Brain Teasers
Allen Nella Stops Pots
Allen Nella, the ceramic artist who produced strangely symmetric works, came home at NOON to find an official notice posted on his studio door. He'd been half expecting it, living in the suburbs after Pamela divorced him, but he'd hoped for enough time to make ware for Ceramic Showcase, the big spring show. The "cease and desist" order shut down his kiln, under the city's air quality laws. He would have to find either another home or another line of work.
Given the expense of moving and his range of artistic skills, he tried metalworking. However, as he tried to form the grips and handles into his trademark forms, the metal would break more often than not, ruining several hours of careful sculpting.
After three months of failure, he needed to pay the rent. He phoned his old boss, Marc Mercury -- the following Monday, he was back at work as an organic chemist for Palindrome Products. Marc was happy to have Allen's brain back on the team, helping others refine ideas, and coming up with innovations of his own. Although Allen developed only one new compound on his own, the profits easily paid for his salary and overhead, and they all synthesized happily ever after.
Can you form the word ladder of Allen's return to industrial R&D? The sequence must run through STOP - POTS - PANS - SNAP - LONE - ENOL. You may change only one letter at each step, and each step must form a common (uncapitalized) English word.
Given the expense of moving and his range of artistic skills, he tried metalworking. However, as he tried to form the grips and handles into his trademark forms, the metal would break more often than not, ruining several hours of careful sculpting.
After three months of failure, he needed to pay the rent. He phoned his old boss, Marc Mercury -- the following Monday, he was back at work as an organic chemist for Palindrome Products. Marc was happy to have Allen's brain back on the team, helping others refine ideas, and coming up with innovations of his own. Although Allen developed only one new compound on his own, the profits easily paid for his salary and overhead, and they all synthesized happily ever after.
Can you form the word ladder of Allen's return to industrial R&D? The sequence must run through STOP - POTS - PANS - SNAP - LONE - ENOL. You may change only one letter at each step, and each step must form a common (uncapitalized) English word.
Hint
The only way to get to "ENOL" is through "ENOW" (generally spelled "enough" these days).Answer
STOP-STEP-SEEP-SEES-SETS-PETS-POTSPOTS-PATS-PANS
PANS-PENS-PEAS-SEAS-SEAM-SLAM-SLAP-SNAP
SNAP-SOAP-SOAK-SOCK-BOCK-BONK-BONE-LONE
LONE-LOSE-LOST-LOOT-SOOT-SNOT-SNOW-ENOW-ENOL
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