# Where does today come before yesterday?

Source: https://silverapuzzles.com/riddles/where-does-today-come-before-yesterday

A time riddle with a bookish answer. In real life the order is fixed, so the place where it flips must be a place where words are sorted.

**Answer:** In the dictionary.

T comes before Y, so “today” is listed before “yesterday”.

Hint: Alphabetical order.

## How to think about it

1. In time, yesterday always comes before today, so the riddle must be about a different kind of order.
2. Words can be ordered alphabetically. Compare the first letters: T and Y.
3. T comes before Y in the alphabet.
4. In a dictionary, “today” is listed before “yesterday”.

## Why “in the dictionary” is the answer

A dictionary sorts words alphabetically, and since T comes before Y, the entry for “today” appears pages before “yesterday”. The riddle asks “where” rather than “when”, which is the clue that it wants a place instead of a time. Any alphabetical list would work, but the dictionary is the classic answer.

## Common wrong answers

- **Nowhere.** True in time, but the riddle asks where, and the dictionary is such a place.
- **In a time machine.** A fun idea, but the riddle has an everyday answer that does not need science fiction.