Lateral thinking puzzle

Sore plums - could the man see anything else ? Yes, he could see everything you or I could see (though maybe not quite as well) Lisa, the words in the poem have their everyday meaning. Where I say 'eyes' I mean eyes, where it says 'saw' it means exactly that. Giving it away - maybe numbers are more important than words...

(Weakly, through bloated insomniac eyes and a faint line of dribble running fast toward my two-day old greying blouse) Did he eat the plums Andrew? Then he wouldn't strictly speaking be taking them away. Or did he take the whole bloody tree away?

New one: Which name of a London tube station contains none of the letters in 'mackerel'? Tell you when I get back from holiday... *whispers to Lisa*: I know the answer to the man with the package but you said not to say...

Did the package bite him ?

NO IT DIDN'T FOR CRYING OUT LOUD WHEN ARE YOU LOT..... is that what you mean by frustration? :-) (can't believe you got me doing faces now)

Is his package an unopened parachute?

Um...perhaps the plums were apricots? Maybe he was no Titchmarsh, this bloke...

Yes it is, well done Liana *says Lisa, secretly wishing it had been a bit harder to guess* Ok, last one... A girl's lying down in a really hot office snoozing because it's too tricky to work. Should she be sent home with a Magnum and a smile?

I heard there was a rhyme about me so I curtailed my Julie hunting activities for a while and popped over. It's a nice little poem. you may recall my lips moving in a strange way during my rendition of 'Edelweiss'. that's because I had to mime while some old music hall Jimmy was dubbed in later. You see, I was ... A man without highs. saw nuns in a tree too but that bit was edited out when I took them. I feel all warm "Edelweissssssssssssssss......

Does the package contain a tortoise ? (Lisa - I'm thinking about the death of an ancient Greek playwright here.....just to prove to you there is some form of thinking going on.....)

That's the name of a new genus of prunus I have discovered. It's very hardwork and requires much cerebral maintenance. It can be susceptible to long periods of inactivity. especially when you have spent TWO BLOODY HOURS on it and still DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!! where's Tommy? ah, Tommy old chum, I have a little alteration work I require you to do for me. What? Where abouts you say? Lincoln.

Bless you prof!

Oh - we seem to have moved on.....

I dont care about this bloody puzzle anymore. In fact, I am rapidly losing the will to live. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that I am going to poison Andrews beer next time l see him. Drooping, depressed and obsessed with plums Liana

The letter of the alphabet is 's', isn't it Andrew dear?

Two men are found dead in a cabin in the woods. They have not been poisoned or died of natural causes, but there is no evidence to suggest murder. How did they die ? Once again, you can ask as many questions as you like. (Other than how did they die, Stormy)

he only had one eye!

if he only had one eye, did he only take one plum? I've got an uncle called Isiah because one eye's higher than the other! does this con... conun...caborundum work with hubcaps?

The answer is still to do with the 's'. It's all in the plurals.

soft lad meant 'conhumdrum'. We don't call him soft for nothing. I reckon that Wolfie is right as well. The 's' makes everything into twos. If you subtract the 's' (that's take-away, soft lad) then the one-eyed git took a plum and left a plum. The perfect crime (If you don't count me wiring up my lecky to next-door's meter).

bugger

Anyone for anymore? If you know, please say nought, So those who don't have chance for thought. Enough introductory doggerel, on with the puzzle. A man is slumped in a phone booth, dead and with both wrists cut. He has bled to death but this is not suicide and neither is it murder. Beside him there is a piece of wood and a box. What happened to this man. Yes/No Qs only. Aldog

I know it, I know it!!!!!!! *excited*

well that is the most unsatisfactory answer possible to the plums! I tried that ages ago and it just seemed stupid. if you take away the plurals then logically there can only be one plum on the tree. so it still does not work. (because he would see 'a' plum on a tree) I know the phone box one too!! wee hee.

You don't have to rigidly take ALL the plurals away. He did see plums on a tree - two plums - he took one and left one - thus neither taking or leaving plumS. It is just a trick about considering what the rhyme literally said rather than seeing what you expected to see. Well done to all those who got it.

Hi, Lisa: Yes, go on home and enjoy your Magnum etc. Andrew: Snowmen?? AJ :>)

I liked my explanation better... Off to drown my sorrows in Guinness now. Sod this lateral thinking lark...

ok I'll take my hat off. *munch* *sulking*

AJ - No, way off, but a decent start. Everything you need to answer the question is in the wording of the question. (Oh, its one of THOSE) That mackerel thing is really doing my head in.

yes, are they real human beings?

Ooh, I think I've got the mackerel one....St John's Wood if you ignor the hidden a in saint?

did they commit suicide, Andrew?

OOOh Emily nice one!! If thats not right, it deserves to be :o)

They are real human beings, they did not commit suicide. Although they probably knew they were going to die shortly before they did, but could do nothing to stop it. Read the question again. And try this one in poem form A man without eyes Saw plums on a tree He neither took plums Nor left plums Now how could that be ?

An avalanche? A bush fire? Or are they considered to be...er...natural causes?

Does anyone know an English word - other than the obvious two letter solution, that starts and ends with 'HE' ? Yours in green spandex with black question mark motif...

Questions relating to the puzzle that is. er hum

a lightening strike?????? Grrrr these drive me mental

Does the basement contain a computer connected to a webcam in the second floor room?

am starting new club called "i hate andrew pack" ... anyone want to join?

No, but I like your style!

No to both those suggestions. The plums one is more fun. The cabin in the woods problem - if you think about it in exactly those terms you may get the answer.

Oh, I give up! C'mon Andrew, be a sport...

That is correct! Give Colin Diehard $200 and let him pass Go. Now, on to the next thing...

Its a cabin of an airplane which crashed.

And the guy without eyes was dreaming?

1) anything to do with a sauna? 2) he was mistaken. they weren't plums.

good one liana .... reckon you're right there

Ok, heres an old one... Theres a woman, who lives on the 13th floor of a tower block. Everyday, she gets in the lift, goes to the ground floor, does some shopping, and comes back to the tower block. She gets in the lift, goes up to the eight floor, then walks the rest of the way. Why does she do this?

it seems i would attach a pice of string to each switch, then make haste to the second floor room, pieces of string in hand, whence i would pull each piece in turn, thus turning on a light. having previously marked which piece of string was attached to which switch, the answer would be within my grasp. absolute piece of pistachio...