Puzzle 97
Below, 9 nine-letter words have been broken into chunks of three letters.
The chunks have been moved around, no chunk is used twice, and all of the chunks are used.
Can you determine what the 9 words are?
ome clo ere ref int ere
bar ple pin ise phy gra
hni bio ewh eap sor fes
tec ckw som que tpr pro
nce ter foo
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
One of the words is clockwise.
Answers
foo + tpr + int = footprint
som + ewh + ere = somewhere
pin + eap + ple = pineapple
tec + hni + que = technique
ref + ere + nce = reference
pro + fes + sor = professor
bio + gra + phy = biography
clo + ckw + ise = clockwise
bar + ome + ter = barometer
Puzzle 98
Can you find a five-digit number that has no zeros nor ones in it and no digit is repeated, where:
The fourth digit is a quarter of the total of all of the digits.
The second digit is twice the first digit.
The third digit is the largest.
The last digit is the sum of the first two digits.
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Start by labelling the number as ABCDE.
Answer
24976.
Reasoning
We can start by labelling the digits as ABCDE.
We know that:
(i) B = 2 x A
and:
E = A + B
And using (i) we get:
E = A + (2 x A)
(ii) E = 3 x A
If A = 1, this isn't allowed (as there are no 1's in the puzzle).
If A = 2, then B = 4, and E = 6.
If A = 3, then B = 6, and E = 9, but this isn't allowed (as C has to be the largest digit).
So, A = 2, B = 4, E = 6, and we now have to find C and D.
We also know that:
D = (A + B + C + D + E) ÷ 4
And using (i) and (ii) we get:
D = [A + (2 x A) + C + D + (3 x A)] ÷ 4
so:
3 x D = (6 x A) + C
so:
(iii) D = [(6 x A) + C] ÷ 3
C can only be 7, 8 or 9 (as it's the largest digit, and we've already found 6) and (iii) tells us that it must be a multiple of 3, which means that C = 9. Leaving D = 7.
So the final number is: 24976.
Double-Checking
The answer is 24976.
The fourth digit is a quarter of the total of all of the digits.
A + B + C + D + E = 2 + 4 + 9 + 7 + 6 = 28, and 28 ÷ 4 = 7.
The second digit is twice the first digit.
4 = 2 x 2.
The third digit is the largest.
9 is the largest digit.
The last digit is the sum of the first two digits.
6 = 2 + 4.
Puzzle 99
Below you will find 15 well-known seven-letter words, with only their endings remaining.
Can you find the words?
----nst
----nip
----fth
----rno
----dox
----sil
----nac
----iem
----arb
----ior
----bey
----van
----ipt
----dth
----nox
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The first letters of the words are: A, P, T, I, P, U, A, R, R, W, D, C, R, B, E.
Answers
----nst = against
----nip = parsnip
----fth = twelfth
----rno = inferno
----dox = paradox
----sil = utensil
----nac = almanac
----iem = requiem
----arb = rhubarb
----ior = warrior
----bey = disobey
----van = caravan
----ipt = receipt
----dth = breadth
----nox = equinox
Puzzle 100
At the recent BrainBashers code-breaking convention, Billie Brisk won the speed contest.
The following sentence was deciphered in a record time of 123 seconds.
What was the well-known saying and how has it been encrypted?
MOOT CYNA SKOO IOPS EHTL TORB YCBH
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The first word begins with T.
Answer
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Reasoning
The saying has been broken down into blocks of 4, the last block has been filled with dummy letters. Each block has then been reversed.
Double-Checking
Start with:
TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BROTH
Group together:
TOOMANYCOOKSSPOILTHEBROTH
Split into groups of 4 letters:
TOOM ANYC OOKS SPOI LTHE BROT H
Add 3 random characters:
TOOM ANYC OOKS SPOI LTHE BROT HBCY
Reverse each group of 4 letters:
MOOT CYNA SKOO IOPS EHTL TORB YCBH
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