Cartalk puzzler

[MetalMat]

You may or may not be familiar with the radio show "Car Talk", but every week they have a puzzler. I would like some help with this one, I think I have the answer but would like your opinion:

Week of 10-06
NEW PUZZLER: A Leisurely Vacation
A guy goes on vacation to a resort and has a voucher for either golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon. 5 mornings he slept in, 7 afternoons he went swimming. Some days he did nothing. He used 8 vouchers. How many days was he there?

Btw, he gets a voucher every day he is there.

Link to the puzzler

 

[OdiN]

How could he use 8 vouchers when he only had one to start with? With the given information, all you could determine was that he was there at least 8 days, but it could be more.

Even if somehow he had more than one voucher (which he doesn't), it doesn't say that one must be used each day. And in fact, that isn't the case because it says some days he did nothing.

He could have slept in 5 days and gone swimming on 7 days and done nothing on 128 days.

 

[MetalMat]

Originally posted by: OdiN
How could he use 8 vouchers when he only had one to start with? With the given information, all you could determine was that he was there at least 8 days, but it could be more.

Even if somehow he had more than one voucher (which he doesn't), it doesn't say that one must be used each day. And in fact, that isn't the case because it says some days he did nothing.

He could have slept in 5 days and gone swimming on 7 days and done nothing on 128 days.

Well I am assuming he had to do something each day, fill it up with either a sleepin/swimming, a voucher/swimming and a sleepin/voucher. If that was the case it would be 10 right?

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: MetalMat

Originally posted by: OdiN
How could he use 8 vouchers when he only had one to start with? With the given information, all you could determine was that he was there at least 8 days, but it could be more.

Even if somehow he had more than one voucher (which he doesn't), it doesn't say that one must be used each day. And in fact, that isn't the case because it says some days he did nothing.

He could have slept in 5 days and gone swimming on 7 days and done nothing on 128 days.

Well I am assuming he had to do something each day, fill it up with either a sleepin/swimming, a voucher/swimming and a sleepin/voucher. If that was the case it would be 10 right?

Where is he getting these extra vouchers?

It says plain as day that "some days he did nothing" which would mean no golf, no massage, no swimming, nothing. Not even necessarily sleeping in. I don't know if he just stared at his toes all day or what, but whatever.

There is no limit placed on these days during which he did nothing, so it could be any number of days.

 

[MetalMat]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: MetalMat

Originally posted by: OdiN
How could he use 8 vouchers when he only had one to start with? With the given information, all you could determine was that he was there at least 8 days, but it could be more.

Even if somehow he had more than one voucher (which he doesn't), it doesn't say that one must be used each day. And in fact, that isn't the case because it says some days he did nothing.

He could have slept in 5 days and gone swimming on 7 days and done nothing on 128 days.

Well I am assuming he had to do something each day, fill it up with either a sleepin/swimming, a voucher/swimming and a sleepin/voucher. If that was the case it would be 10 right?

Where is he getting these extra vouchers?

It says plain as day that "some days he did nothing" which would mean no golf, no massage, no swimming, nothing. Not even necessarily sleeping in. I don't know if he just stared at his toes all day or what, but whatever.

There is no limit placed on these days during which he did nothing, so it could be any number of days.

Well that is what I thought at first, but if there is an answer besides infinity I would say 10.

 

[Quiksilver]

10 day's plus the untold amount of day's he did nothing.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: MetalMat

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: MetalMat

Originally posted by: OdiN
How could he use 8 vouchers when he only had one to start with? With the given information, all you could determine was that he was there at least 8 days, but it could be more.

Even if somehow he had more than one voucher (which he doesn't), it doesn't say that one must be used each day. And in fact, that isn't the case because it says some days he did nothing.

He could have slept in 5 days and gone swimming on 7 days and done nothing on 128 days.

Well I am assuming he had to do something each day, fill it up with either a sleepin/swimming, a voucher/swimming and a sleepin/voucher. If that was the case it would be 10 right?

Where is he getting these extra vouchers?

It says plain as day that "some days he did nothing" which would mean no golf, no massage, no swimming, nothing. Not even necessarily sleeping in. I don't know if he just stared at his toes all day or what, but whatever.

There is no limit placed on these days during which he did nothing, so it could be any number of days.

Well that is what I thought at first, but if there is an answer besides infinity I would say 10.

Given the information, every answer from 7 days (assuming one could use two vouchers a day) or 8 days (one voucher per day) is correct.

This is ignoring the fact that he only had 1 voucher to begin with anyway.

 

[BigJ]

"Last summer I went on vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Each day I was given a complimentary voucher, good for either a round of golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon, but I could only have one or the other.

"Because I was on vacation I took my days at a leisurely pace. Five of the mornings I slept in and seven of the afternoons I spent lounging by the pool bar. Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day. When I checked out I had only used eight of my vouchers."

Expanded version.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: BigJ

"Last summer I went on vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Each day I was given a complimentary voucher, good for either a round of golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon, but I could only have one or the other.

"Because I was on vacation I took my days at a leisurely pace. Five of the mornings I slept in and seven of the afternoons I spent lounging by the pool bar. Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day. When I checked out I had only used eight of my vouchers."

Expanded version.

Which also doesn't help as he could have stayed 80 days, used 8 vouchers and had 72 left when he checked out.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: BigJ

"Last summer I went on vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Each day I was given a complimentary voucher, good for either a round of golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon, but I could only have one or the other.

"Because I was on vacation I took my days at a leisurely pace. Five of the mornings I slept in and seven of the afternoons I spent lounging by the pool bar. Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day. When I checked out I had only used eight of my vouchers."

Expanded version.

Which also doesn't help as he could have stayed 80 days, used 8 vouchers and had 72 left when he checked out.

It does impose a limit on the vacation because it could only be for the duration of the summer.

Looking at the other puzzles, I'm sure there's something in the wording that people aren't picking up that details the answer.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: BigJ

"Last summer I went on vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Each day I was given a complimentary voucher, good for either a round of golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon, but I could only have one or the other.

"Because I was on vacation I took my days at a leisurely pace. Five of the mornings I slept in and seven of the afternoons I spent lounging by the pool bar. Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day. When I checked out I had only used eight of my vouchers."

Expanded version.

Which also doesn't help as he could have stayed 80 days, used 8 vouchers and had 72 left when he checked out.

It does impose a limit on the vacation because it could only be for the duration of the summer.

Looking at the other puzzles, I'm sure there's something in the wording that people aren't picking up that details the answer.

It just says he went in the summer, it doesn't say what season it was when he returned from vacation.

But even if we assume that, how many days is summer? We could have a minimum/maximum and any number in between could work.

 

[Quiksilver]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: BigJ

"Last summer I went on vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Each day I was given a complimentary voucher, good for either a round of golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon, but I could only have one or the other.

"Because I was on vacation I took my days at a leisurely pace. Five of the mornings I slept in and seven of the afternoons I spent lounging by the pool bar. Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day. When I checked out I had only used eight of my vouchers."

Expanded version.

Which also doesn't help as he could have stayed 80 days, used 8 vouchers and had 72 left when he checked out.

It does impose a limit on the vacation because it could only be for the duration of the summer.

Looking at the other puzzles, I'm sure there's something in the wording that people aren't picking up that details the answer.

Ding! You made me think about the wording
Wouldn't the correct answer really be the total amount of day's from the first to last day of summer? of last year 😉

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Quiksilver

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: BigJ

"Last summer I went on vacation at an all-inclusive resort. Each day I was given a complimentary voucher, good for either a round of golf in the morning or a massage in the afternoon, but I could only have one or the other.

"Because I was on vacation I took my days at a leisurely pace. Five of the mornings I slept in and seven of the afternoons I spent lounging by the pool bar. Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day. When I checked out I had only used eight of my vouchers."

Expanded version.

Which also doesn't help as he could have stayed 80 days, used 8 vouchers and had 72 left when he checked out.

It does impose a limit on the vacation because it could only be for the duration of the summer.

Looking at the other puzzles, I'm sure there's something in the wording that people aren't picking up that details the answer.

Ding! You made me think about the wording
Wouldn't the correct answer really be the total amount of day's from the first to last day of summer? of last year 😉

If that is the "correct" answer, then that's just wrong lol.

 

[Killmenow]

If he used 8 vouchers, I believe he had to have stayed at least 12 days. Where are you guys getting 10 from?

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: Killmenow
If he used 8 vouchers, I believe he had to have stayed at least 12 days. Where are you guys getting 10 from?

The puzzle is so open that there are many ways to come to a correct answer.

 

[marketsons1985]

Originally posted by: Killmenow
If he used 8 vouchers, I believe he had to have stayed at least 12 days. Where are you guys getting 10 from?

This is what I came up with also.

OdiN's just mad he can't figure it out.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Killmenow
If he used 8 vouchers, I believe he had to have stayed at least 12 days. Where are you guys getting 10 from?

5 sleeping in in the morning
7 lounge at pool in the afternoon
x nothing
8 voucher

poorly worded question. What is defined as doing nothing? is it no golf no massage or no golf, no massage, no sleeping in and no lounging at the pool?

assuming do nothing = no golf nor massage then 10 days would be enough, with 2 days of no golf nor massage.

 

[TallBill]

What a stupid question.

 

[imported_apocalypse]

It all depends on the definition of "do nothing".
Doing nothing could mean he didn't do any activities, but sleeping in doesn't count as an activity, so the exclusion is for golf, massage and swimming, which would be 11 days. Or it could only be excluding golf and massage, then its 10 days.

 

[nerp]

There is a specific answer. Every cartalk puzzler has a specific, exact answer.

 

[alkemyst]

how many massages had happy endings?

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: apocalypse
It all depends on the definition of "do nothing".
Doing nothing could mean he didn't do any activities, but sleeping in doesn't count as an activity, so the exclusion is for golf, massage and swimming, which would be 11 days. Or it could only be excluding golf and massage, then its 10 days.

The expanded version says, "Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day."

If the answer is the minimum that he could've been there, then I think it's 12 days.

3 days sleeping in and getting a massage
5 days playing golf and swimming
2 days sleeping in and swimming
2 days doing nothing

That would use 8 vouchers and would meet the "days doing nothing" requirement as well since that would require at least 2 days.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: apocalypse
It all depends on the definition of "do nothing".
Doing nothing could mean he didn't do any activities, but sleeping in doesn't count as an activity, so the exclusion is for golf, massage and swimming, which would be 11 days. Or it could only be excluding golf and massage, then its 10 days.

The expanded version says, "Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day."

If the answer is the minimum that he could've been there, then I think it's 14 days.

3 day sleeping in and getting a massage
5 days swimming and playing golf
2 days sleeping in and swimming
2 days doing nothing

That would use 8 vouchers and would meet the "days doing nothing" requirement as well since that would require at least 2 days.

What if he spent 5 days doing nothing?

It's not asking for the minimum, it's asking how long he was there.

Also your days add up to 12, not 14.

 

[akshatp]

What a stupid "puzzler" its so ambigous.

 

[kalrith]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: kalrith

Originally posted by: apocalypse
It all depends on the definition of "do nothing".
Doing nothing could mean he didn't do any activities, but sleeping in doesn't count as an activity, so the exclusion is for golf, massage and swimming, which would be 11 days. Or it could only be excluding golf and massage, then its 10 days.

The expanded version says, "Some days I golfed; some days I got a massage; other days I did nothing at all for the whole day."

If the answer is the minimum that he could've been there, then I think it's 14 days.

3 day sleeping in and getting a massage
5 days swimming and playing golf
2 days sleeping in and swimming
2 days doing nothing

That would use 8 vouchers and would meet the "days doing nothing" requirement as well since that would require at least 2 days.

What if he spent 5 days doing nothing?

It's not asking for the minimum, it's asking how long he was there.

Also your days add up to 12, not 14.

I meant to put 12 and changed the days as you were writing this.

I think it's too ambiguous to have one correct answer, and that leaves it up to interpretation. I interpreted it as the minimum, which would be 12 days, because there seems to be no maximum, which leaves an infinite number of possibilities. I could certainly be missing something, but I have no idea how there could be one and only one answer to this puzzler.

Edit: As you already mentioned, I think it's possible that it's the number of days during the entire summer season.