Potpourri V

by Philip Newman

This is my first attempt at a potpourri; it is mostly composed of favorite puzzle types from the Discussion Forums, along with some other random things. If you think you've got the answer to all 10, send them in! If you are the first to correctly answer all 10, you win the Grand Prize... your name on the answer page!

1. 3x3 --- A 3x3 puzzle consists of a list of nine words. These words can be grouped in groups of three so that each group shares a common associated word. For example, Horse, Tennis, Lace: Shoe. The three words obtained like this can then be grouped to find a single word, which is the answer.

However, in this puzzle, only one of the words connects in this way. One word means the same as the linking word (Small, Tiny), and the other word is a typoed version of the linking word (Now, New).

Cone
Fact
Hero
Hold
Null
Only
Star
Tree
Wing

2. Signmaker --- A Signmaker puzzle is two sentences that clue to two new sentences composed of the same letters but with different spacing. For example, the answer to a signmaker might be:

Here lies one very thin grump.
He relies on everything rump.

Solve the following:

Excel, healers, or I'll swallow this nail.
With my gun, I diet.

3. Cryptics:

Land truce is right. (4)
Moses parts? (4)
Nonsense translation, no more. (11)
Save more. (6)

4. Paragraph --- Find the unusual pattern.

Another, anybody can find the aforementioned, right? The interesting jumble, backwards looking, mostly, nevertheless holds patterns quickly discovered. Also, after you solve, write exactly why zany and obscure construction provides answer. If good enough, I'll just keep applauding, maybe. Now, solve.

5. Cryptogram:

Nw'j hnfz jgnwptnxr dkav lknxw ko mnzg. Wtnxrj jkqzwnqzj hkkf pkqlhnpewzs ovkq kxz exrhz, caw jnqlhz ovkq exkwtzv. Eptnhhzj.

6. Number Sequence:

3, 4, 7, 10, 16, 21, 30, __

7. A Good Challenge: puzzle by Jason Boomer

"Hey Jim," called Dave, "I've got a puzzle for you."
Dave wandered over to talk to Jim.
"Yeah?"
"OK," says Dave, "A friend at work asked me this. You're never gonna get it."
"Oh?" inquired Dave. "I'm always up for a good challenge."
"I'm going to start listing historical people. When I'm done, I want you to tell me where you can find all of them. King Charlemagne, his cousin Hogier..."
"That's easy," said Dave. "You can find them all at Charlemagne's family reunion."
"Nope. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Queen Elizabeth I, King David..."
"A directory of world leaders? I guess Hogier may not be in there..."
"Wait for me to finish the list, willya? Sir Lancelot, Judith from the bible, Rachel also from the bible, Sir Lancelot, his half-brother Sir Hector, Pallas Athena, and the French soldier La Hire."
"Hmm..." said Dave. "In an encyclopedia? or online?"
"No," said Jim, "There's a place that you find only those twelve people."
"Well then there must be some special book about them that nobody's ever heard of."
"Wrong again," said Jim. "Most people own this resource, and some use it every day."
"OK," said Dave, "I've got it! You can find them all..."

What was Dave's correct answer?

8. Grouping --- The following words all share a special property:

A
Another
Back
Coffee
How
More
Seven
The

Which of the following belong in the group, and why?

Cow
Enter
Fire
Hall
Lucky
One
Robbery
Tree
Two
Why

9. Probability:

Edward is taking a math test. It has 6 questions: 2 easy, 2 average, 2 hard. Edward has a 3/4 chance of getting each easy question right, 1/2 for the average questions, and 1/4 for the hard. What is the probability that Edward will get exactly 4 questions right?

10: Hyper-math:

What is the ratio of the volume of a 17-dimensional Hyper-sphere of radius R to its surface area?

See the Solution