Fan of detective TV shows and movies? One of your nighttime hobbies includes binge-watching true crime shows on Netflix? Well, now is a perfect time to prove it!

Imagine you're given five minutes to hide a paperclip in your home from a detective who has 24 hours to find it. If they don't, you get $10,000. The question is, where are you going to hide the paperclip?

Such a puzzle was posted by one Reddit user in one of the most popular subreddits of all time—r/AskReddit. With almost 80k people liking the now-viral thread, it was only obvious we'd find some amusing, hilarious, and smart replies there. Ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to alarming (you'll find some suspiciously genius answers below), these 30 replies will surely be entertaining to read. After you're done reading the list, think up a strategy of where you'd hide a paperclip in your home and share your answer with all of us in the comment section down below!

More info: Reddit

#1

Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) inside the rubbing alcohol bottle. that way the paperclip sniffing dogs can't find it.

Bubacxo , Wikimedia Commons Report

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    #2

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Somewhere safe where ill find it later. Just like everything else I can't find.

    craic-house , Jeanne Report

    #3

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) I'd un bend it. Then force it down the tube of a near empty pen.

    8urfiat , Jacqui Brown Report

    Arctic Fox Lover
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would bend it so that it's tiny enough to swallow, and then--you guessed it--swallow it. They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is inside of me, so if the paperclip's inside of me...

    Arctic Fox Lover
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OR better yet, put it in my underwear. They'd never look there if they know what good for them. ;)

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    Trevor Hardy
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Takes longer than 5 mins to find a pen in my house

    XxInstantKarmaxX
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Better yet put it inside the ink tube :)

    Turnip and a Frog
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Something tells me the person might have done that before...

    Pasion Jones
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is it STILL a paperclip then LOL

    #4

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Burying it with the last detectives who tried.

    GreyJedi56 , Michal_Buksa Report

    Stille20
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dark.. funny.. but also... fresh ground dirt

    Martha Riche
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You live in the cemetery? I mean, the rules do say to hide the paperclip in your home.

    RadicalPebble
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wouldn't that be a little traumatic

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    #5

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) I'm gonna pass. Something tells me this detective is gonna do more than 10,000 worth of damage to my house looking for it. So unless he has a warrant I'm gonna say no.

    Blatheringman , DVIDSHUB Report

    Created 2 Worship
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Honestly, I would just put it in a pile of 100 paper clips. He/She would have a 1/100 chance of finding it.

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    #6

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) I'd put it in my mask to form the nose bridge.

    Greenfireflygirl , Wikimedia Commons Report

    Sean Baxter
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sorry sir, I can't take off my mask!

    #7

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) I’d glue it to the bottom of my shoe. I’d literally be standing there watching him look around my house, and trying not to look down.

    fishasaurous , needpix Report

    Sperenity
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You'd have to be up for 24 hours. "Why aren't you in bed yet?" "I'm not tired." "It's 3 AM in the morning..." "...I'm a college student."

    Bob Belcher
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Your shoe would make an odd noise if your walking on anything but carpet.

    BG
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tap dancing. Just frickin' Maxi Ford-ing off into the sunset!

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    #8

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) In a septic tank. If they find it, they deserve to keep that $10,000.

    terpdeterp , Wikimedia Commons Report

    Stille20
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can you access a septic tank in 5 minutes?

    bryguy
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It says "in your house" not under your house or outside of your house

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    #9

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Just hide a bunch of paperclips, when he finds one he'll stop searching

    Dikketapir63 , Andrew Kelsall Report

    Zhaoheng Liu
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    melt the paperclip onto something metal so he will just look over it

    XxInstantKarmaxX
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Technically the guy has to find the paper clip not refinements of the paper clip...

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    Molly Block
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Geez, really? How hard could this be? Drop it into a bottle of hand lotion. They'd never see it. This whole idea is sort of dumb-- I mean, come on. There are so many places... there has got to be some limitations. I can think of a lot of places that I could hide it in 5 minutes. Shove it into a cooked beef roast. Stick it in the tub of creamed cheese. In a box of cereal. In the dirt of a potted plant.....

    Oof Me
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would've hidden it in my mouth, detectives don't look there for paper clips

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    #10

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Give it my toddler...never to be seen again

    lemon_depression , Tamekia Andress Report

    Noah Szejbach
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    parent problems.... your a wizard ya know that?

    Bob Belcher
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Noooo, your toddler will swallow it.

    Arctic Fox Lover
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hahaha, not until the next time ya change her diaper.

    Romenriel
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These adorable little legs ❤️

    La La Lynch
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah because that's real smart.

    Annabell
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not in the next 24 hours. Maybe a few days later in the smelly diaper.

    Tiny Dynamine
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's an unfortunate skin condition the kid's got.

    Arctic Fox Lover
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No, I believe her face is just a liiiiiiittle bit deformed.

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    #11

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Force it down the corrugation of one of the Amazon boxes I've yet to take out to recycling.

    John__Weaver , Stock Catalog Report

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    #12

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Push it through a drywall wall between studs and it should fall to the blocking at 4' increments off the ground code requires. If you can, put a nail into the hole and hang a painting or w/e to hide the small hole, or some Spackle. Later, use a magnet to attract it through the drywall and draw it back up to a hole or other opening in the wall. Even if the detective saw the hole, the paperclip isn't there, that's just the retrieval and drop point. It'd basically be impossible to find without ripping all the walls out. I doubt they could detect it, even using a metal detector because of all the background ferrous metal in nails, nail stops, Simpson clips, wiring, etc. that the detector would pick up everywhere else.

    Numinae , needpix Report

    Levi Baker
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Crazy genius!!! Super detailed plan! They would NEVER find it!

    *sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    who said they weren't allowed to rip out the drywall? Why do you think the reward for hiding it well is $10,000 ;)

    #13

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) In the junk drawer. Good luck finding anything you're looking for.

    SingleFunction1 , Eugene Meidinger Report

    ZOE JONES
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Which one? If you don't have more than one, you either have your life more together than me or are not human.

    Tiny Dynamine
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That would actually be very easy to find. Just take out all the non-paper clips and there's not much left to sort through. Maybe 5 minutes?

    danielw
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    .... I found found that socket cover I've been looking for. Too bad it's not my drawer.

    Hannah Alexandra
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah the Junk Drawer. We've all got one...

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    #14

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) Between the radiator fins of the split-type air conditioner. It's easy to insert, yet the position is not very accessible and would need to disassemble that aircon just to get a glimpse of it.

    UpvotesKitties , pisauikan Report

    Tanner Wright
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That right there is some next level thinking

    #15

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) in the spine of a book (i have a room of ceiling to floor shelves)

    rosereprise , Alan Levine Report

    Kenna Cook
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a bookcase in my house that's three stories high, it goes from my basement to the second floor.

    Donna Leske
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I gave you an upvote - but picture or it didn't happen.

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    Banjo Peppers
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    But he has 24 hours. When you aren’t being careful about putting the books back the right way, it doesn’t take long to pull books off and shake them.

    #16

    1. Push it into a fresh turd in the kitty litter. 2. Straighten it out and insert it into one of those pin and string pictures 3. Shape it like a large staple and then use that to staple together some papers.

    Saganasm Report

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    #17

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) I'd tape it on the inside of one of the fabric labels on my winter coat, which is currently in a suitcase in my closet with the rest of my winter stuff

    Phaesporic , Wikimedia Commons Report

    Lisa Shelton
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was just saying I'd put it in the seam of a piece of dirty laundry and mix it back into the laundry pile/bucket.

    Perfumista Perfumista
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As long as there is no noticible dust disruption may work

    WilvanderHeijden
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What makes me think that this coat was made in China?

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    #18

    Firstly I'd straighten it out so it doesn't immediately look like a paperclip. That might help both if it's spotted and in finding a place for it. I would then push it into the gathered fabric at the top of my living room curtains, where it would be absolutely impossible to distinguish from the curtain hooks.

    spiderbabyinapram Report

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    #19

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) In the attic insulation

    Stingwing4oba , Mark Doliner Report

    Stille20
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, but you would have to be super careful not to get the insulation anywhere or it will tip them off

    Sheila Ch
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i'd cover lightly with a tissue and put in an electronic device...

    Haunting Spirit
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Why is that isolation lying there like rubbish? Don't you just put on the ceiling on the attic like we do here in Europe?

    M O'Connell
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not even sure what you're asking. The insulation is neatly tucked between the joist bays. The two rectangles were likely cut out when the air ducting was installed, and simply left there by the installer.

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    Opal4eva
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Omg he would have ripped it apart he would have had snow!! ❄️

    #20

    I would go into the roof and slide it in between two tiles in a random spot.

    beanieboi89 Report

    Named No Name
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But is that in your home or on your home?

    Stille20
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    5 minutes... hopefully you can get out a window or the ladder might tip them off.

    #21

    With the rest of the paperclips. He'll never know which one is the right one!

    Halfang Report

    Created 2 Worship
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    YASS! THAT IS WHAT I SAID IN THE FIRST PIC!

    *sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby
    Community Member
    5 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The person deciding whether the detective found it or not wouldn't be able to tell if it's the correct one or not, plus even if they could tell which one it is, the detective could just say "it's this one" and the person deciding will say "no, it's not that one" and the detective could just go through all of the paperclips asking and using the process of elimination until they found the right one, unless they can't do that. In that case, the person deciding must need a distinctive difference between THE paperclip and other paperclips, so they know if the detective found the right one. In that case, the detective could probably identify the correct paperclip. Unless there was a very specific pattern of coloring or bends or dents in the correct one, and there were random patterns and bends and dents in the other ones, the detective could probably find it, but you probably don't have a bajillion paperclips with little color patterns and bends and dents in them just lying around in your house.

    Mimi M
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yep - my immediate answer was 'in a box of paperclips'.

    Created 2 Worship
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Check the comment. Give it a like! :D

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    #22

    Behind the plate that's screwed into the wall for my carbon monoxide detector Straighten it out and glue it to the inside of a reusable straw Bra underwire Dryer lint trap

    Ufoshark Report

    Joker_29
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Might guess the bra one, especially if they’re female

    Tiny Dynamine
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Male bras also have underwire. So they say... 😂

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    #23

    Burn one of the many Yankee candles in the apartment until the wax melts, drop it in, let the wax solidify over it.

    HGHETDOACSSVimes Report

    Stille20
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    5 minutes get the freezer ready... also obvious candle smell

    *sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    in that case, burn ALL of the candles in your house, and put them ALL in the freezer

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    Jennie Reynolds
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Straighten it out push it down through the wax , take a lighter and melt just the wax you disturbed. Put it on a high shelf. Will have enough time to cool by the time the detective gets to it.

    Lisa Shelton
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And be burning a separate one to cover the smell.

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    Lee roberts
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the one I thought of too

    #24

    Redditor Asks People To Imagine They Have 5 Minutes To Hide A Paperclip In Their Home From A Detective Who Has 24 Hours To Find It, And The Answers Are Brilliant (30 Replies) In an electrical socket.

    Azuenz , Sery Content Development MT Report

    Titas Burinskas
    BoredPanda Staff
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm pretty sure that would cause a power outage

    Stille20
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ha ha.. Im assuming they will unscrew it and stick it behind.

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    IlovemydogShilo
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Are you trying to electrocute yourself???😟

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    #25

    Push it through a hole in the silicone lining of my tub. Then reseal it.

    monica_9090 Report

    yes.
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    like if you have a tub that is attached to the bathroom you can straighten out the paperclip and put it in between the tub and the bathroom and seal the hole.

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    Autumn
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Genius person here. Just make sure your fast enough. ;)

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    #26

    One extra ring in a spiral notebook.

    uainecas Report

    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As long as it is the same color of the rings of the notebook.

    #27

    In the attic, stuffed between insulation. I doubt he/she will want to risk fiber glass splinters looking for it.

    SteakSauce995 Report

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    #28

    I'll just temporarily make someone else the owner of my house and when I'm homeless I'll just chuck it in the woods somewhere.

    SmartestIdiotAlive Report

    Arctic Fox Lover
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think that would be able to happen within 5 minutes, but it's smart as hay! XD

    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Remember, YOU ONLY HAVE 5 MINUTES!

    #29

    Between two slices of bread in the freezer.

    __INIT_THROWAWAY__ Report

    Emilingo
    Community Member
    5 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd straighten it out, and put it under the meshy part underneath my carpet, in the corner behind my bed. :) in fact, I'll do that, see if anybody finds it ever.

    Lyra Fortune
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    Lyra Fortune
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This comment has been deleted.

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    #30

    Inside the mattress or natures pocket

    nimbles277 Report

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