A trick crossword for National Puzzle Day

Today is National Puzzle Day*, so to celebrate, this week the Charles Fudgemuffin blog features a crossword puzzle.

* Only if you're reading this on January 29th. If you're reading this on any other day then it's not National Puzzle Day today. It was National Puzzle Day when I published this, though. That's what I meant. Apologies for any confusion.

This isn't any normal crossword puzzle, though. To make things a little more tricky, some of the answers are a little bit devious...

Across:

1) A fruity mixed drink served at parties in a large bowl.
2) Classic puppet and partner to Judy.
3) Used to cut circular holes (usually two) in paper.
4) To strike someone with your fist.
5) Part of the historical name for the breed of horse now more commonly known as the Suffolk Horse. (The Suffolk _ _ _ _ _ )

Puzzles and riddles

I recently published the short story 'The Puppet Master' about a crazy criminal who sets his victims riddles. I featured one such riddle in an earlier blog post, but if you're not all puzzled out just yet, then here are a few more puzzles for you...

1) How many holes are in this t-shirt?

A simple test to determine your ideal career

At the start of every new year, it's traditional to make new year's resolutions, such as getting fit, or finding a new job.

So for the benefit of anyone who is sick of their current job, and who is considering a change of profession, here's a simple test to determine your ideal career.

Follow the instructions below to find out the job that you'd be perfect for:

What is your ideal career?
Find out with this simple test.

* Pick a number between 1 and 9.
* Multiply by 3.
* Add 3 to that number.
* Multiply by 3 again.
* Add the two digits together.

The number you are left with corresponds with your ideal job...

1) Scientist.
2) Super model.
3) Astronaut.
4) Footballer.
5) Doctor.
6) Formula 1 driver.
7) Pilot.
8) Pop star.
9) Village idiot.
10) Writer.

What ideal job did you get?

A puzzle involving truth and lies

The Puppet Master
A short story by Charles Fudgemuffin

This week my latest short story 'The Puppet Master' was published for kindle from Amazon. Here's the blurb...

"A mysterious masked figure wearing two puppets on his hands is shooting random strangers with poison darts. He then sets his victims a puzzle which they must solve in return for the antidote. Is this 'Puppet Master' crazy? Or is there a method to his madness..."

Without giving away too much of the plot, the Puppet Master is kind of like a crazy Batman villain. If his victims correctly solve the puzzle, they get to drink an antidote to the poison and survive. If they fail to solve the puzzle, well ... it's curtains!

If you want to test yourself, this is the puzzle that the Puppet Master sets his victims...

"After shooting you with a poison dart, the Puppet Master appears wearing a blue puppet on his right hand and a red puppet on his right hand. He then places three bottles containing coloured liquid on the ground in front of you. One of the liquids is blue, one is red, and the third liquid is purple. One of these bottles contains more poison, one of the bottles contains an antidote, and the third bottle simply contains coloured water. However, you don't know which bottle is which.

Hidden jigsaw puzzle found on British coins

A tricky and complicated jigsaw puzzle found on the back of British coins.

As a quick follow up to last week's Easter egg themed blog post, I thought I would also mention a hidden jigsaw puzzle from the Royal Mint found on the back of British coins. Anyone who uses cash a lot might already be familiar with this, but those who prefer to pay by card may not be aware of it yet.

The pieces of the puzzle can be found on the back of recent editions of British coins from 1p up to 50p, i.e. 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p, and when put together the coins display the image of a shield. If you’re struggling to complete the jigsaw puzzle then you can also find the solution on the back of recent editions of the British pound coin, i.e. it shows how the shield should look when the correct coins are in place. Although to be fair, you shouldn’t really need the solution to complete the puzzle as it only involves six pieces!