Puzzle 121
Using all of the letters A to Z, each once only, complete these common words.
cl--h
co--h
di-r-
-rea-
in-e-
-ok-r
-a-or
-ua-l
re-e-
-to-e
s-am-
ya--t
-eb-a
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The 4th word begins with the letter F.
Answers
cl--h = cloth (OT)
co--h = cough (UG)
di-r- = diary (AY)
-rea- = freak (FK)
in-e- = index (DX)
-ok-r = joker (JE)
-a-or = manor (MN)
-ua-l = quail (QI)
re-e- = rebel (BL)
-to-e = stove (SV)
s-am- = swamp (WP)
ya--t = yacht (CH)
-eb-a = zebra (ZR)
This puzzle isn't guaranteed to have a unique answer, can you find another?
Puzzle 122
This year, Farmer Stone's harvest of apples was quite significant.
He decided to donate some of the apples to the local community, 1,672 people in all.
Every person aged 50 or more received 16 apples, and every person under 50 received 96 apples.
Only 3/4 of the over 50s collected their apples, and only 1/8 of the under 50s collected theirs.
How many apples did the farmer give away?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try a random number of over 50s to see what happens.
Answer
20,064 apples.
Reasoning
It doesn't matter how old the people are.
As only 3/4 of the over 50s claimed 16 apples, this averages out to 12 apples each.
Similarly, only 1/8 of the under 50s claimed 96 apples, this again averages out to be 12 apples each.
Therefore, the total number of apples was 1,672 x 12 = 20,064.
Puzzle 123
What is the 20th prime number?
2, 3, 5, 7, …
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Hint
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, …
Answer
71.
The first twenty prime numbers are: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71.
Puzzle 124
A trout's tail weighs eight pounds.
Its head weighs as much as the tail and one-half of the body combined, and the body weighs as much as the head and tail combined.
What does the whole trout weigh?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
A little bit of algebra might help.
Answer
64 pounds.
The head weighs 24 pounds, the body weighs 32 pounds, and the tail weighs 8 pounds.
Reasoning
The trout is made up of the head, body and tail, H, B and T.
We are told that:
T = 8
(1) H = T + B ÷ 2
(2) B = H + T
Placing T into (1) and (2) we get:
(3) H = 8 + B ÷ 2
(4) B = H + 8
Using (4) in (3) we get:
H = 8 + B ÷ 2
(5) H = 8 + (H + 8) ÷ 2
Multiplying (5) by 2 we get:
2H = 16 + H + 8
2H = 24 + H
H = 24
Therefore, by (2):
B = H + T
B = 24 + 8
B = 32
Giving:
H = 24
B = 32
T = 8
And a total of 24 + 32 + 8 = 64 pounds.
