Daily Brainteaser

[Spiderman]

April 6th
Everyone was supposed to chip in for a $40 present for a coworker who was leaving. Two people did not want to contribute, so the remaining people had to pay $1 more.
How many people ended up contributing to the gift?


Answer:

8 people.

I did this by brute force; I'm sure there's a formula to do it.

 

[rokapoke]

April 5th
Complete the word square below by inserting the nine letters into the grid, one per square, to create the same words reading across and down.

R A T E
A _ _ _
T _ _ _
E _ _ _

A A
E E
N
R
S
T T


Answer:

R A T E
A r e a
T e n t
E a t s



April 6th
Everyone was supposed to chip in for a $40 present for a coworker who was leaving. Two people did not want to contribute, so the remaining people had to pay $1 more.
How many people ended up contributing to the gift?


Answer:
8 people contribute, rather than the 10 people who should have contributed. It takes all kinds...

I solved it (a difficult way) by using these two equations:
p + 2 = $40/x
p = $40/(x+1)

where p = number of contributing people and x = dollars paid per person.

 

[DarthFerret]

April 5th
Complete the word square below by inserting the nine letters into the grid, one per square, to create the same words reading across and down.

R A T E
A _ _ _
T _ _ _
E _ _ _

A A
E E
N
R
S
T T


April 5th Answer:
R A T E
A R E A
T E N T
E A T S



April 6th
Everyone was supposed to chip in for a $40 present for a coworker who was leaving. Two people did not want to contribute, so the remaining people had to pay $1 more.
How many people ended up contributing to the gift?


April 6th Answer:

There were 8 that contributed (should have been 10)

I did this even yet a different way. I looked for 2 numbers that would divide evenly into 40 that were exactly 2 apart. 8 and 10 or 4 and 2 are the only possibilities. Process of elimination thus ensued!

 

[turgy22]

Start at the top of each column and select one letter from each successive row to spell out five things that might be poured during breakfast at a diner. You can cross off the letters as you use them - each will be used only once.

C S J W S
U A Y R U
R I T G E
A C U A E
P R M E R


April 5th Answer:

R A T E
A R E A
T E N T
E A T S


April 6th Answer:

Eight people paid $5 each (ten would have paid $4 each.)

 

[Spiderman]

Start at the top of each column and select one letter from each successive row to spell out five things that might be poured during breakfast at a diner. You can cross off the letters as you use them - each will be used only once.

C S J W S
U A Y R U
R I T G E
A C U A E
P R M E R


Answer:

JUICE
WATER
SYRUP
CREAM
SUGAR

 

[rokapoke]

April 7

Start at the top of each column and select one letter from each successive row to spell out five things that might be poured during breakfast at a diner. You can cross off the letters as you use them - each will be used only once.

C S J W S
U A Y R U
R I T G E
A C U A E
P R M E R


Answer:
Juice
Water
Syrup
Sugar
Cream

 

[Ransac]

Start at the top of each column and select one letter from each successive row to spell out five things that might be poured during breakfast at a diner. You can cross off the letters as you use them - each will be used only once.

C S J W S
U A Y R U
R I T G E
A C U A E
P R M E R

Not posting an answer, just stating that I started with the "J" and immediately found "Jager," which completely made this for me.


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[turgy22]

Using exactly four 7s and only the four basic arithmetic operations +, -, x, ÷, I can make the number 13 like this:

(7 + 7) - (7 ÷ 7) = 13

Find an expression that uses exactly four 7s and the four basic arithmetic operations (as many times as needed) to make the number 8. (Important: You have to use all four 7s and you may not use exponents, but you may use parentheses to group numbers.)


April 7th Answers:

cream, syrup, juice, water, sugar

 

[Spiderman]

Using exactly four 7s and only the four basic arithmetic operations +, -, x, ÷, I can make the number 13 like this:

(7 + 7) - (7 ÷ 7) = 13

Find an expression that uses exactly four 7s and the four basic arithmetic operations (as many times as needed) to make the number 8. (Important: You have to use all four 7s and you may not use exponents, but you may use parentheses to group numbers.)

Answer:

(7 x 7 + 7) ÷ 7 = 8

 

[turgy22]

Which card, not yet shown, comes next in this sequence?

Q, 9, K, J, 4, 5, 8, ?


April 8th Answer:

((7 X 7) + 7) ÷ 7 = 8

 

[rokapoke]

April 9

Which card, not yet shown, comes next in this sequence?

Q, 9, K, J, 4, 5, 8, ?


Answer:
It's reverse alphabetical order... the next card in the sequence is the Ace...

 

[turgy22]

April 10th - Rhyme Time
Each clue leads to a rhyming pair of three-syllable words. Numbers in parentheses give the letter lengths per word.

Careful inspection of an uprising on the HMS Bounty (6 8)

More out-of-focus mink coat vendor (8 7)

Post-wedding party subterfuge (9 9)

Thankfulness for enough leeway to maneuver (8 9)


April 11
In each row, change the first letter of the two words to a different letter (the same letter for both) to form two new words. Write the new letter in the blank. These letters will form a word reading down.

PLOW ___ WARD
WIDE ___ SKIN
SLAW ___ RUBE
UNIT ___ ANEW


April 9th Answer:

Ace. With a hint in the puzzle's title, the cards are in reverse alphabetical order (queen, nine, king, jack, four, five, eight). No card but the ace works.

 

[rokapoke]

April 10th - Rhyme Time
Each clue leads to a rhyming pair of three-syllable words. Numbers in parentheses give the letter lengths per word.

Careful inspection of an uprising on the HMS Bounty (6 8)

More out-of-focus mink coat vendor (8 7)

Post-wedding party subterfuge (9 9)

Thankfulness for enough leeway to maneuver (8 9)


Answer:
1. Mutiny scrutiny
2. Blurrier furrier
3. Reception deception -- but I had to look for synonyms for subterfuge on this one. I kept thinking "honeymoon"
4. Latitude gratitude

April 11
In each row, change the first letter of the two words to a different letter (the same letter for both) to form two new words. Write the new letter in the blank. These letters will form a word reading down.

PLOW ___ WARD
WIDE ___ SKIN
SLAW ___ RUBE
UNIT ___ ANEW


Answer:
The letters are, in order: BACK
blow/bard, aide/akin, claw/cube, knit/knew

 

[DarthFerret]

April 11
In each row, change the first letter of the two words to a different letter (the same letter for both) to form two new words. Write the new letter in the blank. These letters will form a word reading down.

PLOW ___ WARD
WIDE ___ SKIN
SLAW ___ RUBE
UNIT ___ ANEW


April 11th Answer:

B (Blow, Bard) A (Aide, Akin) C (Claw, Cube) K (Knit, Knew)

BACK

 

[turgy22]

April 12th
Fill in the first blank below with a five-letter word that fits the definition. Add one letter and rearrange to make a six-letter word that fits the next definition. Then add another letter and rearrange to make a seven-letter word that fits the last definition.

Clear the chalkboard _______

Christian holiday ________

Knitted garment _________


April 13th - Screen Names
Change one letter in each word below to get the full names of 10 famous actors and actresses from today and yesteryear.

1. BEAN CANNERY
2. DELI MOOSE
3. CAGY GIANT
4. TOY HANDS
5. JEDI BENCH
6. BEAD PINT
7. SPENDER TRACK
8. PEN SPILLER
9. BEAT BRIDLES
10. GRAPE JELLY


April 10th Answers:

mutiny scrutiny
blurrier furrier
reception deception
latitude gratitude


April 11th Answer:

BACK

 

[Spiderman]

April 12th
Fill in the first blank below with a five-letter word that fits the definition. Add one letter and rearrange to make a six-letter word that fits the next definition. Then add another letter and rearrange to make a seven-letter word that fits the last definition.

Clear the chalkboard _______

Christian holiday ________

Knitted garment _________

Answer:

ERASE
EASTER
SWEATER

 

[rokapoke]

April 12th
Fill in the first blank below with a five-letter word that fits the definition. Add one letter and rearrange to make a six-letter word that fits the next definition. Then add another letter and rearrange to make a seven-letter word that fits the last definition.

Clear the chalkboard _______

Christian holiday ________

Knitted garment _________


Answers:
Erase, Easter, Sweater

April 13th - Screen Names
Change one letter in each word below to get the full names of 10 famous actors and actresses from today and yesteryear.

1. BEAN CANNERY
2. DELI MOOSE
3. CAGY GIANT
4. TOY HANDS
5. JEDI BENCH
6. BEAD PINT
7. SPENDER TRACK
8. PEN SPILLER
9. BEAT BRIDLES
10. GRAPE JELLY


Answers:
1. (Sir) Sean Connery
2. Demi Moore
3. Cary Grant
4. Tom Hanks
5. (Dame) Judi Dench
6. Brad Pitt
7. Spencer Tracy
8. Ben Stiller
9. Beau Bridges
10. Grace Kelly (but what a stage name that would've made!)

 

[turgy22]

April 14th
Put the same four-letter word in each of the blanks below to make four new words.

______ SWIPE
______ REAL
______ WAYS
______ SLIP



April 12th Answers:

ERASE, EASTER, SWEATER


April 13th Answers

1. SEAN CONNERY
2. DEMI MOORE
3. CARY GRANT
4. TOM HANKS
5. JUDI DENCH
6. BRAD PITT
7. SPENCER TRACY
8. BEN STILLER
9. BEAU BRIDGES
10. GRACE KELLY

 

[EricBess]

April 14th
Put the same four-letter word in each of the blanks below to make four new words.

______ SWIPE
______ REAL
______ WAYS
______ SLIP

Answer:
Side

 

[turgy22]

April 15th
Patti starts to correct a pile of 163 multiple choice tests at a rate of four per minute. Five minutes later, Sandy joins her, and corrects tests at a rate of seven per minute. When they are finished correcting the entire pile, how many papers has each corrected?


April 14th Answer:

SIDE