Tutorial

 

Hack Tack Zan tells all the tricks of the trade (thanks to I Go “Bee Ran!!!” for translating the anagrams into English.)

 


Best tools for solving a puzzle are X’s and O’s

 

Let’s use my simple little puzzle “The Craaaaaaazy U.K.” found here.

 

Here’s what you know:

 

1.      You cannot get to Wales in a helicopter.

 

 

 

 

 

  1.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


So, you can cross out the Wales/Helicopter square.

 

  1. The private jet is the most expensive.

 

Okay, BIGGEST mistake in logic puzzle history; always remember to cross out ALL impossibilities!!!

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            This little doozy of a trick is an essential to solving puzzles.  It says that no other transport can be $400, and the jet can only be $400.  Smart aren’t I?

 

  1. You cannot get to Wales by boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


            We’re just getting warmed up!  Oh YEAH!!!!!

 

  1. A helicopter ticket costs less than a Scotland ticket but still neither the cheapest.

 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second rule in the Hackster’s book: Know thy Greater Than and Less Than Questions.  If A is greater than B, than A can’t be the lowest and B can’t be the highest.  If you already know they both aren’t greatest, for example, then just pretend the second greatest is the greatest one.  See above.

 

  1. The private jet goes to England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


            If you paid attention earlier (Hint. Hint.) you’d know what to do for this question.

 

            BUT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

            Upon Close inspection, you’d notice Wales can be reached by an underwater subway. (Okay, I got a little creative on the last transportation mode, but I ran out of plausible ideas.) So…. fill it in like England.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


            Keep it coming!

 

  1. There is an underwater subway.

The reason I put that here is because it is never mentioned before in the original puzzle.

 

  1. The helicopter goes to Northern Ireland.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


You know the drill.  Not only that, but (see?) Scotland just has to be reached by a boat.

 

            That’s all the clues give, BUT….

 

            I still have one more trick up my sleeve and it wasn’t near my armpit either.

 

            Notice how the prices are on two segments. That shows how the place and the transport modes correspond in two different sections.  Only, now, we know what goes where, so we can match them up.

 

            Such as;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


           

 

 

 

 

 

           

            This says Scotland can’t be the cheapest one, so, since the boat goes to Scotland, mark the boat can’t be cheapest.

 

            Upon doing the same thing with the rest of the countries, it would look somewhat like this:

 

 

 

 


           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Filling in the impossibilities narrows down possibilities.  Thus, Scotland is 3 grand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


            We’re almost there, tiger.  You stuck with it (well, not really: It’s a walk-though.)  There appear to be just two left.  What do we do?  Refer back to past questions, and we quote:

 

******Incoming Message******

 

“…A helicopter ticket costs less than a Scotland ticket but still neither the cheapest…”

 

            Thanks I Go “Bee Ran!!!”

 

“ Remember the Ala…”

 

            …That’s enough!

 

            I purposely didn’t tell you that because you always need to check back. If you caught me, good job!  So, a helicopter ticket can’t be cheapest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


            Ding! Ding! Ding!  We have a winner!  (Okay, you used a walkthrough, but you learned didn’t you?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


I hope you liked your experience in Logic 101, so take of your dunce cap (just kidding!) and share your knowledge with the world!!!

 

            “…I can count to purple backwards!!!…”

 

            *Sigh* Never mind.