Brain Teasers
X Marks the Spot
It was Xmas time, and Xavier eXeter eXhorted his family for an eXpedition downtown to eXpend some funds for the usual holiday gift eXchange. As soon as they boarded the eXpress train, his Auntie Jen began to eXpound on her eXpectations for the trip.
"I assume you know that the full name of the holiday is Christmas?"
"Newspapers started it to save space, replacing 'Christ' with a cross."
"Very good. Do you know what else 'ex' means?"
"Well, it can mean 'outside' or 'former'."
"EXcellent. But sometimes, it doesn't seem related to the original word." She smiled, and Xavier could tell she had another one of her games in mind. He returned the grin, eXcited for her to eXplain the rules.
"Now, if you lose weight in January, how might you describe your loss?"
Xavier thought for a few seconds, and then his face eXploded with delight.
"EX-mass!"
"Very good! What else?" Jen often had more than one up her sleeve. His father claimed that's why she often wore long-sleeved blouses.
"EX-pound?"
She chuckled and made a mental note. " I hadn't thought of that one. How about 'EX-size', spelled C-I-S-E ?"
"Oohhh," he groaned. "Okay, do you have any more?"
How many of Auntie Jen's words can you get?
1. Formerly enough
2. Former building location
3. Another former building location
4. Formerly in good health
5. Used to make a living in the movies
6. Former mining area
7. Formerly eaten by chickens
"I assume you know that the full name of the holiday is Christmas?"
"Newspapers started it to save space, replacing 'Christ' with a cross."
"Very good. Do you know what else 'ex' means?"
"Well, it can mean 'outside' or 'former'."
"EXcellent. But sometimes, it doesn't seem related to the original word." She smiled, and Xavier could tell she had another one of her games in mind. He returned the grin, eXcited for her to eXplain the rules.
"Now, if you lose weight in January, how might you describe your loss?"
Xavier thought for a few seconds, and then his face eXploded with delight.
"EX-mass!"
"Very good! What else?" Jen often had more than one up her sleeve. His father claimed that's why she often wore long-sleeved blouses.
"EX-pound?"
She chuckled and made a mental note. " I hadn't thought of that one. How about 'EX-size', spelled C-I-S-E ?"
"Oohhh," he groaned. "Okay, do you have any more?"
How many of Auntie Jen's words can you get?
1. Formerly enough
2. Former building location
3. Another former building location
4. Formerly in good health
5. Used to make a living in the movies
6. Former mining area
7. Formerly eaten by chickens
Hint
In #3 and #7, the regular word and the "ex" word sound alike, but aren't spelled quite the same.Answer
1. Ex-ample2. Ex-tract
3. Ex-site (excite)
4. Ex-hale
5. Ex-act
6. Ex-claim
7. Ex-pecked (expect)
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