A classic rhyming riddle that still gets searched hundreds of times a month. Here’s the answer, why it fits every line, and 10 more riddles about everyday objects.
Quick answer: a match (matchstick).
Contents
- The Riddle
- Answer and Explanation
- 10 More Riddles About Everyday Things
- More Riddle Collections
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Riddle
“Tear one off and scratch its head,
what was red is black instead.
What is it?”
Answer and Explanation
Tear one off – you tear a match from a matchbook.
Scratch its head – you strike the match head against the box.
What was red is black instead – the red tip burns and turns black. The answer is a match.
10 More Riddles About Everyday Things
Liked that one? Try these – the answers are hidden until you click.
1. I have a head and a tail but no body. What am I?
Show answer
Answer: A coin.
2. I have keys but no locks, and I make music. What am I?
Show answer
Answer: A piano. Full answer
3. I have a face and two hands but no arms or legs. What am I?
Show answer
Answer: A clock. Full answer
4. I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?
Show answer
Answer: A candle.
5. I have a neck but no head, and I wear a cap. What am I?
Show answer
Answer: A bottle.
6. What has one eye but can’t see?
Show answer
Answer: A needle.
7. What gets wetter the more it dries?
Show answer
Answer: A towel.
8. I’m black when you buy me, red when you use me and grey when you throw me away. What am I?
Show answer
Charcoal. Full answer
9. Feed me and I live, give me a drink and I die. What am I?
Show answer
Fire.
10. I can fall off a building and live, but put me in water and I die. What am I?
Show answer
Paper. Full answer
More Riddle Collections
- 40 What Am I Riddles
- 1000+ Easy Riddles with Answers
- 50 Hardest Riddles in the World
- The Missing Dollar Riddle – trending
- हिंदी पहेलियाँ (Hindi Riddles)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to “tear one off and scratch its head”?
A match. You tear it from a matchbook, scratch (strike) its head, and the red tip turns black.
Is it “scratch my head” or “scratch its head”?
Both versions are common. The answer is the same: a match.
What type of riddle is this?
A rhyming “what am I” riddle that describes an everyday object through actions.