Wednesday Puzzle

Answers to this Week's Puzzle

1. This type of "toy" gun shoots round pellets.

B

The BB gun shoots pellets called BB's. A common misconception is that BB stands for ball bearing; it is actually a reference to the size of the pellets. The three smallest lead shots are B (4.32 mm or 0.17 inch), BB (4.57 mm or 0.18 inch), and BBB (4.82 mm or 0.19 inch)

2. This group has a twelve-step program to help people recovering from a certain addiction.

A

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 by Bob Smith and Bill Wilson. They were both alcoholics, but helped each other to stay sober.

3. When you cross train tracks, you often see a round sign with a large X and this double letter.

R

The two R's stand for "rail" and "road", while the X stands for "crossing." Many modern signs are a white X with the words "railroad" and "crossing" on the two arms of the X.

4. Two members of this "Top" rock group were known for long beards and a song about legs.

Z

ZZ Top was formed in 1969. Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill are famous for their chest-length beards. The drummer, Frank Beard, usually has just a moustache. Some of their most famous songs are "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Sharp Dressed Man", and "Legs".

5. This is a standard size of dry cell battery.

A

The AA battery is one of the most common batteries used for household objects. Other standard battery sizes are: AAA, C, D, and 9-volt.

6. Besides the "to:" list, this is a secondary list of names that should also receive an email.

C

An email can include "to:" for the primary list of recipients, "cc:" for a secondary list of recipients, and "bcc:" for a blind cc. The letters cc stand for carbon copy, referring to the use of carbon paper to make multiple copies. Carbon paper has largely been replaced by photocopiers and printers.

7. This metric abbreviation can be a long or short distance, depending on whether the first letter is uppercase or lowercase.

M

The metric unit of length is the metre, which uses the symbol m (always lowercase). Some common prefixes are m (milli), c (centi), k (kilo), and M (mega). One mm is one thousandth of a metre. For comparison, 1 inch is roughly 25.4 millimetres. One Mm is one million metres. For comparison, 1 megametre is roughly 621 miles.

8. There are several Roman numerals which could fit this quiz. What is the smallest one?

I

The smallest number composed of a double letter is II (the Roman numeral for 2). The Roman numerals representing powers of 10 (I, X, C, M) can appear as double letters: II is 2, XX is 20, CC is 200, MM is 2000.

9. This is a common abbreviation for some "down-time" or a vacation.

R

R&R stands for rest and relaxation. Most adults need 7-8 hours of rest every night. A lack of sleep can affect your mood, and your ability to concentrate and remember things. Relaxation is important to reduce stress.

10. These candies melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

M

M&M's are chocolate pieces with a candy coating. Each piece has the letter "m" on it.