Exercise Your Mind – a Quiz!

Here’s a quiz my daughter Jean passed on to me years ago. I wish I could credit someone for it, but I’ve never known where it came from. It’s at least 20 years old which means that those of us who have lived through the last two decades should come up with lots of 21st century puzzles.

It measures neither your intelligence nor your fluency with words, and certainly not your mathematical skills. It may gauge your mental flexibility and creativity. Few people, the instructions note, can solve more than half the questions the first time through.

Each equation below contains the initials of words that will make it correct. Find the missing words. And you get the first one free:

1. 26 = L. of the A. (26 = Letters of the Alphabet)
2. 7 = W. of A. W.
3. 1,001 = A. N.
4. 12 = S. of the Z.
5. 54 = C. in a D. (with the J.)
6. 8 = P. in the S. S.
7. 88 = P. K.
8. 13 = S. on the A. F.
9. 32 = D. F. at which W. F.
10. 18 = H. of a G. C.
11. 90 = D. in a R. A.
12. 200 = D. for P. G. in M.
13. 8 = S. on a S. S.
14. 3 = B. M. (S. H. T. R.)
15. 14 = Q. in a G.
16. 24 = H. in a D.
17. 1 = W. on a U.
18. 5 = D. in a Z. C.
19. 57 = H. V.
20. 11 = P. on a F. T.
21. 1,000 = W. that a P. is W.
22. 29 = D. in F. in a L. Y.
23. 64 = S. on a C. B.
24. 40 = D. and N. of the G. F.
25. 50 = W. to L. Y. L.
Bonus: 3 = C. in the F.

That last easy one was so you won’t get too upset when I tell you I don’t have the answer key. We figured out the answers years ago, but just now, typing them, I find some I don’t remember.

Let me know what you come up with.
Oh, heck, for being so interested, here are a few more that either my family or yours contributed, and I don’t know if I can find answers?.

1. 3 = M.
2. 600 = R. I. the V. of D.
3. 3-2-4 = D. in a S.S.N.
4. 20,000 = L. U. the S.
5. 40 = H. in the W.W.
6. 12 = K. of the R.T.
7. 76 = T.
8. 1600 P.A. = A. of the W.H.
9. 4 = L. on a C.
10. 8 = T.R. of S.C.
11. 101 = D.
12. 15 = M. on a D.M.C.
13. 9 = L. of a C.
14. 40 = A.B. and how many T.?
15. 99 = B. of B. on the W.

ANSWERS to first 25 equations:

1. 26 = L. of the A. (Letters of the Alphabet)
2. 7 = W. of A. W. (Wonders of the Ancient World)
3. 1,001 = A. N. (Arabian Nights)
4. 12 = S. of the Z. (Signs of the Zodiac)
5. 54 = C. in a D. (with J.) (Cards in a Deck, with Joker)
6. 9 = P. in the S. S. (Planets in the Solar System)
7. 88 = P. K. (Piano Keys)
8. 13 = S. on the A. F. (Stripes on the American Flag)
9. 32 = D. F. at which W. F. (Degrees Fahrenheit at which Water Freezes)
10. 18 = H. on a G. C. (Holes on a Golf Course)
11. 90 = D. in a R. A. (Degrees in a Right Angle)
12. 200 = D. for P. G. in M. (Dollars for Passing Go in Monopoly)
13. 8 = S. on a S. S. (Sides on a Stop Sign)
14. 3 = B. M. (S. H. T. R.) (Blind Mice, See How They Run)
15. 4 = Q. in a G. (Quarts in a Gallon OR Quarters in a Game)
16. 24 = H. in a D. (Hours in a Day)
17. 1 = W. on a U. (Wheel on a Unicycle)
18. 5 = D. in a Z. C. (Digits in a Zip Code)
19. 57 = H. V. (Heinz Varieties)
20. 11 = P. on a F. T. (Players on a Football Team)
21. 1,000 = W. that a P. is W. (Words that a Picture is Worth)
22. 29 = D. in F. in a L.Y.(Days in Feb. in a Leap Year)
23. 64 = S. on a C. B. (Squares on a Chess/Checker Board OR Stations on a Citizens' Band)
24. 40 = D. and N. of the G. F. (Days and Nights of the Great Flood)
25. 50 = W. to L. Y. L. (Ways to Leave Your Lover)
Bonus: 3 = C. in the F. (Coins in the Fountain OR Colors in the Flag)