"Matrimonial Problems": lateral thinking puzzle

**soxfan**[$] · #1 04-29-2004, 03:47 PM

Another one from Paul Sloane's Lateral Thinking Puzzlers. I thought about changing the genders around, in honor of May 17, but things are confusing enough already.

John and David were brothers. John married Jane. David married Diana. The strange thing was, John and Diana shared the same wedding anniversary. David's wedding anniversary was one month before this date and Jane's was one month after it. None of them had ever divorced or remarried. What was going on?

My PM box is now open.

theeye · #2 04-29-2004, 04:07 PM

Heh. PM coming.

**soxfan**[$] · #3 04-29-2004, 04:09 PM

Heh. PM coming.

Received and answered.

eplovejoy · #4 05-01-2004, 01:42 PM

Yep, this is confusing. Or else I just can't think straight.

Is it okay to start asking questions?

If so, are the one-month timeframes significant or would the solution be the same if, say, David's was six weeks before and Jane's just one week after?

If it's not okay to start asking questions, never mind.

cristina1 · #5 05-01-2004, 02:28 PM

Sent a PM, also.

murasaki · #6 05-01-2004, 02:33 PM

Heh.

Are John and David ministers?

**soxfan**[$] · #7 05-01-2004, 10:34 PM

Is it okay to start asking questions? Yep.

If so, are the one-month timeframes significant or would the solution be the same if, say, David's was six weeks before and Jane's just one week after? It'd be the same.

Sent a PM, also. Received and answered.

Are John and David ministers? Yes, they most certainly are.

Now, what about the shared anniversaries?

*emeleel* · #8 05-01-2004, 10:59 PM

John and David are ministers who performed Jane and Diana's weddings - to other men. But Diana ended up getting married on the same day as John's anniversary.

How's that?

murasaki · #9 05-02-2004, 08:41 AM

Or John performed the marriage ceremony of David and Diana and David performed the marriage ceremony of John and Jane, one month apart.

**soxfan**[$] · #10 05-03-2004, 10:29 AM

John and David are ministers who performed Jane and Diana's weddings - to other men. But Diana ended up getting married on the same day as John's anniversary. How's that? Not quite there, sorry.

Or John performed the marriage ceremony of David and Diana and David performed the marriage ceremony of John and Jane, one month apart. No -- David's anniversary is a month before Diana's.

*emeleel* · #11 05-03-2004, 10:44 AM

Okay, the obvious question:

Is John married TO Jane?
Is David married TO Diana?

cristina1 · #12 05-03-2004, 10:59 AM

Is John married to Diana since they share the same anniversary?

Did David perform the ceremony of John and Diana?

David and Jane have different anniversay dates, so I am assuming they are not married.

John must have preformed Jane's ceremony. She didn't marry David if my above reasoning is correct.

My guess: John and David are ministers (We know this from a previous question that has been answered.) John performed Jane's ceremony to someone who is not mentioned here. David performed the ceremony of John and Diana. Therefore, John and Diana share an anniversary (duh! They are married!), David is married to someone else and his anniversary is earlier, and Jane was married to someone else later.

Whew! That theory is confusing me!

**theworm**[$] · #13 05-03-2004, 11:12 AM

I thought that this was finished.

John performed the marriage ceremony for Jane.
David performed the marriage ceremony for Diana - then left and went to his own brother John's wedding.
One month after Johns own wedding, he performed the wedding ceremony for Jane.
One month before John's wedding, he attended his brother David's wedding.

**soxfan**[$] · #14 05-03-2004, 12:23 PM

Is John married TO Jane? No.
Is David married TO Diana? No.

My guess: John and David are ministers (We know this from a previous question that has been answered.) John performed Jane's ceremony to someone who is not mentioned here. David performed the ceremony of John and Diana. Therefore, John and Diana share an anniversary (duh! They are married!), David is married to someone else and his anniversary is earlier, and Jane was married to someone else later. Yes! Nice work figuring this one out -- it was more convoluted than I realized. :thumbs: