Puzzles and Teasers for Everyone

164 Pages·1988·4.449 MB·English

by  Darryl Francis

PUZZLES
& TEASERS
For EVERYONE
Compiled
by Darryl Francis
edited with an introduction
by David Pritchard

Puzzles and Teasers
for Everyone
In the same series
PUZZLES AND TEASERS FOR THE
EASY CHAIR
Uniform with this book
PUZZLES AND
TEASERS
FOR EVERYONE
Compiled by
DARRYL FRANCIS
Edited with an introduction by
DAVID PRITCHARD
GAURAV PUBLISHING HOUSE
New Delhi (INDIA).
Published by:
VIRINDER K. VERMA
Gaurav Publishing House
9265, Street No. 6.
Multanl Dhanda, Pahar Ganj,
New Delhi-110055.
Published by arrangement with Elliot Right Way Books
AU rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocoping, recording or any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publishers.
PRINTED AT
SHIBA OFFSET PRINTING PRESS
LAXMI NACAR. DELHI-110092
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 7
Numbered main Puzzles 1 to 150 9
(Quickies—also referenced by their quickie
numbers—are interspersed in the main puzzles
throughout the book)
Answers to main Puzzles in random order 107
Answers to Quickies in sequence 155
Index to main Puzzle answers 159
Cartoons in this book are by Artie
INTRODUCTION
Puzzles have a fascination that is hard to resist. They
are a challenge to our intelligence as their solving is a
tonic for our ego; and even where a puzzle fails to
arouse our interest, curiosity may still drive us to look
up the answer.
In this book there is much to challenge and much to
arouse the curiosity, and at the same time much to
entertain. The whole puzzle gymnasium is brought
into use to provide stimulating, but I hope not exhaust­
ing, mental exercise.
Here are mathematical puzzles, word puzzles, dis­
sections, exercises in logical deduction, and also a few
of what might be called ‘open-ended’ problems, with
tentative solutions on which the reader is invited to
improve—if he can.
The word puzzles calls for special mention. Whereas
most words are to be found in most dictionaries, some
words and spellings are peculiar to certain ones. Any
good dictionary is adequate for all but a few words in
the harder puzzles. Our recommendation is Chambers
20th Century Dictionary, which, apart from listing
all the words used in this book, has many attractions
for the puzzler, not least a clear distinction between
proper and improper nouns.
The puzzles you are about to attempt have been
selected, though many with modification, from those
that have appeared in GAMES & PUZZLES maga­
zine and have survived the scrutiny of experts. Even
so, it is still possible that a few of the problems could
be better expressed and one or two of the solutions
7
improved on. Do not hesitate to write and tell us if
you have any constructive suggestions.
The puzzles are arranged in ascending order of diffi­
culty irrespective of type, though this grading is neces­
sarily only very approximate as we all have different
ideas as to what is easy and what is difficult. A series
of short posers—‘Quickies’—have been included, use­
fully to fill odd comers of space and hopefully to fill
odd moments of the reader’s time. Quickies have not
been graded and some are by no means easy.
Solutions to puzzles are given at the end and have
been arranged in random order so as to avoid spoiling
the reader’s pleasure by permitting an unwanted
glimpse of answers to adjacent problems. An index
(page 159) follows the solutions. Answers to the
Quickies are listed sequentially after the puzzles
solutions.
I hope very much that you will get pleasure from
this book.
DAVID PRITCHARD
8