One Key to the Back Door Quiz | Brain Teasers

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Replace every letter in the alphabet by its sequential number (A=1, B=2, ..., Y=25, Z=26). Then ADD the numbers corresponding to each letter in the given word. What is the SUM? Let's enter the house of our dreams by the DOOR. What's the sum of the numbers corresponding to the letters of DOOR? As this is the first question, let's help you a bit: D=4, O=15, R=18.

Answer: 52

I told you the D stands for 4, each O stands for 15, and the R is 18. Now we add up these numbers: 4+15=19, 19+15=34, 34+18=52.

Ordinarily brain breakers are obtained by multiplying the numbers. This would give 4*15=60, 60*15=900; 900*18=16,200. But as more letters are used, things may get quite complicated.

On top of this multiplication, the classic brain breaker gives only the resulting product. One has to factor the product and puzzle out the correct word.

2. Before entering, you should wipe your feet. What is the brain breaker sum of the little carpet you use to wipe your feet? Start with a three letter word, then replace every letter in the alphabet by its sequential number (A=1, B=2, ..., Y=25, Z=26). Finally ADD the numbers corresponding to each letter in the given word. What is the SUM? Incidentally, the product would be 260.

Answer: 34

Yes, you wipe your feet on a MAT. Replace the letters and you get M=13, A=1 and T=20. The sum of these three numbers is 34 (13+1=14, 14+20=34).

As stated in the question, the product is 260 (13*1*20). I've added this product to make you see the RUG would not be a correct answer: a rug is indeed a cloth or carpet, but not specifically the one used to wipe your feet upon. The brain breaker product of a rug would be 18*21*7= 2,646.

3. So now you're in a minor room inside the house, a room that opens up on one or more doors. What is this first room in your house, where guests can take off their coats? Once more, I need the SUM of the letters out of a four letter word.

Answer: 33

The first room in the house, opening up on one or more doors, is the HALL. Add the numbers corresponding to the letters of HALL and you get 8+1=9, 9+12=21; 21+12=33.

By the way, the brain breaker product would be 8*1=8; 8*12=96; 96*12=1,152.

4. The next room is something most of our homes don't have. What is the main room of a mansion called, the room where the lady of the house would entertain her female guests after dinner? Omit the word ROOM and give me the SUM of a seven letter word with artistic inspiration.

Answer: 76

The main room in a mansion, destined to entertain guests, is a DRAWING room. The main activity in this room is not necessarily of artistic nature, the word is short for "withdrawing room". After dinner in an Edwardian or Victorian mansion, the lady of the house and her female guests would withdraw into the drawing room and start gossiping over a cup of tea or coffee, while her husband and his male guests would go into the billiard room to shoot some pool and discuss politics, whilst enjoying brandy and cigars. At least, that is the traditional point of view. I've never had the opportunity of visiting such a mansion myself, so I don't know first-hand what is customary.

Now on to the puzzle. The sum of the numbers corresponding to the letters of drawing is 4+18+1+23+9+14+7. Let's calculate one step at a time: 4+18=22, 22+1=23, 23+23=46, 46+9=55, 55+14=69, 69+7=76. If one would add the word "room", one shoud add 61 and obtain a grand total of 137.

The brain breaker product is obtained by mulitplying: 4*18*1*23*9*14*7. My calculator tells me this results in 1,460,592.

5. Oops, my home is not as big as the mansion mentioned in the previous question. I'll stick to a room that is a bit more typical of modern western architecture, a room with (among other furniture) a TV set and some fauteuils. What is the brain breaker SUM of this room? Start with a six letter word and leave out the word ROOM. To avoid any confusion: I've used a SIX letter word preceding "room" and typically associated (if not followed by room) with biology.

Answer: 73

The LIVING room is the room in which you'll find my TV set. Let's replace the letters: 12+9+22+9+14+7. Adding these numbers gives 73.

Once again, you need that calculator if you would like to obtain the brain breaker product. This product would be 2,095,632.

By the way, there are several possible denominations for this room. You could use the word lounge (Australian usage) or parlour (American spelling parlor), or you could speak of the salon. Dictionary.com gives also the drawing room as a synonym, but I'm quite convinced a typical drawing room would not contain a TV set.

Let's give the sums of the various synonyms: LOUNGE would have a sum of 74, PARLOR (American spelling) has a sum of 80. The British spelling of PARLOUR would result in a sum of 101. A SALON gives a sum of 61, as I'm sure you can verify yourself.

For those of you interested, here are the products of these synonyms. LOUNGE has a brain breaker product of 1,852,200. SALON results in a brain breaker product of 47,880. PARLOR (in the American spelling) gives a product of 933,120, while the British spelling (PARLOUR) results in 19,595,920.

I'm sure this paragraph suffices to explain why I consistently use the SUM variation in stead of the classical multiplication technique.

6. I'm feeling a bit hungry right now, so I'm off to the next room in order to bake an omelette. Now what is the brain breaker SUM of this room where I can prepare a light lunch, a snack, or whatever?

Answer: 70

I prepare lunch in the KITCHEN, and replacing the letters by the appropriate numbers gives 11+9+20+3+8+5+14. The sum of these numbers adds up to 70.

Things could get quite complicated when asking for the product of these numbers. The product of all this 3,326,400.

7. While preparing my omelette, I fancy some mushrooms to go with it. So I go downstairs to fetch some mushrooms out of the freezer. What is the room below the main floor called? Once again, I need the SUM of the numbers corresponding to the letters. I've used a SIX letter word for the room below the main floor, so don't calculate the sum of the letters in the words "basement" or "downstairs", neither of those contained in the words "vault" or "subterrane".

Answer: 51

The CELLAR is downstairs. The sum of the numbers corresponding to the letters of CELLAR is 3+5+12+12+1+18.

Similar sums for the synonyms are 79 for basement, 142 for downstairs, 76 for vault or 123 for subterrane.

8. Did I lock my car? Let's find out in the building next to the house where my car is parked. What is the sum of the numbers corresponding to the letters of this building, a word of SIX letters? Mind you: I'm not referring to a "carport" or a "parking lot", for these words contain more than six letters.

Answer: 39

My car is parked in the GARAGE. The sum is 7+1+18+1+7+5, which gives 39.
A carport would sum up to 91, and a parking lot would give the sum of 123.

Well, GARAGE is a nice word for a brain breaker: it has twice the letter A, which doesn't influence the product. The product is 7*1*18*1*7*5. Some of you can do this calculation by heart: it gives 4,410. If you're one of them, congratulations.

9. My guests have left, and I've tidied up the mess. Now I'm going to take a quick shower. What is the brain breaker SUM of the room where I can wash my hands or take a shower? Once again, I don't want the word ROOM (which sums up to 61, coincidentally).

Answer: 31

The BATH room is what we were looking for, and as we don't want the sum to include the word ROOM, we're left with a mere BATH: 2+1+20+8=31.
The sum to BATH ROOM would be 31+61=92.

The brain breaker product of BATH is quite easy, too. Multiplying the numbers 2*1*20*8 results in 320.

10. Finally, I turn in for the night. Tomorrow is another day. What is the brain breaker SUM of the piece of furniture in which I would like to sleep, and that has given us the word for the room in which it is situated? You may omit the word ROOM, so you need only to ADD UP three letters.

Answer: 11

This is a piece of cake to conclude this quite weird quiz. I prefer sleeping in a BED, and the brain breaker SUM of a BED is 2+5+4=11. Now anyone of you may do this calculation by heart and then turn in.
Even the brain breaker product of BED would be very easy: 2*5*4=40.

Source: Author JanIQ

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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One Key to the Back Door Trivia Quiz

Brain breakers. Replace every letter in the alphabet by its sequential number (A=1, B=2, ..., Y=25, Z=26). Then ADD the numbers corresponding to each letter in the given word. What is the result?

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