Answer
I asked for 7 feet, 4 inches, but Alex brought me 4 feet, 7 inches.
Reasoning
If we label what I asked for as A feet and B inches, which is (12 x A + B) inches, then I actually received B feet and A inches, which is (12 x B + A) inches. Which means that:
5/8 x (12 x A + B) = (12 x B + A)
Simplifying gives:
A = 91/52 x B
As B is the number of inches, it can only be between 1 and 12 and must give A as a whole number of feet.
B = 4 is the only possible value, which means that A = 7.
So I originally asked for 7 feet, 4 inches.
Double-Checking
I received 4 feet, 7 inches = 55 inches.
I asked for 7 feet, 4 inches = 88 inches, and 88 x 5/8 = 55.
After a recent spate of home improvements, four couples were having a dinner party to discuss the additions to their houses.
Alan had not recently had a new bathroom. Kara had not yet done her kitchen, but perhaps would update it next. Brian, who is married to Maud, had not had new windows. Laura delighted in showing photographs of her new conservatory. Neither Charles nor David had a new kitchen. Julie had not had new windows. Alan, who also had not had windows, is not married to Laura and Charles is not married to Kara.
Who is married to whom, and what work had they recently undertaken, assuming that each couple had one improvement and no two couples had the same improvement.
Answer
Alan is married to Julie and they had a new kitchen.
Brian is married to Maud and they had a new bathroom.
Charles is married to Laura and they had a new conservatory.
David is married to Kara and they had new windows.
