Hark! Who Goes There? Why, It's A Puzzle For A 'Guard'
By
Will Shortz |
NPR
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or
Flash plugin.
On-air challenge: This is a game of categories based on the word "guard." For each category I give you, name something in it starting with each of the letters G-U-A-R-D.
For example, if the category were "Three-Syllable Girls' Names," you might say Gabrielle, Ursula, Andrea, Rosalind and Diana. Any answer that works is fine, and you can give the answers in any order.
This week's special guest: Savannah Guthrie, co-host of NBC's Today.
Next week's challenge: This is a two-week challenge. Take the digits 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, in that order. Using those digits and the four arithmetic signs — plus, minus, times and divided by — you can get 1 with the sequence 5 - 4 + 3 - 2 - 1. You can get 2 with the sequence (5 - 4 + 3 - 2) x 1.
The question is ... how many numbers from 1 to 40 can you get using the digits 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 in that order along with the four arithmetic signs?
You can group digits with parentheses, as in the example. There are no tricks to this, though. It's a straightforward puzzle. How many numbers from 1 to 40 can you get — and, specifically, what number or numbers can you not get? I'll reveal my solution next week.
Submit Your Answer
If you know the answer to next week's challenge, submit it here. Listeners who submit correct answers win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: Include a phone number where we can reach you Thursday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. ET.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
View this story on npr.org
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today