PART I. (continued 2)

Solution

A RABBIT RUN

45. How far can a rabbit run into a square wood, with sides that each measure a mile, if it keeps on a straight course and does not break cover?

Solution

46

Solution

47.

I received my first because I was rash enough to say my second to my third, when seeking re-election at my whole.

Solution

48

Solution

49

Solution

50.

“Ask me another,” she said, when he pressed her to name the happy day. “I will,” he replied. “Why is the letter ‘d’ like the answer which I seek from you?”

Solution

51 SWIFT’S RIDDLE

Solution

TOM HOOD’S RIDDLE

52. Here is a riddle for which Tom Hood was responsible. Can you solve it?

Solution

53.

Hold up your hand and you will see what you never have seen, never can see, and never will see. What is this?

Solution

54.

Can you tell the difference between the Emperor of Russia and an ill-shod beggar?

Solution

55.

Why did Eden Philpotts?

Solution

56.

We have heard much of man’s imagined connection with the monkey, through some missing link. What evidence can we gather from early records of, at any rate, some verbal kinship with the patient ass?

Solution

57.

My first is gold, my second is silver, my third is copper, and my whole is tin.

Solution

58.

What is highest when its head is off?

Solution

59.

What word is there of six letters which can be so read that it claims to be spelt with only one?

Solution

60.

If a good oyster is a native, what is a bad one?

Solution

61.

Why is John Bright?

Solution

62.

If I walk into a room full of people, and place a new penny upon the table in full view of the company, what does the coin do?

Solution

63.

Jones, who had made it, and put it into his waistcoat pocket, lost it. Brown picked it up, and lighted his cigar with it. Then they both went to the train in it, and ran all the way.

Solution

64.

Why cannot a deaf and dumb man tickle nine people?

Solution

65.

When did “London” begin with an l and end with an e?

Solution

66.

I sent my second to my first, but many a whole passed before he came back to me.

Solution

67.

Which weighs most, the new moon or the full moon?

Solution

68.

Here is a puzzle which is unique and most remarkable, and which seems to be impossible, though it is absolutely sound:—

There is an English word of more than two letters, of which “la” is the middle, is the beginning, and is the end, though there is but one “a” and one “l” in the word. What is it?

Solution

69.

Why is a bee like a rook?

Solution

70 A DARK REBUS

O B e D

Solution

71 A MONKEY PUZZLER

If a monkey is placed before a cross, why does it at once get to the top?

Solution

72 A RIDDLE BY COWPER

The answer has been defined as “two heads and an application.”

Solution

HOW’S THAT, UMPIRE?

73. How can the Latin exhortation “Macte!” which may be roughly rendered “Go on and prosper!” be applied at cricket to a batsman at a critical moment?

Solution

BY TAPE MEASUREMENT

74. Are you good at topography? If so, can you discover and locate, from this description of its surroundings, a town within 30 miles of London?

Half an inch before the trees, and half a foot and half a yard after them, lead us to an English town.

Solution

75.

We know how, by the addition of a single letter, our cares can be softened into a caress; but in the following enigma a still more contradictory result follows, without the addition or alteration of a letter, by a mere separation of syllables:—

Solution

76. MULTUM IN PARVO

What two letters describe in nine letters the position of one who has been left alone in his extremity?

Solution

77. A CHANGE OF SEX

“Oh! would I were a man,” cried a schoolmistress, “that I might always teach boys.”

We boys overheard her, and placed her with us. What did we thus turn her into?

Solution

78. A STRIKING MATCH PUZZLE

How can you make a Maltese cross with less than twelve unbent and unbroken matches?

Solution

79

Have we any reason to suppose that in very early times there were less vowels than we have now?

Solution

80. A FRENCH RIDDLE

As Susette was sitting in the cool shadow of an olive grove at Mentone, Henri came up and said to her, with his best bow, “Je sais que vous n’avez pas mon premier, mais que vous êtes mon second, et je vous donnerai mon tout!” What did he hold out to her?

Solution

81

On a church close to an old ruined priory, near Lewes, there is a weathercock in the shape of a fish, probably an emblem of the faith. What moral lesson does this relic of early days convey to us?

Solution

82

Solution

83. A PARADOX

“For the want of water we drank water, and if we had had water we should have drank wine.”

Who can have said this, and what did they mean?

Solution

84. WHAT IS IT?

Solution

85

Solution

86. GREAT SCOTT!

Shade of Sir Walter! What does all this mean?

Solution

87

Solution

88. QUITE A BEATITUDE

Solution

89

Solution

90. RATHER PERSONAL

Solution

NUTS TO CRACK

CRAZY LOGIC

1. Can you prove, by what we may call crazy logic, that madman is equal to madam?

Solution

A BIT OF BOTANY

2. A rat with its teeth in the webbed feet of its prey was what the squirrel saw one summer’s day, when he ran down from the tree-tops for a cool drink in the pond below his nest. Can you find out from this the name of the water-plant that was floating in the shade?

Solution

SIX SUNKEN ISLANDS

3. He set down the answer to that sum at random.

By bold policy Prussia became a leading power.

A great taste for mosaic has arisen lately.

The glad news was swiftly borne over England.

At dusk, year after year, the old man rambled home.

The children cried, hearing such dismal tales.

In each of these lines the name of an island is buried.

Solution

BURIED GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

4. We could hide a light royal boat with a man or two; the skipper, though, came to a bad end.

In this short sentence seven geographical names are buried, formed by consecutive letters, which are parts always of more than one word. Can you dig them out?

Solution

A TRANSPOSITION

5. What can you make of this? The letters are jumbled, but the words are in due order.

Solution

6 ALL IN A ROW

Solution

7 ASK A POLICEMAN

Solution

8 RULING LETTERS

Solution

MIND YOUR STOPS

9. How would you punctuate the following sentence?

Maud like the pretty girl that she was went for a walk in the meadows.

Solution

10. ANSWER BY ECHO

Solution

11. BREAKING A RECORD

Only eight different letters are used in the construction of this verse:—

Wishing to break this record, we have put together a rhyming verse of similar length, in which only five letters are used. They are these:

(18 times) eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. (20 times) nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. (18 times) tttttttttttttttttt. (16 times) iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. (15 times) sssssssssssssss.

Solution

12. A CATCH SENTENCE

If is is not is and is not is is what is it is not is and what is it is is not if is not is is? Can you punctuate this so that it has meaning?

Solution

13. CATCHING A HINT

Passing one day by train through a station I caught sight of two words upon a large advertisement, which seemed cut out for puzzle purposes; and before long I had framed the following riddle:

Bisect my first, transpose its first half, and between this and its second half insert what remains if you take my second from my first. The result is as good to eat as my first and second are to drink.

Solution

14. IS IT GRAMMAR?

It is difficult at first sight to grasp the meaning of this apparently simple sentence:—“Time flies you cannot they pass at such irregular intervals.” How does it read?

Solution

15. ROYAL MEMORIES

In Queen Victoria’s Jubilee year I went to the South Kensington Museum. As I entered, looking at my watch, I thought of the good Queen. After some hours of quiet enjoyment I came away, again looking at my watch, and was reminded that the Prince Consort was not alive to share the Jubilee joys. At what time, and for how long was I in the Museum?

Solution

16. A SEASONABLE MOTTO

CCC SAW

Solution

17. AN OLD LATIN LEGEND

AMANS TAM ERAT HI DESINT HERO AD DIGITO UT MANDO

What is the interpretation?

Solution

18. THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM

Does the following statement imply that there is a curative virtue in rose-coloured rays?

Solution

19. DOCTOR FELL

To what objection was this diet open?

Solution

20. DISLOCATED WORDS

These thirty-six letters form an English sentence:—

SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR ARA

What can it be?

Solution

21. BROAD WILTSHIRE

“Igineyvartydreevriswutts.”

Can you interpret this sentence, spoken by a sturdy farmer in the corn market?

Solution

22. FIND A RHYME

Try to find a rhyme to Chrysanthemum.

Solution

23. ABOUT THE EGGS

Did you hear that pathetic tale of the three eggs?

Solution

24. AN ANCIENT LEGEND

Doun tooth ers A sy Ouw ould bed One by.

Solution

25. A FAMILY PARTY

HERE LIE

How many does the —— represent?

Solution

26. A SIMPLE CHARM

A superstitious couple in the country who heard mysterious noises at night in their house, sought the advice of a “wise woman” in the neighbourhood. She gave them on paper the following charm, which would, she assured them, counteract their evil star, and solve the mystery:—

ground turn evil star.

What was its significance?

Solution

27. MADE IN FRANCE

Solution

28. A PARADOX

Solution

29. THE BARBER’S JOKE

A barber placed prominently in his window the following notice:—

Attracted by this, a man went into the shop, and was shaved, but instead of receiving any liquid refreshment, he was surprised by a demand for the usual payment.

What was the barber’s explanation?

Solution

30. A FLIGHT OF FANCY

GENUI NE JAM A ICARUM.

This label, said to have been found among the ruins of old Rome, seems to bear a very early reference to the birth of Icarus, the flying man; or perhaps to some flying machine named after him, but not yet perfected. Can this be so?

Solution

31. A SPELL

Solution

32. JOHNSON’S CAT

Solution

33. THE EXPANDING NINES

Some of us may perhaps remember Titania’s promise to Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream:

Here is a little puzzle so fresh and curious that it will tempt the fancy of those who find it added to our hoard:

Solution

34. ACROSS THE MOAT

Form a square with four matches. Outside this, at an equal distance all round, form another square with twelve matches, just so far away that the space between them cannot be spanned by a match. With two matches only, form a firm bridge from the outer to the inner square.

Solution

35. IS IT BANTING?

Solution

36. QUITE A FAMILY PARTY

The telephone-bell roused Mrs P.W. from her after-luncheon nap, and her husband’s voice came to her ears, from his office in the city:—“I am bringing home to dinner my father’s brother-in-law, my brother’s father-in-law, my father-in-law’s brother, and my brother-in-law’s father.”

“Right!” she replied, knowing his quaint ways, “I shall be prepared.” For how many guests did she provide?

Solution

37. THE WILY WAYFARER

“Give me as much money as I have in my hand,” said Will Slimly to the landlord of a country inn, “and I will spend sixpence with you.” This was done, and repeated twice with the cash that was still in hand, and then the traveller was penniless. How much had he at first, and how much did the landlord contribute to Will’s refreshment?

Solution

38. A CLEVER CONSTRUCTION

How can four triangles of equal size be formed with six similar matches?

Solution

39. A KNOTTY POINT

Solution

40. A DIVISION SUM

“Take this half-crown,” said the vicar at a village festival, “and divide it equally between those two fathers and their two sons, but give nothing of less value than a penny to either of them.”

The schoolboy, who was a sharp lad, changed the half-crown, and divided it equally among them. How was this possible?

Solution

41. A CROOKED ANSWER

Tom (yawning) to Nell—“I wish we could play lawn-tennis!”

Nell (annoyed).—“Odioso ni mus rem. Moto ima os illud nam?”

Can you make head or tail, in Latin or in English, of her reply?

Solution

42. THE PEELER’S SMILE

Two policemen stood behind a hedge, watching for motor-car scorchers. One looked up the road, the other looked down it, so as to command both directions.

“Bill,” said one, without turning his head, “what are you smiling at?” How could he tell that his mate was smiling?

Solution

43. THE NIMBLE NINES

Solution

44. A TRYING SENTENCE

That that is is that that is not is not is not that it it is.

Solution

45. SHORT AND SWEET

What is this?

ALLO.

Solution

46. SUPPLY THE CONSONANTS

An English Proverb

ieaoaaaeaai

Solution

47. IT LOOKS BLACK

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

Add thirteen more strokes, and make—what?

Solution

48. THE CORONER’S CHOICE

Can a coroner, after signing his name, write his official position in more ways than one?

Solution

HOW MANY PIPS?

Here is a good and simple card trick. Ask anyone to choose three cards from a pack, and to place them face downwards on the table. Then, beginning to count with the number of pips on each card laid down, let him place other cards upon these, one heap at a time, until in every case he counts up to 15, adding mentally 1 as he places down each card.

When he has completed the three heaps, take from him the remaining cards, and count them. Their number, less 4, will always be the number of pips on the three chosen cards. An ace counts 11, and a court card 10.

Thus, if he has chosen a 7, a 10, and an ace (11), he must cap these with 8, 5, and 4 cards respectively. There will then be 32 cards left, and 32 - 4 = 28, which is the sum of 7, 10, and 11.

ROUND THE MONKEY

Now for a few words about an old friend, familiar to most of us. If a monkey sits on a post holding one end of a string, and continually moves to face a man who holds the other end, and who walks round the post, does that man walk round the monkey?

R. A. Proctor, the astronomer, treated the question thus, some years ago in Knowledge:—“In what way does going round a thing imply seeing every side of it? Suppose a man shut his eyes, would that make any difference? Or suppose the man stood still, and the monkey turned round, so as to show the man its front and back, would the stationary man have gone round the monkey?”

We commend this ancient and puzzling subject of controversy to our readers. Our own opinion is that the man does walk round the monkey, in the commonly accepted meaning of the words, but “who shall decide when doctors disagree?”

BURIED ANIMALS

Here are a few cleverly buried animals:

“Come hither, mine friend,” said the monk, eyeing him kindly, “be a very good boy, step through the furze bravely, and seek the lost riches.”

Ermine; monkey; beaver; zebra; ostrich.

We, as electricians, proclaim the electric motor cab a boon to London.

Weasel; baboon.

QUESTIONS WELL ANSWERED

A TABLE OF AFFINITY

When it was reported that M. de Lesseps and his son were to marry sisters, the Rappel suggested these possible complications. Lesseps the younger will be his father’s brother-in-law, and his wife will be her own sister’s sister-in-law.

If Lesseps the elder has a son, and Lesseps the younger has a daughter, and these marry, then the daughter of Lesseps the younger will be her father’s sister-in-law, and the son of Lesseps the elder will be the son-in-law of his brother. The son of the second marriage will have two grandfathers, Lesseps the elder and the younger, so that old Lesseps will become his own son’s brother.

MARY QUITE CONTRARY

MACARONIC VERSE

Latin

English

HAM SANDWICHES

We most of us know the good old double-barrelled riddle, “Why need we never starve in the desert?” “Because of the sand which is there.” “How did the sandwiches get there?” “Ham settled there, and his descendants bred and mustered.” This clever metrical solution is by Archbishop Whately:—

A GOOD MOTTO

We know that Latin motto, with its clever double meaning, suggested for a retired tobacconist, “Quid rides”—why do you smile?—or quid rides. Here is another, proposed many years ago, for a doctor of indifferent repute:—

ON ONE NOTT

ON JOHN SO

STRANGE SIGHTS

The importance of proper punctuation is very happily illustrated by the following lines:—

A QUAINT INSCRIPTION

There is a curiously constructed inscription over the door of the cloister of the Convent of the Carmelites at Caen, which runs thus:—

D di Si scap ac ab as

um vus mon ulare cepit tris.

T sæ Dæ ul in in an

The lines are in honour of one Simon Stock of that order, and they may be freely rendered:—

W ho Si first beg pr

hen ly mon an his eaching.

T wi De howled to sc t

NONSENSE VERSE IMPROMPTU, BY AN OLD DIVINE

EDGAR POE’S RIDDLE

Edgar A. Poe addressed the following puzzle-valentine to a lady, adding, “You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do:”—

The first letter of the first line, the second of the second, the third of the third, and so on spell the lady’s name—Frances.

AN ILLUSION OF TYPE

A curious optical illusion is illustrated by printing a row of ordinary capital letters and figures which are symmetrical, thus:—

SSSSSXXXXX3333388888

If we glance at them casually it does not strike us that their upper parts are smaller than the lower, but if we turn the paper upside down we are at once surprised to see how marked the difference really is.

AN EXCHANGE OF COMPLIMENTS

ΗΚΙΣΤΑ ΛΙΨ HE KISSED HER LIPS

(According to the daily Press, a good old-fashioned kiss lately lost favour in some quarters.)

QUESTIONS WELL ANSWERED

We must not fail to register these two Questions Well Answered, which it is hard to match for excellence:—

Q.—Why did the fly fly?

A.—Because the spider spied her!

And

Q.—Why did the lobster blush?

A.—Because it saw the salad dressing!

The following puzzling lines were the outburst of the wanton wit of a lover, in his effort to play off one lady against another, and so retain two strings to his bow:—

Charles Lamb was responsible for the following ingenious perversion of words, when the Whig associates of the Prince Regent were sore at not obtaining office:—

We may assume that this was the germ of the riddle “What is the difference between the Prince of Wales, a bald-headed man, and a monkey?” One is the heir-apparent, the second has no hair apparent, and the third is a hairy parent.

GRAMMAR OF A SORT

Can the conjunction “and” be used otherwise than as a connecting link?

Yes, as in the puzzle sentence, “It was and I said not or,” which, if no comma is placed after “said,” no one can read easily at sight.

A TONGUE TWISTER

The tragedy “William Tell” was to be played many years ago at the old Drury Lane Theatre, and an actor, familiarly known as Will, asked the exponent of the part of Tell, on the eve of its production, whether he thought the play would tell with the critics and the public.

The following question and answer passed between them, in which only two different words were used, in an intelligible sequence of twenty-five words:—

Will.—“The question has arisen Tell, ‘will Will Tell tell?’ Will Tell tell Will ‘will Will Tell tell?’”

Tell.—“Tell will tell Will ‘will Will Tell tell?’ ‘Will Tell will tell!’”

THE LADY AND THE TIGER

Many of our readers will enjoy this very clever rendering of a well-known Limerick:—

ANOTHER TONGUE TWISTER

To be repeated six times rapidly and articulately.

NOVEL DEFINITION OF A MAN’S HAT

Darkness that may be felt.

IS IT LATIN?

The following cryptic notice was posted recently on the green baize notice-board of a West-End Club:—

For some time its message was a mystery, until the sharp eyes of a member deciphered in what seemed to be real Latin, and was made up of Latin words, this English sentence, appropriate to the place:—“One can go in a billiard or pyramid contest at a pot or a cannon. Side is put on at times, or a rest used.”

FOR THE CHILDREN

A QUESTION

THE REPLY

A QUAINT CONCEIT

A LACK OF HOPS!

A man fond of his joke, and speaking of Lenten fare to a friend in a letter, wrote:—

leaving it to his ingenuity to complete the broken line. The reply was a clever solution to the puzzle:—

FOR THE CHILDREN

The following simple calculation will be amusing to children:—If an even number of coins or sweets are held in one hand, and an odd number in the other, let the holder multiply those in the right hand by 2, and those in the left hand by 3, and add together the two results. If this is an even quantity the coins or sweets in the right hand are even, and in the left odd; if it is odd the contrary is the case.

PETER PIPER’S WIFE

(To be read or said rapidly.)

PHONETIC VERSE “A haunt each mermaid knows”

PORSON’S EPIGRAM

Porson wrote a Latin epigram on a Fellow of one of the Colleges who always pronounced the a of Euphrates short. This was wittily translated thus:—

ALL THE ALPHABET

All the letters of the alphabet are used in these lines, which have such an easy flow:—

A FRENCH TONGUE TWISTER

A French mother, as she gives to her child a cup of tea to allay its cough, says:—

“Ton thé t’a-t-il oté ta toux?” (Thy tea, has it removed thy cough?)

This sentence, repeated rapidly, is warranted to tire the nimblest tongue.

QUEER QUESTIONS AND QUAINT REPLIES

WAS IT SCANDAL?

Dick and Harry meet in a dim hotel passage:—

Dick.—Did you hear that story about No. 288?

Harry (all ears).—No; what was it?

Dick.—Oh, it’s too gross, too gross entirely!

Harry.—Tell away. I’ll try to stand it.

Dick.—Well; 288 is two gross, isn’t it?

AN INCONSEQUENT ECHO

Byron in his “Bride of Abydos” is responsible for the following strangely inconsequent echo:—

A well-conducted echo would assuredly have seconded the cry of Despair by repeating the final syllables “my child!”

AN APPROPRIATE ANSWER

CRICKET LATIN

MACARONIC VERSE

Here is a modern specimen of Macaronic verse:—

Which reads into English thus:—

MACARONIC PROSE

LATIN

Puris agem, suetis a sylva bella vi olet indue mos is pura sueta far, amar vel verre ex que sit.

ENGLISH READING

Pure is a gem, sweet is a silver bell, a violet in dewy moss is purer, sweeter far, a marvel very exquisite.

THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT

These quaint lines were once addressed to a very tall barrister, named Long, when he was briefless:—

MOORE’S RIDDLE

Thomas Moore, the poet, is responsible for the following rude riddle, and its reply:—

Why is a pump like Viscount Castlereagh?

BIGGAR AND BIGGER

Mrs Biggar had a baby. Which was the bigger? The baby was a little Biggar!

Which was the bigger, Mr Biggar or the baby? Mr Biggar was father Biggar!

Mr Biggar died; was the baby then bigger than Mrs Biggar? No, for the baby was fatherless!

MAGIC CARD SQUARE

Place the sixteen court cards from an ordinary pack in the form of a square, so arranged that no row, no column, and neither of the diagonals shall contain more than one card of each suit, and one of each rank.

As the solution presents no difficulty, but merely calls for patience and attention, we will leave it to the ingenuity of our readers.

THE ANNO DOMINI PUZZLE

A Scottish tradesman had made, as he supposed, about £4,000, but his old clerk produced a balance-sheet which plainly showed £6,000 to his credit. It came upon the old gentleman as quite a disappointing shock when presently the puzzle was solved by the discovery that in the addition the year of Our Lord had been taken into account!

A PUBLIC SINK

The following ingenious play upon words dates from the days when a promise was made that the Thames pollution should cease in five years:—

ENGLISH AS SHE IS SPOKE

“Mr Smith presents his compliments to Mr Brown, and I have got a hat that is not his, and he has got a hat that is not yours, so no doubt they are the expectant ones!”

PICKING FROM PUNCH

This play upon words appeared many years ago in the pages of Punch, and is worth preserving:—

FRENCH ALLITERATION

“Si six scies scient six cigares, six cent six scies scient six cent six cigares.”

To be said trippingly without a trip.

If 6 saws cut 6 cigars, 606 saws cut 606 cigars.

MIND YOUR STOPS!

Here is a good illustration of the nonsense that may easily result from the misuse of punctuation:—

A NOVEL DERIVATION

“Yes,” said an Eton captain of the boats to his uncle, the admiral, “I can quite believe that the British Jack Tar takes his name from that Latin verb, which is so suggestive of a life on the ocean wave, jactari, to be tossed about.”

AN AERATED BISHOP

A bishop of Sodor and Man found himself entered in the visitor’s book of a French hotel as “L’évêque du siphon et de l’homme!”

A HAPPY THOUGHT

OUGH!

CUM GRANO SALIS

OLD AND SOUND ADVICE

Nicholas, 1828.

COLD-DRAWN CONCLUSIONS

Why is a lame dog like a blotting-pad?

A lame dog is a slow pup.

A slope up is an inclined plane.

An ink-lined plane is a blotting-pad!

THE LAST OF MARY

A BURIED WORD

It is difficult to imagine that the very incarnation of what is wild and forbidding is buried in those words of peace and promise, “On Christmas Eve you rang out Angel peals,” until we find in them the consecutive letters “ourangoutang!”

EVE’S APPLE

How many apples were eaten by Adam and Eve? We know that Eve 81, and that Adam 812, total 893. But Adam 8142 please his wife, and Eve 81242 please Adam, total 89,384. Then again Eve 814240 fy herself, and Adam 8124240 fy himself, total 8,938,480!

U C I D K (You see I decay!)

BURIED BY ACCIDENT

Quite unconscious that he was burying a cat in his melodious lines Moore wrote:—

A LAWYER’S PROPOSAL

A BROAD GRIN

“Sesquipedalia verba,” words a foot and a half long, were condemned by Horace in his “Ars Poetica.” Had he known English, what would he have said of “smiles,” a word so long that there is a mile between its first and last letters?

SWISS HUMOUR

A Swiss lad asked me, as I stopped quite breathless on an Alpine height, “Do you prefer ‘monter’ to ‘descendre?’” I declared a preference for downhill, but he most convincingly replied, “I prefer ‘mon thé’ to ‘des cendres!’” (my tea to cinders).

QUESTIONS WELL ANSWERED

MEN OF LETTERS

PUZZLES ON THE PAVEMENT

An angry street arab, who seems to have caught the infection of our letter puzzles, was heard recently to call out to a gutter-snipe, “You are a fifty-one ar!” (LIAR.)

PHONETIC ANSWERS

Why may you pick an artist’s pocket?—Because he has pictures.

What is the solace for a mind deprest?—Deep rest.

A FLIGHT OF FANCY

BURNS IN SABOTS

DOG LATIN

Here are all the elements of a rat hunt, expressed in Latin words:—“Sit stillabit,” sed amanto hiscat, “sta redde, sum misi feror arat trito unda minus, solet me terna ferret in micat.” They read into English, if differently pointed, thus:—Sit still a bit, said a man to his cat, stay ready, some mice I fear, or a rat try to undermine us, so let me turn a ferret in, my cat.

EARLY RITUAL

It is said that at first Adam thought Eve angelical, but there came a time when they both took to vestments.

LEST WE FORGET

If a man says that he forgets what he does not wish to remember, does he mean to say that he does not remember what it is that he wishes to forget; or that he is able to forget that which he does not wish to remember?

QUAINT ANGLO-FRENCH QUESTION AND REPLY

Marwood!

SOME POPULAR DEFINITIONS

Cricket. Lawn Tennis. Football.

Lords Ladies Legs

Stumps Jumps Bumps.

REAL DOG LATIN

Pax in bello. The dogs of war.

A QUAINT EPITAPH

A PHONETIC REPLY

What is the French for teetotaler?—Thé tout à l’heure!

A FREE RENDERING

Varietas pro Rege. Change for a sovereign!

A FREE TRANSLATION

“Splendide mendax.” Lying in State.

A WORD AND A BLOW

When Dunlop, in playful mood, said that no one could make a good pun on his name, a smart bystander at once exclaimed, “Lop off the end, and the thing is done!”

DOG LATIN (FOR SCHOOLBOYS)

Mitte meos super omnes ad candam aut esse homines mortui.

The Dog Latin may be rendered thus: “Send my overalls to the tailor to be mended.”

HIS L. E. G.

Some printer’s devil must have been at work when the proof-reader found “The Legend of the Cid,” set up in type as “The leg end of the Kid!”

SOLUTIONS

No. V.—THE MAKING OF A MAGIC SQUARE

The perfect Magic Square, for which we have given the construction of two preparatory squares, is formed by placing one of these over the other, so that the numbers in their corresponding cells combine, as is shown below.

Preparatory Square No. 1.

*

1 3 5 2 4

5 2 4 1 3

4 1 3 5 2

3 5 2 4 1

2 4 1 3 5

Preparatory Square No. 2.

*

5 15 0 10 20

10 20 5 15 0

15 0 10 20 5

20 5 15 0 10

0 10 20 5 15

The Perfect Magic Square.

6 18 5 12 24

15 22 9 16 3

19 1 13 25 7

23 10 17 4 11

2 14 21 8 20

No less than 57,600 Magic Squares can be formed with twenty-five cells by varying the arrangement of these same figures, but not many are so perfect as our specimen, in which sixty-five can be counted in forty-two ways. These comprise each horizontal row; each perpendicular row; main diagonals; blended diagonals from every corner (such as 6, with 14, 17, 25, 3; or 15, 18, with 21, 4, 7); centre with any four equidistant in outer cells; any perfect St George’s cross (such as 18, 22, 1, 15, 9); and any perfect St Andrew’s cross (such as 6, 22, 13, 5, 19).

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No. XII.—A CENTURY OF CELLS

Here is the solution of the ingenious Magic Square of 100 cells with 36 cells unfilled. The rows, columns, and diagonals all add up to 505.

91 2 3 97 6 95 94 8 9 100

20 82 83 17 16 15 14 88 89 81

21 72 73 74 25 26 27 78 79 30

60 39 38 64 66 65 67 33 32 41

50 49 48 57 55 56 54 43 42 51

61 59 58 47 45 46 44 53 52 40

31 69 68 34 35 36 37 63 62 70

80 22 23 24 75 76 77 28 29 71

90 12 13 87 86 85 84 18 19 11

1 99 98 4 96 5 7 93 92 10

Notice that the top and bottom rows contain all the numbers from 1 to 10 and from 91 to 100; the two rows next to these range from 11 to 20 and from 81 to 90; the two next from 21 to 30 and from 71 to 80; the two next from 31 to 39 and 60 to 70, excluding 61, but including 41; and the two central rows the numbers run from 42 to 59, with 40 and 61.

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No. XXIII.—TWIN PUZZLE SQUARES

The following diagram shows how the twin Magic Squares are evolved from our diagram:—

1 5 6 2 3 7

2 6 7 3 4 8

3 7 8 4 5 9

The sums of the corresponding rows in each square are now equal, and the sums of the squares of the corresponding cells of these rows are equal. The sums of the four diagonals are also equal, and the sum of the squares of the cells in corresponding diagonals are equal. The sum of any two numbers symmetrically placed with respect to the connecting link between the 7 and the 3 is always 10.

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No. XXX.—THE UNIQUE TRIANGLE

The figures to be transposed in triangle A are 9 and 3 and 7 and 1.

A

5

4 6

3 7

2 1 9 8

B

5

4 6

9 1

2 7 3 8

Then in triangle B, the sum of the side is in each case 20, and the sums of the squares of the numbers along the sides is in each case 126.

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No. XXXI.—MAGIC TRIANGLES

The subjoined diagram shows the order in which the first 18 numbers can be arranged so that they count 19, 38, or 57 in many ways, down, across, or along some angles, 19 in 6 ways, 38 in 12, and 57 in 14 ways.

Thus, for examples—

7 + 12 = 14 + 5 = 4 + 15 = 19

7 + 11 + 14 + 6 ——— = 38

7 + 14 + 4 + 5 + 12 + 15 = 57

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No. XXXIV.—MAGIC HEXAGON IN A CIRCLE

The figures in the Magic Hexagon must be arranged as is shown in this diagram:—

126

5 2 7 3 8 5

8 2 4 6 3 7

114 114

4 6 9 1 8 2

3 1 9 7 5 4 1 9 6

1 3 7 9 8 6 7 3 4

8 2 3 9 1 9

126 126

6 4 4 1 8 2

5 5 6 7 2 5

114

It will be seen that the sum of the four digits on each side of each triangle is twenty, and that, while their arrangements vary, the total of the added squares of the numbers on the alternate sides of the hexagon are equal.

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No. XXXVI.—A CHARMING PUZZLE

✦ ✦ ✦

✦ ✦ ✦

✦ ✦ ✦

To pass through these nine dots with four continuous straight lines, start at the top right-hand corner, and draw a line along the top of the square and beyond its limits, until its end is in line with the central dots of the side and base. Draw the second line through these, continuing it until its end is below and in line with the right-hand side of the square; draw the third line up to the starting-point, and the fourth as a diagonal, which completes the course.

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No. XXXVII.—LEAP-FROG

On a chess or draught-board three white men are placed on squares marked a and three black men on squares marked b in the diagram—

a a a b b b

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Every a can move from left to right one square at a time, and every b from right to left, and any piece can leap over one of another colour on to an unoccupied square. They can reverse their positions thus:—

If we number the cells or squares consecutively, and notice that at starting the vacant cell is No. 4, then in the successive moves the vacant cells will be 3, 5, 6, 4, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 6, 4, 2, 3, 5, 4. Of the moves thus indicated six are simple, and nine are leaps.

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No. XXXVIII.—SORTING THE COUNTERS

The counters are changed in four moves only, moving two at a time as follows:—

Move 2 and 3 to 9 and 10.

„ 5 and 6 to 2 and 3.

„ 8 and 9 to 5 and 6.

„ 1 and 2 to 8 and 9.

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No. XXXIX.—A TRANSFORMATION

To change the ten-pointed star of wooden matches into one of five points without touching it, let a little water fall into the very centre, as it lies on quite a smooth surface, and in a few moments, under the action of the water, it will gradually assume the shape shown in the second diagram, of a five-pointed star.

This is a very simple and effective after-dinner trick. Small matches move best.

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No. XLI.—FAST AND LOOSE

The twelve counters or draughtsmen lying loosely at the bottom of a shallow box can be arranged so that they wedge themselves together and against the side thus:—

Temporary centre

Place one for the moment in the centre, and six round it. Hold these firmly in their places with the left hand, and fix the other five round them, as is shown in the diagram. Then remove the temporary centre, and fill in with it the vacant place. All will then be in firm contact, and the box may be turned upside down without displacing them.

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No. XLIII.—FOR CLEVER PENCILS

This diagram, shows how a continuous course is possible without taking pencil from paper, or going twice over any line.

We have purposely left spaces wide enough to make the solution perfectly clear.

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No. XLVIII.—A BOTTLED BUTTON

The diagram below shows how the thread within the bottle is severed so that the button falls, without uncorking the bottle or breaking it.

Nothing is needed but a lens to focus the rays of the sun, which pass through the glass without heating it, and burn the thread.

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No. XLIX.—CLEARING THE WAY

In order to cause the coin to fall into the bottle without touching coin, match, or bottle, let a drop or two of water fall upon the bent middle of the match.

Very soon, under the action of the water, the two ends of the match will open out so that the coin which was resting on them falls between them into the bottle.

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No. LII.—BILLIARD MAGIC

The diagram we give below shows the ingenious trick by which the plain white, if struck gently with a cue, will, aided by the tumbler, pot the spot white ball without in any way disturbing the red.

The balls to start with are an eighth of an inch apart, and there is not room for a ball to pass between the cushions and the red. Place the tumbler close to spot white.

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No. LIII.—THE NIMBLE COIN

The most effective way to transfer the coin from the top of the circular band of paper into the bottle is to strike a smart blow with a cane, or any small stick, on the inside of the paper band. There is not time for the coin to be influenced in the same direction, and it falls plumb into the neck of the bottle.

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No. LVIII.—WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

When the boy shown in this picture blows hard at the bottle which is between his mouth and the candle flame, the divided air current flows round the bottle, reunites, and extinguishes the flame.

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No. LX.—VIS INERTIÆ

If, by a strong pull of my finger, I launch the draughtsman that is on the edge of the table against the column of ten in front of it, the black man, which is just at the height to receive the full force of the blow, will be knocked clean out of its place, while the others will not fall. This is another illustration of the vis inertiæ.

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No. LXI.—CUT AND COME AGAIN

A block of ice would never be divided completely by a loop of wire on which hangs a 5 ℔ weight. For as the wire works its way through, the slit closes up by refreezing, and the weight falls to the ground with the wire, leaving the ice still in a single block.

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No. LXIII.—CATCHING THE DICE

It is quite easy to throw the upper of this pair of dice into the air and catch it in the cup, but the other is more elusive. As you throw it upward with sufficient force you will also throw the die that has been already caught out of the cup.

The secret of success lies in dropping the hand and cup rapidly downwards, quitting hold at the same moment of the die, which then falls quietly into the cup held to receive it.

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No. LXIV.—WILL THEY FALL?

When the single domino shown in the diagram in front of the double archway, is quite smartly tipped up by the forefinger carefully inserted through the lower arch, the stone which lies flat below another is knocked clean out, while none of the other stones fall, another practical illustration of vis inertiæ.

For this very curious trick, club dominoes, thick and large, should be used. Some patience and experience is needed, but success at last is certain.

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No. LXV.—A TRANSPOSITION

You will be able to place the shaded coin between the other two in a straight line without touching one of these, and without moving the other, if you place a finger firmly on the king’s head and then move the shaded coin an inch or two to the right, and flick it back against the coin you hold. The other “tail” coin will then spring away far enough to allow the space that is required.

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No. LXVI.—COIN COUNTING

After reaching and turning the coin which you first call “four,” miss three coins, and begin then a fresh set of four; repeat this process to the end.

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No. LXVIII.—NUTS TO CRACK

Hold a cup of water so that it will wet the handle of the knife, then remove it, and place the nut exactly on the spot where the drop of water falls from the handle.

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No. LXXI.—WHAT IS THIS?

The photographic enlargement is simply a much magnified reproduction of Mr Chamberlain’s eye and eyeglass, exactly as they appear in the picture which we give below, taken from its negative. A strong condensing lens will reproduce the original effect, which can also be obtained by holding the enlargement at a distance.

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No. LXXV.—THE SEAL OF MAHOMET

This double crescent may be drawn by one continuous line, without passing twice over any part, by starting at A, passing along the curve AGD, from D along DEB, from B along BFC, and from C along CEA.

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No. LXXVI.—MOVE THE MATCHES

If fifteen matches are arranged thus—

and six are removed, ten is the number that remains, thus—

or one hundred may remain, thus:—

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No. LXXVII.—LINES ON AN OLD SAMPLER

This diagram shows the arrangement in which seventeen trees can be planted in twenty-eight rows, three trees in each row:—

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No. LXXXI.—COUNTING THEM OUT

Here is an arrangement of dominoes which enables us to count out the first twelve numbers, one after the other, by their spelling:—

Start with the double five, and, touching each stone in turn, say o, n, e, one; remove the stone with one pip, and go on, t, w, o, two; remove the two, and say t, h, r, e, e, three, and so on till you reach at last the twelve.

Playing cards can be used, counting knave, queen, as eleven, twelve. It makes quite a good trick if you place the cards face downwards in the proper order, and then, saying that you will call up each number in turn, move the cards one at a time to the other end, spelling out each number as before, either aloud or not, and turning up and throwing out each as you hit upon it. If you do not call the letters aloud it adds to the mystery if you are blindfolded.

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No. LXXXII.—TRICKS WITH DOMINOES

This is the other combination of stones and their pips which fulfils the conditions, and forms the word AGES.

In both cases a complete set of stones is used, which are arranged in proper domino sequence, and everyone of the eight letters carries exactly forty-two pips.

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No. XCI—THE STOLEN PEARLS

The dishonest jeweller reset the pearls in a cross so that its arms were a stage higher up. It will be seen that by this arrangement nine pearls can still be counted in each direction.

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ENIGMAS

1. Self-assassin, a neddy. Saw an ass in an eddy!

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2. To get her: Together.

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3. A candle.

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4. Liquorice.

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5. A book.

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6. One solver proposes raven, croaking before a storm; once an object of worship; seldom seen; forbidden in Leviticus as food; alone with Noah when its mate was sent forth; weighing about 3 lbs; the name of a small South Carolina island, having as its first and last letters R and N; the Royal Navy.

Another finds in K the key, as that letter with no ar is alone in ark. With much ingenuity he shows that the last line calls for a second letter, and that the letters K and G can be traced throughout almost all Hallam’s “lights;” Kilogram being nearly 3 lbs., and Knot a mile; while either K.G. (Knight of the Garter) or King would fit the final line.

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7. The lines become “rank treason” if the corresponding lines of the two stanzas are read together, thus:—

and so on throughout.

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8. A pair of skates.

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9. A shadow.

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10. A chair.

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11. The changes that are rung are one, eno, Noe, neo, eon, on, none.

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12. Cares, caress.

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13. Echo.

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14. Strike.

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15. A pair of spurs.

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16. A.D.A.M.; Adam; a dam; Adam; a damson; a dam.

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17. The CID, the Castilian hero whose fame was at its height in the middle of the eleventh century.

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18. A sigh.

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19. Coxcomb.

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20. Jack and Jill.

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21. A man’s felt hat.

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22. Measurable.

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23. Chair, char, arch.

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24. Sala (G.A.S.), which reversed is alas.

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25. Page, (p)age.

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26. C (sea), A (hay), T (tea).

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27. A BROKEN TALE

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28. Yesterday. Most excludes Adam, and ter is half of terror.

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29. Donkey.

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30. Mental, lament, mantle.

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31. His heels.

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32. Tares, tears, a rest.

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33. Connecticut.

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34. Grate, rate, rat, ate.

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35. Mary, in fanciful mood, on her thirty-sixth birthday, decorated her pincushion thus—XXXVI.

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36. Opinionist.

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37. Violin (LVII + on).

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38. Trout (tr—out).

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39. Post—stop.

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40. A pair of scissors in a case.

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41. Dog.

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42. Mainland.

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43. Changed.

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44. The name of the Russian nobleman’s third son, the boy who went to sea, was Yvan. As the name of the eldest, Rab, who became a lawyer, was Bar reversed, and that of the soldier son Mary was Army as an anagram, so Yvan’s name resolves itself into Navy, his profession.

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45. VIVID.

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46. Nothing.

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47. London.

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48. Rock, cork.

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49. Place, lace, ace, lac.

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50. a, e, i, o, u, y.

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51. The solution of the enigma which begins:—

is the number of letters of the alphabet used in spelling a number. Thus twice six, or twelve, is composed of six letters, and so on.

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52. A button.

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53. LEVEL—MADAM.

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54. An egg.

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55. Vague.

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56.

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57. Highway.

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58. A set of false teeth.

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59. The “fearful fate” enigma is slaughter; cut off its head and we have laughter; lop off its shoulders and we find aught.

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60. Speculation—peculations.

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61. The word “united” is “of fellowship the token,” and the requirement “reverse it, and the bond is broken” refers only to the two central letters. When this is reversed the word “untied” is formed.

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62. Average.

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63. German—manger.

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64. Corkscrew.

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65. Tar is transformed by Art, and as a sailor is fond of port, and blisters in the sun. When it turns to run it becomes Rat, and when it doubles it is Tartar, and is caught.

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66.

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67. A widower who has lost two wives.

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68. The grape-vine on the Marquis of Breadalbane’s estate, Killin, N.B., which bears more than 5000 bunches of grapes, of which only 500, properly thinned out, are allowed to mature, so that the fewer and smaller bunches bear finer fruit.

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69. Poe, poet, poetry.

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70. Theatres. The articles the and a lead on to the other four letters tres, and these form the word rest, if the t is transferred to the end.

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71. Scold, cold, old.

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72. Justice, (just—ice).

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73. A shadow.

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74. VI., IV., I.

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75. The letter I.

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76. The letter V.

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77. An army.

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78. A rich table; chair, table; charitable.

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79. High-low.

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80. Orange, pear, date, banana, peach, plum, lime, lemon, mango, apple.

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81. Innuendo.

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82. Snipe, of which pines is an exact anagram.

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83.

is solved by nowhere, now here.

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CHARADES

1. Good-night (knight).

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2. Grandson.

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3. Oyster.

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4. Stay-lace.

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5. Ann—ounce.

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6. VOID, OVID.

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7. Disconsolate (disc—on—so—late).

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8. Ginger—Nigger. (G.E.R. Great Eastern Railway).

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9. Honesty (hone, below the razor).

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10. Nutmeg.

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11. Waterloo.

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12. Whether (whet—her).

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13. Mendicant (mend I can’t).

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14. Campbell.

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15. Foxglove.

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16. Anglesea.

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17. Shewed.

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18. Sparrow, often a gutter percher!

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19. Dishonest (dish—one—st).

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20. Dogmatism.

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21. Anthem.

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22. Gigantic (gig—antic).

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23. Toad (ad is Latin for to).

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24. Cineraria (sinner—area).

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25. Ignis—fatuus, or Will-o’-the-wisp (ignis, fire—fatuus, a fool).

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26. Isis (sis in Latin, thou mayest be).

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27. Capacity.

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28. Scarcity.

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29. Pardon.

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30. Humbug.

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31. Ramrod.

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32. Dumpling.

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33. Into.

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34. Herring.

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35. Dublin (bud—nil).

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36. Peerless.

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37. Beatrice.

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38. Beam—be is half of the word verb, am is half of same, and be and am are similar in sense.

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39. Pulpit.

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40. Spare—rib.

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41. Usher.

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42. The ship Carmania.

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43. Candid.

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44. Husbandman.

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45. Hamlet.

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46. Handcuff.

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47. Sinecure.

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48. Infancy.

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49. Teachest.

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50. Hippodrome.

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51. Invalid.

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52. Woman.

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53. Kensington.

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54. Benjamin.

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55. Stipendiary.

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56. Wonder.

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57. Cabin.

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58. Falstaff.

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59. Periwinkle.

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60. Nameless.

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61. Fourscore.

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62. Hatred.

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63. Catsup.

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64. Molestation.

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65. Omen.

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66. Isinglass.

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67. Muffin.

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68. Footman.

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69. Sparrow-grass.

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70. Matchless.

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71. Planted.

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72. Toast-rack.

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73. Half-and-half, if properly punctuated.

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RIDDLES AND CONUNDRUMS

1. Washerwoman.

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2.

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3. Pluck the goose.

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4. Also.

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5. A lawsuit.

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6. Because they are bargains.

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7. A pair of shoes.

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8. Because whenever he goes out he can put his portmanteaux (Portman toes) into his boots.

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9. FIVE.

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10. Rail—liar.

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11. Because it slopes with a flap!

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12. In California they eat all the peaches they can, and can all they can’t!

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13. The utmost effort ever made by a piebald (or by any) horse at a high jump is four feet from the ground!

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14. Insatiate (in—sat—I—ate).

The clever couplet—

was intended to point out that the enigma

was understood, and to frame at the same time a fresh one of similar sort.

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15. A gardener minds his peas, a billiard-marker his cues, a precise man his p’s and q’s, and a verger his keys and pews.

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16. A man with one eye can see more than a man with two, for in addition to all else he can see the other man’s two eyes, which can only see his one.

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17. When you ask a policeman what o’clock it is, you are like the Viceroy of India, because you are as king for the time.

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18. “What does Y E S spell?” is the question to which “yes” is the only possible reply.

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19. An umbrella.

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20. London for many years was a wonderful place for sound, for you could laugh at 5 p.m. at Waterloo Junction, and by walking briskly across the river be in time for the late Echo at Charing Cross.

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21. Because it may be smelt!

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22. The full reading of “1s. 6d. me a bloater” is “Bob Tanner sent me a bloater.”

Note.—If any solver should ask, “But where is the ‘sent’?” we reply, “The scent was in the bloater!”

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23. The solution of the prime conundrum “Why is a moth flying round a candle like a garden gate?” is—Because if it keeps on it singes its wings (its hinges it swings).

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24. (Twe)lve—twe(nty) = twenty.

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25. Because it would be my newt (minute).

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26. The steps by which, in paying my debt to a lawyer, a threepenny piece swells to the needed six and eightpence are these:—

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27. When the Vickers Maxim (vicar smacks him).

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28. Children should go to bed soon after tea because when “t” is taken away night is nigh.

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29. Scottish may be lighter than Irish men, for while Irishmen may be men of Cork, Scotsmen may be men of Ayr.

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30. Because barbers do not cut hair any longer!

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31. Colenso.

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32. This is Archbishop Whately’s riddle, and a solution, suggested long after his offer of £50 had expired:—

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33. If Moses was the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he was the daughter of Pharaoh’s son.

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34. The word of three syllables which represents woman or man alternately by three contractions is heroine—hero—her—he.

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35. Solution to-morrow!

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36. Wholesome.

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37. They were jolly well tired!

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38. The stocks.

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39. Because it makes a far—thing present.

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40. If I were in the sun, and you were out of it, it would be a sin.

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41. COLD.

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42. Take off—ice.

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43. Enduring.

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44. Uncross the “t” of “a foot,” and it becomes “a fool.”

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45. A rabbit can run into a square wood with sides that each measures a mile, keeping always in a straight line, until it reaches the middle of the wood, when it must begin to run out of it!

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46. To-morrow.

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47. Scar—bo—rough.

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48.

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49. A wig.

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50. Because we cannot be wed without it.

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51. A spit.

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52. Wit (double you—I—tea).

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53. Holding up your hand you will see what you never have seen, never can see, and never will see—namely, the little finger as long as the finger next to it!

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54. The Emperor of Russia issues manifestoes. An ill-shod beggar manifests toes without his shoes!

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55. To show Walsham How a good bishop is made.

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56. There was certainly a tribe of Man—asses.

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57. L. s. d.

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58. A pillow.

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59. Abused (a—b—used).

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60. A settler.

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61. Because John Burns.

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62. It looks round!

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63. A minute.

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64. A deaf and dumb man cannot tickle nine persons, because he can only gesticulate (just tickle eight!).

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65. London always began with an l, and end always began with an e!

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66. Season.

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67. The new moon, for the full moon is much lighter.

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68. Island (la is the middle, is is the beginning, and is the end!).

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69. Because! (bee caws).

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70. The reading of the Dark Rebus

O B e D

is—a little blackie in bed with nothing over him.

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71. If a monkey is placed before a cross it at once gets to the top, for APE is then APEX.

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72. The answer to this riddle, defined as “two heads and an application,” is a kiss.

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73. The Latin expression of encouragement “macte” may be applied in its English equivalent in-crease to a batsman when an umpire says of him “not out” after a risky run.

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74. The place which answers to the description “Half an inch (ch) before the trees (elms), half a foot (fo), and half a yard (rd) after them leads us to an English town,” is Chelmsford.

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75. The subject of the riddle, which none can locate, is nowhere. Cut asunder almost in the middle, it breaks into the opposite extreme, and becomes now here!

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76. The two letters which in nine letters describe the position of one who has been left alone in his extremity are a b and one d. Abandoned.

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77. Usher (us—her).

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78. You can make a Maltese cross with less than twelve unbent and unbroken matches, by striking only one match and dropping it down his back. If the first fails, try another!

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79. We may suppose that there were less vowels than we have now in the early days of Noe, when u and i were not there.

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80. An orange (or—ange).

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81. The moral taught to us by the old emblem of a weathercock in the shape of a fish on a church near Lewes is, “It is vain to aspire!”

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82. FIDDLE.

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83. The words “for the want of water we drank water, and if we had had water we should have drank wine,” were spoken by the crew of a vessel that could not cross the harbour bar for want of water, and who had no wine on board.

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84.

is solved by O.

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85. Money.

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86. Had I been in Stanley’s place when Marmion cried “On, Stanley, on!” the resulting word on-i-on would have made the Scottish fray seem more like Irish stew.

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87. The figure O.

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88.

is solved by A Queen Bee. The Bee is made up of the letter b, in Greek called beta, and two little es.

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89. Its.

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90. Inch—chin.

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NUTS TO CRACK

1. CRAZY LOGIC

Can you prove that madman = madam is solved thus:—

A madman is a man beside himself. Therefore a madman = two men.

Madam is a woman. Woman is double you O man (w-o-man). Therefore madam = two men.

And as things which are equal to the same are equal to one another, therefore madman = madam.

Q. E. D. (Quite easily Done.)

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2. A BIT OF BOTANY

The water-plant is the Frogbit, which floats and spreads on the surface of ponds and pools.

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3. The six islands buried in the lines—

He set down the answer to that sum at random.

By bold policy Prussia became a leading power.

A great taste for mosaic has arisen lately.

The glad news was swiftly borne over England.

At dusk, year after year, the old man rambled home.

The children cried, hearing such dismal tales.

are Sumatra, Cyprus, Formosa, Borneo, Skye, Malta.

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4. The seven geographical names “buried” in the sentence, “We could hide a light royal boat with a man or two; the skipper, though, came to a bad end,” are Deal, Troy, Witham, Esk, Perth, Baden, Aden.

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5. The jumbled letter lines read thus:—

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6.

is solved by ANATHEMA (an-a-the-M-a).

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7.

is solved by adding n to uniformed—uninformed.

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8. The Ruling letters in:—

are B. U. T. (beauty), and Y. Z. (wise head).

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9. Many might punctuate the sentence, “Maud like the pretty girl that she was went for a walk in the meadows” by merely putting a full stop at the end of it. But why not make a dash after Maud?

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10. The answer by Echo to

is Pack o’ ninnies!

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11. The verse in which only five different letters are used is—

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12. The catch sentence: “If is is not is and is not is is what is it is not is and what is it is is not if is not is is?” becomes intelligible if it is punctuated thus: If “is” is not “is,” and “is not” is “is,” what is it “is not” is, and what is it “is” is not, if “is not” is “is?”

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13. The words on the placard were PALE ALE, and these through the steps described become PA-LE AP-LE, APPLE.

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14. The reading of “Time flies you cannot they pass at such irregular intervals,” is as though it ran “You cannot time flies, they pass at such irregular intervals.”

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ROYAL MEMORIES

15. I was reminded of Queen Victoria as I entered the South Kensington Museum at five minutes to one, because I noticed that the hands of my watch were so placed as to represent a very perfect V.

When I left the building it was twenty-five minutes and forty-five seconds to six, and then the hands, with the help of the seconds hand which crossed it, formed a very perfect A, and so reminded me of Prince Albert.

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16. The solution of

CCC SAW

is “the season was backward.”

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17. THE OLD LATIN LEGEND

AMANS TAM ERAT HI DESINT HERO AD DIGITO UT MANDO

reads off into excellent English thus:—

“A man’s tame rat hides in the road; dig it out man, do!”

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18. The statement “I know that roseate hues preserve” does not imply that there is any curative virtue in rose-coloured rays, but asserts “I know that Rose ate Hugh’s preserve!”

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19. The following exception was taken to Dr Fell’s diet for the sick of all sops:—

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20. The English dislocated sentence formed by these thirty-six letters:—

SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR BAB SAR ARA

is, “A bar as a barb bars Barbara’s Barabbas.”

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21. The Wiltshire farmer’s sentence—

“Igineyvartydreevriswutts”

when interpreted runs, “I gave him forty-three for his oats.”

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22. Here is a tolerable rhyme to Chrysanthemum:—

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23. This was, in brief, the pathetic tale of the three eggs—“Two bad!”

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24. THE ANCIENT LEGEND

Doun tooth ers A sy Ouw ould bed One by.

reads thus:—“Do unto others as you would be done by.”

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25. There were but six persons in the vault which contained two grandmothers and their two grand-daughters; two husbands and their two wives; two fathers and their two daughters; two mothers and their two sons; two maidens and their two mothers; two sisters and their two brothers. Two widows had each one son, and each married the son of the other, and had a daughter by the marriage.

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26. The supposed charm—

ground turn evil star

given by the wise woman to a nervous couple, to counteract their evil star, and account for mysterious noises, is merely “Rats live underground,” turn being a direction to the solver.

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27. The word composed of five varied vowels of foreign sound, with but one consonant between them, is oiseau, the French for bird. The three letters which flow in four are eau, water, which flows in the River Oise, and the other trio spell oie, a goose, which is found therein.

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28. The Paradox—

is solved by Bone.

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29. The barber who had placed in his window the notice—

explained, to the man who expected a free shave and a cool drink, that the interpretation was really this:—“What? Do you think I will shave you for nothing, and give you a drink?”

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30. The curious Latin label—

GENUI NE JAM A ICARUM.

has no reference to Icarus, or to flying machines. Its proper place was on a cask of “Genuine Jamaica Rum.”

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31. The puzzle word is ipecacuanha.

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32.

is solved thus:—As each day and night the cat climbed up eleven feet, and came down seven, the daily upward gain was four feet, and thirteen days would bring her fifty-two feet up the tree. Then on the fourteenth day she mounted the remaining eleven feet, and was at the top, so that no coming down seven feet is to be taken into account, and she attains her place in fourteen days.

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33.

is solved:—

IX NINE (the two nines.)

IX NINES = 54.

(S is a third of six) S

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34. To bridge the moat, or space between the two squares which one match cannot span, place one match across one of the corners of the outer square, and the other from this to the inner square.

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35.

is solved by attenuate (at ten-u-Ate, goddess of vengeance).

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36. Mrs P.W. had only one guest to provide for. Her husband had invited his father’s brother-in-law, Jones, who was his brother’s father-in-law, because Mr P.W.’s brother had married Jones’ daughter, and his father-in-law’s brother, because he had himself married Jones’ niece, and also his brother-in-law’s father, as Mr P.W.’s sister married Jones’ son.

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37. This sharp customer started with fivepence farthing, and gradually extracted from the landlord’s pocket a shilling and three farthings towards the eighteenpence which he spent in refreshments.

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38. To form four triangles of equal size with six similar matches, place three of them in a triangle on the table, and hold or balance the other three above these, so as to form the skeleton of a pyramid.

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39. The following couplet solves this question:—

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40. The lad gave tenpence each to a grandfather, his son, and his grandson.

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41. Nell’s reply to Tom, when he said, with a yawn, “I wish we could play lawn-tennis!” “Odioso ni mus rem. Moto ima os illud nam,” was not Latin, but good sound English. Read each word in its order backwards, and you have-- “Oh! so do I in summer. Oh, Tom! am I so dull, I man?”

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42. The policeman who was looking up the road for motor-car scorchers was able to see that his mate, who was looking down the road, was smiling, because they stood face to face.

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43.

is solved thus:—Two of the three nines are reversed, and then

966 = 16.

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44. The trying sentence, “that that is is that that is not is not is not that it it is,” is cleared thus by proper punctuation:—That that is, is; that that is not, is not. Is not that it? It is.

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45. A L L O is “Nothing after all.”

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46. The proverb with missing consonants is—Give a dog a bad name and hang him.

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47. If to the thirteen upright strokes—

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

thirteen more are added, the word HOTTENTOT may be formed.

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48. A coroner could, after signing his name, write down his official position with c or one r.

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