BrainBashers - Random Puzzles

Puzzle 5

By changing the third letter of each of the words below, can you make another valid word?

You have to change each word such that the third letters will reveal a ten-letter word when read downwards.

Therefore, what now reads 'krzsaprokd' will be a real word.
bake cure maze pest neat rope port food poke soda

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Puzzle 6

Trade Convention #1 – Logic Puzzles

Workers with the surnames Baker, Teacher, Carpenter, and Plumber are currently attending an annual convention.

No-one is currently, nor has ever been, in the same occupation as their name, and no-one has had the same occupation twice.
Charlie has never been a carpenter, and Mr Teacher is now a plumber.
Davie used to be a teacher, but Mr Billie Baker never has.
Mr Plumber is not called Eddie, and Mr Carpenter wasn't previously a teacher.
The previous occupations were all different, and the current occupations are all different.
Can you determine the full names of each of the attendees, along with their current and previous occupation?

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Answer
Billie  Baker     –    plumber   + carpenter
Eddie   Teacher   –    carpenter + plumber
Charlie Carpenter –    baker     + teacher
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + baker

The previous occupation is followed by the current.

Reasoning
The four forenames are: Billie, Charlie, Davie, Eddie.
The four surnames are: Baker, Teacher, Carpenter, Plumber
The four occupations are: baker, teacher, carpenter, plumber.

By (3), we have Billie Baker:
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + ?
        Teacher   –    ?         + ?
        Carpenter –    ?         + ?
        Plumber   –    ?         + ?

By (2), Mr Teacher is currently a plumber:
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + ?
        Teacher   –    ?         + plumber
        Carpenter –    ?         + ?
        Plumber   –    ?         + ?

By (3) Mr Baker was not previously a teacher. By (4), neither was Mr Carpenter. And by (1) Mr Teacher can't have been either. Therefore, Mr Plumber used to be a teacher, and is called Davie:
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + ?
        Teacher   –    ?         + plumber
        Carpenter –    ?         + ?
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + ?

By (3), Mr Baker has never been a teacher, and by (1), Mr Plumber can't currently be a teacher either. Also, by (1), neither can Mr Teacher. Therefore, Mr Carpenter must currently be a teacher:
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + ?
        Teacher   –    ?         + plumber
        Carpenter –    ?         + teacher
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + ?

By (1), Mr Baker can't be a baker, so only Mr Plumber can currently be a baker. Leaving Mr Baker as a carpenter currently:
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + carpenter
        Teacher   –    ?         + plumber
        Carpenter –    ?         + teacher
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + baker

By (1), only Mr Teacher could have previously been a carpenter:
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + carpenter
        Teacher   –    carpenter + plumber
        Carpenter –    ?         + teacher
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + baker

By (2), Charlie has never been a carpenter, and since Mr Teacher has, Charlie must be Mr Carpenter.
Billie  Baker     –    ?         + carpenter
        Teacher   –    carpenter + plumber
Charlie Carpenter –    ?         + teacher
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + baker

By (1), we now know all of the occupations, and Eddie must be Mr Teacher:
Billie  Baker     –    plumber   + carpenter
Eddie   Teacher   –    carpenter + plumber
Charlie Carpenter –    baker     + teacher
Davie   Plumber   –    teacher   + baker

Puzzle 7

Yesterday I was asked to buy some stamps.

In the land of BrainBashers, stamps are available in denominations of 3p, 9p, 11p, 17p, and 21p (just the five different values).

For three denominations of stamp I was asked to buy eight of each, and for the other two denominations I was asked to buy nine of each.

Unfortunately, I forgot which I was supposed to buy eight of, and which to buy nine of!!

Luckily I had been given the exact money required to buy the stamps, £5.00, so the shopkeeper was able to work out the stamps I needed.

Which stamps did I have to buy?

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Puzzle 8

This BrainBashers safe has a rather unusual control panel.

In order to open the safe, you have to press every single square once only, in the correct sequence, ending on the square marked E.

Each square indicates which square to press next, for example, 2U means move up 2 squares and 3R means move right 3 squares.

Can you determine which square you must start with?

Note: this puzzle is not interactive, and the safe buttons cannot be clicked.

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