ArcaMax

Below are ten clues, each of which relates to the first line of a different Christmas carol or song. Unlike the title of the teaser, these clues only have the first letters of each of the words.

Can you figure out what songs they are?

1. CROAOF
2. IDOAWC
3. RTRNRHAVSN
4. GGROBAR
5. IHABCWY
6. ISMKSC
7. OTFDOCMTLGTM
8. FTSMWAJHS
9. IBMBOJHSSOM
10. JBJBJBR

What two words, when said or written seem as though they are opposite, but really mean the same thing?

Solve this anagram for one of the most famous conquerors in history:

He hangs king.

I have many feathers to help me fly. I have a body and head, but I'm not alive. It is your strength which determines how far I go. You can hold me in your hand, but I'm never thrown.

What am I?

What is the only city with three dotted letters all in a row?

Saippuakivikauppias is the Finnish word for a soapstone seller. Aside from being a long tongue twister, what else is special about this word?

What is the longest pair of English words that are pronounced exactly the same but share no letter in common?

On a hot summer day by a lake you are determined to build a boat made of ice, using a refrigeration unit and a large mold in which you can pour water. Nearby you notice an Egyptian mummy resting on a pile of wood pulp. What is the best strategy for building an ice boat that will not melt before you sail it across the lake?

You are in a tunnel that branches in two directions, like a T. To your left is a door with the enigmatic words: "Wide ill you" and "Wild lie you." On the right are the words "Evil will you" and "Veil will you." Which door do you choose?

"She" is a word that contains two personal pronouns: she and he. What five-letter word beginning with "U" contains four personal pronouns?

You are imprisoned within a small jail cell. Your cell mate is a large monkey that is blind in one eye and does not have all its fingers on one hand. Your captors turn to you and say, "Do you feel more sorry because of the monkey's eye or hand? If you answer correctly, we will set you free."

Can you decipher this phrase?

R.P.I.

You are enjoying your breakfast after having put some salt on your scrambled eggs when your nerdy brother presents you with an ice cube floating in a glass of water and a short length of string. He challenges you to remove the ice cube from the glass using the string without tying any knots. What strategy do you use to remove the ice cube from the water glass?

You awake inside a small transparent capsule sitting on the surface of Venus. From a small speaker you hear a voice that says, "We will leave you here either for a day or a year. If you choose to stay a day, we will give you $1 million. If you choose to stay a year, we will give you $2 million. Either way, you will have sufficient food and water. We will make sure the temperature is a constant 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We will also supply cable TV."

What is your choice? (Don't let money decide your answer).