Who is telling the truth?

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Whoha
If so far includes himself then hes lying because hes telling the truth(and so on).

That was kind of the point. It's a weird puzzle. Most of these things don't use intensional contexts, which is why this one is more interesting than most.

[Victor Galis]

Re: Who is telling the truth?

Analyzed in line:

Adams: "My five friends here are telling the truth, of course."

Obviously false, since only one answer can be true.

Benson: "As usual, all of those four morons from the creek are lying."

Possibly true, since he calls 4 out of the 6 false, and doesn't comment on the last one (which is also false).

Creek-Cooper: "Only one of the two distinguished gentlemen before me was telling the truth."

This can not be true since that would imply at least two true statements. So the first two are either both false or both true. Since we know the first to be false, they're both false.

Dixon of the Creek: "My three friends have just been telling you the truth", referring to the three who spoke before him.

Impossible.

Everts Creekdweller: "Nobody who has spoken so far has told the truth."

True.

Fredericks O'Creek: "You're all a bunch of liars."

False. The previous statement was true.

As for the "so far" argument, it's off the mark. He clearly says "... spoken so far..." He is currently speaking, therefore he can not be refering to himself due to the tense.

[Winston]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
As for the "so far" argument, it's off the mark. He clearly says "... spoken so far..." He is currently speaking, therefore he can not be refering to himself due to the tense.

Agreed. Bow before my mad translating skillz!

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse
Adams is obviously ruled out. Benson is ruled out by Creek-Cooper's statement (see above). Creek-cooper has already been dismissed. Dixon obviously ruled out. O'Creek's statement, if true, would mean that Creekdweller's statement was also true, making 2 true statements, both violating the rules of the game and contradicting itself.

By process of elimination, Creekdweller alone remains.

You don't even have to eliminate all of them. Just work down the list and each eliminates himself, until 5 is obviously true.

[Victor Galis]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


You don't even have to eliminate all of them. Just work down the list and each eliminates himself, until 5 is obviously true.

Actually, 2 doesn't eliminate himself, his statement is eliminated by 3.

[Agathon]

It amazes me you think this is some sort of achievement.

[Dinner]

If it matters, after just reading the OP my conclusion was E.