Brain Teaser Question

[Taron]

So how is that the answer?

 

[Bearcub]

For the first two letters, the RA and LE are the same number of characters from the start of the first word. For the last two letters, the IL are the same number of characters from the end of the last word (SS).

Line of shit, I know...but it's the only thing I could see, and that's with knowing the answer.

 

[Kachiko]

It's looking for a real word, using the end of each word.
Using the first example, they dropped the "e" , so you'd assume it was ok to drop it on the second as well.

 

[Coffee]

If that was the intention, that's a pretty weak idea.

 

[Kachiko]

It's pretty common in I.Q. tests.

 

[Bearcub]

Yeah, but 'trying to make a real word' thing falls...there are more than RAIL that can be made in the second set and more than Less from the first, and it's not using the end of each set, and assuming you can drop the E is assuming...and do you know what happens when you assume?

 

[Taron]

Kachiko seems to be right. I've ran into a few more questions like this since the first, and they all follow the same pattern. Which is fantasticly easy when you know the pattern, but insanely silly when it's the first time you've seen it.

Pretty much start with the last 2 letters of the first word, then work backwards on the second until you find a 4-letter word.
If you don't find one, then move one spot left on the first word, and do it again, repeat until a word clicks.

Seems like more of a "have you seen this before" problem than a real "discover the pattern" problem.