Brain Teasers and Puzzles 

Workings

Hint
Count carefully!

Answer
There are 10 letter Fs.

Sometimes the F in 'of' aren't always counted.

Workings

Hint
One of the words is GOAT.

Answer
slth   = sloth
rcn    = raccoon
mnky   = monkey
llgtr  = alligator
lphnt  = elephant
lnd    = eland
gt     = goat (or agouti)
br     = bear (or boar)
bbn    = baboon
cyt    = coyote

Workings

Hint
A little algebra might help.

Answer
There are four boys and three girls.

If we call the number of boys B, and girls G.

From the first statement (we take one off as Billy is a boy):

              B − 1 = G

and similarly:

        2 x (G − 1) = B

Substitute G from the first equation into the second equation to give:

  2 x ((B − 1) − 1) = B

    2 x (B − 1) − 2 = B

      2 x B − 2 − 2 = B

          2 x B − 4 = B

                  B = 4

which means that B = 4 and hence G = 3.

Workings

Hints
The first letters of the words are: N, C, C, C, E, H, O, C, L, M.

Answers
new + sag + ent = newsagent
cro + cod + ile = crocodile
col + lis + ion = collision
cla + ssr + oom = classroom
enc + our + age = encourage
hai + rbr + ush = hairbrush
oth + erw + ise = otherwise
clo + sen + ess = closeness
lig + htn + ing = lightning
mar + gar + ine = margarine