h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

That would certainly work, but it's not the answer I have here, which requires a bit more lateral thinking.

Let's assume the pencil is jammed too

Take glasses / bowls / plates of different diameters, and trace their outlines with the compass pencil?

Lateral thinking doesn't run in this family. My sosn didn't even come up with the pencil idea.

No, I'm not accepting that, SF - it's no better than RF's cord idea.

Thought you wouldn't.

Draw a circle. Take the pointy end and stick it in the line of your circle. Draw a circle from there. Stick the pointy end in the line next to where it is now. Draw a circle. Repeat. If they are all close enough, you'll get a larger circleoutside your initial circle, and small ones within t.

It's stupid, but should probably work.

Hmmm, yes, I think I see what you mean.

I won't say it's stupid, but I will say it's not the answer I have...

To save us from having to turn the page:

>>In your pencil case you have a compass (the mathematical drawing tool - not the navigational aid). Unfortunately the mechanism has jammed up and you can't change the width.

How can you use it to draw circles of different sizes?<<

You can't.

No more takers for this one?

What about this brainteaser.
I am so tough that if you skin me bare, you will be the one that cries. What am I?

onion

Nice one well done.
How about.
The beggining of every end. The end of space and time, The end of the middle and the end of the universe.
What am I?

E


Geggs

Over to you, Geggs (I'll assume the compass one is shot)

To start this problem we need to establish the idea of the names of numbers, the name being the word associated with the figure. For example the name of 3 is three, and the name of 6 is six. Got it? Good.

Now, four friends, let's say Alan, Beth, Chris and Deb played a game, in which they scored points. Alan won, but when they compared their points they found something interesting. If they divided Alan's number of points by Beth's points and then added Chris's points the result equalled Deb's points.

They also noticed that the names for each of their number of points contained 5 letters,

What were their scores?

I may not be able to check for answers until this time tomorrow.


Geggs

Alan 40
Beth 8
Chris 3
Deb 8

Sorry, should have said, no two numbers are the same.


Geggs

Are any of them French?

No, it's all in English.


Geggs