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Two girls went to dinner together and both ordered iced tea. One girl pounded down five of them in about a minute, and the other took her time drinking one.

The girl who drank one died, while the girl who drank five survived. However, all of the drinks that were served turned out to contain poison.

Why did the girl that drank more iced tea survive?

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    $\begingroup$ @Lopsy Not really; it could simply be that the poison wasn't strong enough to kill with just one iced tea. $\endgroup$
    – Dennis Meng
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 15:52
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    $\begingroup$ @Lopsy or it could be that the Antidote is in the ice. $\endgroup$
    – Bozman
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 16:10
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    $\begingroup$ I was thinking of Bozman's answer. (Thanks, Dennis -- I should have reworded it so that they each drink one glass, just at different speeds) $\endgroup$
    – Lopsy
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 17:39
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    $\begingroup$ The drinks were poisoned, but not enough. The girl didn't die of poisoning but was run over by a car. $\endgroup$
    – Florian F
    Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 11:07
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    $\begingroup$ The girl who died failed her fortitude saving throw. $\endgroup$
    – user4003
    Commented Oct 19, 2014 at 1:33

11 Answers 11

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Because...

...the poison was in the ice. She drank them before the Ice melted to the point where it would kill her.

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    $\begingroup$ Indeed. No iocane powder needed. $\endgroup$
    – generalcrispy
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 15:02
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    $\begingroup$ This only works if she wasn't provided all 5 to begin. Otherwise, when she finished drink 5, the other finished drink 1. Both would have the same melted status. $\endgroup$
    – Xrylite
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 20:53
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    $\begingroup$ Surely the ice would have melted in her stomach and then killed her. Is there a better alternative solution? $\endgroup$
    – user2174
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 22:06
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    $\begingroup$ @Mathias Foster but she left the ice cubes in the glasses, so they never got into her stomach to begin with. $\endgroup$
    – Sumyrda - remember Monica
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 22:19
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    $\begingroup$ @Fred: one can also be served iced tea with no poison, but that's apparently not what happened in this riddle ;-) $\endgroup$
    – Steve Jessop
    Commented Nov 10, 2014 at 0:38
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Because...

...they were Long Island Iced Teas.

The first girl drank so much so fast she couldn't hold her liquor and (fortunately) threw them up before her body absorbed the poison.

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    $\begingroup$ This is a great deal more plausible ;) $\endgroup$
    – nneonneo
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 20:00
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    $\begingroup$ Given what's in a Long Island Iced Tea, you'd die of alcohol poisoning after 5 if they're done right. $\endgroup$
    – generalcrispy
    Commented Oct 17, 2014 at 20:39
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    $\begingroup$ @generalcrispy Not if you throw up all the five afterwards... $\endgroup$
    – Alexander
    Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 10:36
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    $\begingroup$ For all we know, alcohol was the only 'poison' in it, and the other girl just died from choking when she tried to drink as fast as her friend, who was busy throwing up. $\endgroup$
    – Zibbobz
    Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 12:43
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    $\begingroup$ Was there somebody in history who supposedly did this with hemlock or similar? I've searched for it in the past, but couldn't find which historical character it is. (Or indeed, if I've just imagined it!) $\endgroup$
    – James Webster
    Commented May 27, 2015 at 21:34
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Because...

...the girl who only drank one was allergic to the tea. They were all 'poisoned', but were only meant to kill her, not the other girl.

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    $\begingroup$ There was a great Castle episode that used that trick - a guy was killed by adulterating his drink with vinegar (which interacted with a medicine he was taking). No reason that would show up on a routine tox screen. :) $\endgroup$
    – neminem
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 17:38
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The girl who drank one drank it slower, as it took her the time for one. The girl who drank five got a fresh glass each time.

THE POISON IS IN THE ICE

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Alternatively:

Before the event, the surviving girl had prepared herself by increasing her body's tolerance of the poison: she dosed herself with it, in small then gradually increasing quantities (mithridatism).

If

the girls were in a murder mystery novel

then this would definitely be the answer! :)

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Because...

...the girl who drank one glass was a small child, while the girl who drank five was an adult. The poison was of such a low concentration that it only killed the child.

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Because...

...Drink 1 was only poison, and Drinks 2+ also contained the antidote. Who is the better (repeat) customer?

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One thing that occurs to me might be...

...eye drops in the tea.

Visine is one example, which contains tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride which derivates from naphazoline. She could be unlucky and have diabetes. Used in enough dosage and with some spoons of sugar, the smell and taste would go away (hopefully). The slowness to drink one could be her not feeling that well, but still keeping drinking.

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Because...

...the girl who drank five, had drank more than enough to the point of puking.

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Because...

...the girl who drank 5 might have drank enough other fluids to dilute the effects of the poison.

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    $\begingroup$ From the question: "All of the drinks were poisoned." $\endgroup$
    – Mat
    Commented Oct 18, 2014 at 14:54
  • $\begingroup$ I don't recall seeing that from when I originally posted. I have removed that contingency :) $\endgroup$
    – Abraxas
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 15:03
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Because...

...the poison was in ICE. so for the girl who drank slowly there was enough time for the ice to get it dissolved in tea while the one which drank the 5 tea rapidly, for her there was not enough time for the poison in the ice to dissolve and hence she survived.

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    $\begingroup$ How do you think that this answer is different from the accepted answer $\endgroup$
    – skv
    Commented Oct 20, 2014 at 11:49

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