Daily puzzles/problems.

No, not right. But everyone's heading in the right direction. Here's the answer...

Picking up my phone in the dark, my fingers naturally fall across two buttons, one of which brings up the contact list and the other of which makes a call - and it calls the first person on the contact list which, because they're in alphabetical order, is Adam. Apparently I've done this several times over the last couple of months, always in the middle of the night.

Having been woken yet again by an accidental call from me in the small hours, Adam texted me Abena's number, knowing that she would go above him alphabetically in the contact list, and she'd get all future sleep-disturbing calls.

Brilliant, really, especially at half past four in the morning.

IOU a puzzle - it's not a great one but it's (fairly) topical:

Why would a man who made a pair of spectacles in the summer not be expecting to spend Christmas working in Australia?

Something to do with the fact that it is summer in Australia at that time of the year?

Hmmm - sort of.....

Because he is a Cricketer?
If "a pair of spectacles" refer to two "ducks" or zeros (OO) in a match. Then any Cricketer who made them this summer, would not be touring Australia this winter.

Because Christmas is a holiday? Who works on a holiday in Australia? Who works in Australia whenever they can avoid it, holiday or otherwise?

I was thinking of 'The Christmas Period', rather than the Day itself. Perhaps I should have said 'December/January' - sorry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MystyrMystyry

Because Christmas is a holiday? Who works on a holiday in Australia?

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I was thinking of that but then again there is the Police and emergency services etc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kasie

I was thinking of 'The Christmas Period', rather than the Day itself. Perhaps I should have said 'December/January' - sorry.

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Has it got something to do with heat?

No, nothing to do with heat.

Perhaps I have been a little too esoteric here, especially for our friends across the Atlantic, though I would have expected some of our regular Puzzlers to see the connection.

Maybe a clue is in order: think back to the puzzle about 'What comes between 0 and 40'....

Kasie,

Just wondering whether you saw Mick's reply, which was stuck at the bottom of the previous page:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prendrelemick

Because he is a Cricketer?
If "a pair of spectacles" refer to two "ducks" or zeros (OO) in a match. Then any Cricketer who made them this summer, would not be touring Australia this winter.

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Many apologies, Scher and Mick - I didn't see that reply on the bottom of the previous page. Yes, Mick, you are right. I knew I could rely on a Yorkshireman to get it!

Have I ever told you I was once the most popular lass at Headingly? I had taken my little tranny to the match so that I could listen to the Test commentary while watching Yorks v Warwicks - men kept coming over and whispering, 'What's the latest, love?' Oh, what a day!

I must think of one with international scope.

So because of your inexactitude we're all effectively right?

Police and emergency services don't make spectacles, but two streakers could effectively make a pair of spectacles of themselves at the cricket, and if they happen to be a policeman and an ambo, then they may still be arrested and detained over the holiday period.

I'm confussed.


Here's a quickie:

One man made it but didn't need it.

One man needed it but didn't see it.

One man saw it but didn't want it.

What was it?

Give in?

It's made of wood


Also, only the second streaker would make a pair - if you're as confussed as me...

Aah!

I get it! Pen got it first and therefore won!

Sorry everyone - I'll put myself in self-imposed exile for one month for being so hazy

Is it a coffin MM?

Don't apologise, I am struggling to think of anything worthy of this great thread. And anyway, I thought the explanation of a streaker making a spectacle was inspired.

Here is somethng really simple.


A second is longer than an hour, a month is longer than a year and an age is less than a week. how so?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prendrelemick

A second is longer than an hour, a month is longer than a year and an age is less than a week. how so?

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Is it the length of the words (number of the letter they have in them)?

Correct. I'll try and do better next time.

OK, the next one takes a little time:

My first is in BRICK but not in BUILD.

My second is in AMPLE but not in FILLED.

My third is in BANNER but not in SIGN.

My fourth is in FOOD but not in DINE.

My last is in STRUGGLE and also in WRESTLE.


What am I?

Those things usually have a last line that gives a clue to the whole word, like....

My fifth is in girl but never in boy.
My whole is a song full of seasonal joy.


...otherwise there could be many workable answers that fitted the clues.


Still, given the possibility of a couple of answers, and without a definitive clue to go on, my guess is CABOT, the explorer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MarkBastable

...otherwise there could be many workable answers that fitted the clues.

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Which is why it is challenging and fun.

Quote:

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Still, given the possibility of a couple of answers, and without a definitive clue to go on, my guess is CABOT, the explorer.

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A good guess but not the one I was looking for as in the questions it is implied that it is an object rather than a person:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

What am I?

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On a topical note, it could be a carol, as Mark obviously knew.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by prendrelemick

On a topical note, it could be a carol, as Mark obviously knew.

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That works, Mick.

Your turn!

The history of my family is worth telling,
like an epic poem- with musical interludes of course,
and a chorus of singing and dancing girls.
It has its tragic aspects sure,
but plenty of laughs too.
I don't see them as much as I'd like, what with all my nocturnal interests.

Who am I?

Hrm...

Don't most Greek Tragedies/Comedies have a chorus with singing and dancing girls? :)

I guess his/her appatite for the night life is a big clue, but I cannot remember an ancient hero who lived like that...

Bacchus?

I'd like to think it's more oblique than that though.

No, but both in the right area.

How about Selene, or any other version of a moon goddess from classical myth?

Nope. No need to guess the clues are all there.

In the Oresteia trilogy by Aeschylus, which tells the story of the family of Agamemnon (king of Argos), the choir sings about Nyx

Quote:

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O mother Nyx, hear me, mother who gave birth to me as a retribution for the blind and the seeing."

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Of course, that is just a general "oh mother" and not actually the "mater familias". And I don't think Agamemnon or Orestes had any particular taste for the night ...

Searching on ...

Salome?

Zeus?

You are all circling the answer. Just a little more Inspiration needed.

The history of my family is worth telling,
like an epic poem- with musical interludes of course,
and a chorus of singing and dancing girls.
It has its tragic aspects sure,
but plenty of laughs too.
I don't see them as much as I'd like, what with all my nocturnal interests.

Morpheus.

But of course not, that is not an answer to scorn a group of guessers over.

Leslie Crowther.

All of Greek theatre?

Oliver (the Musical)


:smilewinkgrin:


Odysseus?

The Muses?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by billl

Morpheus.

But of course not, that is not an answer to scorn a group of guessers over.

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No better sleep on it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MarkBastable

Leslie Crowther.

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A cracker(jack) but wrong

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MystyrMystyry

All of Greek theatre?

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Good performance but wrong

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Oliver (the Musical).

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Consider yourself incorrect.


:smilewinkgrin:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Odysseus?

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A long way to go

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kasie

The Muses?

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Correct! An inspired answer. Now which one has nocturnal interests?

Urania? Muse of Astronomy?

Yes ! I had a feeling you'd get that one.
Your turn.

I've got a good Dictionary of Greek and Roman Mythology. :D

OK - another puzzle - how about this one:

Town A is a hundred miles from Town B. A straight railway line connects them. Every day at mid-day, a train leaves Town A and travels to Town B at 60mph. At the same time, a train leaves Town B and travels to Town A. This train is not so fast and can only travel at 40mph.

One day, a bird who has nothing better to do decides to fly with the train from town A until it meets the train from Town B and then hitch a lift back to Town A with the train from Town B. This super bird, who has certainly had his Weetabix for breakfast, flies at 70mph so, of course, overtakes the train from Town A and when he arrives at the train from Town B, he decides to fly back to the train from Town A instead of hitching the ride. When he gets back to the train from Town A, he's having so much fun, he turns round and flies back to the train from Town B - and so on. He keeps flying between the trains until they meet when he reverts to his original plan and hitches a lift on the Train from Town B back to Town A. He's exhausted - of course he is, he's flown - how far before the trains pass each other? (Yes, it's a double track, the trains don't crash into each other.) And what time did the trains pass? And what time did the bird get back to Town A?