Eric is going on vacation to Florida, and he's taking some of his friends with him. However, he has obsessive compulsive disorder, and he has some very strange requirements on what his guests must bring.

For instance, his friend Jon can only come if he brings something like orange juice. Stacy can only come if she takes bags of peanut M&M's and such. Billy could go if he takes denim jeans, but he must also bring bananas. However, Eric's friend Janet couldn't go on vacation with him no matter what she brings.

Eric's friend Russel could go with him if he brings ketchup. If Elvis were alive, though, he couldn't go with Eric.

Eric's friend Ashley has the same requirements Stacy has, and so does his other friend, Yao. However, Yao has an additional requirement: He must also bring ripe pumpkins, which Stacy and Ashley need not bring.

Eric's friend Paul could go if he brings plums, and Garry could go if he brings some $20 bills, but he must also bring tomatoes and a yellow smiley face. Eric himself is only able to go on vacation because he is bringing his wife, who had just returned from Florida.

So the question is: Can Robby go on vacation? If he can't, why not? If he can, what must he bring?

All the friends that have an "Y" (of YES) in their names, could go. This explains why STACY, BILLY, ASHLEY, YAO and GARRY could go.

BILLY and GARRY, for the fact that have a double letter before the "Y", must bring two things. The second letter in the alfabet after the (double) "L" in BILLY is "N", so she must bring something with two "N's" (denim jeans) and also "bananas". The second letter in the alfabet after the (double) "R" in GARRY is "T", so she must bring something with two "T's", "twenty dollar bills" and also "tomatoes". YAO, for the fact that does not ends in Y (as the others), must bring something else that has two letters of the name ERIC, so "RIpe pumpkins".

But, what about those who haven't an "Y" in his name, JON, JANET, RUSSEL, ELVIS, PAUL and ERIC himself ?

JON, RUSSEL, PAUL and ERIC could go, but JANET AND ELVIS couldn't. Why ?

JON could go because he brings "orange juice", that has, at least, two letters is common with his name.

RUSSEL could go because he brings "ketchup", that has, at least, two letters in common with his name.

PAUL could go because he brings "plums" that has, at least, two letters in common with his name.

ERIC, himself,  could go because he brings "wife", that has, at least, two letters in common with his name.

I must confess that I didn't figured out why JANET and ELVIS couldn't go.

But, even not knowing about JANET and ELVIS, BOBBY could go (because his name ends in "Y"), and like BILLY and GARRY, for the fact that the second letter of the alfabet after "B" is "D", he must bring ", for example, a "dashboard" and a "decoder".

Posted by ARLEKIM on 2005-02-20 17:07:49