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Are you ready to use your genius to win a T-shirt? See how well you perform at our ‘State’ College brain game.
Below are five numbered entries. Each entry is an alphabetical list of states that are unique in some way; they have something specific in common. You try to figure out what that “something” is. It might have to do with geography, symbols, history or cities, but could be anything at all.
The key word is “only.” An example entry: Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon. The answer? They’re the only states whose names begin with the letter “O.” Easy, huh? Well, they’re not all that easy!
When you’ve figured out all five answers, post them in a comment. (Comments are moderated, so they won’t show up until we release them, but they’ll appear in the order you sent them.) The first person to come up with all five correct answers wins a T-shirt from the mental floss store. Good luck!
1. Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oklahoma.
2. Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin.
3. Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee.
4. Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Oklahoma.
5. Arizona, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas.
UPDATE: We have a winner! If you still want to figure out the puzzle, don’t scroll down to the comments. Once you’ve figured them out (or given up) compare your answers to Comment #11 to see the correct answers. And feel free to comment if you’d like to see more mental_floss puzzles! -Sandy
Comments (13)
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For someone who works weekends, this post will do horrible things to my productivity.
posted by jzimm on 10-6-2007 at 12:27 pm
Is it okay to do these in separate posts as I figure them out?
3. The only states with consecutive double letters.
posted by Ifferjenn on 10-6-2007 at 12:35 pm
1. the only states to have their state quarters released next year (2008)
2. the only states to border at least one great lake
3. the only states whose names contain double letters
4. the only states with capitals that start with the same letter as the state
5. the only states to feature a single star on their state flags
posted by alex naser on 10-6-2007 at 12:38 pm
1. Last five admitted.
2. Great Lakes coastline.
3. Double letter in name.
4. Two pairs of vowels in name.
5. Five states that have something unique in common that is extremely difficult to figure out.
posted by NewMexiKen on 10-6-2007 at 12:42 pm
Sure; you’re free to do it however you like, but the winner will be the first person to get all five correct in the same post. So by posting a single correct one, you may give it away to someone else who hasn’t already figured it out. But that’s okay. Whatever works!
posted by Sandy on 10-6-2007 at 12:44 pm
1. Last five admitted.
2. Great Lakes coastline.
3. Double letter in name.
4. Two pairs of vowels in name.
5. Single star in flag (thanks alex).
posted by NewMexiKen on 10-6-2007 at 12:47 pm
Haven’t looked much at the rest, but I think precisely what they’re looking for on number one is that they’re the only five admitted in the 20th century right?
posted by kricket on 10-6-2007 at 1:01 pm
1. The only states to be admitted to the Union after 1900.
2. The only states that border at least one Great Lake.
3. The only states with double letters in their names.
4. The only states whose capitals begin with the same letter as the state does.
5. The only states whose flags have just one star on them.
posted by Rachel on 10-6-2007 at 1:05 pm
1. the only states to enter the union in the 20th century
2. the only states to border at least one great lake
3. the only states whose names contain double letters
4. the only states with capitals that start with the same letter as the state
5. the only states to feature a single star on their state flags
posted by alex naser on 10-6-2007 at 1:08 pm
i’m certainly willing to fight for my first post’s answer to #1. those states are indeed the only states to have state quarters released in 2008. i want my rhesus shirt!
thanks for such a fresh website and mag!
posted by alex naser on 10-6-2007 at 1:14 pm
And we have a winner! (In fact, we have two.) Here are the answers as we had them written:
1) The only states to ratify the Constitution in the 20th century
2) The only states to border a Great Lake
3) The only states whose name contain consecutive double letters
4) The only states whose capital cities start with the same letter as the state
5) The only states whose flags depict a single star
Rachel wins a T-shirt for matching our answer almost exactly. Alex’s answer to #1 is a perfectly legitimate answer and uses the word “only” as we had specified, so Alex receives a shirt as well.
Ken, you were close, but your answer for #1 used “last” instead of “only.” Remember, we’re not looking for these states as part of a list, but as “the only states” that have something in common. But, because I’m in a good mood and I want you all to tell everyone you know how much fun this was, you earn a shirt as well. (I have a feeling that the cost for that one will be coming out of my pocket. Oh, well!)
Thanks for playing, everyone! If you’d like more of these or other brainteasers and puzzles, add a comment to this post and let us know.
posted by Sandy on 10-6-2007 at 1:39 pm
What about Maine and Massachusetts…I thought their flags only had one star.
posted by Andrew on 10-6-2007 at 1:54 pm
You’re right, Andrew — there are small single stars on those two flags as well (as part of the state seal that appears on them).
The stars on the other flags aren’t part of those seals, but we should have made the distinction. My bad!
posted by Sandy on 10-6-2007 at 2:37 pm