Round 4

by Jason Ross

1. Skinny Dakota went into the cigar importing business. He would import boxes of Cuban cigars on behalf of American buyers. The cigars arrived from Cuba in boxes of 176, the maximum possible that you can fit into a box. Being the sneaky little dude that he is, Skinny would take 16 cigars from every box before sending them on. However, when the buyers received them, there was apparently no foul play. Neither the boxes nor cigars were tampered with, nothing extra was added to the box, and the cigars fit perfectly snugly into them, with no rattle at all when the boxes were shaken. Explain how Skinny could pilfer 16 cigars from every box and still make it appear that none had been removed.

2. Each pair of words can be linked by three other words. Each word must be synonymous with the word(s) beside it, even if they are in different contexts. Supply the missing words.
Cry, _____, _____, _____, fortress
Throw, _____, _____, _____, dubious
Shining, _____, _____, _____, Gordon Matthew Sumner
Buoyant, _____, _____, _____, barely

3. Complete the following with two appropriate countries, and explain why:
South Africa, Central African Republic, Malaysia, Norway, _____, _____.

4. Albert held a poker night and invited Edward, Belle, David, Carl, Frank and Stinky. Albert had a crush on Belle, so he sat everyone at the circular table in the following clockwise formation: Albert, Belle, Carl, David, Edward, Frank, Stinky. Albert soon realised why he was called Stinky and decided that in the next two card nights, everyone would sit next to people they hadn't sat next to before. The only problem is he wanted Belle as close as possible and Stinky as far away as possible. Describe clockwise seating arrangements for the next two weeks that satisfy both the seating rule and his preferences.

5. If I am spoken of as the first, My peers are mostly greater than I. Yet when I'm further down the order, An excess of me means you could die. Although I may rise and I may fall, I have but one more claim to fame: I am with the merchants all the time. So I ask you now, what is my name?

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