Einstein's (election) riddle: are you in the two per cent that can solve it?

[pongo]

There are five houses with the outside walls painted in five different ways. David, Ed, Nick, Nicola and Nigel each live in one of the houses. They each drink a certain type of coffee, have a preferred mode of transport and keep a certain pet. No owners have the same pet, the same preferred mode of transport or drink the same type of coffee.

 

WHO OWNS THE FISH?

 

Nicola lives in the tartan house.

Ed has a guinea pig

David drinks mochaccino

The paisley house is on the left of the gingham house

The owner of the paisley house drinks flat whites.

The person who drives by car has a squirrel.

The owner of the striped house travels by bike.

The person living in the centre house drinks double espresso.

Nick lives in the first house.

The person who travels by train lives next to the one who has a pitbull.

The person who has a badger lives next to the person who travels by bike.

The person who travels by plane drinks chai latte.

Nigel goes everywhere by foot.

Nick lives next to the polka dot house.

The person who travels by train has a neighbour who drinks decaf.

For the sake of clarity: the houses are adjacent to each other in a line and the directions are from the perspective of someone looking at the houses. And any resemblance of David, Ed, Nick, Nicola and Nigel to the party leaders is purely coincidental. You have to solve this problem by logic, not by having had a coffee with any of them.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/science/alexs-adventures-in-numberland/2015/may/04/einsteins-election-riddle-are-you-in-the-two-per-cent-that-can-solve-it

[pongo]

 

Nigel has the fish I think:

Nick David Nicola Nigel Ed
Striped Polka Tartan Paisley Gingham
Decaf Mocca Espresso F White Chai Latte
Pitbull Badger Squirrel **FISH** Guinea Pig
Bike Train Car Foot Plane

 

[Declan]

Is it

 

 

Nick?

 

 

 

 

The person who travels by train lives next to the one who has a pitbull.

 

 

 

[wrighty]

I agree with Pongo

[Declan]

Yep he's right for the reason, I've added to the spoiler.

[squelch]

I also agree with Pongo

[the stinking enigma]

piece of piss i agree with the others

[Chinahand]

I find these logic quizzes really hard! Had a go last night, but ended up feeling lost and a bit dumb!

 

Being over busy, I'm trying to be disciplined so will only look at it after 10:00pm - but by then my brain is usually frazzled, so it'll probably take me a month to solve it! Hey ho!

[pongo]

If you repeatedly parse the list it unwraps itself. eg - the first time over the truths you know that the person in the middle house drinks espresso - that Nick is in the first house and that the second house is polka dot. The second time through the list the first thing you therefore know is the position of the paisley and gingham houses (therefore you know where Nicola lives - though programatically that would be third parse).

[the stinking enigma]

exactly