4 hours ago
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Earlier today I set these puzzles by quizmaster extraordinaire Frank Paul. Here they are again with solutions.
It strikes me that it would be a good coding challenge to find all possible examples of these puzzles using words in a standard English dictionary. Particularly number 2 – are there any strings of more than three words? I’d love to know.
1. Grr! Ooo!
Here each answer is a pair of words spelt identically except that three consecutive consonants in the first answer have been replaced by three consecutive vowels in the second answer
Example: In a gentle way; social environment.
Answer: mildly, milieu
1. Splits open; writing desk
2. Good qualities; requiring much exertion
3. Peers; a nephew of Donald Duck
Solutions 1. bursts, bureau. 2. strengths, strenuous. 3. lords, Louie
2. Strip tease
Here each answer is three words (or names), in which the first and last letter of the first word are removed to make the second, and the first and last letter of the second word are removed to make the third.
Example: Definitive, Indian drink, dolt
Answer: Classic, lassi, ass
1. Astronomical event, fastens, body part
2. Most cheerful, relatives, detach
3. Most ostentatiously bold, red areas, only Black man to win a Wimbledon singles title
Solutions 1. eclipse, clips, lip. 2. jauntiest, aunties, untie 3. brashest, rashes, ashe.
3. Word loop
It’s easiest to explain this one by showing an answer:
“Hold forth, forthwith, withhold.”
The answer is of the form AB, BC, CA, where A, B and C are individual words, in this case, hold, forth and with.
The question was: “Talk at length; immediately; keep back”
Find the AB, BC, CA answer to
1. Disadvantage; minor circus attraction or distracting spectacle; decisive confrontation
2. Buttocks; an item used by skirt-wearing equestrians; a breed of pig
3. Bit by bit, or in an unsystematic and fragmentary way; typically shortly after waking, around midday or in the evening; a clock or watch
Solution 1. downside, sideshow, showdown. 2. backside, sidesaddle, saddleback. 3. piecemeal, mealtime, timepiece
4. Rats!
Find the three hidden numbers next to each other in this piece of writing. (They are not 4, 6 and 3.)
Solution: seven, zero, eight. turn the image upside down!
This final puzzle is taken from Frank’s latest book, Spin Off: Choose your puzzle-filled path to TV stardom, which is available on the Guardian Bookshop.
Hope you had fun – I’ll be back in two weeks.
I’ve been setting a puzzle here on alternate Mondays since 2015. I’m always on the look-out for great puzzles. If you would like to suggest one, email me.
