# What has many teeth but can’t bite?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/riddles/what-has-many-teeth-but-cant-bite

A bathroom-shelf riddle. Something has a whole row of teeth and never bites, so the teeth must be the kind that do a different job.

**Answer:** A comb.

A comb has many teeth, but they are for hair, not food.

Hint: It tidies your hair.

## How to think about it

1. Teeth that cannot bite are not in a mouth. Think of objects with rows of small points called teeth.
2. Saws, zippers, gears and combs all have teeth.
3. A saw could be said to “bite” into wood, so set it aside.
4. The comb is the everyday object that children know, and its teeth only ever touch hair.

## Why “a comb” is the answer

The thin prongs of a comb are called teeth, and a comb can have dozens of them in a single row. They slide through hair and never close on anything, so they cannot bite. The riddle relies on a body-part word that English applies to many tools, and the comb is the gentlest example.

## Common wrong answers

- **A saw.** A saw has teeth and, in a way, bites into wood, so the “cannot bite” part is shaky.
- **A zipper.** Zippers have teeth and do not bite, so this is a fair alternative; the classic answer is a comb.