Below you can find 8 words that have had their beginnings and endings removed. In each case, the same two letters can be found at the beginning and the end. For example REspiRE. --qui----yli----tat----gib----liv----rmi----ifi----alg--
Workers with the surnames Baker, Teacher, Carpenter, and Plumber are currently attending an annual convention.
No-one is currently, nor has ever been, in the same occupation as their name, and no-one has had the same occupation twice. Charlie has never been a carpenter, and Mr Teacher is now a plumber. Davie used to be a teacher, but Mr Billie Baker never has. Mr Plumber is not called Eddie, and Mr Carpenter wasn't previously a teacher. The previous occupations were all different, and the current occupations are all different.
Can you determine the full names of each of the attendees, along with their current and previous occupation?
The previous occupation is followed by the current.
Reasoning
The four forenames are: Billie, Charlie, Davie, Eddie.
The four surnames are: Baker, Teacher, Carpenter, Plumber
The four occupations are: baker, teacher, carpenter, plumber.
By (3), we have Billie Baker:
Billie Baker – ? + ?
Teacher – ? + ?
Carpenter – ? + ?
Plumber – ? + ?
By (2), Mr Teacher is currently a plumber:
Billie Baker – ? + ?
Teacher – ? + plumber
Carpenter – ? + ?
Plumber – ? + ?
By (3) Mr Baker was not previously a teacher. By (4), neither was Mr Carpenter. And by (1) Mr Teacher can't have been either. Therefore, Mr Plumber used to be a teacher, and is called Davie:
Billie Baker – ? + ?
Teacher – ? + plumber
Carpenter – ? + ?
Davie Plumber – teacher + ?
By (3), Mr Baker has never been a teacher, and by (1), Mr Plumber can't currently be a teacher either. Also, by (1), neither can Mr Teacher. Therefore, Mr Carpenter must currently be a teacher:
Billie Baker – ? + ?
Teacher – ? + plumber
Carpenter – ? + teacher
Davie Plumber – teacher + ?
By (1), Mr Baker can't be a baker, so only Mr Plumber can currently be a baker. Leaving Mr Baker as a carpenter currently:
Billie Baker – ? + carpenter
Teacher – ? + plumber
Carpenter – ? + teacher
Davie Plumber – teacher + baker
By (1), only Mr Teacher could have previously been a carpenter:
Billie Baker – ? + carpenter
Teacher – carpenter + plumber
Carpenter – ? + teacher
Davie Plumber – teacher + baker
By (2), Charlie has never been a carpenter, and since Mr Teacher has, Charlie must be Mr Carpenter.
Billie Baker – ? + carpenter
Teacher – carpenter + plumber
Charlie Carpenter – ? + teacher
Davie Plumber – teacher + baker
By (1), we now know all of the occupations, and Eddie must be Mr Teacher:
Billie Baker – plumber + carpenter
Eddie Teacher – carpenter + plumber
Charlie Carpenter – baker + teacher
Davie Plumber – teacher + baker
?
Puzzle 19
Can you find the country hidden in the following paragraph:
I recently bought a baby cot from my local shop for my youngest child, to calm their nightly wails. On the way home, my car boot came open and my new baby's cot landed with a resounding crunch on the road. Luckily, my insurance covered the loss, and we bought another one with a picture of two whales on it.
I recently bought a baby cot from my local shop for my youngest child, to calm their nightly wails. On the way home, my car boot came open and my new baby'S COT LANDed with a resounding crunch on the road. Luckily, my insurance covered the loss, and we bought another one with a picture of two whales on it.
?
Puzzle 20
Starting with COLD, change one letter at a time until you have the word WARM.
Each change leaves the other letters in their original places and must result in a common word.
What is the minimum number of steps required to achieve this change?
