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Ape to Man doublet

  • 23-08-2008 03:26PM
    #1
    bothyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 442 ✭✭


    The doublet is supposed to have been invented by Lewis Carroll - the objective is to change one word into another by just changing one letter at a time. One famous example he gave was to change 'Ape' into 'Man'.

    This is exactly the same as what's happening in the 'Change a letter game' thread; except, here the aim is for all steps to be shown in a single post.

    The winner is the person who can do it in the least number of steps.

    Enjoy!


Comments

  • #2
    one-angry-dwarf
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 215 ✭✭one-angry-dwarf


    here goes

    APE
    are
    arm
    aim
    rim
    ram
    ran
    MAN

    7 steps. so far i'm the winner by default. yeeeeaaaa!


  • #3
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    ape
    are
    mar
    man

    That's 3 moves ;)


  • #4
    Teg Veece
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 550 ✭✭✭Teg Veece


    Dizzyblonde wrote: »
    ape
    are
    mar
    man

    That's 3 moves ;)

    I think when the op said that you can only change one letter, he also implied that you can't shift the other letters.
    So "are" to "mar" would be changing 3 letters.

    Otherwise you could just go
    ape
    map
    man


  • #5
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,110 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    :(


  • #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,045 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Ape
    Apt
    Opt
    Oat
    Mat
    Man

    5 steps :cool:


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  • #7
    bothyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 442 ✭✭bothyhead


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Ape
    Apt
    Opt
    Oat
    Mat
    Man

    5 steps :cool:

    Yeah, that's the accepted answer, I think. (Google)


  • #8
    Spike440
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 527 ✭✭✭Spike440


    I like this:

    Try "lead" to "gold".

    I can do it in 3.


  • #9
    The Thinker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19 ✭The Thinker


    lead
    load
    goad
    gold


  • #10
    The Thinker
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19 ✭The Thinker


    warm to cold in 4??


  • #11
    Spike440
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 527 ✭✭✭Spike440


    WARM
    WORM
    WORD
    CORD
    COLD


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  • #12
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,045 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    The Thinker wrote: »
    warm to cold in 4??


    Alternatively.....
    Warm
    Ward
    Card
    Cord
    Cold


  • #13
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 6,045 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    bothyhead wrote: »
    Yeah, that's the accepted answer, I think. (Google)

    Whats the point in Googling the answer to something like that when it's much more fun to try and do it yourself?


  • #14
    bothyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 442 ✭✭bothyhead


    I agree whole-heartedly. I used a well-known example just to get the ball rolling.


  • #15
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    Try HAND to FOOT in 5 steps or less.


  • #16
    Spike440
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 527 ✭✭✭Spike440


    HAND
    HIND
    FIND
    FOND
    FOOD
    FOOT


  • #17
    Spike440
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 527 ✭✭✭Spike440


    PRINCE TO PAUPER

    I can do it in 7 if we're allowing dropping/adding a letter as a step (e.g. please to lease).


  • #18
    KnifeWRENCH
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,148 ✭✭✭✭KnifeWRENCH


    Spike440 wrote: »
    HAND
    HIND
    FIND
    FOND
    FOOD
    FOOT

    Nicely done! :) My way was slightly different.
    HAND
    BAND
    BOND
    FOND
    FOOD
    FOOT


  • #19
    rgiller
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,074 ✭✭✭rgiller


    square_igloo wrote: »
    Nicely done! :) My way was slightly different.
    HAND
    BAND
    BOND
    FOND
    FOOD
    FOOT

    How about this:
    Hand
    Hard
    Hart
    Fart
    Fort
    Foot


  • #20
    bothyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 442 ✭✭bothyhead


    Spike440 wrote: »
    PRINCE TO PAUPER

    I can do it in 7 if we're allowing dropping/adding a letter as a step (e.g. please to lease).

    No, deletions or insertions are not allowed.


  • #21
    Mellor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,763 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    The short ones are generall esy, like lead to gold
    since we know that lea must change, its min of 3 moves and all moves are given, l-g-, e-o, a-l
    just get the order, longer ones like that ape to man are better as its less obvious


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  • #22
    bothyhead
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 442 ✭✭bothyhead


    Martin Gardner has done an interesting study on this.

    (I'm assuming he's the same guy who wrote the mathematical puzzles for Scientific American)

    http://books.google.ie/books?id=I9oVP8TlyqIC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=martin+gardner+doublet&source=web&ots=JMKmy9yDN_&sig=EcofzVjduJv39C6H8EI7qt3Zans&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result


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