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1:02 AM
Anyone want to play contact question mark
 
1:45 AM
1
Q: 3 Numbers on Hats, A = B + C

Golden KingThis feels like it should be a common puzzle, but I haven't found anything exactly like it searching online, so here goes. Apologies if it's a duplicate. Three logicians, person 1, 2, and 3, along with a host, are playing a game. The host places one of three hats, each with a positive integer ...

 
2:02 AM
0
Q: A puzzle in a form of poem

xjshiyaBefriend with me and help me find which is gone Had A to Z, still there's something wrong Swiftly search, for it's all alone J V X Q, for the sake of completing the poem

 
 
3 hours later…
4:33 AM
C4 hint: _ _ _ _ _ H
@EricTressler ^
 
4:51 AM
0
Q: If a puzzle appears to be too broad, should one change it if answers are already posted?

NL628Recently, I noticed a question that although was very good and a really nice puzzle, was just a little too broad in that there were multiple answers that made sense for the clues given in the puzzle. After a while, the OP noticed that his/her puzzle was too broad so he/she added hints to it. (I h...

 
5:23 AM
@Apep rakish = rak[e] + [f]ish?
 
?
 
I know it doesn't work, nothing I do with the first half of the clue makes sense
 
I think he meant to ping @Rubio
 
No, I didn't
 
oh.. my bad then
unping @Rubio :)
 
5:26 AM
I was hoping one of you would have a better idea for what to do with the wordplay. Rakish fits fantastically for "like a rogue"
 
yeah, I was trying to do RAKE ?? => RAKISH too. (other option is IMPISH, but with even less wordplay)
 
I didn't know it was a word. I was thinking of either impish or snatch.
 
I know of the word from the quality aussie tv show
 
@Rubio Maybe it's "RAK[-E]ISH" = "RAKE" -E (steal from again) + ISH (like)
wait, no; "like" is doing double duty there.
 
like would be required for the def, though.
 
5:32 AM
the wordplay is just weird on this one... finding it really hard to parse cleanly
 
Well, if it was straightforward, where'd the fun be in that :)
 
@Rubio We could just ditch the C4 game and start the SSSS (Suggested Synonym Sphinx Series) - someone writes a word and the first person to name a synonym writes a new word!
 
@Alconja would that not be too easy
 
We already do that. we call those ddef. :)
 
Along with "snatch", there is "wrench"
 
5:40 AM
@ASCII Yes, yes it would. But then we could all feel like winners. Not just Rubio sitting over there with his fancy-pants cryptic cryptics. (aka it was a joke)
@EricTressler you mean wretch?
 
@Alconja No
@Alconja You need to blame Eric as well for his latest (?) 4C
4C looks a lot like C4
 
pass 4
 
@ASCII-only oh, I'm an idiot. wretch for rogue, wrench for steal from
 
hmm...
 
Cryptic Contact Chat Chains
 
5:42 AM
also, arguably could do something along the lines of SNATCH (steal from) => ??? => SNITCH (like a rogue?), but it's pretty weak
 
could be transliteration
 
snitch isn't a good fit, though
 
a->i or n->t
neither fits "steal from again" though
 
yeah snitch is not great, just throwing out a bunch of things i had considered at various times in case it triggers someone
 
Heinrich - 2 letters is "enrich" (oneself). Are there any famous rogues named Heinrich? :|
 
5:49 AM
given the "?" it could be the name of a roguelike game... though I can't think of any 6 letter *H ones...
 
I looked through all of those already
 
Anyone play D&D? Is there some other class similar to a rogue?
 
clearly again refers to one of those misleading RE- things we did in Contact
 
@EricTressler That's pretty.
 
5:53 AM
That's not D&D, it's some compendium someone on reddit made, and I'm not sure what games (if any) he's relying on
 
doesn't look like any game in particular.
 
Very interesting chart
 
 
1 hour later…
7:15 AM
@Alconja Good suggestion. I think that IMPISH does work: IMP(over)ISH -- to steal from someone is to impoverish them and to teal from that "again" means to remove OVER.
 
7:25 AM
@MOehm the grammar is pretty awkward/borderline ("steal from 'steal from': again"), but that does seem to work well enough for C4 standards when forcing the surface reading. @Rubio?
 
That's the one
 
I could work if you read it as "steal from 'steal from' 'again'", but I agree that it sounds more like programming lingo: steal_from = "impoverish"; again = "over"; c4 = remove(steal_from, again);.
 
steal from steal from "again" was the intent
 
I seem to remember that we had something with "impoverish" before. Ajconja found the answer, which I didn't think of, but I guess it'smy turn, because I explained the wordplay?
 
yup you're up
 
Okay.
CCCC: Penniless pauper takes up golf drill (5)
 
8:04 AM
AUGER
pAUp(G)ER
 
Yes, that's it, of course.
 
Was tabbed out - came back, saw that, thought "auger", then saw it was right about 5 seconds later. lol
I like the penniless though :)
 
Yes, that wasn't a very good clue, I'm afraid, but I didn't have anything ready and didn't want to incur the wrath of the sphinxers and break the chain.
The penniless was used a few weeks ago, but as def, I think.
Anyway, it's your turn. Let's get another few days of misery started ...:)
 
of course I have nothing ready. gimme a bit :)
 
Sure, I'm easy. (I'm supposed to be working anyway.)
 
8:16 AM
(I kinda hate these pharma spammers)
 
while on the subject of drills, I have a nice and easy CC on them, to tide us over while @Rubio is thinking:
(not CCCC) Dull part of drill (6,3)
 
Bring it on. You know the drill.
Ho, ho, that's BORING BIT, I guess, but the "part" does double duty.
 
It definitely does.
 
8:36 AM
@Mithrandir Tell me about it. I'm getting irritated with them.
ok finally finished that Meta answer. whee.
CCCC: Start to money problems. (8)
guess I did have one ready.
 
Hmm so do y'all think it's a good idea to restart the FTCs?
2
@Rubio T[o]+ROUBLES?
 
Ah, trouble is, I always think that it is spelled "rubles". Well done.
 
8:51 AM
ROUBLES is a valid spelling for it, yes.
and of course that is the answer.
 
How does Rouble become plural though?
 
Dollars == money
same for Roubles
 
ah i see
 
or Pounds if that's your flavour
 
9:03 AM
CCCC: Redeveloped hypotheses: critical for a scientific field (11,7)
 
THEORETICAL PHYSICS*
 
yep
 
and ... just ... how
 
:D
 
I tried attacking it with anagrammer but didn't get nearly far enough
 
9:09 AM
like seriously, who spots that? hehe
 
psychiatric hot eels
 
@Rubio you do, for one :P
 
I like "hypothetical crises"
 
Spotting something clever when you know it has to be there is a far different thing than discovering there's something there to begin with :)
 
I know, I just like playing with Anagrammer :-)
hospitality screech
 
9:25 AM
I apologize
 
9:39 AM
lovely anagram @Ankoganit!
 
"for a scientific field" = "theoretical physics"?
 
CCCC: Corrupt expert in kickback scheme. (9)
 
No, a scientific field = theoretical physics. It's "wordplay for def."
 
oh, nice
 
A wild Gareth appears!
 
 
1 hour later…
10:57 AM
@GarethMcCaughan thanks :D
 
 
1 hour later…
12:01 PM
@Rubio xD
 
12:49 PM
0
Q: Who am I? My first puzzle

Deepu SasidharanThis is the first puzzle created by me. I am the first. I am in apple. I am a language. I am there in above lines, of course here also. Beginners prefer me. Who am I?

 
1:06 PM
2
Q: Aki's favorite game

Stefano LonatiAfter introducing you to my new little friend Aki, it's time to reveal what his favorite game is! What is the new hobby of the little Aki?

 
2:01 PM
0
Q: find out the missing expressions

Peggy 10 10 10 10 = 1 10 10 10 10 = 2 10 10 10 10 = 3 10 10 10 10 = 4 10 10 10 10 = 5 10 10 10 10 = 6 10 10 10 10 = 7 10 10 10 10 = 8 10 10 10 10 = 9 10 10 10 10 = 10 You can only add expressions, you cannot change any numbers.

 
 
1 hour later…
3:14 PM
-3
Q: R Language/Shiny- how to plot a variable content in a UI

wilsonI have a a R function 'stock.R,that produce a variable,named "close",I would like to print a plot in UI,with "Close". The function stock.R,is: stock<- function(ticker,rx){ ##come from UI/SHINY re<- ({as.numeric(rx)}) #re=0 #ticker="vale3" p=140 ticker<-toupper(ticker) ta=length(ticke...

 
3:33 PM
0
Q: Geeky Riddle ONE

Anouar BelkadiRiddle hints above, have fun : I may be composed of letters but I'm not a word. I am silent but expressive. If well put, i can represent anything.

 
4:25 PM
I'm bummed out that I can't make "Pustulent" work, because I really wanted "kickback scheme" to be "punt"
@Rubio RE(PRO)BATE
 
@EricTressler ✔
 
 
2 hours later…
6:50 PM
0
Q: Curated compound words

TomFind a single word answer with the following property → compound words can be formed from the answer which have a word in common with compound words which can be formed from each of: Text version: EAGLE FINAL FLAG HANDS HARD LEFT MEDICINE MORNING POP RAT'S SHOCK S...

 
7:24 PM
2
Q: Within a wardrobe made for drag

Paige Meinke I might be found within a flag, or within a wardrobe made for drag. You can find me on your hand, in a pet that hunts through woodland. I can be found on most sites, look for me past the twirling tights. Read me wrong, I'll make you sleep, you cannot measure me for deep....

 
What ... are twirling tights?
oh, found it.
This rhyme certainly touches an unusual area of expertise :P
 
7:46 PM
CCCC: Sketch beam breaking door (9)
What I've learned is that if I try to make my clues sound as nice as Rubio's, 90% of the time I just waste 2 hours and end up with my typical nonsense.
 
lol
 
@EricTressler PORT(RAY)AL
 
@Apep correct
 
CCCC: Primally munches in jaws! (6)
 
0
Q: What are the general strategies for solving metal disentanglement puzzles?

abnryWhen I talk about metal disentanglement puzzles, I have in mind Hanayama and Tavern puzzles. Opposed to twisty puzzles, which I can approach by playing with commutators and conjugates as a way to start, or basically observing what permutations simple algs induce, I have no idea in general how t...

 
 
1 hour later…
9:07 PM
@Apep &lit CHO(M)PS?
 
nice
 
@EricTressler correct
 
1
Q: Checkerboard Infection Variant

Mike EarnestThere is an insidious virus (less contagious than C. Coli, but still dangerous) which plagues the squares of checkerboards. This virus spreads through social interaction: whenever the majority of a friend group becomes sick, the entire group becomes sick. Specifically, any four squares which mee...

 
9:42 PM
CCCC: Elected revolutionary refused; about time! (10)
 
10:05 PM
0
Q: Really tricky need to find the answer. Hit me up with ideas

Escobars pal What is yours? What paddles swiftly? What is a safe place?

 
 
1 hour later…
11:30 PM
0
Q: How do you solve a question, with no answer?

PearAmeePHow do you solve a question, with no answer? Is it possible? Well they say everything is possible. But are they sure; Everything is possible? Well yes, there is an answer to everything. If there is no answer, then there is no question. So why did I answer my own question? Well, there is an ...

 

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