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Sparkling Puzzle — Parallax Forums

Sparkling Puzzle

ercoerco Posts: 20,259
edited 2011-10-27 17:28 in General Discussion
Encouraged by PhiPi's "Probability Puzzle" in a different thread. This one is actually doable. I heard it many moons ago on a radio call-in show. I won concert tickets for solving it and phoning in the answer first .


Start with the word SPARKLING. One by one, remove a letter, always leaving a legitimate word, down to one letter. No letter rearranging. Follow this pattern:

TRAIN
RAIN
RAN
AN
A

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Comments

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-27 14:22
    Tick tock, tick tock. I can actually hear paper dictionaries being furiously leafed through right now!

    And most everyone has tried working the problem backwards from letters A and I, right? :)
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2011-10-27 14:43
    I solved it as long as proper names are allowed. There was no dictionary page turning involved, though I did have to Google three of the words. :)
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-27 14:44
    Thanks for clarifying, no proper names!
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2011-10-27 14:59
    That's no fair changing the rules? :)

    A few years ago there was contest at work to win 2 tickets to a UT football game by coming up with the most words from the letters in "Texas Longhorns". I won it by writing a program that generated about 6,000 words.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-27 15:03
    And no abbreviations either, Dave! :)
  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2011-10-27 15:12
    sparkling, Remove the L for...
    sparking, Remove the K for...
    sparing, Remove the A for...
    spring, Remove the N for...
    sprig, Remove the S for...
    prig, Remove the R for...
    pig, Remove the G for...
    pi, Remove the P for...
    I

    How about Startling?
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-27 15:34
    WINNER from down under! Sprig throws most yanks, so maybe Aussies have the edge there...

    You win a two-year old jar of Vegemite, and a free listen to Aussie Colin Hay (former frontman for Men at Work) singing "California"!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCUvrbybtIA
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-27 15:46
    What kind of puzzle is that? The solution didn't even have Spin or Ping in it! :)

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-27 15:47
    Quid pro quo...

    Startling
    Starting
    Stating
    Sating
    Sting
    Sing
    Sin
    In
    I

    Nice!
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2011-10-27 15:49
    Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) wrote: »
    What kind of puzzle is that? The solution didn't even have Spin or Ping in it! :)

    -Phil

    Excellent point, PhiPi! How come there's not a dedicated SPING))) sensor, anyway?

    Now people can get back to your unsolvable paradox!
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-10-27 15:58
    Excellent Jeopardy clue, erco!

    A: SPING)))
    Q: What was the winning entry in Parallax's next product naming contest?

    -Phil
  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2011-10-27 17:28
    WINNER from down under! Sprig throws most yanks. You win a two-year old jar of Vegemite

    Re sprig, I shall crush a sprig of Rosemary and sprinkle it on my vegemite sandwich. Hmm, on second thoughts, excuse me a minute...
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