The Sphinx's Lair

lauir

12:49 AM

@thecoder16 , Got it. So far. It jumps over a ditch.

Thank you.

I'll never sleep again. Too much happens.

Jesus Christ Superstar - Everything's Alright - Legendado (PT/BR)

►

But I woke from stupor this time to continue a mathematical gift.

Sphinx

0

Q: Thick and light walled dots sequence

Hi I saw this sequence and cant's stop thinking about it. I was guessing that the number of thick-walled dots represents the number of sides for the next shape in the sequence the 3rd shape has 3 thick-walled dots, and the 4th has 3 sides the 4th has 6 dots, and the 5th could be said to hav...

lauir

(Also because someone knocked on my door.)

If you don't know milliardimensional orthogonality, go myriad.

I thought 1-D was easy until it went 2.

Then 3- and 4-D showed with some highs and lows.

Didn't get easy again until it got 1,000- or multitu-D

All you need for starters is to recognize that a 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x ... x 1 x 1 diagonal can separate all data.

Those other transforms (Fourier/Hilbert/wavelet) take advantage of that, the hard way.

I should be wasting my time at mathems.se, but that would be a waste of time. Here people actually try and make sense.

The catch is that any random collection of bits is independent of any other. If you want to tag one with a particular meaning (frequency, in old-fashioned terms), feel free.

The next random collection is sufficiently distant.

As mentioned, that was a gift. Could be theses or more. Details upon request.

(Please ask.)

Too geeky for here after all? I try to make it look easy. Time to propose beta.awkward.se.

I'M NOT LISA by JESSI COLTER

►

Think I'll change mynym to @blabbermouth.

Wen1now

1:24 AM

Sorry everyone

micsthepick

wb wen

Wen1now

I was away for a while, and when I got back home my internet was down

I dunno, what kind of hint do you wnat

micsthepick

a useful, not too revealing hint?

Alconja

there were a couple of attempts while you were gone... any of them correct?

Wen1now

I dunno

I don't think so, just did a search for the answer in the search bar

micsthepick

1:28 AM

you could do something like this:

Nov 12 at 16:56, by Rubio

CCCC hint: First letter is I

or you could do something more interesting...

Wen1now

I still have no idea what would be a good hint

24hr+ hint: 'and' is purely for surface

micsthepick

I really meant it when I said useful...

(I suppose that hint is useful to an extent however)

Wen1now

I can give a 48hr+ hint if anybody wants

I guess I do owe a ~~few~~ lot of hints

ffao

that 24h hint was not very useful, maybe just give the 48h one

lauir

(poetry!)

Wen1now

1:38 AM

48hr+ hint: The 'headless' does not refer to 'rebel'

lauir

(Am I the only one who speaks English? Or the only one who repeats? It's so much fun.)

micsthepick

@Deus puzzling.stackexchange.com/users/43024/… puzzling.stackexchange.com/users/43023/…

lauir

Tha ebsurdity!

Why do people think they can get away with that?

Why do people think?

I got away with one ploy, a couple of times. (@Pangloss.) Then I thought again.

This is, for whatever it's worth, the best of all possible worlds.

Wen1now

Wait wha happened to your username

lauir

Keyword: possible.

@Wen1now , thank you for noticing! Myusyrnym has never been the same since someone else took "rat."

Three little letters, thought they were mine.

But they were borrowed well before I scurried by.

I still haven't double-checked your green score. Just assumed it was legitimate.

Sure looked good! Still does.

. . . supper's (almost) ready . . .

Robbery, Assault, and Battery - Genesis [Music Video] (1976)

►

Zoom ahead to 3:36. Never mind that those musicians can't stick to 4.

Anyone seen the full moon lately?

King Crimson - Moon Child - YouTube

►

I got my moonparent a telescope on a whim, with help. Turned out to be the perfect present.

Aquarius (Let the Sunshine in)

►

^ you knew that was on the way.

Let the sun shine in!

Let's make sure. (Many partially veiled entreaties.)

Wen1now

2:18 AM

Does anybody want a new hint

micsthepick

I think that you should give it a little time.

lauir

Patience!

micsthepick

the second hint was much more helpful

lauir

The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) Lyrics

►

micsthepick

DA DA DA DA dA

dundidldundildadadadadah!

lauir

2:24 AM

Kylla" on!

(That means "truly" in a "right on" way.)

(Where "on" = "is." Language!)

I was born in a snowbank without a native tongue. Could've been worse. Been getting better ever since.

As if anyone asked. But do ask me about umpteenth-D vectors. They're coming your way whether or not.

They account for uncertainty. Turns out you only need half-umpteen bits of accuracy.

ffao

2:41 AM

I don't think anyone has really tried it after the hint, so maybe wait a bit

for a value of a bit lower than a week

lauir

The sweetest puzzles last forever.

The ripest fruits just become more intoxicating.

But, to reiterate why I even stirred today: grab random multivectors by the horns and hang on.

If you need, learn a couple of things about statistics and information theory along the way. The ride will be worth it.

I needed. And did. It was.

Still is.

That's how it works sometimes. You don't find out until you're lucky enough to flank someone out of control.

lauir

3:12 AM

And now the feral cat, who once had the softest mewl, is screaming.

How the trees grow tall.

lauir

3:25 AM

Repeat, during another idle moment:

"Screw Loose" Lenora

►

"Toys in the belfry, bats in the attic."

"I've made up my mind, which I've lost."

Sphinx

0

Q: Landing 4 on a Broken Die

This is not hard, but fun. Suppose you have a die such that its 1,5,6 and 4 face are broken. Whenever 1 face lands, it gets rolled over to an adjacent face. If 5 face lands, it is equally likely that it may stick or get rolled over to the adjacent face. If 4 lands, it has 1/4 probability of roll...

mathematics probability

lauir

3:54 AM

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends (or so it seems so far).

Karn Evil 9 - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

►

(In other words, my musical muse just called again. After 37 years, and some others.)

(She's a teacher. To repeat: "We're going to do this over and again until we get it right.")

(See how puzzling life can be?)

(Be so lucky.)

Three Dog Night - The Show Must Go On 1974

►

(Overdubbed beyond belief, but nice visuals, including the hair.)

(The original is something called "Entrance of the Gladiatore" or something like that.)

(By a name I wished've thought've: Fucik!)

Entry Of The Gladiators - Julius Fucik

►

Better than that, a calliope version with a cherub on apparatus. (Did YouTube delete it? Scanning.)

Sphinx

4:20 AM

0

Q: An encrypted conversation

My friend and I decided to see who could confuse each other the most in terms of using a cipher. The online conversation went something like this: Friend: jr;;p vpmt@. jpe str upi Me: [answers logically] Me: Aikcw rgua~ Friend: [answers logically] Friend: Is that the best you got? Me: Of course ...

cipher

lauir

4:31 AM

(Not found, probably a result of ageist laws. Probably for the best.)

In stead:

The Who- Won't Get Fooled Again - John Entwistle's isolated bass (live) HQ SOUND

►

My favorite French horn player. And there are others.

And, yes, they don't always have a mouthpiece.

^ listen! And watch. It's what's called a master class.

Alconja

^ listening

lauir

Skip ahead a minute or so. Also Find the surrounding sounds.

Made me steal 3 bucks just to buy the record.

It was easier than stealing a whole record.

Wen1now

Anybody here familiar with puzzlescript?

lauir

4:54 AM

^ context? But, yeah, I also stole music books at the time. Played every page. Entwistle was the wizard behind the Who curtain.

Anyone who wants to know how, slide the book under a screen door. It looks like a drop. Then go back and pay bucks when you have them. Leave 'em wondering why.

Wen1now

Oh nevermind

I figured out what I wanted to do

lauir

Grats!

And thanks for the lead.

Theme from Absolutely Fabulous

►

(And now that phone call. We are discussing whether that cussed present tense is a "showman" or an "exhibitionist.")

"Thank you for not starting world war III!"

"Stay clear."

Welcome to wonderland!

Twice today I've convinced another that they're more beautiful than anyone would suspect.

Not in those terms. Specifically.

One will call again in a few minutes, but in the meanwhille it's time to feed the backyard prowler and myself.

Leo Kottke - Tilt Billings And The Student Prince

►

Sphinx

5:37 AM

0

Q: Connected circles which sum of any two of them which are adjacent is a triangle numbers

Arrange numbers 1 to 36 to the small circles and ovals, with rules: sum of any two of them which are adjacent is a triangle numbers. The first 12 Triangle numbers are 0, 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, 28, 36, 45, 55, 66 Some numbers are already there as guide. There is only 1 unique solution. The puzzl...

mathematics logical-deduction grid-deduction

lauir

THE FANTASTIC JOHNNY C BOOGALOO DOWN BROADWAY

►

Fantastic Johnny C - Look What Love Can Make You Do / Boogaloo Down Broadway 1967

►

Wen1now

Okay nevermind, it didn't work

How do you do two dimensional stuff in puzzlescript

e.g

P#
#    -> do stuff

boboquack

5:55 AM

right [P|#] -> [P'|#']
down [P'|#] -> [P"|#']
right [P"|#'] -> [P"|whatever]
down [P"|#'] -> [whatever|whatever]
[P"] -> [P]
[P'] -> [P]
[#'] -> [#]

@Wen1now ^ is a nasty way of doing it

Wen1now

yep, that was my initial thought as well

I guess I'll listen to the puzzlescript expert(s) and do it that way

lauir

6:19 AM

This for you, Binar:

King Crimson - Matte Kudasai (Live Frejus '82)

►

Wherever you ar.

Alconja

8:29 AM

Hooray! I don't really care about badges generally, but I must admit that that one feels pretty good...

Mithrandir

@Alconja :O Congrats!

@gareth puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43040 puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43039 puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43038 puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43036 puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43033 puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43030 puzzling.stackexchange.com/u/43029

ffao

I'm not sure how to feel about one since I have no idea why anyone would favorite a question in the first place

Mithrandir

I use favorites as a sort of 'bookmark'.

Wen1now

^

Mithrandir

So that I can find the question later.

Wen1now

8:38 AM

Except I never look at my favourited questions

Anyway, that is very impressive. Congrats!

Mithrandir

For instance, my Meta.SE list of favorites includes stuff that I link to (relatively) often.

But yeah. That is really impressive.

Wen1now

@Mithrandir Oh, that'd be a good idea

Gareth McCaughan

10:15 AM

Well done, @Alconja. Richly deserved.

(Haven't nuked the latest batch of spammers yet. About to be AFK for a bit but will do them later -- probably within the hour -- if no one else does.)

Skyvask

10:28 AM

does anyone can give me some advice with cryptic clue ? i'm new to it, and as a non native english speaker, i don't want to make some big mistake

eg: Start the dialog after Sunday (7)

Don't want to do something hard, just want to learn how te present it

Gareth McCaughan

10:44 AM

(spammers nuked)

Wen1now

49

Q: Cryptic Clue Guide

This post is not a puzzle. There is nothing puzzly hidden inside it or the self-answer, posted at the same time. What exactly is a cryptic crossword clue, and how do I write one?

wordplay puzzle-creation cryptic-clues cryptic-crosswords

^That is 50% of my introductory learning process

The other 50% was asking questions here (in this chatroom)

Skyvask

@Wen1now thank's but already read it, it's why i'm asking here ;)

Wen1now

... perhaps try looking at the Archive

Gareth McCaughan

@Wen1now I may be misunderstanding, but I interpreted @Skyvask's question more as "I'm looking for advice on one or more cryptic clues I'm trying to construct -- can anyone help me?". To which the answer is: sure, go ahead and ask, though we can't guarantee to have helpful answers :-).

Wen1now

Oh, okay then... I thought they were looking for general advice

Gareth McCaughan

10:51 AM

If "Start the dialog after Sunday (7)" is a specific clue Skyvask is looking to improve, then my first comments are (1) that it seems fine in terms of surface reading and (2) I haven't solved it yet so can't comment on how well it works cryptically.

Skyvask

Is a definition always needed in a cryptic clue ?

Gareth McCaughan

Yes.

Wen1now

yeah, i think so

Skyvask

oh

need to improve it so :$

Gareth McCaughan

Having both a cryptic part and a definition part is super-important -- it's what gives the solver some confirmation that they have the right answer.

Skyvask

10:53 AM

ok thanks forget my cryptic so i will come back with something better :)

Gareth McCaughan

ok! Have fun.

Skyvask

11:31 AM

Ok, i think i got something, but it's a bit, i don't know how to say it aha

Ad: Lend dark cat, Should cut off one before rearranging - timeline (8)

It's maybe grammatically incorrect, I apologize in advance

Sphinx

12:11 PM

0

Q: Two Knights, two Bishops, two Rooks and two Kings on a 4x4 chessboard

Place two Knights, two Rooks, two Bishops and two Kings on a 4x4 chessboard, so that: 1) The Kings are not attacked at all. 2) All other pieces are attacked exactly once. I don't know how many solutions there are, but there is at least one.

chess checkerboard

Apep

12:56 PM

@Skyvask That one seems valid, assuming "Ad:" is not part of it. You could also use "without feet" where "should cut off one before" is.

Skyvask

@Apep hum thanks, i was not sure about "Ad"

micsthepick

well done @Alconja!

Apep

Timeline appears to be your definition. If AD were, it would need something to indicate that the definition is a category of it (like 'perhaps' or 'for example').

micsthepick

I just noticed something:

Sid

1:12 PM

Speaking of CCs, Wen seems to have confirmed that "rebel" is the def..

lauir

Bob Marley - Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) - 11/30/1979 - Oakland Auditorium (Official)

►

Sphinx

0

Q: Workplace riddle. Help find the lost key

Help find my lost key (it is hidden in my workplace in this location): When turned off, my den is useless, but once turned on, it offers you a world of possibilities. (I work in an IT company)

riddle

lauir

David Bowie - Rebel Rebel

►

David Bowie - The Jean Genie

►

"The Jean Genie lives on his back."

I wanted to be loved for my mind. Turns out, too late, that looks alone could've served.

Gareth McCaughan

@Sid I think what Wen1now has said so far is consistent with e.g. the def being "sudddenly" and the wordplay being [capture] + headless([seize]) + [rebel].

lauir

The Allman Brothers Band - Ain't Wasting Time (Feb. 1972)

►

Fishmasters with The Beat Farmers

►

Gareth McCaughan

1:28 PM

@Skyvask I agree with Apep that "Ad:" isn't really part of the clue. The rearrangement is a little unusual (no reshuffling "within" words) which maybe makes the clue easier than it otherwise would be. The main thing I'm not keen on is the surface reading; even with "Ad:" at the start it's a bit ... weird :-).

Making good surface readings is hard, and I don't have much good general advice on it. When you have a choice of indicator words (which you usually do) it's helpful to look for ones that have some meaning in common with the other words in the clue. For instance, you've got a cat, so how about "tailless" for the cutting-off? And "out" works as an anagram indicator, and you can talk about lending things out.

That might lead to something like this: "Tailless dark cat lent out -- is it on the wall? (8)"

though I'm still not really satisfied with the surface reading, because it seems like there ought to be some connection between having lent the cat to someone else and it being on a wall, but there really isn't.

(But I do quite like "on the wall" here, since cats are often found on (the top face of) a wall whereas [the answer to the clue] are often found on (the vertical face of) a wall.)

lauir

Doesn't "chat" even mean "cat"?

Gareth McCaughan

Since the rearrangement is so slight, I wonder whether it's worth finding a way to put the words in an order that eliminates it completely ("Tailless cat lent dark ...") but (1) I can't find a smooth way to finish the clue off and (2) this probably makes it too easy.

Skyvask

@GarethMcCaughan, first thanks for the explanations, i appreciate that, and then , i see what you mean with the surface reading, i will keep trying to improve that, but that mean i also need to improve my english so, i'm not hurry hopefully :)

Gareth McCaughan

Yeah, I shudder to think what a mess I'd make if I tried to write crossword clues in a language I don't speak well.

Mithrandir

The horror! :P

lauir

1:39 PM

This seems to be your medium, Gareth, in the meanwhile.

Mithrandir

And here's some more @gar insurance puzzling.stackexchange.com/users/43051/…

lauir

Just have to laugh. Having endured spam since it was invented.

Sid

Okay, seems to be a crowd here. Maybe, I can ask now(and hopefully I am not Ignored). What would you guys advise me to do if I had to make a crossword on the theme "Retro"

lauir

I'd make it left-right symmetric rather than the usual rotational. That would be 'cyclo'.

Mithrandir

Oof, I know nothing about 'retro' stuff

lauir

1:43 PM

You'll find out, @Mithrandir, after the fact.

Mithrandir

Factout!

lauir

Touche'.

Gareth McCaughan

@Mithrandir Destroyed.

Mithrandir

Don't destroy me, nuke the spamm-

Gareth McCaughan

@Sid Hm. Is the retro-ness referring to some specific era? You could pack the surface readings with references to the culture, technology, etc., of that era.

You could make either words in lots of the clues, or lots of the answers (probably best not both) use the retro- prefix. (Retrospective, retroactive, retro-rocket, retrovirus, ...)

lauir

1:50 PM

!

Gareth McCaughan

I saw a crossword recently that had (I think) RETROSPECTIVELY as one of the answers, and then lots of others used its clue number to indicate that something was to be read or written backwards.

lauir

How about a crossword where every word is palindromic?

Gareth McCaughan

(a common crossword convention: if the answer to clue number 6 is "aardvark" then you can insert 6 in another clue to mean "aardvark". Of course it could also mean the letters S-I-X, or V-I, or whatever.)

@lauir That sounds very difficult to do well.

lauir

We have to team up sometime.

At present I have (perhaps already told, could be years in the making) a cross-reference-word puzzle in the works.

Every clue is "see ____"

Gareth McCaughan

But if you don't mind the crossword needing a special rubric you could have some gimmick like entering some of the answers backwards. Ideally you wouldn't say that explicitly -- instead you'd say something like "Six of the Across clues are to be entered in a manner suggested by the answers to six of the Down clues", and then some of your Down answers are "retro", "reflective", "mirror", etc.

But that might be made too easy if it's already known that "retro" is going to be a theme.

lauir

1:56 PM

I still say that most clues should be obvious.

Some should take effort.

Sid

@GarethMcCaughan ...I am going to do a normal crossword. Not a cryptic one

lauir

The last one or two clues only need to make sense after looking up the answer.

Gareth McCaughan

Ah. (Sorry, in my brain cryptic crosswords are the normal sort :-).)

Sid

(This is not for a bunch of geniuses like those on PSE. I am doing one for an event in College. So, I don't really expect a bunch of enthusiastic puzzlers. Gotta make some easy ones for them. :-))

lauir

In that case, sure you don't want to go postmo rather than retro?

Skyvask

1:59 PM

@Sid as a student i can told you, offer a prize for finish the crossword in first place, and everyone will try to solve it all the day :)

lauir

!

Fool them into enjoying it.

Sid

@Skyvask the crossword is only a small part of a larger event.

And i am pretty sure there are some prizes for winners of the whole event.

lauir

Remember the basics?

12

Q: Two words crossing

34 white squares to be filled with a letter each

enigmatic-puzzle crosswords

Don't make me Zen, again.

3

Q: More-than-Two-Dimensional Crosswords from Atomic to Zen

Following Peter Taylor's answer to The smallest crossword > It's not hard to construct a 1x1 crossword: . . . A single-cell crossword could be called atomic. _______ Surreal: |10 | Across Down Up Diagonal (no black | ...

enigmatic-puzzle

(That one still hurts. Some lessons smart.)

Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling

►

Sid

@GarethMcCaughan Hmm, that seems like something we can do..

Mithrandir

@lauir hmm, maybe that can be reopened.

lauir

2:12 PM

Ooooooooooooooooo!

It was solved. Case closed.

Nothing is lost.

(Truly, I still have thermal prints of everything.)

And, truly, @Mithrandir, you are a protagonist.

Thank you.

I still want someone, anyone, to solve the world's most difficult puzxzles.

Skyvask

I am anyone

lauir

Your turn. @Skyvask. Have at it.

micsthepick

@Gareth puzzling.stackexchange.com/users/43055

lauir

I love spam! With eggs.

(Actually with sauerkraut, and actually, without the spam.)

micsthepick

I don't really take a liking to spam, whatever the kind.

especially CAR INSURANCE

pants

lauir

2:22 PM

I used to have a car. Until I lost the keys.

I used to have pants too!

6

^ ups

(I'm so glad/lucky to have paid my interwebs bill!)

Damn Vikings!

Don't make me tell the most dangerous joke in the world!

Took 20-odd years to find a book that spelled it.

Saved it, but haven't read it.

Got a paper cut just on purchase.

Took me to the hospital.

Gareth McCaughan

@micsthepick boom

micsthepick

I love the sound of spammers exploding in the morning :)

lauir

If my fingers could laugh.

Some of the most precious ____ comes reflective:

Bron Sage (as The Residents) - Laughing Song - Reptile Palace, OshVegas, WI 10-31-2014

►

To see someone masked as Nixon by a snotrag.

And to see someone else with 3 eyes where none belong.

Watch it again.

The secret star is to the right. Everyone else is playing to them.

(But my favorite player is off to the left. Camera only allows so much.)

Don't make me requote "true love." Oh, too late.

Fred Frith - True Love

►

There's a hole in the bucket, dear 'Liza.

"Maynard Ferguson MacArthur Park " (Original Studio) 1970

►

^Those ____s let me join the band after hearing that.

I know how to play along.

Sometimes well.

Enjoy!

Oh, did that just roll over there as here?

Maynard Ferguson - Birdland

►

John Coltrane.

Now the thing went too far:

Maynard Ferguson - Chameleon

►

Sooner or later my connection will be clipped, again, deservedly.

I played all those songs (without words). Here to share until that moment.

TWO / Song without words - G. Holst

►

And subarranged them to trios. My pappy asked why nobody knows. The answer was because only those who played them know.

Sphinx

3:17 PM

0

Q: You Won't Find 13

I am playing riddle games in my phone and i stuck on a riddle. The riddle is: If you look at my face you won't find thirteen any place. Help me to solve it.

riddle

lauir

It's not easy to reduce a symphony to two or three voices.

But always worth a try.

skeleton crew - learn to talk

►

"Try to change the ways things are done."

"Try to change the ways things are done".

"Try to change the ways things are done."

"So just complain, about what you don't know."

Another repeat, during a lull:

Laurie Anderson - Sharkey's Day

►

"I turn around, it's fear." "I turn around again, it's love!"

"Oooooooeeeeee!"

Anyone paying attention? These are good videos.

(Though, well understood, nothing needs be said.)

Sphinx

3:47 PM

0

Q: What do these U.S. states have in common?

The following U.S. states have something in common that is not shared by any other state: Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Florida Georgia Indiana Louisiana Maryland Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire North Dakota Pennsylvania South Carolina What is it?

trivia

lauir

^that upper there was for you, @Alconja. Others will be for others.

lauir

4:01 PM

That there thing is a masterpiece. Back to sleep, it's lauir's day/night.

"Listen to my heart beat." (Apparently the puter didn't shut down on its own.)

Mithrandir

4:33 PM

@gareth puzzling.stackexchange.com/users/43059/…

micsthepick

another

Is Insurance More Expensive Fo

1 1

Gareth McCaughan

5:18 PM

boom, boom, and also another boom

Mithrandir

8:24 PM

in Spyfall, 13 secs ago, by Mithrandir

OK, y'all - who's up for a game?

Sphinx

9:29 PM

0

Q: A piece of Colourful Language

Well, I came home today and found my password being rejected. Cursing, I found a note on the underside of the compute. should never had told any of my friends my password. Curse them! Sorry BG :P We felt your password wasn't very secure so we helped you out and changed it. We didn't writ...

enigmatic-puzzle visual

Beastly Gerbil

If anyone is colourblind here can you tell me if you struggle to view the colours in that ^ ? Working on a key for the colours but wondering which colours probably need extra focus

Mithrandir

@Deusovi ^