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12:01 AM
@Alconja yeah, I think so too. in that case, it's likely too broad
 
0
Q: How to swap two edges like this?

ztiaa Do you know an algorithm to swap two edges in that position?

 
 
1 hour later…
1:15 AM
0
Q: What can be used to solve this poem

The12rememberwhat type of cipher can be used to solve this poem and locate the item written about within the poem? Thanks. As I have gone alone in there And with my treasures bold, I can keep my secret where, And hint of riches new and old. Begin it where warm waters halt And take it in the canyon down, Not...

 
1:34 AM
@Deusovi With MOHS I'd rate it diamond... or talc, depending on your solving experience
 
It's a guy's name, not an acronym
 
Hm?
 
Friedrich Mohs
 
I get that, I just wasn't sure what the comment was pointing out (if it's the capitalisation it's because I was suggesting it as a possible answer)
 
Oh, I missed the context, my fault. People make that mistake all the time with Hans Scuba, so I'm sensitive.
 
1:42 AM
Feel free to correct me if you ever catch me saying Moh's scale though :P (I make that mistake sometimes)
 
I've been trying to use "'s" for possessive, so " Mohs's ", instead of " Mohs' ". I think it was a lecture by Steven Pinker that persuaded me to do that.
And also "octopuses" and "cactuses", etc. in favor of Latin plurals.
 
Going back to the relevant puzzle, I think the answer might actually be CONUNDRUM instead (CORUNDUM + N, length 9)
All the answers are probably all length 9 (after the extra letter) as well hmmm
nvm I can't count (and I'd delete the previous comment but too late)
 
1:59 AM
@EricTressler ...and by "that mistake" you mean the exact opposite, right? I.e. scuba is an acronym is it not?
 
@Alconja Yes, joke.
 
Good good. :)
I can handle jokes, but I can't handle people being wrong on the internet.
 
2:33 AM
Here's a puzzle that I think is too silly to make a post for, but maybe chat will enjoy it; Title: "XKCD Pzzl", Which XKCD comic on the FTC list connects WALTZ, BOOZE, DUCK, GO?
 
2:59 AM
part 2 is INEPTLY -> perhaps LINOTYPE?, so MOHS is pretty likely
 
Ah crap, beat me to the punch on part 2
 
yeah, then it's definitely CORUNDUM --> CONUNDRUM
 
3:15 AM
0
Q: Barrel - Part 1

RileyAn entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1. Title based on the very first xkcd. You manage a barrel warehouse. The warehouse is divided into an $8\times 8$ grid of cells. A barrel takes up one cell when upright, and two cells when laid down. You only remember where some of t...

 
3:30 AM
@ManyPinkHats "Christmas Plans"? I don't know why "Pzzl" then, though.
 
0
Q: Chess Enlightenment

stacksfillerPart of the Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1 "White to continue insisting this is a chess board" https://imgur.com/a/6B4vSor When done, circle all squares black and white pieces moved to: KNIPSGEA RHUTNLSE IFTPONME ROBEOCNE FEWIXTKL EPTCHIOM RANAEISY LITUREED

 
"in a single word of an appropriate length"
ManyPinkHats, you could have said an Appropriate Term ;)
 
@Sphinx I'm guessing this is Arimaa
Arimaa ( listen) (ə-REE-mə) is a two-player strategy board game that was designed to be playable with a standard chess set and difficult for computers while still being easy to learn and fun to play for humans. Every year since 2004, the Arimaa community has held three tournaments: a World Championship (humans only), a Computer Championship (computers only), and the Arimaa Challenge (human vs. computer). In 2015, the challenge was won decisively by the computer (Sharp by David Wu), with top players agreeing that computers had become better at the game than humans. As it was a prerequisite for...
no time to solve though, busy cryptic-ing
 
@Deusovi which puzzle are you working on?
 
my own
 
3:35 AM
Oh, ok.
 
4:04 AM
0
Q: Take Me Down To The Homonym City

kedarguru A drop of water, or a deadline; Us without me, or lady-like sheep; Sex, or a disconsent; To have clothing, or a question of place; In a mirror what you see, or how you see; Not pre-recorded, or not dead.

 
4:18 AM
but if this is arimaa, why would there be pieces in c6 and f6?
 
@EricTressler Not my intended answer. I'll add FEAR to the list, since I'm North American, and say that it is only necessary to use the comic title, not the comic itself.
 
@ffao because I'm not really paying attention and also don't know anything about arimaa besides "like chess, but not"
 
5:01 AM
1
Q: Tag Combination

noedneAn entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1. Title based on this xkcd. construction computer-puzzle number-theory tribond weighing pattern calculation-puzzle no-computers algorithm limerick rubiks-cube english

0
Q: Plant Your Thoughts

Xavier StantonMany people don't know my true form You may see me within a sandstorm My green is ancient Before you use me, be patient And a famous entity is warm Name the plant

 
@ManyPinkHats that actually looks more like neurolony to me, did you really want 7 x 59 in the bottom center?
 
@ffao No, I think that one works the way I intended. 7 is between 1 and 2 straight down, and 59 is diagonal down-right
 
sure, I can read an analog clock
I was just testing you like GPR did
good to see you passed both times
 
Note to self: make more clock-based puzzles; good way to stump PSE-ers
 
but then there's the good sort of stumping, and there's the sort of stumping that just makes me feel dumb
not being able to draw in a clock correctly is in the second category
 
5:13 AM
true, not all 'difficult' puzzle mechanics are created equal
@stacksfiller Dang, you're right; then I would have tied noedne for most titles used in a single post
 
it's not too late to edit ya know
 
5:56 AM
0
Q: Where in the World

salnClue 1 Vib .g yo Clue 2 What do we have in common: Sandwich, Island, Liberty Clue 3 " _ L _ _ S "

 
 
1 hour later…
7:06 AM
0
Q: This weighs heavily on my mind

Just a studentI have 9 coins that look identical, but one is heavier than the others. I want to identify that one. My brother has an old-fashioned balance scale that I can use, but I'll have to do annoying chores for him for every time I use that scale (that is, every time I use it to compare the weights of t...

 
 
3 hours later…
9:43 AM
2
Q: Ghost of the Halls

JaystarI spend most of my day eating white. When I am quick enough, I get rewarded with fruit and somethings blue. In a dark room with blue walls, I run from the ghost that roam the halls. What am I?

 
9:53 AM
0
Q: Is this interactive puzzle appropriate on Puzzling.SE?

Just a studentThere have been proposals before for semi-interactive puzzles [1, 2]. These are puzzles where more information is revealed by the OP as parts of the puzzle are solved. This is not deemed a good fit. I am toying with the idea of posting a puzzle that is fully interactive, in the sense that it inc...

 
10:16 AM
0
Q: It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt

Jaystar It cannot be seen, it cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, Lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. Comes first follows after, Ends life kills laughter.

0
Q: Q: Going down in history

Mara I start my day purring And end it among the foundations All in all, this trip will go down in history The sought solution is a single word. Elaboration / explanations preferred, as well as some patience since this is my first attempt at a puzzle and it might be terrible.

 
10:49 AM
0
Q: The Emperor’s Challenge

JaystarThe emperor’s troops have captured you, the leader, and your 8 soldiers. He says he will execute you all but has given you the chance to take his challenge. The emperor says that you and your platoon will be free if you survive his challenge, else, you will all die. The emperor says that he wil...

 
11:21 AM
@Sphinx fuck
 
11:47 AM
1
Q: synonym required

subhamoy dasI need synonym (one word) of below two questions. Answers must have ‘MAR’ at the beginning or at the end. A court order freezing a debtor’s assets, usually to prevent them being taken abroad A complex and difficult situation

 
@ManyPinkHats danke, will tidy shortly
 
btw I've been collecting: post date, posting, username, profile, and target URL (plus a couple other tidbits) about these spammers for the past 3 weeks or so, roughly since you asked me if I collected the target URLs.
All this crap is caught by charcoal already so not sure what further use the specific URLs have, but .... you asked, so now I have :)
 
Sid
12:46 PM
@Sphinx @Rubio I don't think this counts as cross-posting because they were advised by someone on English to post it on Puzzling.
(if I had been asked to post on some other SE site, then I would have, too)
 
@Sid yeah I saw that later
Be that as it may, it's still open on the original site (or was when I responded), so - yes, that is a cross-post. :)
 
Sid
Oh, it's at 3 close votes there, I think.
 
1
Q: A construction on an infinite 2d grid, part 1

VoileRecall the classic old problem where we're asked whether a line segment of specific length can be constructed with compass and straightedge, given an initial line segment of length 1? We're going to do something similar here. Imagine there is a 2-dimensional space that is infinite, with all in...

 
@Sid yeah I'm sure it will be closed there shortly for not meeting their requirements. I'm not entirely convinced we should field questions of the "I need help with this crossword puzzle clue" type, that doesn't seem like a thing we really want to allow, but we don't even need to reach that question if they're not going to attribute where the puzzle came from.
 
Sid
1:06 PM
In recent news, this one has me completely stumped. Especially the third one...
 
1:20 PM
How do you put newlines in spoilers?
 
1:36 PM
Two spaces at the end of the line or <br/>
 
 
1 hour later…
2:52 PM
2
Q: Wisdom of the Ancients

SensorayAn entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1. In the future, an ancient book of old proverbs in the form of haikus has been found, here's the transcription of the first page: Flies haphazardly so small but very scary we flee from the bee Have too many clothes ...

 
3:08 PM
0
Q: We are they who lock the heart

Joe-You-Know Seven lights that guard the key of hearts, They alone can stop what the dark starts, The first is king and friend, With three circles he was penned. The second not chosen by man, But destiny had another plan. The third fell, it was true, But returned to those he knew. ...

 
3:30 PM
1
Q: That's What SHE Said!

QuantumTwinkieAn entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1. Bob and Alice were talking about their friend Jenny. Alice was asking Bob why... Jennny bought an item for 6 dollars then she carefully placed it in the trash. She was not angry, dishearten, or sad, she did not eat anything i...

 
4:08 PM
0
Q: Self Referential Quiz 2

jlinhttps://www.brainzilla.com/logic/self-referential-quiz/srq-2/ 1. The first question whose answer is D is the question A. 8 B. 7 C. 6 D. 5 E. 4 2. Identical answers have questions A. 3 and 4 B. 4 and 5 C. 5 and 6 D. 6 and 7 E. 7 and 8 ...

0
Q: Worst Band Name Ever

KendraAn entry in Fortnightly Topic Challenge #35: Restricted Title 1. My friends and I started a band! The problem is, we've had a lot of trouble coming up with the name. We each suggested a few names, but each one was shot down by someone else for referencing another band. We all think what we've...

 
4:32 PM
> 2:32am
> Deusovi had just posted a puzzle
fffff
 
ah, sorry D: should've posted it earlier
you should get some sleep - you can always solve it tomorrow
 
Yeah I'm definitely sleeping, but I'll just make a mental note to keep out of TSL for a bit :P
(Earlier wouldn't have helped anyway actually, was busy doing something else)
 
I don't have time to take on a task like this... I will lightly help, if anyone wants to work on it cooperatively. I'm pretty happy in general just thinking about the C4, though.
 
4
Q: What xkcd Means

DeusoviWhat xkcd Means This is a variety cryptic inspired by the comic "What xkcd Means" (linked above) and the work of Ucaoimhu. It is also an entry into the 35th Fortnightly Topic Challenge: Restricted Title 1. It means saving a few seconds at a long red light via elaborate and questionably leg...

 
4:57 PM
@EricTressler Ah, and I thought people had forgotten about the C4. (But I can see that there is more interesting stuff on the menu now with the FTC surge.)
 
I've been thinking about it on and off.
 
@MOehm I've spent a lot of time on the C4, still stuck. I also don't really have enough time to take on any of the FTC stuff right now, as I'm involved in another project
 
Sid
I had the idea that City is the def. Not much progress though
 
I was working on "bar game is promoted in" as a single noun last night, with "city" as def., but I couldn't come up with anything for that. "Sports" bars would fit, or maybe an advertising banner. I also tried "dive", "pub", etc., even though none of those really fit the phrase.
 
Well, it's time for the 72h hint soon. Should I give a letter or a hint on construction/def.?
 
5:01 PM
Up to you. I have no particular preference.
 
1
Q: Probability- Cards

tfcydtykThere are 52 cards in a deck. I draw 7 cards without replacement, what is the probability of getting exactly: two clubs and one spade? N=52 n=7 M=? m=1?

 
Sid
(Although, [wordplay] in [def] is not a valid construction, no?)
 
I was suggesting the phrase is "bar game is promoted in", so "in" is inside of [wordplay] there
 
@Sid I hope it is!
 
Sid
...I guess that's the 72 hour hint, then?
 
5:13 PM
Oh. Geez
 
No, that was a complimentary hint.
70h C4 hint: The city is an old city in Eastern Europe. It is a Unesco World Heritage site.
 
I was wondering if I could make MARUGAME work, but I guess not.
 
well that hint narrows things down a lot
...or at least, it should
 
The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated 77 World Heritage Sites in nine countries (also called "state parties") of Eastern Europe; defined here to mean the former Eastern Bloc countries not including the Baltic Countries (which are in Northern Europe) or former Yugoslavia and Albania (which are in Southern Europe) or the parts of Germany that once comprised East Germany (which are included in Western Europe): Russia, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria. Only the European part of Russia is...
 
I hope I haven't made it needlessly obscure, but I think the city is reasonably well known. To me, at least ...
@EricTressler I wanted to follow that link, but it was already open in another tab. :)
 
5:28 PM
Okay, I skimmed that whole list, and I'm familiar with some of those places, but still nothing jumps out at me. I should be working anyway
 
@MOehm NOV+GO+ROD
 
@ManyPinkHats Yes, that's correct!
 
I have heard of Novgorod before as well, so I'm with you on 'lesser-known but not hopelessly obscure'
 
Well, I've had that in front of me multiple times over the last couple of days, so I guess it's a case of brain shutdown in the face of too much data.
I was pretty certain the game was either GO, NIM, or SET, just based on length
 
I thought that the month whould narrow down the options. I would have gone with a simple charade, but game bars are really games bars, so that disn't work and I used the "promoted" kludge.
I knew Novgorod from an old (or "classic", if you like) German game called Hanse.
 
5:43 PM
... ionlyknewcuzitwasinepicrapbattlesonce
 
(same)
 
That was something I had to look up ...
 
6:30 PM
0
Q: You only have five

Sid 1: dim advantage in first French Expansion (4,5): Kiss Pain Boot City History Again Eat Avid (5,13,13,5,3,4) 2: undisturbed apartment ground hideout attach badge punch holder 1,3: advantage protect lady wrong extra raise prime month error pass over...

 
7:03 PM
CCCC: Possibly overbearing couple, reportedly with empty nest! (7)
 
7:19 PM
@ManyPinkHats PAR (hom. of "pair") + (ENTS)*, &lit ?
 
What's the anagram indicator?
And where does the "Possibly overbearing" part fit in?
 
2
Q: The Great Escape: Room 1

Dewey823You wake up trapped in a room. In front of you is a door. Next to the door there is a computer. On the computer you see the following Select the correct image Tries Left: 1 Underneath the image you see the following The key to the door is in the verse Lineup the objects after...

 
It's probably PARE + N[-es]T + (S, somehow)
 
PARENTS is correct
 
or was it (N[-e]ST)*? Where is the S coming from
 
7:27 PM
over-bearing
 
So the clue is &lit.? But shouldn't the nest be full when they are parents?
 
Okay. That took me a moment. It's properly PARE (hom.) + (N[-es]T) + S (bearing, displaced), then
 
what about possibly?
 
Perhaps to indicate the overbearing must be split? Although most lift-and-separate clues don't really indicate that.
 
@ffao filler, anything is possible (if you put your mind to it).
 
7:30 PM
You're still a parent even after your kids leave
 
Okay, okay.
 
Sid
Why is Possibly overbearing "s"?
 
It's read as "over bearing" and South (S) is a bearing of the compass.
 
S=South, the direction or 'bearing'
"Possibly" is me equivocating over both "overbearing" and how valid the &lit def is for all parents in general
 
Wheras "Bering?" would be Sea = C. ;)
 
7:36 PM
get your Berings straight
 
wouldn't that be strait?
 
0
Q: Substitution cipher for your amusement - a programming challenge

tomThe 'message' below is a substitution cipher. It is a fun challenge to write a computer program to read in the file and count up the letters and then use expected letter frequencies to translate the code. It is a slightly harder challenge to write a computer program that will translate it on th...

0
Q: A Pleasant story

Minh TranA woman walked into a room in the state of Maryland. She discovered that bits and pieces of her dead mother were packed in a freezer inside that room. After regaining her composure, she was even notified that people buy pieces of her mother online for $1000. Who is she? Some hints:

 
Not if you're confusing your Berings
 
So, (for those who are slow to follow, like me) it's PARE (couple, reportedly -- homonym of "pair") + N[-es]T (empty nest), all over S (bearing) ("over"
assuming it's a vertical clue).
Nice clue, @Many!
 
I still don't get S
 
7:46 PM
13 mins ago, by M Oehm
It's read as "over bearing" and South (S) is a bearing of the compass.
 
oh
but, S is below the needle
oh
got it
thanks
 
Sid
I think it's along the same lines as . =S. Maybe slightly fairer
 
I don't think you need to interpret it as a down clue; "over-bearing" could just mean "move bearing over / displace it in the solution"
 
I've once considered using ! as a part of the wordplay instead of as an &lit indicator. Would that be fair?
 
sure. It could be "bang" or "click" or something.
 
7:49 PM
click?
 
I think clicking sounds in languages are often represented by a "!"
 
@JohnDvorak There's been worse done here. Not sure if it would be considered technically correct in an actual crossword, but it would certainly float here.
 
card game explosion! (4)
 
That's a triple def., right?
 
yep
 
Sid
7:53 PM
That would also count as a ddef &lit, right?
 
I don't think it fits &lit
 
"<thing you can buy> explosion" could be "boom", but not "bang"
 
No, it isn't. &lit. means that the whole clue, which also has the wordplay, is the def or at least cryptically describes the answer. But that can't be when just ! is one possible def. (There's also "extended def.", where wordplay and definition overlap, but some people think it's just an &lit. that doesn't quite work.)
 
CCCC: Transmission from gray companion moon (5)
 
RADIO - RAD (like Gray a unit of radiation) + (Jupiter's moon) IO
 
8:06 PM
correct
 
Rad surface.
 
Thanks :). That's why I decided to share it, even though it's pretty trivial.
 
8:39 PM
CCCC: Noble kind of crossword clue, reverse enumeration (9)
 
@MOehm COUNT+DOWN (def: reverse enumeration)
 
Yes, that's it.
It's T-10 or so for me to go to bed, so I'll sign off. Good night!
 
Goodnight
 
9:37 PM
C4 pin died
**CCCC** is ***Cryptic Clue Chat Chains***! Latest clue is ⤴ there! Join the fun! See Deusovi's **[Cryptic Clue Guide](http://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/45984/cryptic-clue-guide)** and **[GPR](http://puzzling.stackexchange.com/users/4421/gentlepurplerain)**'s **[Archive & Statistics](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sOR80-CRwBbb7odMLt2QRx_uEIef‌​jovIOjFzZ_2VqoY/edit#gid=1924270515)** of past clues.
you can copy and paste that ^ to make a new one
 
9:49 PM
I've filled in the crossword for Deusovi's puzzle, but I'm still missing some of the variety parts; almost there though
 
CCCC is Cryptic Clue Chat Chains! Latest clue is ⤴ there! Join the fun! See Deusovi's Cryptic Clue Guide and GPR's Archive & Statistics of past clues.
2
@MOehm Gray surface, too.
 
It sounds less positive when you put it that way
 
9:56 PM
sorry, is that a reply to me or to Dragonrage?
(at the risk of spoiling such joke as there was, when I said "Gray surface, too" I was not commenting on the merits of the clue, I was making a pun based on (1) the fact that both "rad" and "gray" are used in the clue and (2) the fact that moons typically have, and our moon in particular has, a gr(e|a)y surface.)
 
thinking about what this clue means "There are other rooms, with 100 users currently talking in 58 rooms." :P
 
Ho ho. I do wonder occasionally about posting an explicit "there is no currently active C4 clue; so-and-so is up next" and pinning that instead, but I worry that it might make so-and-so feel unduly pressured.
 
@GarethMcCaughan I was responding to you, but not seriously. I'll have a new C4 shortly; I'm trying to iron something out
CCCC: Former middle deckhands sail drunkenly around, like a donut. (10)
 
10:26 PM
So for that great escape room one, it seems like PAN could go with TRY to get PANTRY
 
i wonder if i should add a hint to my puzzle. havent gotten any comments asking for clarification yet though
 
11:14 PM
3
Q: The Evicted Tenant

Minh TranToday, I started my job as a package delivery man. As chances have it, one of the delivery address was right in my apartment floor! However, the handwriting was so bad, I couldn't even make out the room of the recipient. I guess the only way to do so was to go rooms by rooms and asked who ordered...

 
11:29 PM
-
Nevermind
- No, not that either.
 
11:47 PM
such a long word for such small words on both ends of the CCCC
well, the left hand side is former, so the def could stretch on for a couple more words
 
@EricTressler _H_(IS(TORIC)AL)*
 
@Apep that's right, nice work
 
former middle deckhands -> H?
 
just middle deckHands
 
former is def; middle deckhands -> h
 
11:58 PM
former is the definition
 

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