Puzzle 821
From 6523 grows a plant.
I 689, I 689, I 689, it's no joke.
751 rhymes with you.
421 rhymes too!
What am I?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
What 4-letter word does a plant grow from?
Answer
Wednesday.
Reasoning
Each number in the poem indicates which letter of the answer is being used.
6523 = seed
689 = say
751 = dew
421 = new
Therefore, '751 rhymes with you' is read as 'dew rhymes with you'.
Puzzle 822
Recently Kevin had a party and because it was his birthday he wanted a mathematical cake!
He ordered a cake in the shape of a cube and had it completely iced (but of course they didn't ice the underneath because that just isn't very sensible).
He cut every side of the cake into three equal pieces, giving 27 slices of cake.
He ended up eating all of the pieces of cake that had exactly 2 sides with icing.
So, how many pieces did that leave for the guests?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
How many pieces on the top layer had two sides with icing?
Answer
15 pieces.
Reasoning
On each layer there are 4 pieces with exactly two sides of icing.
Therefore Kevin ate 12 pieces, leaving 15 for the guests.
Puzzle 823
At a recent visit to the reptile house at the local animal sanctuary, I counted a total of 27 heads and 70 feet.
I was counting snakes, lizards, and people and I know that there were exactly twice as many lizards as people.
How many snakes did I count?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Snakes don't have legs.
Answer
6 snakes, along with 7 people and 14 lizards.
Reasoning
We know that for each person (2 legs) there were 2 lizards (4 legs each).
Which means for every person we can count a total of 10 legs.
Snakes don't have legs, so the total of 70 legs must have been 7 people (and 14 lizards).
This is a total of 21 heads, so the remaining 6 heads were all snakes.
Double-Checking
7 people gives 7 heads and 14 feet.
14 lizards gives 14 heads and 56 feet.
6 snakes gives 6 heads and 0 feet.
For a total of 6 + 7 + 14 = 27 heads, and 0 + 14 + 56 = 70 feet.
Puzzle 824
Yesterday I was asked to buy some stamps.
In the land of BrainBashers, stamps are available in denominations of 4p, 5p, 7p, 12p, and 19p (just the five different values).
For three denominations of stamps, I was asked to buy six of each. For the other two denominations. I was asked to buy ten of each.
Unfortunately, I forgot which I was supposed to buy six of, and which to buy ten of!
Luckily I had been given the exact money required to buy the stamps, £3.50, so the shopkeeper was able to work out the stamps I needed.
Which stamps did I have to buy?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
I bought at least 6 of each stamp.
Answer
Six lots of 4p, 7p. and 19p, and ten lots of 5p and 12p.
Reasoning
For three denominations of stamps, I was asked to buy 6 of each, and for the other two denominations, I had to buy 10 of each.
So I had to buy at least 6 of all five denominations.
This would be for a total of 6 x (4 + 5 + 7 + 12 + 19) = 282p = £2.82.
The remaining 68p has to buy the remaining 8 stamps – 4 of each of the two remaining denominations.
If we just bought 1 of each of the two remaining denominations they would have cost 68 / 4 = 17p.
So the two remaining denominations must have been 5p and 12p.
Double-Checking
6 x 4 = 24
10 x 5 = 50
6 x 7 = 42
10 x 12 = 120
6 x 19 = 114
For a total of 24 + 50 + 42 + 120 + 114 = 350p = £3.50.
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