Puzzle 1
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.
team
cost
flew
ward
fail
rook
soft
most
lamp
load
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
Three of the words are not complete: flew, rook, lamp.
Reasoning
The remaining 7 words can be changed as follows:
team:
-eam = beam
t-am = tram
te-m = term
tea- = tear
cost:
-ost = host
c-st = cast
co-t = coat
cos- = cosy
flew:
-lew = blew
f-ew = ---- X
fl-w = flow
fle- = flex
ward:
-ard = card
w-rd = word
wa-d = wand
war- = warm
fail:
-ail = nail
f-il = foil
fa-l = fall
fai- = fair
rook:
-ook = book
r-ok = ---- X
ro-k = rock
roo- = roof
soft:
-oft = loft
s-ft = sift
so-t = sort
sof- = sofa
most:
-ost = cost
m-st = mast
mo-t = moat
mos- = moss
lamp:
-amp = damp
l-mp = lump
la-p = ---- X
lam- = lamb
Note that LARP is an uppercase acronym, and not in any of my word lists.
load:
-oad = road
l-ad = lead
lo-d = loud
loa- = loaf
Puzzle 2
What are the next three letters in this sequence:
HDD
TMRUTC
TCSO
TMRD
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Hint
This is a well known nursery rhyme.
Answer
HDD.
The initial letters from the nursery rhyme, Hickory Dickory Dock.
Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory, dock.
Puzzle 3
Can you find all of the spokes? A digit on a hub denotes the number of spokes that meet there. Spokes never cross and in the end everything will be connected.
Puzzle Copyright © Johan de Ruiter
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Hint
Look at the edges first.
Answer
Puzzle 4
Which is larger:
ounces in gross pounds
seconds in an hour
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
There are 16 ounces in a pound, and 144 in a gross.
Answer
Seconds in an hour.
Reasoning
There are 16 x 144 = 2,304 ounces in gross pounds.
There are 60 x 60 = 3,600 seconds in an hour.
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