Puzzle 489
Can you find common anagrams of the following words:
BINARY
ABROAD
RASCAL
ALTARS
BADGER
BARKED
MARBLE
UNABLE
TABLET
CALLER
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The first letters of the words are: B, A, S, A, B, B, R, N, B, C.
Answer
BINARY = BRAINY
ABROAD = ABOARD
RASCAL = SCALAR
ALTARS = ASTRAL
BADGER = BARGED
BARKED = BRAKED
MARBLE = RAMBLE
UNABLE = NEBULA
TABLET = BATTLE
CALLER = CELLAR or RECALL
There are some less common anagrams such as:
RASCAL = SACRAL
ALTARS = TARSAL
ALTARS = RATALS
ALTARS = TALARS
BADGER = GARBED
BARKED = DEBARK
MARBLE = BLAMER
MARBLE = AMBLER
MARBLE = LAMBER
UNABLE = UNBALE
TABLET = BATTEL
So you can have an extra half point if you found one of these! There are some even rarer anagrams, but I don't think I'll allow those!
Puzzle 490
Place letters into the grid such that every row, column, and 2x2 block has letters (in any order) that form a common word. Each letter is only used once, and no letter is repeated in the rows / cols / blocks.
Letters allowed: T U R K E Y
Note: this puzzle is not interactive, and the squares cannot be clicked.
Puzzle Copyright © Alan Stillson and Frank Longo
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Hint
Column 4's missing letter is R.
Answer
| K |
O |
C |
S |
| L |
Y |
U |
D |
| A |
K |
B |
R |
| T |
E |
S |
I |
Across: SOCK, DULY, BARK, TIES
Down : TALK, YOKE, CUBS, RIDS
Boxes : YOLK, CUDS, TAKE, RIBS
Other anagrams of these words are OK as long as they don't change the answer grid.
Puzzle 491
Last week I drove from Aardvark to Beeville.
On the first day, I travelled 1/3 of the starting distance.
On day two, I travelled 1/2 of the remaining distance.
On day three, I travelled 2/3 of the remaining distance.
At the end of day four, after travelling 3/4 of the remaining distance, I was still 5 miles away from Beeville.
How many miles had I travelled so far?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try working backwards.
Answer
175 miles.
The total distance was 180 miles, but as I still had 5 miles to go, the required answer is 175 miles.
Reasoning
Let's try working backwards.
Day 4: I travelled 3/4, which means that the other 1/4 was 5 miles – so 20 miles were left at the start of day four.
Day 3: I travelled 2/3, which means that the other 1/3 was 20 miles – so 60 miles were left at the start of day three.
Day 2: I travelled 1/2, which means that the other 1/2 was 60 miles – so 120 miles were left at the start of day two.
Day 1: I travelled 1/3, which means that the other 2/3 was 120 miles – so 180 miles were ahead at the start of day one.
The full distance was therefore 180 miles, but we were asked how many miles I had travelled so far, and as I still had 5 to go the answer is 175 miles.
Double-Checking
Start distance: 180 miles.
Day 1: I travelled 1/3 of the distance (60 miles), leaving 120 miles.
Day 2: I travelled 1/2 of the distance (60 miles), leaving 60 miles.
Day 3: I travelled 2/3 of the distance (40 miles), leaving 20 miles.
Day 4: I travelled 3/4 of the distance (15 miles), leaving 5 miles.
Puzzle 492
Can you calculate which word is the odd one out:
giggle, soil, bells, gobble, gosh, boss, hole, blesses, coil
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
You might need an old calculator.
Answer
Coil.
Reasoning
This is the only word that cannot be spelled using a calculator.
For example, if you enter 376616 into an old-fashioned calculator, and look at the number upside down, you can read GIGGLE.
376616 = giggle
7105 = soil
57738 = bells
378806 = gobble
4506 = gosh
5508 = boss
3704 = hole
5355378 = blesses
coil = N/A
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