Big Family
Originally published on January 23, 2010
I was looking through our family photo album with a friend recently. I pointed to a photo and said “brothers and sisters I have none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.”
My friend (being no fool) immediately said “it’s your son, that’s an old one.”
”Then how about the fella in this picture,” I said. “He’s the only son of the only brother of the only aunt of my father’s only niece.”
My friend thought for a while then said “it’s you, and it was taken a good few years ago by the look of it.”
“All right then smarty, see this lady,” I said pointing to another picture, “she is the only niece of the father of the only cousin of the uncle of the only grandson of the brother of my cousin’s mother.”
Can you tell the RiddleDude who she is?
When you listen to street musicians, they ask for money to support their careers. Here at RiddleDude.com we ask for support in a different way. Forward a RiddleDude email to friends and family in your address book. Urge them to sign up for the daily email. Ask them to forward it to their friends. You can best support our site—which is also YOUR site—by promoting it.
RiddleDude.com is a free site and will always be a free site. We do it for the love of riddles. Remember, your comments and submissions are always welcome.
Enjoy,
RiddleDude
February 20th, 2012 | Category: 
Warning: Use of undefined constant bfa_comments - assumed 'bfa_comments' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/customer/www/riddledude.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/comments.php on line 132
Your sister?
Nope, keep trying.
I may have got lost in the words. but is it his friends sister?
No, try again.
His mom
No, that’s not it. Keep trying.
His aunt.
Nope, please keep trying.
If I was the one who pointed to the picture, then that lady is my wife.
“she is the only niece of the father of the only cousin of the uncle of the only grandson of the brother of my cousin’s mother.”
Work right-to-left…
My cousin's mother->My aunt
Brother of my aunt->My father. My aunt only has 1 brother (riddle #2)
Only grandson of my father->My son. I have no siblings (riddle #1)
Uncle of my son->My wife's brother. I have no brothers (riddle #1)
Only cousin of my wife's brother->My wife's only cousin
Father of my wife's only cousin->My wife's uncle
Only niece of my wife's uncle->My wife
Wife is not correct.
Please keep trying.
Daughter?
No, that’s not it. Keep trying please.
She would be a first cousin.
My cousin first removed (second cousin).
Brett, you are correct. She is your cousin.
Working backwards:
Your cousin’s mother is your aunt.
“she is the only niece of the father of the only cousin of the uncle of the only grandson of the brother of my aunt”
Your aunt only has one brother (from earlier in the question) and it is your father.
“she is the only niece of the father of the only cousin of the uncle of the only grandson of my father”
The only grandson of your father must be your son (since we know you have one).
“she is the only niece of the father of the only cousin of the uncle of my son”
The uncle of your son is your cousin.
“she is the only niece of the father of the only cousin of my cousin”
If your cousin only has one cousin, it must be you!
“she is the only niece of my father”
Your father’s niece is your cousin.
“she is my cousin.”
You are today’s winner.