‘Turn Me on My Side’ Riddle: Answer to Viral Riddle Explained

Anew riddle is trending on social media that talks about turning an object on its side and then asks what the object is. As with all riddles, there’s a trick to this one. Read on to learn more about the riddle and to see the answer to the word puzzle that’s trending on Facebook, Instagram, and other sites.

The riddle that you see on social media typically reads something like this:

Turn me on my side and I am everything. Cut me in half and I am nothing. What am I?

As with many word-based riddles, this one can be a bit confusing. You’re no doubt thinking of what can be cut in half and then subsequently turns into nothing. Once you know the answer, you’ll be surprised that you didn’t think of it sooner.

If you’re ready for the answer, read on.

Here’s the Answer to the Riddle

The answer to the riddle is 8. 

If you turn an “8” on its side, then it’s the infinity sign. Infinity, according to the Cambridge English Dictionary, means “time or space that has no end,” “a place that is so far away that it cannot be reached,” “a number that is larger than all other numbers,” or “an extremely large number of something.” It can mean an “unlimited space, time, or amount, or a number large beyond any limit.”

The number “8” cut in half just looks like the number “0.” Thus why, when cut in half, “I am nothing.”

The riddle’s been circulating for a while, but recently regained popularity thanks to people sheltering at home due to the pandemic.

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And a lot of people like to use the number 8 to symbolize accomplishments in their lives, simply because it looks like the infinity symbol on its side.

https://twitter.com/JessVCarson/status/1131574306251522048

This is one of those riddles that doesn’t really leave room to argue for a different answer, since “8” is so clear cut and fits perfectly. However, there have been some creative answers suggested that were wrong. On a Reddit thread, one participant suggested: “A page of a book. You turn the page and you read, cut it in half and no information.” The person who shared the riddle let them know the answer was incorrect, “but clever!” 

This is just one of many riddles that are circulating on sites like Facebook and Instagram during the coronavirus pandemic. If you’ve seen the “How Many Ducks Do You See?” riddle and were stumped, check out Heavy’s explanation here. If you ran into the “I Met a Man on London Bridge” riddle and have no idea what the man’s name is, you can find the answer in Heavy’s story here. The answer to the “You Enter a Bedroom” riddle is here, and the answer to the “Can You Open the Lock Using These Clues?” riddle is here.

If you’re looking for the answer to the “Hotel with 100 Rooms” riddle, it’s here. The answer to the “State Without an A” riddle is here. The answer to the “How many letters are in the answer?” riddle is here. And the answer to the “Penny Has 5 Children” riddle is here.

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