Be My Logical Valentine Trivia Quiz

Answer: At least one man sent a card.

There are four suitors. Clue 4 indicates that the man who sent carnations included a card. Clue 5 indicates that at least one man (Anton) did NOT send a card. However, we are not told whether the other two men sent a card or not. Therefore, we can conclude only that at least one man sent a card.


Although some sources erroneously connect the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia to St. Valentine's Day, it was Chaucer's poetry that apparently first made the connection between St. Valentine and romantic love (in 1381). The earliest surviving valentines in English were composed in 1477 by Margery Brewes to her future husband John Paston, "my right well-beloved Valentine".

Answer: Bob

Bob sent neither carnations nor orchids (clue 1), nor did he send roses, as he thinks they are overused (clue 2). Therefore, Bachelor Bob sent tulips.


Bob rejected roses, the classic symbol of love, because he wanted to stand out. He almost sent Helga yellow tulips, which during the Victorian era signified hopeless love and jealousy, because he despaired she would ever notice him (although in modern times they represent cheerful thoughts and smiles). But he decided a better way to get her attention was to go with blue tulips, specifically Blue Amiable, a relatively new long-stemmed cultivar that comes about as close to true blue as possible (with just a hint of lilac). Tulips originated in Persia and Turkey before finding their way to the Netherlands.

Answer: Ray

Neither Wyatt nor Anton gave Helga a box of chocolates (clue 8), nor did the man who sent tulips (clue 3), namely Bob (as we just determined in question 2). Therefore Ray sent the yummy sampler of dark chocolates.


Chocolate originated in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica (a historico-cultural region extending from central Mexico down to northern Costa Rica). It is said that Aztec Emperor Montezuma drank 50 golden goblets of hot chocolate, dyed red and flavored with chili peppers, every day. It is also said that while men crave salt and fat when stressed or lonely, women crave chocolate. Ray sent dark chocolates because he remembered that those are Helga's favorite (more antioxidants and stronger flavor).

Answer: perfume

It can't be the brooch or the teddy bear, because the man who sent the orchids gave neither of these as a gift (clue 6).
It can't be the chocolates because Ray, who did not send orchids (clue 7), sent those (question 3).
Therefore, it must be the perfume.


Hoping to convey his good taste, one of the suitors gave Helga the classic Chanel No. 5, the first scent by French couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (1883-1971). Coco Chanel came from humble beginnings - her mother was a washerwoman - so the fragrance of soap and freshly scrubbed skin stayed with her. Chanel No. 5 was the first perfume made from aldehydes, a synthetic component of an organic compound that smells rather like soap!

Answer: Wyatt

Bob sent tulips (question 2), so Bob's out.
In question 4 we determined that orchids-sender is also the perfume-sender. Ray sent chocolates (question 3), not perfume, so he didn't send the orchids. Likewise Anton did not send perfume (clue 5), so no orchids either.
That means it was Widower Wyatt who sent the orchids -- and the perfume (question 4).


The family Orchidacea boasts more than 25,000 flower species, and scientists are still discovering more. There are also over 100,000 hybrids and cultivars produced by horticulturists since Europe acquired tropical species. Orchids have bilateral symmetry similar to human faces. Wyatt sent purple orchids, which represent royalty and splendor, as well as admiration, to convey that he is no rakish Romeo or amateur amorist but a man of mature charm, devotion, and respect. He also wanted to convey longevity: orchids last longer than roses for Valentine's Day because they come potted, and so they can live for years. Orchid species can differ greatly from one another, with extreme variations in size, weight and color.

Answer: Wyatt

We know from question 4 that the perfume-sender is the orchids-sender. Additionally, in the previous question we reasoned our way to naming Wyatt as the only one who could have sent both the orchids and the perfume. (Review the reasoning in question 5). So the answer is Wyatt.


Helga loves Chanel No. 5. She plans to keep it in her bedroom, not her bathroom, because heat, light, and humidity will decompose perfume and make the scent too sharp or even musty. She also never rubs her wrists together after spraying. Perfume consists of top notes, heart notes, and base notes. The friction increases the interaction of the fragrance with the skin's natural oils, which distorts the scent by dissipating the top notes too quickly and going straight for the heart notes.

Answer: Anton

Bob did not give the teddy bear (clue 2); nor did Ray, who gave chocolates (question 3); nor did Wyatt, who gave perfume (question 5). Therefore, Anton sent the teddy bear.


Anton the Amorist hoped that the cute stuffed animal would convey his love and respect for animals as well his affection for Helga. According to legend, on 14 November 1902, the 26th President of the USA, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, went bear-hunting on horseback. When he returned to camp, he found a black bear had been beaten and tied to a tree by his attendants. The great huntsman, calling it unsportsmanlike, refused to shoot it. The incident became the topic of an editorial cartoon, which inspired Morris Mitchom to create a toy he called "Teddy's Bear". Early teddy bears were made to look like real bears, with beady eyes and longish snouts; modern teddy bears (like Anton's) have rounder, cuter faces and larger eyes.

Answer: Bob

Wyatt sent the perfume (questions 4-6).
Ray sent the chocolates (question 3).
Anton sent the teddy bear (question 7).
Therefore, by elimination, Bob sent the brooch.


People used to wear live chameleons as brooches in the late 1800s, and would pin them to their lapels, just like ordinary jewelry. The brooch that Bob gave, however, is an arrow-and-target brooch, set with rhinestones, that suggests Cupid's arrow and love. In the Victorian era, it meant, "It glitters, but it wounds" (Bob did his homework). Brooches have long been a gift to express admiration. Queen Victoria sent a brooch (not this one) to Florence Nightingale in Crimea to thank her for her service and wish her a safe return.

Answer: Ray

We know that Bob sent tulips (question 2), and that Wyatt sent orchids (questions 4-6). That leaves Anton and Ray.
The man who sent carnations included a card (clue 4). Anton did NOT include a card (clue 5), so he did not send the carnations, either.
Therefore, Ray the Divorcé sent the carnations.


White carnations suggest innocence, faithfulness, and above all pure love and good fortune. (Twice-divorced Ray is hoping the third time's the charm). They also represent peace, honesty, elegance, perfection, and humility. In ancient Rome, white carnations were called Jupiter's Flower, and the Greek botanist and philosopher Theophrastus in 300 BCE called them 'dianthus', meaning "divine flower". In those days, carnations were pink or peach, but now they are also available in white, yellow, red, green, purple, and even striped. (Ray was careful to avoid striped carnations, however, because these indicate refusal!)

Answer: Anton

Ray sent the carnations (question 9).
Bob sent the tulips (question 2)
Wyatt sent the orchids (questions 4-6).
Therefore, by elimination, amorous Anton sent the classic red, red roses.


The rose is one of the most beloved flowers in the world, and the one that is generally considered the most representative of love. (Since an amorist is one who is dedicated to love, it was a natural choice for Anton.) Mentioned in the Bible, roses are the oldest flower grown for decoration. A good source of vitamin C is rosehips, the accessory fruit of the rose plant, which are used in jams, marmalade, and herbal teas (tisanes). The oldest rose bush in the world grows at the Hildesheim Cathedral in Germany and is over 1000 years old!


In summary:
Bachelor Bob - blue tulips - brooch
Ray the Divorcé - white carnations - chocolates
Anton the Amorist - red roses - teddy bear
Widower Wyatt - purple orchids - perfume