After the recent BrainBashers annual marathon, the judges were comparing notes to determine who finished where. From their notes, can you help them reconstruct the final result?
Max Merrymood beat Toby Trent and Jesse Jackson. Pat Piper beat Jesse Jackson, Toby Trent, and Alex Ardle. Zeb Zebra lost to Pat Piper. Glenn Goodfellow beat Toby Trent Zeb Zebra beat Frankie Flint. Glenn Goodfellow lost to Frankie Flint and Pat Piper. Toby Trent beat Billie Brick. Alex Ardle beat Zeb Zebra, Kelly Kingfisher, and Glenn Goodfellow. Kelly Kingfisher lost to Glenn Goodfellow and Max Merrymood. Billie Brick beat Kelly Kingfisher. Max Merrymood lost to Alex Ardle and Zeb Zebra. Frankie Flint beat Toby Trent, Max Merrymood, and Billie Brick. Toby Trent lost to Jesse Jackson and Alex Ardle. Jesse Jackson beat Glenn Goodfellow and Billie Brick.
Hint
Try rewriting the clues so that those who finished ahead are written first.
Answer
Pat Piper (P)
Alex Ardle (A)
Zeb Zebra (Z)
Frankie Flint (F)
Max Merrymood (M)
Jesse Jackson (J)
Glenn Goodfellow (G)
Toby Trent (T)
Billie Brick (B)
Kelly Kingfisher (K)
Reasoning
If we number the clues, write each name using a single letter, and rewrite the clues so that those who finished ahead are written first:
M beat T and JP beat J, T, and AP beat ZG beat TZ beat FF and P beat GT beat BA beat Z, K, and GG and M beat KB beat KA and Z beat MF beat T, M, and BJ and A beat TJ beat G and B
By (2): P A
By (8): P A Z
By (5): P A Z F
By (12): P A Z F M
By (1): P A Z F M J
By (14): P A Z F M J G
By (4): P A Z F M J G T
By (7): P A Z F M J G T B
By (10): P A Z F M J G T B K
??
Puzzle 123
Can you find a word that begins with the letter I …
… and by the addition of the letter A becomes another word that is pronounced the same?
Four friends were discussing the colours of the flowers they had for the local flower show, from this year, and last.
There were four different colours: red, green, blue and yellow.
No-one entered the same colour flower twice. The entrant who currently has the green flowers, used to have yellow. Betty, who is not Mrs Long, currently has the blue flowers. Mrs Kipper, who now has yellow flowers, used to have blue. Neither Mrs Annie Ford, nor Mrs Jester, have ever owned yellow flowers. Cybil is not Mrs Kipper. Diane and Annie have entered four different colours in total.
Can you determine the full names, and colours of the flowers the ladies currently have, and previously had?
Hint
Start with Betty, Mrs Kipper, and Ada, as these are three different people.
Answer
Now Last
Annie Ford Red Green
Betty Jester Blue Red
Cybil Long Green Yellow
Diane Kipper Yellow Blue
Reasoning
By (3), Betty currently has Blue flowers.
Now Last
Betty Blue
By (4), Mrs Kipper currently has Yellow flowers, and used to have Blue.
Now Last
Betty Blue
Kipper Yellow Blue
By (5), we know Annie Ford's name.
Now Last
Betty Blue
Kipper Yellow Blue
Annie Ford
By (6), Mrs Kipper must be Diane, and the remaining person's name is Cybil.
Now Last
Betty Blue
Diane Kipper Yellow Blue
Annie Ford
Cybil
By (2), whoever currently has the Green flowers used to have Yellow, but by (5) this can't be Annie Ford, so this must be Cybil. Which means that Annie must currently have the Red flowers.
Now Last
Betty Blue
Diane Kipper Yellow Blue
Annie Ford Red
Cybil Green Yellow
By (3), Betty isn't Mrs Long, so must be Mrs Jester. Therefore Cybil must be Mrs Long.
Now Last
Betty Jester Blue
Diane Kipper Yellow Blue
Annie Ford Red
Cybil Long Green Yellow
By (1), Annie Ford must have previously had Green, and Betty Jester had Red.
Now Last
Betty Jester Blue Red
Diane Kipper Yellow Blue
Annie Ford Red Green
Cybil Long Green Yellow
