The Sphinx's Lair

The abbreviations I used are fairly standard, other than the somewhat iffy use of I for 1, so shouldn’t have been too sketchy hehe. The other unabbreviated names give a good idea what you’re looking for so (obviously) it presented no huge impediment to solving in any case. I thought it’d be a bit of fun to use the same things for two different decodings and I’m glad it worked out well

Gareth McCaughan

The thing that was a little sketchy was the mapping from elements to letters, which e.g. required praeseodymium to become Pr rather than its actual abbreviation Pm.

oh, wait, is Pm prometheum?

maybe it's not sketchy at all and I'm a moron

yeah, sorry, I'm an idiot

4

(when I originally made the comment about sketchiness I was misinterpreting the first one, which definitely had to be sketchy, but of course the error was mine.)

sketchiness slander suppressed. sorry.

Hehehe

North

12:58 AM

Thx @rubio

2:30 AM

Teaser:

^ Not yet sure if that'll be the puzzle or just an example.

That looks like it’ll be a real humndinger

As long as it's not a duplicate.

Thank you for noticing, @Rubio!

So much easier to solve crosswords than to make 'em.

That is definitely true

! . . .

The other day i solved a newspapre crossword two ways, theirs and mine.

(It was a beginners' level.)

My way went across the boundaries.

The clue was "A place with saunas."

The obvious answer, had you seen it, was "SPA"

My answer, contorted to cross into the frontier, was "SUOMI" (same first letter, all that was suspected at the time)

Nice

2:46 AM

So why not? Why can't a crossword cross a boundary once in a while?

I like to pick a word in the grid and then not look at the clue for it, nor any clue for any word that crosses it, and solve. And repeat as opportunity presents itself.

Yah! To guess at the clue from a partial answer!

For simpler puzzles it can actually get rather difficult picking from the alternative choices

Dog! Another i'm working on is where the solver is given incorrect guesses, along with correct ones.

It's tentatively named "solution interrupted."

It might look something like this (hang on, the interface has changed):

Deusovi

ooh, interesting

Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood (Live @ Summer Sonic '09)

2:55 AM

A work in progress.

Two levels of decoys.

. . .

Gotta admit. I do USA-type crosswords in my sleep. In the bathroom. Until the ink/lead runs out. As much as my true love is mathematics.

And, inevitably, . . .

KING CRIMSON- Elephant Talk.(aplauso 1981)

^ "Elephant Talk" is a Scrabble™ scrabble.

. . .

To wander, isn't there something called "packing puzzle" or somewhat?

3:12 AM

anyone need a clue for my C4?

clue: @GarethMcCaughan @Randal'Thor @Rubio have said this word in tSL

and also @Ankoganit

@OmegaKrypton , you are a poet!

And a scholar.

why? @humn

and also @Sid

@OmegaKrypton , I believe my lying eyes, way behind the times but catching up.

^ referring who have said the word in tSL. there are a few more users that have said this word

but I have been unable to ping them

@humn what's so unbelievable? sorry but I don't get it...

@humn do you have the solution to the clue?

@Omega, i'm trying to catch up. But i do appreciate poetry.

Ask Rand al'Wherevor.

(@Rand doesn't seem to mind wordplay with that risinym.)

Meant to say:

"(@Rand doesn't seem to mind risinymical wordplay.)"

. . . used to be a time . . . when what was typed could be changed before anyone saw it . . .

. . . oops, lapsing.

. . .

Ok, @OmegaKrypton, i'm an easy guppy. One fish that is both a fish and not is dolphinfish.

Mahi-mahi

The mahi-mahi () or common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide. Also widely called dorado and dolphin, it is one of two members of the family Coryphaenidae, the other being the pompano dolphinfish. These fish are most commonly found in the waters around the Gulf of Mexico, Costa Rica, and Hawaii == Nomenclature == The name mahi-mahi comes from the Hawaiian language and means "very strong", through the process of reduplication. Though the species is also referred to as the common dolphinfish...

. . .

Perhaps a good crossword would be where every answer ends in "ish." Seen enough that end in "ed" and "est."

3:54 AM

Enough and too much again for now.

Q: Combine two squares into a square with the sum of the two

7:32 AM

0

The red square is placed on top of a blue square The goal is to cut the red square into 4 pieces and assemble them with the blue square to create a larger square. The area of the resulting square is the sum of the area of the red and blue squares. There are at least two solutions I am aware of...

geometry

8:14 AM

hi @jafe

Sid

@OmegaKrypton ??

Why did you ping me?

Hi

as a C4 hint

Sid

I am a C4 hint?

clue: @GarethMcCaughan @Randal'Thor @Rubio @Sid @Ankoganit have said this word in tSL. there are a few more users that have said this word
but I have been unable to ping them

hint for the clue, yes

Jun 14 at 7:33, by Omega Krypton

[edit] CCCC: Drug and stain start spilling in my opinion (8)

8:31 AM

hi

Q: Too early in the morning to have SODA?

0

Each letter shown represent distinct digit...can vary from zero to nine. $COCA$, $COLA$, $SODA$ are three concatenated numbers. Figure these out from the following relation:

logical-deduction calculation-puzzle no-computers alphametic

Q: Prof. Roman of Chemistry department as you all know is quite unorthodox..here is his Quiz

9:12 AM

0

It is Monday Morning and it is time for Prof. Roman’s unusual quizzes to his chemistry class. What is the missing letter? $C$, $N$, $D$, $Q$, $?$

lateral-thinking

10:42 AM

either way more people are talking about drugs on this channel than i assumed, or my assumptions on how the current cccc clue works are wrong...

@jafe , it might be the drugs that are talking.

that would explain a lot of things

Either way, it is the individuals.

Could be lack of sleep, too.

i have no idea what you guys mean, and i won't comment on your comments ;)

i want to give you guys one more hint

but i need some help

@jafe @humn

never mind

The only website i know for looking up usage over the years is:

books.google.com/ngrams

10:47 AM

hint here: when solving cryptics, i usually try to figure first the definition, but that's only for me

thanks @humn

One step ahead of me with cryptics, Omega K. I retreat to USA crosswords in each weak moment.

here's the graph of the use of the word:

@humn just trying :)

practice makes perfect @humn

(the protocol has changed)

Nice relay!

@OmegaKrypton , you want naughty? "Practice makes perverts."

10:51 AM

i don't want naughty :/

jkjk

You might be naughty by nature. If not, i truly apologisze.

the greatest peak is around 1666... i.e. great fire of london

!

that's not useful

I hope not!

10:52 AM

i only want to show that it was used more widely in the past than in the present

but still it is not that archaic now

perhaps this is more useful then

5 mins ago, by Omega Krypton

hint here: when solving cryptics, i usually try to figure first the definition, but that's only for me

now to research what drugs 17th-century londoners used (or alternatively what opinions they had)...

...

Drugs change with time. Opinions are timeless.

(Even if their contexts change.)

@humn those crosswords you're working on look exciting

@jafe +1

10:57 AM

@jafe , thank you! I solve at least one crossword a day and want to return the pleasure. Takes weeks, though, to get every letter right.

And, more so, to make decoy solutions. In the works.

(Oops, that was an ambiguous penultimate sentence. It takes weeks to construct an Xword puzzle where every letter works.)

...only to have some genius solve it in an hour :P

(Not that the previous sentence was ultimate. Oooooooooo. Speech/typing is so much more intricate than [you know].)

@jafe , some genius who solves it in an unintended way!

I'm still learning how to narrow/funnel solutions to my puzzles.

As i wander through a mist of puzzlement.

. . . to go on . . . and to fill air time . . . I've been puzzled since birth.

. . . Solved quite a few, some that mattered to careers of friends . . .

. . . while having less than a clue.

. . .

About USA crossword puzzles, here is my list of collected trends:

       The whole grid is an N x N square of cells where N is an odd number.

       The pattern of black and white cells has 180-degree rotational symmetry.

       Answers ...      ... are all at least 3 letters long;
                        ... are all different.

       White cells ...  ... are all "checked"
                            (part of both an Across answer and a Down answer).
                        ... are orthogonally contiguous
                            (no islands when considering shared edges);

11:22 AM

any idea why N is an odd number?

My guess is to force a central square/cell.

Of course, all rules are made to be broken.

Please contribute to the above, at leisure.

haven't done many us-style crosswords myself... the predominant form here is the "swedish" style

M Oehm

^ Same here. (On both counts.)

@jafe , I learned perhaps the same, in Suomi/Finland.

The Nordic (if we may venture there) crossword is much more visual than USA style.

This, English, is my second language. I take it by the reins and hang on for the ride.

English is, well, an abominable conglomeration of other languages likewise.

. . . and here we have common ground . . .

To bring it back to puzzling, whenever i hear/see an utterance i go to the trouble of: 1) guessing what was said; 2) guessing what was meant; 3) guessing what it means.

11:40 AM

i'm trying to make one with N being even...

i'm glad i learned english as a kid... it'd probably suck trying to learn it properly as an adult

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@OmegaKrypton , any N can be even as long as 1=2

?

lel

but that would be... odd

!

@jafe , indeed. Modern English, a language tortured by so many influences, is best learned from a native.

11:45 AM

indeed

how do you intend to learn English from someone who doesn't speak English?

@OmegaKrypton Your word is METH + INK + S_

!

aaaa!

Nice! Gotcha

11:46 AM

that was hard, for what it was :) nicely done

Beautiful solution

@Rubio stain for ink is alright?

it's almost literally the first thing I thought of. I just didn't see the solution.

:P

the s is easy, methought

as i changed the clue once

yah

11:48 AM

and then you already have INKS

i won't be able to post anything for awhile

why?

and now I have to keep thinking about meth inks

lel

@Rubio C4?

didn't he just say he can't post for a while

12:00 PM

yep...

meanwhile, i'm posting 37 cryptic clues in like 10 min :P

when?

is a puzzle coming :)

just need to format it properly

yay :)

anticipating...

optimization graph-theory

0

Q: Elevators and teleportes

This question was inspired by "The Final Earth 2" flash game. You are given a city of N buildings. Each building can be placed on the ground, or on top of another building. There is no depth (2D). People in the city come and go from one building to another (the buidings are their homes, jobs, an...

Deusovi

12:13 PM

ooh, got here just in time

Gotta say: Formatting is more than half the fun.

Gives time to think about what's really presented.

Hello, @Deus! (Bland as that greeting is. You'll solve my next two puzzles. When they're ready.)

Deusovi

Hey!

hi :)

@Rubio solved my C4

:)

Rubio solved my most difficult (solved) one.

the one i posted was the hardest i have ever made

and the one i'm most happy with

12:18 PM

! and !

@OmegaKrypton , I think to create a puzzle is to solve many more.

Most of all, gotta think of how others will try to solve.

Second, have to try and find all the false solutions and corral them.

Anyone working on 12Fizz4?

@Who , thank you!

7

Q: One! Two! Fizz! Four!

Argh, how I hate those mean kids and their newfangled game!

enigmatic-puzzle

I suspect ASCII

(And have been wrong before. Don't tell me EBCDIC.)

actually, it may be broken

Q: Traversing Latin America & Caribbean: A Cryptic Journey

12:32 PM

1

Earlier parts in the series: Africa, US & Canada, Oceania. Each answer is a place, landmark or attraction in Latin America or the Caribbean, one per country. The answers traverse all countries by crossing land or (approximate) maritime borders. Each clue is missing a country name from another ...

knowledge geography cryptic-clues

lemme fix

@Who , it's a work of art as is. You can leave to others to figure out what's inconsistent.

i mean the answer can't be derived

The Who - Who Are You - 1978 HD & HQ

Clues are important, so true.

When i provide clues they have a double edge.

One edge is to confirm a suspicion.

CCCC: I gain $100 and attain at last a way to win a game (7)

12:39 PM

The other edge is to pave a primrose lane to nowhere.

A road paved with red fishies?

@Rubio Dog, i'll give you $200 to not play the ponies.

@Rubio , understood. A red herring across the tracks will waylay any hound.

@humn It’s good to see you in here again :)

@Rubio , I'm trying to behave, again. And to contribute.

And it is so good to see you stalwart, @Rubio. To be smart and aware can take a toll.

@humn mythbusters say false to that

12:44 PM

@Sphinx Oh boy. Another one of these mass produced low effort puzzles - isn’t this like the third or fourth already? It’s gonna be the next word ladder i swear. ;)

(I love these actually. I’m hopeless at ‘em but fully appreciate all the work they take)

:)

@JohnDvorak , don't get me started on Mythbusters, perhaps my favorite show.

should be fixed

@humn

@Who , thank you!

@JohnDvorak , do not get me started on Mythbusters, one of my favorite shows.

They get one or two things wrong, among which is the difference between energy and momentum.

Hey, I've seen someone on worldbuilding mess that up...

12:50 PM

! It's an easy trap.

@hu

Energy is most relevant at atomic scales. Momentum/impulse is what we experience.

They are equivalent under Lorentz boost after all

0

Q: Who is this...? Array...?

You can find me as a veg, In a series I'm a language. But now, my hair is gray, In short, I'm Array... Who am I?

riddle word

@humn if you want a hint i can give one

12:53 PM

Codenames is at the freezing temperature, BTW

@Who , hint? Signed, clueless. By the way, if i solve your puzzle it will take a day or more.

What game are they playing?

@JohnDvorak , a close relative (my father) thinks in terms of C while i feel F. We meet at -40, 10, 16 and 28.

press F to pay respects to those who use Fahrenheit

lol.

1:01 PM

F

f

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (Live 1972) (Official Video)

F U all. And i mean that Fectionately.

have you reached an answer for the game

@humn

@Who, i cannot chew gum and type at the same time. It will be solved by the time i can.

the title is a hint

1:08 PM

So many exclamations, but you say they aren't factorial.

And the number pairs are beyond character codes.

What is the title descreibing

I love the coupling between "Fizz" and "three" but haven't caught on.

a game

And the artistry, is mesmeriszing.

what game

1:12 PM

0

Q: color coded puzzle

Help me solve this problem. As this site appreciates a little effort from the person who posted it. Here's my thought process: 1) The matrix starts with 0 ( gr, gr, gr). It has three places which can take two different colors green and red so within the range(0-10) there are 2*2*2 = 8 possibil...

logical-deduction

is it describing

@hmun

@humn

Thank you.

thoseb are just stylistic

@Who, are you perhaps versed in long code? That would take me long time.

now that you're not hung up on that, you should have an easier time

What's the deal with fizz

@humn

1:18 PM

Thank you for reinforcing the hint. Please have patience.

I'm just so struck by the graphics at the moment. And can solve almost anything given a minute or day or weeks.

FIZZBUZZ

come on

@Who, is "FIZZBUZZ" a cryptogram or a cultural reference? Care to say?

FizzBuzz

don't you know whaat that is

COME ON Q

I know almost everything, and can look up the rest.

[Looking it up.]

[Found it. Re-evaluating]

Q: Which number replace question mark

0

Answer my question that which number will replace question mark.

mathematics

1:32 PM

@Who, you gave a rail to track but i'm running low on steam (slept fewer hours than days in the last two). A ratnap might provide the answer. Hang in there!

bye, , , for now.

Ankoganit

1:52 PM

Dupe votes needed: puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/85180/…

voted

Q: Magical Knight Moves with Effortless Ease in his Magical Kingdom

2:52 PM

0

Magical Knight knows every Square of his Magical Kingdom. In many respects, he is like any other knight...Literary,Prime, Normal(makes same allowed chess moves). He is people Knight . As he traverses every successive square, listens to people’s problems and offers very helpful solutions. His wis...

mathematics knowledge chess sudoku magic-square

Q: Very tricky nonogram - where to go next?

5:53 PM

1

I've become somewhat addicted to Simon Tatham's "Pattern" (nonogram) puzzles recently. I thought I was becoming fairly adept with them, but this unusually difficult one has me stumped. I've got as far as this by using the usual tricks: But now I can't figure out how to make any further progres...

grid-deduction nonogram

Rand al'Thor

@Sphinx @jafe I voted to undelete your answer here. That is indeed the key realisation, and no shame in me beating you by a minute or two.

Rand al'Thor

6:53 PM

Aww damn, I missed @humn in here :-(

@Randal'Thor ok, undeleted :)

10:41 PM

@Randal'Thor did you just need to talk to the duck?

11:20 PM

It’s @OmegaKrypton methinks.

11:36 PM

? the duck? @Rubio

Alconja

Rubber duck debugging

In software engineering, rubber duck debugging is a method of debugging code. The name is a reference to a story in the book The Pragmatic Programmer in which a programmer would carry around a rubber duck and debug their code by forcing themselves to explain it, line-by-line, to the duck. Many other terms exist for this technique, often involving different inanimate objects. Many programmers have had the experience of explaining a problem to someone else, possibly even to someone who knows nothing about programming, and then hitting upon the solution in the process of explaining the problem. In...

aha

@Rubio wassup? you've got it

the c4, yesterday

@Alconja thanks