Puzzle 197
You can replace the dashes with the same four-letter word, and create two new words, one that starts with ARM, and one that ends in ING.
Can you find all possible four-letter words that work?
arm----
----ing
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
There are 4 possible answers.
Answer
Band, load, lock, and rest, all create new words:
armband and banding
armload and loading
armlock and locking
armrest and resting
Note
Some dictionaries also allow ARMRACK, but others don't. So RACK is a unofficial possible answer.
Puzzle 198
After a day picking strawberries, I ended up with a full basket, which is always nice.
I ate 5, and then gave Alex half of the remaining.
I ate another 3, and then gave Billie one third of the remaining.
I ate another 6, and then gave Charlie two thirds of the remaining.
I now had 34 strawberries left. How many did I start with?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Try working backwards.
Answer
335 strawberries.
Reasoning
Working backwards …
I ended up with 34 strawberries, so I had 102 before giving Charlie two thirds.
I ate 6 myself, so I had 108 before I ate those.
I had 108 strawberries, so I had 162 before giving Billie one third.
I ate 3 myself, so I had 165 before I ate those.
I had 165 strawberries, so I had 330 before giving Alex one half.
Ate 5 myself, so I had 335 before I ate those.
Therefore, I started with 335 strawberries.
Double-Checking
I started with 335.
I ate 5, leaving 330.
I gave Alex half (165), leaving 165.
I ate 3, leaving 162.
I gave Billie one third (54), leaving 108.
I ate 6, leaving 102.
I gave Charlie two thirds (68), leaving 34.
Puzzle 199
Which letter is missing from this sequence:
b · c · e · g · k · q · s · w
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Hint
Convert the letters to positions in the alphabet.
Answer
M.
Reasoning
These are letters that occupy prime number positions in the alphabet:
b = 2
c = 3
e = 5
g = 7
k = 11
m = 13 *
q = 17
s = 19
w = 23
Puzzle 200
What word completes this square:
ferret rabbit
otter ?
Choose from:
giraffe, mink, cow, bison
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Look at the first letters of the three words.
Answer
Giraffe.
The initial letters of the words spell FROG.