# What do you call a bear with no teeth?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/riddles/what-do-you-call-a-bear-with-no-teeth

A pun riddle in the “what do you call” family. The answer is a familiar phrase that happens to describe the picture in the question.

**Answer:** A gummy bear.

No teeth, just gums: a gummy bear.

Hint: It is a candy.

## How to think about it

1. Take the description seriously for a moment: a bear with no teeth would show only its gums.
2. Turn “gums” into an adjective. A mouth with no teeth is gummy.
3. Put the adjective in front of the animal and listen to the result: a gummy bear.
4. Recognize the phrase. Gummy bears are the chewy candies shaped like little bears, so the pun lands.

## Why “a gummy bear” is the answer

A gummy bear is a well-known candy, and “gummy” is also the natural word for a mouth with gums but no teeth. The joke works because both readings fit the same two words. Most “what do you call” riddles follow this shape: the literal description and an existing name or phrase collide.

## Common wrong answers

- **A toothless bear.** True but not funny. The riddle wants the pun, not the plain description.
- **A teddy bear.** Teddy bears have no teeth either, but the name has nothing to do with teeth or gums.