Algebraical Words

[Rudi]

Find the common factor for each of these words...

1. HXY
2. POXTATE
3. WXY
4. CAX
5. NEXRK
6. OXNION

[HansV]

They all contain an X

[Rudi]

OK...LOL...besides that.

[Rudi]

Here is a clue for the above puzzle:
As with the above list, this word will fit the common factor: Penniless

[HansV]

But it does't contain an X!

[Rudi]

But it does't contain an X!

That's because I've already solved for X

[HansV]

Spoiler

Frankly, I don't like the inclusion of OXNION. If that is valid, any word containing a E or I, replaced with X, matches the 'rule':
X
BX
XF
HX
XN
XS
XT
WX
to name a few short examples...

[Rudi]

I'm not sure I understand your solution Hans?

Here is another hint to the solution of the puzzle...
The number in brackets represents the word length when solved.

1. HXY (5)
2. POXTATE (9)
3. WXY (7)
4. CAX (6)
5. NEXRK (7)
6. OXNION (7)
7. PENXESS (9) - PENNILESS

[HansV]

Spoiler

The idea is to replace X with a word representing a number. The first five are OK: ONE, TEN, EIGHT, NINE, TWO - they are very basic, standard numbers. NIL more or less fits that idea.
But number 6 uses PI. If you allow a mathematical definition such as pi (the ratio between circumference and diameter of a circle, 3,1415...), you should also allow e (the basis of natural logarithms, 2.7172...) and i (the square root of -1, used in imaginary/complex numbers). So any word containing an e or i would fit the pattern. That rankles with me.

[Rudi]

Hans, Simply Red sings: If you don't know me by now, you will never never know me...
You should know by now that my puzzles will never go into that much mathematical detail. That part about logarithms and square roots will not even pass my thoughts let alone enter puzzles I post here. Besides, I took it from a magazine and modified the caption as I knew it would be tooooo simple to solve with the IQ of loungers here. See the original below.

Oh, and just to add some Congrats to you for solving it. You have it spot on without the need to search for deeper meanings :)

IMG_0709.jpg

[HansV]

The original puzzle was straightforward. By changing the question, you forced readers to think about the 'rule' behind the formation of such words - in other words, to search for the 'deeper meanings'...

[Rudi]

I didn't expect you to go so deep :) - But Simply Red's song can apply to me too... If I don't know you by now, I will never, never know you.....la la la la...
Sorry if there was confusion with the puzzle.