Just a little note here before we begin. If you’re submitting a problem for But Google This Now please make sure that it can (at least theoretically) be Googled and also supply the answer. In case you don’t or can’t then don’t ask for your email ID to be withheld because that would be unfair.
There are many words which form another word when the initial letter is removed. The pairs of clues in this puzzle refer to such words. One clue defines the whole word; the other clue defines the word that is formed when the initial letter of the first word is removed. Either clue may come first in the pair. (Eg: if the clue is CORRECT/SHINING the answer would be B-RIGHT)
(1) SUFFER/PRISON; (2) ASSENTED/AVARICE; (3) IN GOOD TIME/ALMOST; (4) MOVEMENT/FEELING; (5) AFT/SEVERE; (6) MORE CERTAIN/MONEY-LENDER; (7) WITHOUT DIFFICULTY/SUGGEST; (8) DIFFICULTIES/FOREIGN CURRENCY; (9) ODD/ALIENATE; (10) TIDY/DINE.
THROUGHPUT
(The remaining problem from way back when was short sweet and simple: “FIRST is to SECOND as TYPEWRITER is to?”)
TYPEWRITER is to SHAKALSHAS as FIRST is to SECOND. (Longest word typed with only first row of keyboard as to longest word typed with second row only) – Ajith Athle, ajitathle@gmail.com
FIRST is to SECOND as TYPEWRITER to SHAKALSHAS. TYPEWRITER is the longest (10 letter) word that can be typed using only letters of the FIRST row of a QWERTY keyboard while SHAKALSHAS is the longest (10 letter) word that can be typed using only letters of the SECOND row. The word means people who emigrated from Phrygia and settled in Sicily. -- Balagopalan Nair K, balagopalannair@gmail.com
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be formed from the first row of the keyboard. SHAKALSHAS (early Sicilian settlers) is the longest word from the second row. -- Vivek Krishnan (email ID withheld on request)
SHAKALSHAS is the answer but if proper nouns are not allowed since your example of TYPEWRITER is not a proper noun, then FLASKS is it! -- Dhruv Narayan, dhruv510@gmail.com
(The second problem was: “Find the smallest word such that taking some of the letters from it, you can get four different words from the following list: ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE. The word should contain no other letters except those mentioned in the list.”)
The answer is OFFENSIVE as the words ONE, FIVE, SEVEN, NINE can be formed with the letters of the said word. -- Nrusingha Behera, ncb123.age@gmail.com
(While we’re on it don’t forget UNFORGIVEN. In addition, EXHIBITIVE which is a ten-letter word is the only word which contains every number from 1 to 18 if we use Roman numerals. That’s sneaky but who says we have to play straight Suzie all the time?)
(The third one was: “Three chess players play a series of games for a prize to the first player to win two consecutive games. They draw lots to see which two shall play the first game and from then on the winner plays against the person sitting out. Assuming the three players have equal skills, what are their respective chances?”)
If we consider the chances before lots are drawn, it is simply 1/3 for each one. But it becomes quite interesting if we know which two friends will play first. The winning probabilities of these two will be equal and will be (1/2^2 + 1/2^5 + 1/2^8 + . . .) + (1/2^4 + 1/2^7 + . . .) = 5/14. The winning probability of the third friend who sits idle during the first match, is 2*(1/2^3 + 1/2^6 + . . .) = 2/7.-- Geethika S, geelall327@gmail.com
BUT GOOGLE THIS NOW
1. Let’s just say that you had to run two laps around a track. Now, for the first lap, you could run at any speed you want; but for the second lap, you have to run faster, so that the average of both speeds is equal to two times the first speed. How can this be done? And obviously, the answer is not three times the first speed. – (Submitted by Aravind Suresh, aravind.suresh@hotmail.com)
2. A billionaire doesn’t have room in his garage for eight of his limos. So he increases the size of his garage by 50% which gives him room for eight more limos than he owns altogether. How many limos does he own?
Sharma is a scriptwriter and former editor of Science Today magazine.(mukul.mindsport@gmail.com)