Daily Brainteaser

[Spiderman]

June 6th
Every attendee at a business meeting exchanged business cards with every other attendee. If 42 cards were exchanged, how many people attended the meeting?


Answer:

7 people - solved by brute force, but I figure there's some sort of formula involved (factorial?)

 

[rokapoke]

solved by brute force, but I figure there's some sort of formula involved

Is my formula unsatisfactory?

 

[Spiderman]

No, it's fine, I just do mine without looking at yours (or other answers) first. Once I posted, I read yours and understood.

 

[turgy22]

LOL @ rokapoke's Tom Swifty answer. Did you read that out loud before replying?

Hint:
The phrase "family business" does not appear in the correct answer.

Or, if you're really set on the order of your sentence, try using ITETOL instead of FINKE and PIRCAPYL instead of RPHSALY.

 

[EricBess]

LOL @ rokapoke's Tom Swifty answer. Did you read that out loud before replying?

Hint:
Hint removed because I couldn't get the color correct

Or, if you're really set on the order of your sentence, try using ITETOL instead of FINKE and PIRCAPYL instead of RPHSALY.

LOL @ the RCAP in the ITETOL

Do you mean "does not"?

"My family is in the knife business" Tom said sharply.

I noticed rokapoke's answer was incorrect, but figured it was close enough to get the idea accross...I particularly liked "said Tom" instead of "Tom said", which makes absolutely no difference, but isn't standard for Tom swifties

 

[turgy22]

June 7th - Method or Madness?
Hugh has unusual likes and dislikes. He likes a ref but not an umpire, a piano but not an organ, epoxy but not glue, and calm but not serenity. Based on this information, will he like a taxi or a cab?


June 8th
Which of the anagrammed cities below is least like the others? The difference has nothing to do with vowels, consonants, or syllables.

PAIRS
ROUST
INSEAM
HASTEN


June 9th - BB Fun
Every syllable in the answers to these clues begins with a B.

1. Spine
2. London chimer
3. Huge, hairy hive inhabitant
4. Where to donate plasma
5. Diamond club
6. Sudsy soak in the tub
7. U.S. area of Protestant fundamentalism
8. Light-colored eyes, in slang



June 4rd Answer:

Stratosphere

June 5th Answer:

"My family is in the knife business," said Tom sharply.
I guess the standard for this calender is "said Tom" instead of "Tom said".

June 6th Answer:

Seven.

 

[rokapoke]

June 7th - Method or Madness?
Hugh has unusual likes and dislikes. He likes a ref but not an umpire, a piano but not an organ, epoxy but not glue, and calm but not serenity. Based on this information, will he like a taxi or a cab?

Answer:
He likes a cab. He also likes the alphabet. Each of his "likes" contains two consecutive letters from the alphabet.



June 8th
Which of the anagrammed cities below is least like the others? The difference has nothing to do with vowels, consonants, or syllables.

PAIRS
ROUST
INSEAM
HASTEN


Answer:
Paris, Tours, Amiens, Athens. I'm totally guessing on the third one, but I will resist the urge to edit this post if it's wrong. Anyway, last I checked, Athens was not in France, as the others all seem to be.



June 9th - BB Fun
Every syllable in the answers to these clues begins with a B.

1. Spine
2. London chimer
3. Huge, hairy hive inhabitant
4. Where to donate plasma
5. Diamond club
6. Sudsy soak in the tub
7. U.S. area of Protestant fundamentalism
8. Light-colored eyes, in slang
9. Cheesy old-school arcade game


Answer:
1. Backbone
2. Big Ben
3. Bumblebee
4. Blood Bank
5. ??
6. Bubble bath
7. Bible Belt
8. Baby blues
9. Bubble Bobble

 

[turgy22]

Change one letter in each word to uncover a hidden five-letter animal. For example, change the N in STRONTIUM to a U to get TROUT.

1. VERTEBRATE
2. EXPENDABLE
3. ITINERARY
4. COLLEAGUE
5. SPINNAKER
6. WHATEVER
7. AMALGAMATED
8. HYPOTHERMIA



June 7th Answer:

Cab. Hugh likes words that end with two letters in alphabetical order.

June 8th Answer:

Athens. All of the others are in France: Paris, Tours, Amiens.

June 9th Answers:

1. backbone
2. Big Ben
3. bumblebee
4. blood bank
5. baseball bat
6. bubble bath
7. Bible Belt
8. baby blues

 

[rokapoke]

June 10

Change one letter in each word to uncover a hidden five-letter animal. For example, change the N in STRONTIUM to a U to get TROUT.

1. VERTEBRATE
2. EXPENDABLE
3. ITINERARY
4. COLLEAGUE
5. SPINNAKER
6. WHATEVER
7. AMALGAMATED
8. HYPOTHERMIA



Answer:
1. Zebra -- 1st T to a Z
2. Panda -- 2nd E to an A
3. Tiger -- N to a G
4. Eagle -- U to an L
5. Snake -- 1st N to an S
6. Whale -- T to an L
7. Llama -- G to an L
8. Otter -- 2nd H to a T

 

[turgy22]

Solve this small crossword:

_ _ 1 2 3
_ _ _ _ _
4 _ _ _ _
5 _ _ _ _
6 _ _ _

Across
1. A page of this calender
4. Trait carrier
5. Final word
6. Canoe's front

Down
1. Floor model
2. Over again
3. Itch
4. Yak



June 10th Answers:

1. zebra
2. panda
3. tiger
4. eagle
5. snake
6. whale
7. llama
8. otter

 

[rokapoke]

June 11

Solve this small crossword:

_ _ 1 2 3
_ _ _ _ _
4 _ _ _ _
5 _ _ _ _
6 _ _ _

Across
1. A page of this calender
4. Trait carrier
5. Final word
6. Canoe's front

Down
1. Floor model
2. Over again
3. Itch
4. Yak



Answers:

_ _ 1 2 3
_ _ D A Y
4 G E N E
5 A M E N
6 B O W

 

[turgy22]

June 12th
Only one common English word can be made by rearranging the letters in the phrase below.
What is it?

HAS A TRY


June 13th - Border Crossing
Each English word below is made of the first two letters of one country and the last two letters of a country that it borders. For example, PACA is a combination of Panama and Costa Rica. How many crossings can you make?

1. PONY
2. BOIL
3. SWAY
4. ECRU
5. CHAR



June 11th Answer:

. D A Y
G E N E
A M E N
B O W

 

[rokapoke]

June 12th
Only one common English word can be made by rearranging the letters in the phrase below.
What is it?

HAS A TRY



Answer:
Ashtray.




June 13th - Border Crossing
Each English word below is made of the first two letters of one country and the last two letters of a country that it borders. For example, PACA is a combination of Panama and Costa Rica. How many crossings can you make?

1. PONY
2. BOIL
3. SWAY
4. ECRU
5. CHAR



Answer:
1. POland / GermaNY
2. BOlivia / BrazIL
3. SWeden / NorwAY
4. ECuador / ChiLE
5. I dunno... Chad/China/Chile and ... something?

 

[turgy22]

June 14th - Palindrome Pals
A palindrome is a word, sentence, or group of words that reads the same backward or forward.

The speaker of this palindrome warns Brubeck or Chappelle to steer clear of them.
_ _ _ _ _ . _ _, . _ _ _ _


June 15th
Carl is now two years older than Janet was four years ago. The sum of their ages is 26.
How old are they?


June 12th Answer:

ashtray

June 13th Answers:

1. Poland / Germany
2. Bolivia / Brazil
3. Sweden / Norway
4. Ecuador / Peru
5. China / Myanmar

 

[rokapoke]

June 14th - Palindrome Pals
A palindrome is a word, sentence, or group of words that reads the same backward or forward.

The speaker of this palindrome warns Brubeck or Chappelle to steer clear of them.
_ _ _ _ _ . _ _, . _ _ _ _



Answer:
Evade me, Dave.

June 15th
Carl is now two years older than Janet was four years ago. The sum of their ages is 26.
How old are they?


Answers:
C - 2 = J - 4
C + J = 26

C = J - 2
J - 2 + J = 26
J = 14
C = 12

Janet is 14, Carl is 12.

 

[Spiderman]

June 15th
Carl is now two years older than Janet was four years ago. The sum of their ages is 26.
How old are they?


Answer:

Carl is 12, Janet is 14.

 

[turgy22]

In this word search, find and circle the 13 things / people that carry other things. (The list is for you to determine.) Words are at least four letters long and run horizontally, vertically or diagonally, but always in a straight line. The leftover letters spell out something that many people can't carry.


K C A P K C A B
P K C P O N Y V
O C M A R P T A
H U N T D E A L
L R O T K D H I
L T G S U N I S
E B A R G E E E
B B W A L L E T


June 15th Answer:

Carl is 12, Janet is 14.

June 16th Answer:

Evade me, Dave.

 

[rokapoke]

June 16
In this word search, find and circle the 13 things / people that carry other things. (The list is for you to determine.) Words are at least four letters long and run horizontally, vertically or diagonally, but always in a straight line. The leftover letters spell out something that many people can't carry.


Answer:

K C A P K C A B
P K C P O N Y V
O C M A R P T A
H U N T D E a L
L R O t K D H I
L T G S u n I S
E B A R G E e E
B B W A L L E T



1. Backpack
2. Wallet
3. Barge
4. Truck
5. Valise
6. Pony
7. Wagon
8. Sherpa
9. Tote
10. Basket
11. Pram
12. Bellhop
13. Caddie

Leftover letters: Tuna? A tun? Should it be "a ton"?
EDIT: I guess I covered one too many "E"s... most people can't carry A TUNE.

 

[turgy22]

Pair up these 16 short words to form eight places in the world.

ADO.. CON.. MOLD. PAR
ARC.. EVE.. NOR.. REST
BACK. GO... OUT.. TIC
COLOR IS... OVA.. WAY


June 16th Answer:
See Rokapoke's answer.

 

[rokapoke]

See Rokapoke's answer.

Finally, the recognition I deserve!


June 17
Pair up these 16 short words to form eight places in the world.

ADO.. CON.. MOLD. PAR
ARC.. EVE.. NOR.. REST
BACK. GO... OUT.. TIC
COLOR IS... OVA.. WAY


Answer:
Norway
Moldova
Paris
Colorado
Arctic
Outback
Congo
Everest