Riddle: what object has three feet but no toes at all?

Introduction / Context:
This riddle plays on two different meanings of the word foot. In everyday language, a foot is the lower part of a leg with toes. In measurement, a foot is also a unit of length used especially in the imperial system. The puzzle asks about something that has three feet but no toes, which sounds impossible if we use only the body meaning. Realising that feet here refer to units of length rather than body parts leads us to a simple measuring tool as the answer.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject has three feet.
• It has no toes, so the word feet must be interpreted in a non biological way.
• The answer is a common measuring object.
• The three feet refer to three foot units of length, not three limbs.
• Among the options, only one object is directly defined as three feet long.

Concept / Approach:
A yardstick is a measuring stick that is exactly one yard in length. One yard equals three feet in the imperial measurement system. Therefore, a yardstick has three feet in the measurement sense but, of course, no toes. A tripod and a stool both have three legs, but their feet are the ends of the legs, and they do not have officially three feet as a unit of length. A snowman may have no toes but does not have feet in either sense in the riddle's playful wording. Yardstick is the clean combination of three feet and no toes that the puzzle is pointing toward.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Recall that in imperial units, 1 yard equals 3 feet. A yardstick is a straight measuring stick that is exactly 1 yard long. Therefore, it is also exactly 3 feet long. The riddle says it has three feet, which matches the measurement length. Since it is just a stick, it has no toes, so the feet cannot be body parts and must be units of length.

Verification / Alternative check:
Check tripod. A tripod has three legs ending in three supports sometimes called feet, but the riddle explicitly says no toes, hinting strongly at a unit of measurement rather than ends of legs. A stool with three legs could also be described as having three feet, yet again the toes clue signals that we should think of numerical measurement. A snowman is made of snowballs and may have stick arms, but no clear concept of three feet applies. Only a yardstick is absolutely defined by being three feet in length, which makes it uniquely suited to this wordplay.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tripod and stool invite a literal interpretation of feet and legs, but the absence of toes across the entire object is not as central to their identity as the unit play is to yardstick. The riddle is clearly built to make learners realise that feet can mean both limbs and units of measurement. Snowman has no strong connection with feet in either sense and serves mainly as a distractor. Yardstick is the only object whose standard description includes being three feet long, matching the wording with precision.

Common Pitfalls:
Many solvers immediately think of animals with three legs or supports with three feet, ignoring the no toes hint. Others may forget that feet are used as length units and search for creatures or cartoon characters. A reliable strategy in such questions is to always ask whether a key term like foot might have a second, non biological meaning. Once you recall the measurement unit, yardstick becomes an obvious and satisfying answer to this simple but clever puzzle.

Final Answer:
The thing that has three feet but no toes is a yardstick, which is three feet long.