Brain Teasers

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Christmas Time

Trivia brain teasers have some element of trivia in them, but they are not just pure trivia questions.

Can you decipher these common Christmas Carols?

1. Happiness to the Global Ecosystem
2. Small male percussionist
3. I am experiencing nocturnal visions of a colorless holiday
4. Festoon the Corridors
5. A Non-summer fairytale area
6. Oh holiday conifer
7. Ten plus two twenty-four hour periods of holiday festivity
8. Hey tiny city in Israel
9. In a remote location in a barn stall

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

1. Joy to the World
2. Little Drummer Boy
3. I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas
4. Deck the Halls
5. Winter Wonderland
6. Oh Christmas Tree
7. 12 Days of Christmas
8. Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
9. Away in a Manger

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Curtail E

Language brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.

When you curtail a word, you remove the last letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.

Example: Begin -> Heavenly body

Answer: The words are Start and Star.

1. Evergreen tree -> Thin, pointed piece of metal
2. Burning process -> Evergreen tree
3. Gaze intently -> Heavenly body
4. Subject; unifying idea -> Those people
5. Money paid for work -> Move from side to side
6. Soft-surfaced leather -> Took to court
7. Harsh; extreme -> To cut off
8. To bring together -> A single thing

(Scoll Down for Hint)

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Hint

The words start with these letters:
1. P
2. F
3. S
4. T
5. W
6. S
7. S
8. U

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

1. Pine -> Pin
2. Fire -> Fir
3. Stare -> Star
4. Theme -> Them
5. Wage -> Wag
6. Suede -> Sued
7. Severe -> Sever
8. Unite -> Unit

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Figure it out

Each sentence below contains a word that can be anagrammed to answer or describe the sentence.

Example: Craft that might tip in the ocean. Answer: Canoe (Anagram of ocean)

1. You cover a mattress with one of these
2. Dangerous thing for an alcoholic to begin
3. Feature on which a tire might be rated
4. Feeling about a poisonous adder
5. Weapon that a cavalryman bears
6. It doesn’t necessarily bring rain, but it could

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

1. Sheet
2. Binge
3. Tread
4. Dread
5. Sabre or Saber
6. Cloud

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Behead C

Language brain teasers are those that involve the English language. You need to think about and manipulate words and letters.

When you behead a word, you remove the first letter and still have a valid word. You will be given clues for the two words, longer word first.
Example: Begin -> Sour, acidic
Answer: The words are Start and Tart.

1. Outer layer -> Oxidized metal
2. Defraud; violate rules -> Thermal energy in transit
3. Sensation of cold -> Local land elevation
4. Go upward -> Jointed appendage; branch
5. Strong metal rope -> Having necessary skill
6. Confined; restrained -> Old; grew older
7. Stop; discontinue -> Freedom from hardship
8. Lacking dirt -> Lacking fat

(Scoll Down for Hint)

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Hint

The shorter words start with these letters:
1. R
2. H
3. H
4. L
5. A
6. A
7. E
8. L

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

1. Crust -> Rust
2. Cheat -> Heat
3. Chill -> Hill
4. Climb -> Limb
5. Cable -> Able
6. Caged -> Aged
7. Cease -> Ease
8. Clean -> Lean

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Special Sugar Section

Which one of the following words does not belong with the other six?

Issue
Mishap
Parachute
Ocean
Semiconscious
Anxious
Mansion

(Scoll Down for Hint)

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Hint

The title provides three more words that do belong!

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

Mishap is the misfit.

The other six words, and the three in the title, all contain the ‘sh’ sound – which is spelled in nine different ways!

Ironically, the word which does contain -sh- is not pronounced ‘sh’!

‘Schedule’ would count as another spelling of the same sound, depending on which side of the Atlantic you studied!

Quotes for the Soul

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Ten X Ten

Each of the following clues refers to a word that begins with “ten”. Can you guess all ten of them?

1. Inclination
2. Delicate or gentle
3. A sinew
4. A racket game
5. Capable of being stretched
6. Between the bass and alto
7. Stretched tight
8. Unsubstantial
9. A dwelling
10. An opinion held to be true.

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

1. Tendency
2. Tender
3. Tendon
4. Tennis
5. Tensile
6. Tenor
7. Tense
8. Tenuous
9. Tenement or Tent
10. Tenet

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Life or Death? The Emperor’s Proposition

You are a prisoner sentenced to death. The Emperor offers you a chance to live by playing a simple game. He gives you 50 black marbles, 50 white marbles and 2 empty bowls. He then says, “Divide these 100 marbles into these 2 bowls. You can divide them any way you like as long as you use all the marbles. Then I will blindfold you and mix the bowls around. You then can choose one bowl and remove ONE marble. If the marble is WHITE you will live, but if the marble is BLACK… you will die.”

How do you divide the marbles up so that you have the greatest probability of choosing a WHITE marble?

(Scoll Down for Hint)

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Hint

The answer does not guarantee 100% you will chose a white marble, but you have a much better chance.

(Scoll Down for Solution)

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Solution

Place 1 white marble in one bowl, and place the rest of the marbles in the other bowl (49 whites, and 50 blacks).

This way you begin with a 50/50 chance of choosing the bowl with just one white marble, therefore life! BUT even if you choose the other bowl, you still have ALMOST a 50/50 chance at picking one of the 49 white marbles.