1 lb = A 2 lbs + A = B 3 lbs = B 4 lbs = A + B 5 lbs + A + B = C 6 lbs + B = C 7 lbs + B = A + C 8 lbs + A = C 9 lbs = C 10 lbs = A + C 11 lbs + A = B + C 12 lbs = B + C 13 lbs = A + B + C 14 lbs + B = D 15 lbs + B = A + D 16 lbs + A = D 17 lbs = D 18 lbs = A + D 19 lbs + A = B + D 20 lbs = B + D 21 lbs = A + B + D 22 lbs + A + B = C + D 23 lbs + B = C + D 24 lbs + B = A + C + D 25 lbs + A = C + D 26 lbs = C + D 27 lbs = A + C + D 28 lbs + A = B + C + D 29 lbs = B + C + D 30 lbs = A + B + C + D
A necessity to some, a treasure to many, I’m best enjoyed among pleasant company. Some like me hot, some like me cold. Some prefer mild, some like me bold.
Ronald has a rare opportunity to meet the President of the United States. During his visit the president gives him a gift but tells Ronald he is never to sell it unless he sees the president again. Ronald consents, but the president dies later that year. Years later a man offers to buy the President’s gift for $1000. Ronald agrees and exchanges the gift for 20 crisp $50 bills. Did he keep his promise?
Yes. The president was Ulysses S. Grant, who died in 1885 and whose face has been on the $50 bill since 1913. He saw the president on the bills before he made the exchange.
A nine-letter word, common as air, When each letter’s cut, a new word to pare, Take a letter each round and continue to one. Name the word and the path and then you’ll be done.
Surprisingly, there are several nine-letter words that can have one letter removed in each round to make a new word all the way to one letter, which must be ‘a’ or ‘i’. Startling is the most common answer, but I’ve included the other words I’m aware of. I don’t include plural words, like cleansers, drownings, splatters, starvings, trappings and wrappings because it’s kind of cheating.
startling Remove the l to make starting (or remove the t to make starling) Remove the t to make staring Remove the a to make string Remove the r to make sting Remove the t to make sing Remove the g to make sin Remove the s to make in Remove the n to make I
splitting Remove the l to make spitting Remove the p to make sitting Remove a t to make siting Remove the first i to make sting Remove the s to make ting Remove the g to make tin Remove the t to make in Remove the n to make I
stringier Remove the r to make stingier Remove the i to make stinger Remove the t to make singer Remove the r to make singe Remove the g to make sine Remove the e to make sin Remove the s to make in Remove the n to make I
strapping Remove the s to make trapping Remove the t to make rapping Remove the p to make raping Remove the r to make aping Remove the a to make ping Remove the g to make pin Remove the p to make in Remove the n to make I
Two scruffy dogs were walking down the street. The first dog turned to the other and said, “Do you realize that if one of your fleas jumped onto me we would have the same number of fleas?” The second replied, “Yes, but if one of your fleas jumped onto me I would have five times as many fleas as you.” How many fleas are on each dog to begin with?