Brain teaser (help me)

[J.DP]

Strange problem that someone told me earlier today.

3 guys split a restaurant bill of $30 and leave no tip, when the waiter brings the money to the cahier he is told that the bill was actually $25. The lady at the cashier gives him $5 back to give to the 3 guys. Pissed off at getting no tip he decides to pocket $2 for himself and only give $3 back. Each of the guys gets $1 back meaning they paid $9 each total. 9x3 = 27 and the waiter has $2, what happened to $1?

I may be missing something obvious here but I can't figure this out.

Feel free to flame me if this is really easy. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[mostsmooth]

you dont add the $2, you subtract it.

[mostsmooth]

ok, that was a pretty vague answer i guess.
they paid $9 each ($27 total)on a $25 dollar tab. that leaves $2 which the waiter pocketed.

[Gebre]

[ QUOTE ]
Strange problem that someone told me earlier today.

3 guys split a restaurant bill of $30 and leave no tip, when the waiter brings the money to the cahier he is told that the bill was actually $25. The lady at the cashier gives him $5 back to give to the 3 guys. Pissed off at getting no tip he decides to pocket $2 for himself and only give $3 back. Each of the guys gets $1 back meaning they paid $9 each total. 9x3 = 27 and the waiter has $2, what happened to $1?

I may be missing something obvious here but I can't figure this out.

Feel free to flame me if this is really easy. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

There is no extra $1. The $2 to the waiter is part of the $27 paid by the customers ($27 = $25 + $2), not in addition to it. Another way of looking at it is that of the original $30, $25 went to the restaurant, $3 went back to the customers, and $2 went to the waiter.

[GuyOnTilt]

This actually got me for a couple minutes, but the answer is:

<font color="white">There is no missing dollar. They gave $30 and got $3 back, so they spent $27. The $25 that went toward the bill + $2 that went toward the tip = $27 spent total. ($30 - $2) has nothing to do with anything.</font>

GoT

[i wanna be me]

[ QUOTE ]
Strange problem that someone told me earlier today.

3 guys split a restaurant bill of $30 and leave no tip, when the waiter brings the money to the cahier he is told that the bill was actually $25. The lady at the cashier gives him $5 back to give to the 3 guys. Pissed off at getting no tip he decides to pocket $2 for himself and only give $3 back. Each of the guys gets $1 back meaning they paid $9 each total. 9x3 = 27 and the waiter has $2, what happened to $1?

I may be missing something obvious here but I can't figure this out.

Feel free to flame me if this is really easy. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

the guys pay $10 each at the beginning

their $10 is distributed as follows:

$25/3 (for the actual bill) = $8.33
$2/3 (for the tip) = $0.67
$3/3 (for the refund) = $1
Total = $10/person

The trick of this riddle is knowing that the bolded parts of the riddle above do not correspond directly (you cannot just add the $9x3 and the $2 tip together because they are not exclusive of each other (the tip is being double-counted)). Thus, the $1 is seen as "missing", when in fact it should be a "missing" $3 (the money that's not the tip or the meal) - which is easily accounted for by the refund. Confusing /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[J.DP]

Now I feel like an idiot. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

That answer is pretty obvious.

Thanks for the responses. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[NoTalent]

Easy

that slut of a cashier took it!

[Eihli]

:/

[Helper Robot]

[jason_t]

If robots can suffer violent rapes, I hope you do.