| Author | Message | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 236 Registered: 5-2007 |
Explain the title, with special reference to Two Hundred and Sixty Eight. | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1071 Registered: 1-2007 |
Where to begin? Would the puzzle work if the title was written as 1945? if the puzzle statement was written as 268? Would this puzzle only work in english? Does either refer to a year? Are either an amount of something? Aside from subtracting one from the other, adding them together, dividing one into the other or multiplying them is there any other relevant mathmatical relationship between the 2 numbers? They are numbers aren't they? | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1198 Registered: 3-2006 |
Is any arithmetic required to solve this puzzle? Would a person with a maths degree be at an advantage in solving it? Does the title allude (even remotely) to: the end of WWII? the death of Adolf Hitler? quarter to eight in the evening? Clement Attlee? Roman numerals relevant? Non-denary number bases? Weightless poetry? Bridge? Is 1945 actually a number of objects? | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 3592 Registered: 12-2000 |
This is a well documented case of two brothers. One was born in February 1945 and, when asked, says he's 63. His brother who was born on 15th September 1943 has just come back from Mercury with part B of Branson's Virgle Pioneer programme and announces that today he is 268 years old and expects more birthday goodies on his next birthday which will be June 28, 2008. He always was a greedy little beggar. | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 238 Registered: 5-2007 |
Where to begin? at the very beginning - a very good place to start Would the puzzle work if the title was written as 1945? yes if the puzzle statement was written as 268? yes Would this puzzle only work in english? it would work in other languages, but its setting is English Does either refer to a year? yes Are either an amount of something? yes Aside from subtracting one from the other, adding them together, dividing one into the other or multiplying them is there any other relevant mathmatical relationship between the 2 numbers? no They are numbers aren't they? yes Is any arithmetic required to solve this puzzle? a minimal amount Would a person with a maths degree be at an advantage in solving it? no, of course not - people with maths degrees cannot do arithmetic Does the title allude (even remotely) to: the end of WWII? yes the death of Adolf Hitler? no quarter to eight in the evening? no Clement Attlee? no Roman numerals relevant? no Non-denary number bases? no Weightless poetry? Bridge? no, but the usual bonus marks for currying favour with the puzzle setter Is 1945 actually a number of objects? well, it is a number of years Anno Domini This is a well documented case of two brothers. One was born in February 1945 and, when asked, says he's 63. His brother who was born on 15th September 1943 has just come back from Mercury with part B of Branson's Virgle Pioneer programme and announces that today he is 268 years old and expects more birthday goodies on his next birthday which will be June 28, 2008. He always was a greedy little beggar. this ought to be the answer, but sadly it was not the one my limited ingenuity has contrived | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1199 Registered: 3-2006 |
To solve this puzzle, would it help if we performed an arithmetical operation involving the number 1945? The number 268? Both 1945 and 268? In the context of this puzz, is 268 a year? A number of years? A number of tangible objects? A number of abstract things, such as ways of performing a certain task? Does 268 refer to the property of something, such as mass or temperature? Do we need to discover a particular wartime anecdote? Are any specific events of 1945 relevant, apart from the end of WWII? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 239 Registered: 5-2007 |
To solve this puzzle, would it help if we performed an arithmetical operation involving the number 1945? no the number 268? yesish, but don't worry too much about the actual arithmetic Both 1945 and 268? no In the context of this puzz, is 268 a year? no A number of years? no A number of tangible objects? yes, with a very faint trace of yope A number of abstract things, such as ways of performing a certain task? no Does 268 refer to the property of something, such as mass or temperature? no Do we need to discover a particular wartime anecdote? no Are any specific events of 1945 relevant, apart from the end of WWII? no | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 3593 Registered: 12-2000 |
Is 268 a number of people? Number of spam fritters eaten at a VE street party? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 240 Registered: 5-2007 |
Is 268 a number of people? no Number of spam fritters eaten at a VE street party? no, but a most ingenious notion | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 3595 Registered: 12-2000 |
Are the tangible objects all the same? Different, but of the same 'sort'? Are they about the size of a car? Or a wheelbarrow? Or a laptop? Can they be held in the hands? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 241 Registered: 5-2007 |
Are the tangible objects all the same? more or less Different, but of the same 'sort'? likewise Are they about the size of a car? no Or a wheelbarrow? no Or a laptop? this is the right order of magnitude Can they be held in the hands? no | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1074 Registered: 1-2007 |
Any wordplay involved? I was thinking that 268 could be the series 2,4,6,8 but without the four. This could make the word foregone relevant. Am I OTRT or should I just get out more? Failing that, are the tangible objects a type of weaponry? Are the objects associated with war? Or are we simply looking for something that has occurred 268 times since 1945? or been produced 268 times ? or has been used 268 times? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 242 Registered: 5-2007 |
Any wordplay involved? no I was thinking that 268 could be the series 2,4,6,8 but without the four. This could make the word foregone relevant. Am I OTRT or should I just get out more? a most ingenious piece of thinking, but 268 in this context just means 268 Failing that, are the tangible objects a type of weaponry? no Are the objects associated with war? no Or are we simply looking for something that has occurred 268 times since 1945? or been produced 268 times ? or has been used 268 times? none of these - the reference is to 268 actual things | ||
| Peter365 (Peter365)
New member Username: Peter365 Post Number: 1076 Registered: 1-2007 |
The objects: Are the only 268 of them ? Or is it that only 268 of them are relevant to this puzzle. Anything to do with printed media? Music? Film? art? If there are more than 268 of them are they a common object? Would they be found in most homes? workplaces? Could I buy one in a shop? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 243 Registered: 5-2007 |
The objects: Are there only 268 of them ? no Or is it that only 268 of them are relevant to this puzzle. yesish Anything to do with printed media? Music? this one Film? art? If there are more than 268 of them are they a common object? there are more than 268 of them, and they are indeed common objects Would they be found in most homes? no workplaces? no Could I buy one in a shop? no | ||
| Grainbeer (Grainbeer)
New member Username: Grainbeer Post Number: 334 Registered: 4-2002 |
Hmmm... music... anything to do with number of strokes in a piece of music? Number of music notes? Duration of music piece (in for instance seconds)? Number of instruments in an orchestra? Number of records of some kind? Takings? 218 more ways to leave your lover than Paul Simon knows? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 244 Registered: 5-2007 |
Hmmm... music... anything to do with number of strokes in a piece of music? no Number of music notes? no Duration of music piece (in for instance seconds)? no Number of instruments in an orchestra? no Number of records of some kind? no Takings? 218 more ways to leave your lover than Paul Simon knows? no, but this is rather more along the right lines | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1203 Registered: 3-2006 |
So we've got 268 objects that are tangible and laptop-sized, but they can't be held in the hand: is that because they are too heavy? Because they are attached to something else? Because they don't exist in the real world? Because they are parts of something else? Are they inscriptions? Carvings? Are they visible? Audible? Is there a connection with popular music here? The Hit Parade (I believe we're allowed to use that term again)? Classical music? Jazz? Opera? The ballet? Is there any relevant song that refers to the end of WWII (eg Cohen's 'Waiting for the Miracle')? Are they man-made objects? Natural phenomena? Circular? Spherical? Randomly shaped? Made of wood? Of metal? Of plastic? Organ pipes? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
New member Username: Woubit Post Number: 2523 Registered: 1-2003 |
So we've got 268 objects that are tangible and laptop-sized, well, their size varies - some of them may be smaller than laptops, some a little larger but they can't be held in the hand: is that because they are too heavy? no Because they are attached to something else? yes, for svv of "attached" Because they don't exist in the real world? they exist Because they are parts of something else? yes Are they inscriptions? no Carvings? no Are they visible? yes Audible? no Is there a connection with popular music here? yes The Hit Parade (I believe we're allowed to use that term again)? at some point, yes Classical music? no Jazz? no Opera? no The ballet? no Is there any relevant song that refers to the end of WWII yes, or at least it could do (eg Cohen's 'Waiting for the Miracle')? not this Are they man-made objects? yes Natural phenomena? no Circular? many of them are roughly circular Spherical? no Randomly shaped? some are other shapes Made of wood? Of metal? Of plastic? Organ pipes? none of these | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1204 Registered: 3-2006 |
Do the 268 items have an actual mass? Or are they more akin to, say, spots on a leopard (for want of a better way of expressing it)? Are they stains? Smudges? Paintings? Graffiti? Bullet marks? Craters? Holes (eg in Blackburn, Lancashire, though I think there were rather more of those)? If the 268 things belong to something else, I assume it would help to determine what this larger object is? Is there just one of its kind? Is it a historical monument? Is it bigger than the Berlin Wall? Is it, perchance, the Berlin Wall? Any connection with the White Cliffs of Dover? Hiroshima relevant? Nagasaki? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 247 Registered: 5-2007 |
Do the 268 items have an actual mass? no Or are they more akin to, say, spots on a leopard (for want of a better way of expressing it)? not quite this sort of thing Are they stains? Smudges? Paintings? Graffiti? Bullet marks? Craters? Holes (eg in Blackburn, Lancashire, though I think there were rather more of those)? this one, and there were indeed rather more of them, but.. If the 268 things belong to something else, I assume it would help to determine what this larger object is? Is there just one of its kind? Is it a historical monument? Is it bigger than the Berlin Wall? Is it, perchance, the Berlin Wall? Any connection with the White Cliffs of Dover? Hiroshima relevant? Nagasaki? no - you're doing fine with the holes | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1206 Registered: 3-2006 |
Just to clarify: does the answer 'no' apply to all my questions after Blackburn, Lancs? So is 'A Day In The Life' the song in question? Had the English army just won the war? Is 268 the number of holes it would take to fill the Albert Hall? (I'd have to work out how.) | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 248 Registered: 5-2007 |
Just to clarify: does the answer 'no' apply to all my questions after Blackburn, Lancs? yes So is 'A Day In The Life' the song in question? yes Had the English army just won the war? in 1945? Why, yes. Is 268 the number of holes it would take to fill the Albert Hall? no (I'd have to work out how. no need) | ||
| Lynne (Lynne)
New member Username: Lynne Post Number: 3597 Registered: 12-2000 |
Are all the holes in one area? Are they part of a larger object e.g. a sculpture? Or are they holes in a field? Could you physically stand in one (assuming your boots aren't too big and there isn't a ring of security service officers double encircling each one) | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1207 Registered: 3-2006 |
Are the 268 holes actually in Blackburn? Did someone count them? Is the number 4000 relevant to the puzzle? Did someone count holes in Blackburn and find only 3732? Is this puzzle based on a news story or such? Or some sort of Beatles trivia? Does 1945 have any relevance other than as a clue to the line 'The English Army had just won the war'? Could the title equally be 1415, or 1982? Or any other date in which the English won a war? Am I right in thinking we should discount the Albert Hall? | ||
| Zenith (Zenith)
New member Username: Zenith Post Number: 623 Registered: 10-2004 |
a pianola sheet? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 249 Registered: 5-2007 |
Are all the holes in one area? yes - see below Are they part of a larger object e.g. a sculpture? no Or are they holes in a field? no Could you physically stand in one (assuming your boots aren't too big and there isn't a ring of security service officers double encircling each one) I expect that I could stand in some of them, but not others. Are the 268 holes actually in Blackburn? yes Did someone count them? no, but... Is the number 4000 relevant to the puzzle? yes Did someone count holes in Blackburn and find only 3732? no Is this puzzle based on a news story or such? yes Or some sort of Beatles trivia? not as such Does 1945 have any relevance other than as a clue to the line 'The English Army had just won the war'? no Could the title equally be 1415, or 1982? Or any other date in which the English won a war? yes Am I right in thinking we should discount the Albert Hall? yes a pianola sheet? no, but a cracking piece of thinking This puzzle is pretty much over, but I will leave the task of spoiling it to Woodworm. | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1211 Registered: 3-2006 |
Hmmm ... not sure I'm up to the task. Still quite baffled. OK, the title is solved, but the 268 still requires explanation, right? So there was a news report that said there were 268 holes in Blackburn? Potholes in the roads? Was this report published in 1967? 2008? Other? Did someone discover that the original news story read by Lennon was actually '268 holes in Blackburn', and he only made it 4000 because it fitted the tune? Or have 268 holes been found in the town recently? But no-one counted them as such? So perhaps 268 is some sort of estimate or projected figure? Perhaps they were counted by some sort of automated device? A satellite? Google Earth (it would be very surprising if some nerdy Lennon lover somewhere had not decided to zoom in and count holes in Blackburn, Lancashire)? Are there, in fact, 4268 holes in Blackburn? Or perhaps, of the 4000 holes, some Lennon fanatics had made it their business to visit all the holes, perhaps adding some sort of graffiti? Or flowers, or some other suitably Ono-esque gesture in honour of the great man? And perhaps they had managed to visit only 268 of them? | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 250 Registered: 5-2007 |
OK, the title is solved, but the 268 still requires explanation, right? indeed So there was a news report that said there were 268 holes in Blackburn? no, but... Potholes in the roads? yes Was this report published in 1967? 2008? Other? in 2008 Did someone discover that the original news story read by Lennon was actually '268 holes in Blackburn', and he only made it 4000 because it fitted the tune? no Or have 268 holes been found in the town recently? not quite, but... But no-one counted them as such? So perhaps 268 is some sort of estimate or projected figure? not quite, but... Perhaps they were counted by some sort of automated device? A satellite? Google Earth (it would be very surprising if some nerdy Lennon lover somewhere had not decided to zoom in and count holes in Blackburn, Lancashire)? Are there, in fact, 4268 holes in Blackburn? probably not. However... Or perhaps, of the 4000 holes, some Lennon fanatics had made it their business to visit all the holes, perhaps adding some sort of graffiti? Or flowers, or some other suitably Ono-esque gesture in honour of the great man? And perhaps they had managed to visit only 268 of them? ***** SPOILER ***** Accroding to this report there are an average of 4,268 potholes in the road in a town the size of Blackburn, Lancashire. According to the song A Day in the Life by John Lennon, there are only 4,000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire. The song contains a reference to the fact that the English army had just won the war, which is why I used 1945 for the puzzle title (I should say here that I mean no disrespect to the soldiers of the rest of Britain and our allies overseas). Well done Woodworm, and the Beatles. Less well done the local authority in Blackburn, Lancashire. |
