Puzzle 1
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 2
Complete this grid with the digits 1 to 6 to make the sum correct.
Perform each mathematical operation in the order shown, from left to right, so 1 + 2 x 3 is treated as (1 + 2) x 3 = 9.
Consecutive numbers are not next to each other, there is no ÷ 1, and at no point is a decimal or a fraction used.
Note: this puzzle is not interactive, and the squares cannot be clicked.
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
The first number is 2.
Answer
Puzzle 3
Here is a set of five clues for five words that only differ by one vowel (vowels are AEIOU, but not necessarily in that order). What are the words?
small robot
small part
on the contrary
nocturnal mammal
wager
Here's another set of clues for five new words:
struck
heated (archaic British)
straw dwelling
a head warmer
not cold
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
All of the words are three letters long.
Answers
First set:
bot = small robot
bit = small part
but = on the contrary
bat = nocturnal mammal
bet = wager
Second set:
hit = struck
het = heated (archaic British)
hut = straw dwelling
hat = a head warmer
hot = not cold
Puzzle 4
A 'complete' word is a word in which every letter, in turn, can be replaced by another to form a new word.
For example, RUG is a complete word because:
-ug = hug
r-g = rig
ru- = run
How many of the following words are not complete words? Proper nouns and names are not allowed.
hard
port
duck
bugs
bail
mast
thin
lean
fire
read
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Another example, PEN is a complete word because:
-en = ten
p-n = pin
pe- = pea
Answer
Two of the words are not complete: bugs, lean.
Reasoning
The remaining 8 words can be changed as follows:
hard:
-ard = card
h-rd = herd
ha-d = hand
har- = harp
port:
-ort = fort
p-rt = part
po-t = poet
por- = pore
duck:
-uck = muck
d-ck = deck
du-k = dusk
duc- = duct
bugs:
-ugs = hugs
b-gs = bags
bu-s = buys
bug- = ---- X
bail:
-ail = hail
b-il = boil
ba-l = bawl
bai- = bait
mast:
-ast = cast
m-st = most
ma-t = malt
mas- = mask
thin:
-hin = shin
t-in = twin
th-n = than
thi- = this
lean:
-ean = mean
l-an = loan
le-n = ---- X
lea- = leaf
fire:
-ire = hire
f-re = fare
fi-e = five
fir- = firm
read:
-ead = bead
r-ad = road
re-d = reed
rea- = real
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