Mind Games 12: Holiday Special

Hone your detective skills to solve the Case of the Stolen Pressies – and unscramble some word salads, with festive results. Happy Holidays!

32. Christmas Crime Spree

Oh dear, the Christmas presents have been stolen! Three expensive items have been recovered – and three people have laid complaints. But which gift belongs to whom, and where was each one stolen?

The police have a few clues:

1. A pedigree puppy and a bottle of cologne are two of the stolen gifts.

2. The present stolen from the beauty salon is for Caroline.

3. Nico was not going to get cologne for Christmas.

4. Luvo's gift was stolen out of a car.

5. The leather jacket was not stolen from a car or from a restaurant.

See the answer.

33. Hyper Ape Yawn!

These anagrams mix up the letters of five festive phrases or things. See if you can decipher them from the clues given.

Example: Hyper Ape Yawn! Is an anagram of Happy New Year!

Yo lush mermaid

clue: Time off in the sun.

Outer sky rat

clue: This Christmas meal does the gobbling.

Prawn grape pip

clue: Makes surprise packages look prettier on the outside.

Micro clash star

clue: Hark and jingle! You hear this kind of thing a lot, this time of year.

Fat fiery cop

clue: When workmates mingle after a long year.

Hack Carp Gnome

clue: Keeps the bubbly down.

See the answers.

More Mind Games

Do you have a great brain teaser? Please send it in; we'll choose the best for inclusion in future Mind Games.

- Olivia Rose-Innes and Senora Sine Thirteen, Health24, August 2011

References:
Stangroom, J (2009). Einstein's Riddle: Riddles, Paradoxes, and Conundrums to Stretch Your Mind.