Brain Teaser #79 [Archive]

Greg Bernhardt

Feb21-04, 02:45 PM

Kate spilled black ink on her white dress. Can you turn black into white by changing one letter at a time? Each step must create a valid word in the English language. Kate made the change in 8 steps. Can you do as well ... or better?

marcus

Feb21-04, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by Greg Bernhardt
Kate spilled black ink on her white dress. Can you turn black into white by changing one letter at a time? Each step must create a valid word in the English language. Kate made the change in 8 steps. Can you do as well ... or better?

I see how to get from Brick to White
so if anyone can get from Black to Brick, then we are done

BRICK
TRICK
THICK
THINK
THINE
WHINE
WHITE

marcus

Feb21-04, 03:08 PM

maybe

BLACK
PLACK
PRICK
BRICK

and from there on it is done

marcus

Feb21-04, 03:11 PM

Yes
the Webster's Third New International Dictionary
that happens to be here does in fact
have PLACK as an English word
so that does work

marcus

Feb21-04, 03:12 PM

BLACK
PLACK
PRICK
BRICK
TRICK
THICK
THINK
THINE
WHINE
WHITE

marcus

Feb21-04, 03:20 PM

BLACK
CLACK
CLICK
CHICK
THICK
THINK
THINE
WHINE
WHITE

fewer steps?
also clack is a dictionary word
meaning chatter, among other things

dduardo

Feb21-04, 03:29 PM

Seven:

BLACK
BLICK
BRICK
BRICE
BRITE
WRITE
WHITE

Nice coder

Feb22-04, 12:19 AM

Anybody have a dictionary file (.txt please)
Brute force attack, anyone?

paul11273

Feb22-04, 12:52 AM

I have seven not counting "BLACK" since that is the start point.

0 BLACK
1 BRACK
2 BRICK
3 BRINK
4 BRINE
5 BRITE
6 WRITE
7 WHITE

marcus

Feb22-04, 01:54 AM

Here is one with seven transitions
that uses valid English words
(from the fat Webster's, which
doesnt allow BRITE as an alt.
spelling of bright)

0.BLACK
1.BRACK
2.BRICK
3.TRICK
4.TRICE
5.TRITE
6.WRITE
7.WHITE

according to Webster's
brack is salty or alkaline water
I guess that is where the adjective "brackish"
comes from

gnome

Feb22-04, 04:56 PM

Did you actually see BRACK in a dictionary, or is that just a bluff? It's not in any dictionary I can find (although I haven't looked in the HUGE Webster's yet).

Are you sure you didn't see "brak", which I find referenced several places as a Dutch word meaning salty and given as the derivation of the English "brackish".

gnome

Feb22-04, 05:15 PM

clack
click
chick
thick
think
thine
whine
white

Greg Bernhardt

Feb22-04, 05:25 PM

dduardo gets the point! yes brackish is a word, never heard of just brack used before though