GCHQ Kristmas Kwiz Challenge

1. Let's start with a bang!

Six hours hath September,

April, June and November,

All the rest have four more,

Excepting February alone,

And that has - how many minutes?

2. Where does ROCK fit in the following list?

(5 Points)

(Read left to right, top to bottom.)

CAMP           KING                   CURRENT        CHAIR              STINKING

FASHION      HOLLY                 LUMINOSITY  KNOWLEDGE  BACK

PLEASURE   BALLET              GRACE            SCARE             SAGE

DRAIN           EDDY                   CAKE             VIE                    Y

LANCE          DOUBLE              LUNGED         COMBAT          SCIENCE

BREAM         TEMPERATURE  MASS             MUD                 RED

RAIL              REED                   INMATE         LENGTH           AMOUNT

COMMERCE  YOUNG               POSE             GREEN            POLITICS

GUARD         CROSS                WORSHIP       STEAK             TIME

STEEL          WHITE                  CURSE           LAC                  PAT

FORCE         BLUE                    NOW              WEALTH           HAM

3. This style of question commemorates Round Britain Quiz on BBC Radio 4: the format is one, long, cryptic question which has six parts to it, indicated by the letters a-f. To gain full marks you should identify all six parts. This will be sufficient to answer the question.

(3 Points)

An officer of the law who retaliates badly (a), an unseeing feline mariner (b), a seemingly haphazard deliverer (c), a spokesman for a bear who practises martial arts (d) and one who sounds like he knows his place in a church (e) are all found in a place where, on reflection and put crudely, there is nothing (f). How is this?

4. The following list of 55 words can be divided into 10 sets, all of different sizes. Put another way, there is one set of 10, one set of 9 etc. What word is in the set of one?

(5 Points)

ABRIDGE, ARSENIC, AUTUMN, AVENUE, BAPTISE

BEAN, BEHIND, BORON, CARD, CONSTRICT

COYOTE, CUCKOLDS, DAWN, DEFEATED, DOG

EINSTEINIUM, ENAMOURED, FOLLOWING, FREQUENTLY, HAWAII

HERBIVOROUS, IMP, INTRAMUSCULAR, JOHNSON, LATER

LIE, MAN, METEOROLOGY, MOROCCO, NANOTESLA

NEXT, NIPPED, ODD, PARTY, POST

PURSUING, SCARE, SHINE, SMOOTH, SPAIN

SPEECH, STUBBS, SUBSEQUENT, SUCCEEDING, TECHNETIUM

TEXTER, THERMO, THIEF, THOROUGHBRED, TITANIUM

WAR, WINNER, WOBURN, WOLF, WORLD

5. Which of these words is the odd one out?

(1 Point)

BAP, DEW, LOP, OIK, RED, SAW, SEW, WAS, WED

6. Which number comes next in this sequence?

(1 Point)

 -, -, 4, 3, 6, 6, 3, 13, 22, ?

7. Which word is the odd one out in each case: (1 Point for each)

(a) ANGKOR, BI, CHEW, GLASTONBURY, KO, PAPA, PAD, STOCK

(b) BET, HOLLIDAY, JAW, MENTOR, NET, STOCK, TEEM, TYLER

8. What matrix ends this sequence?

(2 Points)

9. Which element is missing?

(1 Point)

ARSENIC, ASTATINE, BISMUTH, CARBON, COPPER, IRON

KRYPTON, NEON, OGANESSON, PHOSPHORUS, SILICON

TENNESSINE, TIN, XENON

10. Number search....

(2 Points)

N  E  E  T  F   I   F   S  N

O  B  U  T  P  E  W   I   I 

 I   H  E  Z  E  N   I   X  N

L  C  H  E  E   I   N   T  E

L  U  R  R  R  N  M  E  T

 I  B  O  O  H  H  E  E  H

M F  O  R  T   Y  T  N  O

N  R  T  D  S  O  E  S  U

E  T  T  H  U  E   X   I   S

V  S  W  E  N  A  R  C  A

E  H  O  R   I   E  T  E  N

L  N  V  W  M  E  A  L  D

E  I   G  H   T  Y  O  N  E

GCHQ Kristmas Kwiz Challenge

31. To what do these numbers lead you?

(1 Point)

-, 3, 1, (5,6), -, -, -, -, 2, -, ...

7, 2, -, 2, -, -, 7, 5, 8, 2, ...

-, -, -, -, -, 2, -, -, -, -, ...

3, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, ...

32. What is the last word?/Ce qui est le dernier mot?

(1,1 Point)

(a) USE, FIX, QUIDS, CURT, EXIT, TUN, NORTH, EQUIP, AXIS, ?

(b) EN, VOIE, TWIST, ENFERS, HIER, ONT, HUNE, VEXE, TOGE, ?

33. The Kwiz archive is full of partially-formed ideas for kwestions for which even the Setters can't remember the details. Foe example we found the following sentence in the archives, but there was clearly something missing. All we could remember was that what was missing was a number. The missing number is shown by a # in the sentence - but which number is it?

(2 Points)

Before the quick sepia coloured fox jumped over the more lazy dog it saw # tapirs waiting in a nearby village.

34. Now some alkemy. Which is incorrect?

(1 Point)

(a) ALUMINIUM + EINSTEINIUM = PALLADIUM

(b) BROMINE + URANIUM = CHLORINE

(c) COBALT + GOLD = NICKEL

(d) DYSPROSIUM + GOLD = OSMIUM

(e) EINSTEINIUM + COPERNICIUM = RUTHERFORDIUM

(f) RRANCIUM +BERKELIUM = RUBIDIUM

(g) GALLIUM +TUNGSTEN = IRON

(h) HELIUM + SILVER = RUTHENIUM

(i) IRON + SILVER = PLUTONIUM

35. What follows?

(1 Point)

20, 18, 72, 52, 78, 60, 150, 30, 34, 51, ?

36. Where would you find?

(1,2 Points)

(a) AGE, ATE, FOR, GIN, INN, LAW, ODE, OIL, ONE, OUT, RIM, TIC

(b) ASH, CAY, ERG, HAM, HUT, KIN, MAN, MAR, OUT, RID, ROE, TIC

37. What is the next number in each of the following sequences?

(1,1 Points)

(a) 13, 3, 45, 23, 24, 2, 24, 12, 24, 2, ?

(b) 3, 1, 3, 2, 25, 1, 12, 1, 3, 257, ?

38. Where does HIPPOPOTAMUS fit?

(1, 1, 2 Points)

(a) LION, CAT, RAM, BULL, PIG, HARE, HORSE, ELEPHANT, IBEX, DONKEY, GIRAFFE, ORYX, GAZELLE, JACKAL

(b) JACKAL, CAT, GAZELLE, ELEPHANT, GIRAFFE, HARE, RAM, IBEX, BULL, DONKEY, HORSE, PIG, LION, ORYX

(c) BULL, HORSE, DONKEY, RAM, PIG, CAT, JACKAL, LION, ELEPHANT, GIRAFFE, ORYX, GAZELLE, IBEX, HARE

39. BRITAIN         -3 -1 (1,2) 1- 2- 2-                           SPAIN

     ECUADOR      -5 -4 -2 (1,2) (3,4) (1,4) 1+              PERU

     GERMANY      -7 -4 (2,3) (3,4) (4,5) +5 1- 5+ 5+    FRANCE

     GREECE         -6 -5 (1,3) (2,3) 2+ 2+                     ?

     ?                      -2 (1,3) (3,4) 4- 4-                           IRAQ

     ?                      -8 -7 (2,5) 6-                                    ?

(2 Points)

40. One of the Setters accidentally merged and sorted columns E, F and G of his spreadsheet, giving a single column which began:

(2 Points)

1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 10, 10, 10, 11, 11, 12, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 40, 46, 60, 60, 60, 61, 64, 80, 80, 84, ...

What were the largest numbers in the original columns?

41. An odd kwestion with a message.

(1 Point)

TOGS     HOCK     EACH     MODE     INCH

SUBS     SOAP     IMAM      NEAT      GODS

LADY      YEEL     RUDE      ITCH       CUBE

DIGN      FIGS      RUES      OMEN     MIFF

THEM     HIDE      ETCH      SWAN     EDGE

TUGS     TRAP     ENDS      RUBY      SOCK

GCHQ Kristmas Kwiz Challenge

11. The members of each list below are given in a particular order.

Place them in a different but related order.

(1,1,1,2 Points)

(a) ARGENTINA, MONGOLIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

MALAYSIA, PAPUA, NEW GUINEA, BENIN, CAMBODIA

(b) LOUISA, HANS, BARBARA, ARTHUR, ERLE, GABRIEL

EDGAR, ALEXANDER, ROBERT, HARRIET

(c) TIME, JACK, JESUS, LIVE, FOOT, RAG, FOOL, LEEK, HELL

(d) DAVID, HARVEY, JAMIE, JERRY, JOHN, JONNY, JUSTIN

KUAN, LYNDA, TIM, TOMMY, VAN

12. Identify:

(1,1 Points)

(a) I, II, V

(b) H, He, Li, Be, C, F, Mg, Ar

13. For each word in this list it is possible to change the first letter, than the second, then the third and then the fourth to make a new world each time. The final words in each case are related and in alphabetical order. What are they?

LAND, SLOT, SHIP, SHOW, WILD, KILT, ITEM, WHAM, CHOP

HAVE

14. Four 16-letter phrases have been enciphered by adding a key stream consisting of a repeating 4-letter word (A=1, B-=2, etc.).

The same key stream is used in each case. One of the letters in the 4-letter word is A. Two words are missing. What are they?

(2 Points)

WUBQ  IQSE      HJTX     XJDU

VXFR    LUTU     HFTX     XJDU

MXFZ    XQOV    GWPS   EYGR

GECB    WOFK    IUDG    LJIR

15. Whic to erms bgn a f - 1 qu?

(1,1,1,1,1,1,1 Points)

(a) ?, ?, GN, B, U, PIK, AC

(b) ?, ?, H, U, -, X, V, G, -, -, L, W, ...

(c) ?, ?, 2, 3, 46, 05, 7, 98, ...

(d) ?, ?, O, RM, TANG, -, F, D, -, -, X, -, -, J, -, -, Z, -, -, V, -, -, -

(e) ?, ?, EN, CHMD, O, Z, QT, W, -, P, -, F, -, K, -, G, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, -, X, -, J, ...

(f) ?, ?, GL, TOS, CN, H, X

(g) ?, ?, IE, FOR, -, H, QZ, -, ND, -

16. Which element?

(1 Point)

Scandium, Titanium, Vanadium, Manganese, Iron, Cobalt, Copper

Zinc, Gallium, Arsenic, Selenium, Bromine, Zirconium, Technetium

Silver, Indium, Antimony, Iodine, Lutetium, Hafnium, Tantalum

Rhenium, Gold, Mercury, Thallium, Bismuth, Astatine

17. Webrb, orbpfsbiy, nfn mlb mc teb sbttbrs emifnjy tefs ybjr?

( 2 Points)

NYRIPTGY, NYRJGY, DPDJGJRI, DQNDLYCD, CJNYGY

RYCIRJGD

18. Which book? There's an encipherment clue in the alterative title. (2 Points)

ET UGWQHENXLW NEEKS, FXNJN FYKXVG, T KYISL UYGE, QZLK APRT NRK NALJV PPEL, JLXRWGW PGYVK QIIO, VNT UJ AAV JKYEQT-PEE QSXA HOX FBFR, DIMXR XFRLVVKV, NDVMH EGV JDWGIYL, OOVDSND SQF FF XOQQ, O XFFF QSDNSDV, OO LYI GWDJVGEH, MVDNVK VVLRFXRXMID, RFB FX OHAX, SQEE PTQ EYKJV, AAJ UTNVOIIQK VY GPW GWRXLJ, L EPPVJ LA NKR NTRPA, KLZ QEGYUL SIYKT, GVX KYFNJN XFSKEEN, WLX NEHQ WGUTE

19. The Setters have been exploring new markets and are writing a cookery book, extracts from which are below.

(1,1 Points)

(a) What's the secret ingredient?

DPT MFUUVDF

QFCIHCBG

OHPRQ MXLFH

WTQDMWQT

TVV

SKNYAOPANODENA OWQYA

KUJLTYNYYNA

LFWQNH

ITKFXLTGVAXXLX

(b) What sort of cake can be made from these ingredients?

EGGS

LEMONS

PLUMS

PEARS

APPLES

ELDERBERRY

NUTMEG

ICE CREAM

PEACHES

20. Place in chronological order. (Where encrypted, please give your answer unencrypted.)

(1,1,1 Points)

(a) CNZUJW EJMU NJMUA, FUCPTYYLTULF ERLZ, HJRLIR EATJWAJWEBFM, MJNRB XWIJCX AIN JHSCM, NJWHFUJ FFLXQFBYVFBRHFWC, RDEFO EIDUXRJB MIFT, XRPTJN-VNF-YQUIYQHMRUNFM, XXSPE FBV J KFKJWT, XXUMTCULL OKBURBJM, XXUUE FDA JR ENHRQB

(b) AFYGVMCI, CFCI, GJMYI, KIWP, PIJAI, SIKGIJK, VTQDK, YTPMCK

(c) AGNOSTIC, ARCHDEACON, BEAUJOLAIS, BONFIRE, CATERPILLAR, GAUCHO, NIGHTJAR, SUBJUNCTIVE, SYMPATHY, TELEVISION, WATCHMAKER, WHISPER

GCHQ Kristmas Kwiz Challenge

21. The words before the colon all share a property. The word after the colon doesn't have that property, but has a similar, distinguishing property. Explain.

(1,1,1 Points)

(a) APPAL, CHIP, LAMB, MADE, MAT, MICRO, SILO, TAG, TAT, THE: PEAT

(b) CARP, ERRATA, FOR, HIS, HOT, KEN, LIED, OSIER, RAY, TOR: ONE

(c) AFLAME, DALE, FRESH, HAY, HINT, LAME, LET, MELD, SAD, THE: STEP

22. What is the next sequence?

(1 Point)

(i)    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ...

(ii)    1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, ...

(iii)   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ...

(iv)   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22, ...

(v)    1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ...

(vi)   5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, ...

(vii)  1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, ...

(viii) 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, ...

(ix)   1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, ...

(x)    ?

23. What is missing from this sequence?

(1 Point)

SUM, SUN, SIX, -, SIP

24. Whose work? (Any spaces and punctuation have been removed and the lists - not necessarily complete - were originally in alphabetical order; '-' denotes a list member of 0 letters.)

(1,1,1,2 Points)

(a) TTWT, BBYG, B, VPP, BY, GTXPTT, T, TTT, TZZWT, BY, VTWT, T, TYTYW, TTYP, TPWPP (7, 4, 6, 7)

(b) HMPFO, OH, PC, PC, O, HOO, HMKO, HPOFPZC, HOC, HYOMOFH, HP, YJY (7,3, 8)

(c) MMU, GNNN, MN, NBYNW, Y, WNW, B, BUN, NGNN, UN, B, MNWNWMU, UBWY, WNGMN, -, Z, NUN, UNN, VG (6, 6, 9)

(c) ADW, A, AABY, CM, FCY, MM, AVW, KA, D, UFM, FMA, AM (3, 7, 6)

25. Pair:

(1, 1, 1 Points)

(a) BELARUS, BENIN, DEER, DEFICITS, DEMURE, ERNEST, ESTONIA, FIJI, GREECE, HAITI, HOTTEST, INDIA, IRAN, MERITED, NEPAL, NIUE, SERENE, STEP, TIFF, USAGE

(b) AGAMA, DOWN, GETAWAY, GNOME, INDIA, INTAKE, ISLE, MALTA, MORMON, NIGER, OMAN, OTHER, PERU, RAFT, SAMOA, SERBIA, SIX, TOGO, UKRAINE, YEMEN

(c) BEHAVE, CRY, DENIZEN, DETAIL, DEVOUT, DIAL, ERITREA, GAMBIA, INDIA, IRAN, LATVIA, MALTA, NIUE, NOOSE, REST, RUSSIA, SAMOA, SUDAN, WEIGH, WIDE

26. Where does 2 fit in the following lists?

(Read left to right, top to bottom)

(2, 2, 2 Points)

(a) 17  18  23  19  11  27  53  15  43  25  47

      14  28  33  37  13  03  29  16 12  21  07

     55  51  45  48  35  49  05  41  24  38  08

     39  31  09  26  01  22  10  20  54  56  52

     50  44  34  46  42  40  04  36  32  30  06

(b) 29  09  24  23  07  20  22 21  03  30  31

    01  10  12  14  13  11  33  32  43  39  38

    44  34  42  40  41  37  36  35  28  27  26

    25  04  08  06  19  18  55  56  05  17  16

    15  45  53  50  49  54  46  52  51  48  47

(changing theme)

(c) 33  30  53  35  17  09  25  28  41  20  46

     23  37  21  49  45  11  03  31  04  48  24

     32  22  44  34  13  40  56  39  52  55  12

     19  43  38  42  01  07  08  50  06  14  10

     18  54  26  05  36  29  47  16  15  27  51

27. In a connecting wall you have to partition sixteen items into four connected sets of four - such a partition is called a solution. This connecting wall has 5 solutions (some simpler to spot than others!) To help you out no item appears in the same set as another item in any of the solutions more than once. What is the missing item?

(3 Points)

25x1          1x3              0+8              11+11

1024+11    1056.0/16   16x31           19DA-57

121-94       ???             117.0-111     925-259

35.0+806   9801/1089  5D091/1111  14020800/1725

28. (a) Who are 2B/37 better known as?

      (b) Who 'composed' 91π/216000?

(1, 1, 1 Points)

29. You wake up in the marvelous AL. Later you are joined by a DLIXVIZXH, a MRG MZNWLLD and a MLRO. Who should you all go off to see? (Please encrypt your six letter answer.)

(1 Point)

30. Which letter does this sequence suggest?

(1 Point)

11, 33, 11, 25, 50, 25, 6, 18, 6, 12, 26, 8, 36, 2, 40, 10, 24, 18, 28, 22, 16, 32, 14, 38, 6, 34, 4