

"i left the toilet seat up and splashed a bit, is that ok"

any of them that reply yes are lying, any that reply no are lying and any that shout at your for 30 mins are telling the truth