We got soaked as I hailed one of the green-and-white checkered cabs.
After a serious brownout, energy supplies started to recover.
If he gets on the green in two, he will have a shot at an eagle.
Was it 1958 when the song The Purple People Eater hit the charts?
Many people drink orange juice only for breakfast.
Don’t you think this puzzle is full of suspicious white noise?
A telephone book nowadays has more yellow pages than white pages.
Dawn played the Beatles’ White Album over and over when she felt blue.
The waiter asked each guest if they preferred red or white wine.
Deep Purple concerts concluded with powerful white-light bursts.
There were twelve people named Bass in the Orange County white pages.
A total eclipse happens once in a blue moon.
My red, bloodshot eyes indicated just how exhausted I was.
Slow down when you see yellow lights.
Is it strange that the blacksmith is the only bachelor over 30 years old?
Charlie Brown and Lucy sang White Christmas with the carolers.
SEQUENCE PUZZLES
Sequence puzzles are one of the staples of IQ tests and brain-teaser books. The key is to identify some pattern that helps you deduce the next letter, number, symbol, or picture. These puzzles are great mental exercises, but many of them become rather one-dimensional. Here are some simple examples:
J, F, M, A, M, J, J, ? (A is next: the first letters of the months of the year)
1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, ? (49: the square of the sequence of counting numbers)
0, T, T, F, F, S, S, ? (E: the first letter of the sequence of counting numbers)
There are jillions of sequence puzzles, and many of them are mind-benders. Here is my all-time favorite. This is either trivial or impossible for most people.
PUZZLE 37. WHAT’S NEXT? (PART 1)
What is the next symbol in this sequence? When you deduce it, you will know it is correct. If you don’t see the solution within 10 seconds, you probably won’t see it in 10 hours. Most of the people who have struggled with this puzzle were bamboozled until I gave them a hint. The only hint I will offer is that its solution takes perception, not reason; an elementary school student is as likely to solve it as an adult.
Here is a sequence that is a little tougher because it takes both perception and reasoning.
PUZZLE 38. WHAT’S NEXT? (PART 2)
Here is a relatively challenging sequence that requires only a high school education to solve but demands some pretty abstract reasoning. This one is not easy.
PUZZLE 39. WHAT’S NEXT? (PART 3)
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, 31, 100, ?
Here is a more traditional sequence. Although this one is a little more indirect than usual, it should be solvable by anyone versed in American history.
PUZZLE 40. FROM MARTHA TO MICHELLE
23, 1, 10, 13, 13, 1, 10, 22, 8, 20, 16, 20, 6, 16, 2, ?
PUZZLE 41. INITIAL ORDERS
Use the appropriate letter to complete the following sequences. When you have solved them all, each letter of the alphabet will have been used once. The who would know column provides a hint for each sequence.
Example: S-M-T-?-T-F-S
answer: W for Wednesday (Days of the week)
If a sequence ends in an ellipsis (…) that means that there are many more elements of the sequence. If a sequence does not end in an ellipsis that means it is a complete set. The number of elements in a complete set sequence is also a good hint in some cases.
Sequence
Who would know?
1. R-O-Y-G-B-?-V
Leprechaun
2. O-T-T-F-F-S-S-?-N-T-…
Countess
3. ?-S-D-F-G-H-J-K
Secretary
4. T-Q-P-?-H-O-…
Shaper
5. D-?-N-G-C-M-M-S-N-V-N-N-R
History major
6. A-D-T-F-F-S-S-E-N-T-J-?-K
The Joker
7. I-V-?-L-C-D-M
Caesar
8. ?-R-M-F-S-L-T
Maria
9. M-V-E-M-J-S-?-N-P
Your son
10. C-A-P-A-T-G-C-L-V-L-?-S
Movie star
11. A-B-G-D-E-?-E-T-I-K-…
Olympian
12. K-F-S-T-F-F-S-S-E-F-S-?-S
Student
13. W-A-J-M-M-A-J-?-…
Mint worker
14. G-E-L-?-D-J-J-R…
Rabbi
15. S-F-C-M-L-C-B-M-?-G
War protester
16. P-C-L-F-W-C-W-?…
Bride
17. O-T-H-?-T-H-M-…
Numeroligist
18. S-M-H-D-?-M-Y-D-C-M
White rabbit
19. H-H-L-B-B-C-N-?-F-N-…
Mr.Wizard
20. H-P-T-T-S-?-F-F-S-R
Hoyle
21. K-Q-R-B-?-P
Russian
22. C-C-D-B-D-D-P-V-?
Elf
23. K-P-C-O-F-?-S
Biology major
24. P-?-F-S-T-S-L-C-R
Casey
25. O-S-C-?-S-B-T-D-…
Ballgame singer
26. P-T-F-C-G-G-S-?-L-L-P-D
Caroler
RELATIVE-ANTONYM-SYNONYM-HOMOPHONE (RASH) PUZZLES
Example:
“This is the stinkbugs” (a beetle relative and a homophone for Beatle)
or
“This is the ant-listens” (a combination of syllables that includes an ant relative, bee, and an antonym of listens, tells)
My girls would try to decipher my hint to determine the correct artist. Because this was a verbal game, homophones, homographs, and homonyms became part of the code. They loved this game, and when they were older, I formalized the puzzle rules and handed out a written version at our holiday gatherings. I call them RASH puzzles.
Rash Puzzle Rules
The clues are mixtures of components (usually syllables) that, when verbally replaced with appropriate counterparts, will integrate into answers that correspond to the puzzle’s theme.
Relatives are “like” things. Apples and oranges are relatives in the fruit family; Elly Mae and Jethro are relatives in the Beverly Hillbilly family; Mars and Jupiter are relatives in the family of planets.
Antonyms are opposites: black and white, will and won’t, now and then.
Synonyms are different words with similar meanings: yellow and amber, cold and brisk, trash and rubbish, near and close.
Homophones/homonyms. Homophones are pronounced the same, have different meanings, and may or may not have the same spelling: merry, marry, and Mary. Homonyms have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings: bank (edge of a river, carom, or depository).
Some of the clues are a stretch. Get over it! I have poetic license. If you try to make up one of these puzzles on your own, you will understand the need to provide a clue that is as close as you can get and plenty good enough to help solve the puzzle.
If you can get a part of a clue, you can usually reason through the twisted combination of “nyms” to get the whole answer.
Some of the homonyms are not exact. For example, day may be as close as I could get to Dave. Such rough homonyms are denoted in italics to alert the solver to beware.
Hyphens separate single-syllable clues. For example, Gas-yuk
could translate to air (synonym for gas)—ick (synonym for yuk). This results in Eric (translating the appropriate homophones).
Multiple words with no space constitute a single syllable or word. (For example, foursidedfigure could be replaced by square, rhombus, rectangle, etc.)
Underlined words or letters are not replaced; they are left as-is. (For example, the stays as the.)
PUZZLE 42: RASH MUSICAL ARTISTS
Example: Stoop Old Neil Young
Neil (a homonym of kneel, a synonym for stoop) and Young (an antonym of old)
1. Beers Fall-mug
2. Me Also
3. Lupine-thugs Castletrenches-craft
4. The Criminals
5. Mute Tails
6. Congestion
7. Dog St-odds
8. Genuflect Emerald
9. Float Ocean-anxious
10. The Cashew Sisters
11. Hot-work
12. EllieMay Tax
13. Ominous Curves
14. Pal Sacred
15. Evil Guests
16. Blackbirds-ant, Photos and Grind
17. Magenta Deluge
18. Humor-ankle Dallas
19. Shirtarm Lose-lumber
20. Trailed Blimp
21. Shorthaircut Sellingdrugs
22. Auto-win Kriskringle-nope
23. Coldblooded Dike
24. Temperamental Pinks
25. Pumpkineater Angelofmary
26. Head-patella Dinero
27. Chasm Bald-daughter
28. Swift-iron PC
29. Belief Muddy-H2O Renaissance
30. Maleturkey Trivial or the Liver-waves
31. The Virtuous Siblings
32. Look-lowinfat Belowaveragegrade-off
33. Spade
34. The Against Bottoms
35. The Joint Fraternity
36. Oilrig ampersand the Bones
37. Hipbone Iron-meadow
38. UKwatercloset-isn’t Leg-weak
39. Pub-bikinitop Gait-beach
40. Regal Sadmood Rant-street
41. Handtruck Excuse
42. Awesome-empty Alive
43. Regular-hobo
44. Utilityvehicle Less-daughter
45. Stylish-past
46. Toastmaster Mallet
47. Pointer-jones
48. Soil, Zephyr and Terminate
49. Pryopen Egglayer-bores
50. Bison Coil-pasture
PUZZLE 43: RASH CAPITALS
Example: Happy-isn’t-ourstar Madison
Mad (Antonym of happy) + is (antonym of isn’t) + son (homynym of sun, synonym of ourstar)
1. Frenchman’sname
2. Autos-off burg
3. Pieceofchain-off
4. Heathen Ringo
5. Happy-isn’t-ourstar
6. Mt.-rind-nose
7. Summermonth-ofcourse
8. Hooter-sheepnoise-shin
9. Candlewax-inconvenience-hear
10. Wizardcity-alloy
11. Chriskringle price
12. Sweetie-yes-doozie
13. Spinnaker-en
14. Buck-under
15. Row-wasp-a
16. Timid-also
17. Heaven-road-surprise
18. Grease-lamewalk-Zadora
19. Ants-grade
20. Poor-smallhill
21. Termite-orange-isn’t
22. Yaw-field
23. Takeoff-hum
24. UnivTeacher-ego-smart
25. Coil-meadow
26. July-yes
27. Girl-sleepletter
28. Malecard-daughter
29. Honest-cavalryshelter
30. From-sneakalook-a
31. Cook-against-daudhter Stand-cofee
32. Familyroom-minkcoat
33. Pepper Pond Town
34. Bag-stuff-women-piggy
35. Snack-empty
36. Fold-er-van
37. Redskin-orange-isn’t
38. Relaystick Facemakeup
39. Night Lawncuttings
40. Pro-rope
41. Choochoo–2000pounds
42. Ticker-chevy
43. Mt.-Wrigleys-wed
44. @-campinglight
45. Maple-fa-abode-pa Stand-golfstart
46. Payment-nullify
47. Blaeken-otherwise-zap
48. Huge pebble
49. Worker-heavyweight
50. Follicle-isn’t-icechunk
PUZZLE 44: RASH CL ASSIC TV SHOWS
Example: Hades Road Sadness = Hill Street Blues
Hades (synonym for Hell which is a rough Homonym of Hill) Road (synonym or relative of Street) Sadness (synonym of Blues)
1. The Sweetie-bumexposers
2. Ear Tennisnil Free-look
3. Paddling also Venetian’s Chuckle-tavern
4. Mrs. Noggin
5. The Roll-cross Dossiers
6. Unknown Hike
7. The Detective SUV Dam Exposition
8. Put Stupid
9. Windfall
10. Bray
11. The Lady to Malekin
12. The Front Inane-movingtruck place
13. Every B&B the Genus
14. Poppy Avenue
15. The Dusk Area
16. The Few Adores of Bread-ant Cheek-be
17. Alphabet’s Banal Paladin Hand-dance
18. Rod-vapor
19. Basic’s Narrow Spun of Games
20. Eve Dozen
21. The Firestarter-jewels
22. The Divorce Customize Less Movie
23. The Slant-meadow Mountain-goats
24. Stay Addamsfamilycousin to Castor
25. The Ricefield Fist Exhibit
26. Muscle the Iron
27. Evade Bricklayer
28. The Tangible PC-bashfuls
29. Harbinger-axed
30. The Tame Crazy North
31. Hurrahs
32. Pointat * Straw * Fool * Dullpain
33. Peril
34. Woodenrod-missy
35. Live-prudish
36. Frank Went-hooray
37. Navajohome’s Goats
38. Friday Morning Dead
39. Assignment Cinchy
40. PhD Murder-challenge
41. Tow-mesh
42. Espy Search
43. Em-Who-Legume-Lowgrade Aqua
44. Pinballgizmo
45. Ogle Wonder of Denimjoint
46. 118.3ml-i-rev’s Nose-takeoff
47. Eleven-eleven Dusk Disrobe
48. Sandwichislands Fin-Alas
49. The Solo Vagabond
50. Grit-chevy or Ourstar
PUZZLE 45: RASH GAMES
Example: Mandarin-praguenative-his Chinese checkers
Chinese (relative of Mandarin) check (a homonym for Czech, which is a synonym of praguenative) hers (antonym of his)
1. Agreement Riverspan
2. Scramble-plank
3. Commotion-benefit
4. Minutia Chase
5. Hush-plunders
6. Ort-malemoose
7. Eightfoottwobyfour Prod-him
8. Original-marbles
9. Stereo-parrotname
10. Stone, Shears, Essay
11. Vodka Drippy
12. Exponent-orb
13. Carpet-wasp
14. Neckpain-dined
15. Rat-snare
16. Select-tibia-gassy
17. Skip-whiskey
18. Evil-glove
19. Regular Wed-X Fraternity
20 Peepers Hambone-lock
21. Blink-ask-mail
22. Sylvester’sbird answers
23. Berserk Octets
24. Swagger-self
25. Legume-yield
26. Sonarecho Patsy
27. Teensy Chasm
28. Front-wildlife-off
29. Leather and Pursue
30. Garble-golfprop Hog
31. Invoice-lawns
32. Goodfortune-intersect
33. Sweets-acreage
34. Gosh-alas-depositing
35. Jackass Bigcymbal
36. Breathmint-digit
37. Twist the Glass
38. Label
39. Crimson Fido
40. Yank of Conflict
41.Jesters-orb
42. Seashore nonconsonant-pasture-cry
43. Liquid-rabbit
44. Uncertainty
45. Needle-dance
46. Suspend-mister
47. Average-curd-look
48. Raspy Dashing
49. Belt-him
50. Uppertorso
PUZZLE 46: RASH BRANDS
Example: Ear Ant Seam = IBM
Ear (relative of eye, homophone for I) Ant (relative of bee, homophone for B) seam (synonym for hem, which is a rough homophone for em, which is a homophone for M)
1. Legjoint-guy Patsy-swear
2. Head-daughter and Throne-boy
3. Forgiveness-nights Straightens
4. Fire-admonish
5. Trinket-Starwarssage
6. Vector-archaicyou-forward
7. Gunk-tern
8. Agent and Venture
9. Pitch-when
10. Speak-cheer Pasture
11. Maiden Pacific
12. Stitch-ankle
13. Formerwife-loaded Anchored
14. Seamammals Distant-halt
15. Envious Pygmy
16. Murder-journals
17. Snub-patella
18. Private Acoustic
19. Berkeley-caridentifier Descend
20. Winner’s Classified
21. Heaven. Heck. Noggin
22. Comeoutwinners
23. Nile. Serene
24. New Fleet
25. Curly-rat Gender
26. Gist-soup-stop
27. Engine-hiinspanish
28. Wedded Broadcast-queues
29. Tony Muck
30. Jeering
31. Specific Dynamos
32. Barbarian-croak
33. Glacialsound Castleprotector-and
34. Me-Drunk—Load-soft
35. Lead-does
36. Nuts Proceed-fa
37. Bond’sboss Wow BottomSeam
38. Bro-bull
39. Alaskanbear
40. Asian Articulate