The Sphinx's Lair

bobble

00:12

I just got a college email with subject line "The <name> Colleges", and a body that started with 5 college emojis. I get it! You're a college! You really didn't have to do that.

Jon Ericson

Professional curiosity: which are college emojis?

bobble

🏫🏫🏫🏫🏫

Jon Ericson

Oooooh. I assumed 5 different emojis. Got it.

bobble

04:31

when people do multiple guess for a riddle, do they normally just edit over their answer?

This is from here: puzzling.stackexchange.com/posts/102069/revisions

there are three different answers in the edit history, all of them confirmed as incorrect

Deusovi

05:58

@bobble Depends. Either multiple answers or new answers could be acceptable - depends on how much value the old one has.

Puzzling Meta

08:59

0

Q: Best puzzles of 2019 Q4 (October - December)?

This question is part of the best-puzzle award series. What are your nominations for the best puzzles, here on Puzzling.SE, of the fourth quarter ( October / November / December ) 2019? Suggested guidelines for nomination: Nominate each individual puzzle in a separate answer, so they can be ...

Stiv

09:09

I've been thinking it's a shame the 'Best puzzles of' meta thread fell off the radar in the last year, so I've set up the three that were missed. This series was one of the ways I really got to grips with this site and learned about what tends to make a well-received (and good quality) puzzle here.

I feel that at this moment in time the community would benefit from immersing itself in this again, and it would serve as a good resource for newcomers to acquaint themselves with what works well and what can be achieved. A key part of the Puzzling experience!

Please do view the posts and add your favourites!

Puzzling Meta

09:24

0

Q: Best puzzles of 2020 Q1 (January - March)?

This question is part of the best-puzzle award series. What are your nominations for the best puzzles, here on Puzzling.SE, of the first quarter ( January / February / March ) 2020? Suggested guidelines for nomination: Nominate each individual puzzle in a separate answer, so they can be upvo...

discussion best-of

0

Q: Best puzzles of 2020 Q2 (April - June)?

This question is part of the best-puzzle award series. What are your nominations for the best puzzles, here on Puzzling.SE, of the second quarter ( April / May / June) 2020? Suggested guidelines for nomination: Nominate each individual puzzle in a separate answer, so they can be upvoted/down...

discussion best-of

Sphinx

12:02

0

Q: A stopped watch shows correct time ---

You know the old saying A slow or fast running watch is worse than a stopped (broken) watch. At least the stopped watch shows correct time twice a day! Here is a challenge: A person wearing a stopped (broken) analog wrist watch with hour, minute and second hand, that also displayed the date ( Mo...

logical-deduction knowledge time

Sphinx

12:51

1

Q: I love stars - a cryptic message

7E579O3L57K4782W1H3SXOBDJFLBF8D86MRQV4UA38OHQ25XE793W7QUOXW23KGE009AR97GFKB3DJB5HCY249PYMASA2YJOFDQDMA1PKC Textual form of above: cyan = 0, 3, 7, 8, A, E, F, M, O, P, Q, X, Y, Z; green = 1, 4, 5, B, C, G, J, N, R, T, W; lilac = 2, 6, 9, D, H, I, K, L, S, U, V Use the information given above th...

enigmatic-puzzle

bobble

14:29

@Stiv, I can only help with 2020 Q2, since that's when I joined :) I'll look for some more good ones to post.

North Læraðr

@bobble If you apply to universitrees, you don't get those

bobble

I have 4 college apps going. The emails are largely from smaller, farther-away colleges that I'm not considering.

North Læraðr

The ironic thing is, they all promote their school like "X University wants students like you" but I might not even get in O_O

@bobble Oh, some good news: Last night, at like 12:00 am, inspiration struck and I found out how to make the No Pickle Gang Theme Song

I'm just ripping off a song we're doing in choir called "Vospruch"

Beastly Gerbil

15:01

It may be interesting to bring back fortnightly challenges too

They seem to be something that comes back every couple of years to mix things up, fade away and then repeat

bobble

Fortnightly topic challenge: Anti- or pro-pickle puzzles

Stiv

@BeastlyGerbil I would love to get the fortnightly challenges up and running again. I regret that I found this site too late to take part in them!

Beastly Gerbil

I feel like around now would be a decent time to try and bring them back

A lot of puzzles have been a lil samey, although theres been some gems

But it could help give people ideas, mix up the puzzles a bit, maybe even create some completely new puzzle types

Stiv

15:16

Totally agree. Guess it won't happen unless someone makes it happen. Shall I take this bull by the horns?

Sphinx

0

Q: Found the key, but what to unlock?

Here's a series of text messages between me and my friend. Me: Couldn't use ebg13, so used ______ to hide my messages. Him: What? How is this possible??? Me: A big prime ______, what else did you expect? Him: Hmm. Me:(Note: this is multiline. Also, this is not part of the text. See below.) ˄ ...

lateral-thinking

Beastly Gerbil

@Stiv I'd say give it some time to let your new meta posts be seen first, and there should probably be a general post asking everyone whether they want to see a return. After that if people like the idea then maybe a post asking for themes before choosing one a bit later and starting it up again. That should work? I think that was roughly what happened last time

matt

hey gerbil! been a while

Beastly Gerbil

hey matt!

matt

how's life?

Beastly Gerbil

15:27

Also it would definitely be a good idea to see what others in chat think about bringing it back too @Stiv

@matt busy now schools back :P

matt

yep same
also what is your opinion of pickles?

bobble

this is a very important question

Beastly Gerbil

scrolls up to see what the correct answer is

3

Ah yes, despise them (which is genuinely true anyways :P )

matt

good

bobble

good good

matt

15:29

you will live

Beastly Gerbil

phew

North Læraðr

@bobble The music is almost done!

matt

@North nice

bobble

can't wait! actually can wait, i have to go to school

North Læraðr

@bobble Lol

Beastly Gerbil

15:32

oof I've just got back :P

matt

from...?

bobble

school's online, so this tab will stay open :)

North Læraðr

@bobble I'm doing this in class shhh

Beastly Gerbil

It's... weird... being back with all the regulations

Ah thats much better :P

matt

@NorthLæraðr same

North Læraðr

15:33

@bobble Same. Hybrid starts in two weeks if everyone behaves

bobble

my parents are ranty because our area had just got off the watchlist, and then the local college opened up

matt

for me weve been doing this for like 6 months

so uh yeah thats been fun~

my state had to quarantine for 2 frickin months

lucky for me, my next class starts at 9:26
well kind of, I have work to do and all, but it won't take an hour >:)

oAlt

16:07

@Stiv I relate with the first part

I thought the best puzzles of would continue regularly and I kept checking as well only to find it being inactive :((

North Læraðr

16:50

@bobble IT IS FINISHED

No Pickle Gang Theme Song

bobble

It seems very loud, and sometimes the low notes overpower the melody. Maybe set them to piano for that point?

But the lyrics are spot-on :)

North Læraðr

@bobble probably. I was too lazy to care about dynamics

bobble

I can hear my middle-school band teacher yelling at us to BE QUIET and STOP BLASTING YOUR SOUND and THE MELODY IS IMPORTANT

North Læraðr

@bobble I play the trumpet, so that's a perpetual thing

IS THAT IN TUNE

@bobble Do you play a bass instrument?

bobble

no, I play flute. But there were like 5 trumpets for a 20-person band, and they were all those annoying loud boys.

North Læraðr

17:00

@bobble oop

I was not annoying. I was ~~good~~.

@bobble Ah, it's the ARE THOSE TRILLS REALLY THAT IMPORTANT thing

Wth

I applied to Ralphs for a part-time job like in April

And it's September and finally they respond. Telling me they don't want me

THANKS

Mithical

@NorthLæraðr *gives disparaging look*

North Læraðr

@Mithical Pickle lover

Mithical

timonthelionkingverynice.gif

North Læraðr

@Mithical If only I actually took the time to create the music

Mithical

I've got to compose a pro-pickle song from scratch now.

North Læraðr

17:10

@Mithical I'll compose a symphony

I played kakuro for the first time and I found out how bad I am at basic arithmetic

matt

how is the NPG doing?

Lukas Rotter

I'm in the making of a puzzle that is <s>propaganda for</s> representing the values of the NPG

matt

D Q R B M M S K F H Y W N K T
J M M W I E B S N O C Q Z S Z
C L Z N T W R Y D L I A D I M
O M N M Y O W R N B U F M G O
L H L E E T J W Y O B E C Z X
M V Y U U K A N X B R M Z K E
X C E V G K F C S B O T I V D
A J G S Y Z K K U L D T H D Y
F P Q B K U E D I E F U F J Y
O G I A O P L B G K Z Z W X K
D L K M K L R G U H L L R E L
Y D J K P E Z S B W K X E O P
T P U T G A Z H F X S Y Y V U
M I C H O X E U Z V A M H D V
Z J O U S R K H O J T H S U Z

North Læraðr

@LukasRotter Mm. Respectable man

@bobble What have ~~you~~ we started

Lukas Rotter

17:25

How do you strike-through text in chat?

matt

three - like ---this--- i think

Lukas Rotter

ah ok thx.

matt

above is a word search with the members of the NPG

bobble

there's me! I'm falling!

matt

good job

havent found myself yet

North Læraðr

17:27

I'm diagonal

matt

oh there it is

@north so am i

there is also"gerbil"

North Læraðr

@jafe Do you support the No Pickle Gang?

bobble

@Deusovi, can we have a CCCC hint? pretty please?

Deusovi

oh right

matt

also deusovi do you support the no pickle gang?

Across
2. kimchified
Down
1. evil green thing
3. was first to be executed

North Læraðr

17:32

Deusovi doesn't seem like the type to mingle himself into these affairs

matt

hm

Lukas Rotter

He has to stay neutral because of his status. But since Deusovi is a reasonable, intelligent, friendly and well-educated person, we all know that in his heart he's on our side.

2

North Læraðr

@LukasRotter Well-spoken, indeed

jafe

@NorthLæraðr sorry, i enjoy the occasional pickle (please no banhammer)

North Læraðr

@jafe uh-oh

matt

17:34

YOU WILL BE TERMINATED

bobble

Someone just put in a request to the tutoring club for this lunch, which is in <20 minutes. And most tutors aren't even available during lunch! I smell a panicked test-taker.

North Læraðr

@bobble Hahaha

matt

^ crossword: history of the npg

bobble

What's sad is that even though I noticed, I wouldn't be much help - it's for matrices, and I would need time to brush up beforehand.

matt

matrices? so exciting~

North Læraðr

17:37

Matrices... are what?

matt

fancy math stuff

Matrix (mathematics)

In mathematics, a matrix (plural matrices) is a rectangular array or table (see irregular matrix) of numbers, symbols, or expressions, arranged in rows and columns. For example, the dimension of the matrix below is 2 × 3 (read "two by three"), because there are two rows and three columns: [ 1 9 − 13...

North Læraðr

Oh I suck at math

matt

also here's a very easy maze:

North Læraðr

@bobble What math are you taking?

Or ig if you have the "integrated" system what math would it be?

bobble

I don't have a math class right now. Next semester I have Calc 3 & Linear Algebra

North Læraðr

17:43

@bobble O_O

matt

ahhh

North Læraðr

I'm surrounded by such smart people

matt

uh thanks

what is the message? hmm

bobble

@matt IF YOU ENJOY PICKLES THEN YOU WILL BE TERMINATED

... and I'm off to lunch. Bye!

North Læraðr

@bobble See ya!

Lukas Rotter

18:24

I'm writing a story for my NPG puzzle - And while reading it back, I'm questioning my mental health. People that read this will either think I'm completely crazy or mildly creative in a weird way (most likely depending on their affiliation, of course)

matt

sounds fun!

@NorthLæraðr hows life as a tree?

@bobble got it right!

Mithical

@LukasRotter Obviously crazy. Off your rocker. Nuts. Bananas. Lost your marbles.

matt

@Mithical another pickle lover... >:(

Avi

what's the uh

decoding method

or is it just "randomly select letters from the same column until you get a message hating on pickles"

bobble

I saw the word PICKLES, then the first, two-letter word had to be either IF or HE

I chose IF, and then the 5-letter word became quite obviously ENJOY, and it was easy from there

Avi

18:33

where's the 5th-dimensional torus? :/

Mithical

@matt I'm not just another pickle lover. I am THE Pickle Lover.

matt

@Avi ??

Avi

in the first dimension P... in the second dimension I... in the third dimension C... in the fourth dimension K... in the fifth dimension L...

that's how I solved it, at least

matt

?!?!

i apologize for the comic sans

North Læraðr

@matt A lot of photosynthesis

matt

18:37

@NorthLæraðr good, good

Avi

If you enjoy pickles at all, no matter how much, will be immediately executed

or something like that

bobble

terminated

Avi

^

matt

the letters in circles go in the bottom in some order

oops i forgot the word "you" ahh

Beastly Gerbil

netermidat?

I think

As in the circled letters

Avi

18:38

well

Beastly Gerbil

and then that gives terminated

Avi

sorry for offending the terminators around here

but I prefer executions to terminations

North Læraðr

@Avi HE'S A PICKLE LOVER

ONLY A PICKLE LOVER WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT

Avi

Proponents of termination will be immediately executed. Proponents of execution will be immediately terminated.

matt

ot necessarily

Avi

18:40

who lives

North Læraðr

Who dies

Who tells your story

@Avi So... are you a pickle-lover?

Avi

Who dies = "Proponents of termination & proponents of execution"

Who lives = ?

@NorthLæraðr I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you

matt

proponents of neither

Avi

yep

but the question is

who executes/terminates the executioner/terminator?

themselves?

matt

thats suicide

bobble

18:43

There's this great book series (first book Scythe), where yes, the executors execute themselves

North Læraðr

@bobble I LOVE SCYTHE

OMG THAT BOOK SERIES IS AMAZING

AHHHKCKCESIOENBDROSEYVU

bobble

you'd like my sister, she bought the 3rd book like the moment it came out

matt

wow

North Læraðr

My best friend recommended it to me a little while back

matt

@NorthLæraðr r/ihadastroke

North Læraðr

18:44

It's so good

bobble

it good

matt

"it" -- NorthLaeradhr, 2020

Avi

"It"

matt

i t

North Læraðr

Though the ending was a bit meh with Greyson and the Thunderhead. I still didn't quite get what happened but

@matt Okay I get it

bobble

18:45

North - a Tree going into I.T.!

matt

IT

i cant stop

North Læraðr

iT

@bobble Have you read Marie Lu's works?

bobble

I have read the Legend & Rose trilogies

I like re-reading Legend but not any of the others

North Læraðr

Oh, my favorite is the Rose trilogy

Though her works are kind of hard to reread: I feel emotionally drained everytime I read her books. But she's my favorite author

bobble

I like Sanderson, 'specially Mistborn

and when did this turn into the Literature chat?

North Læraðr

18:49

lol

I haven't read that series, hmm

matt

hmmmmm

bobble

I picked it up at first because the paperback pages are SO SOFT

North Læraðr

Or any of Sanderson's works

bobble

I mean, they felt like silk

Avi

I'm still super salty

North Læraðr

18:50

@Avi About what?

Avi

Sanderson hasn't released a sequel to the Rithmatist

that book was killer imaginative

bobble

OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE THE RITHMATIST

North Læraðr

Ooh, so many more books to check out

Oh you know which book killed my soul?

Heartless

Oh my God I have never cried so much because of a book

bobble

As an advertisement for Mistborn: the first book is overthrowing an evil dictator who was a Chosen One, the second book is dealing with the fallout of evil-dictator overthrowing, the third one is about defeating an evil god and with multiple people tossed around as possible Real Chosen Ones.

North Læraðr

LOL

matt

18:54

it

North Læraðr

Sounds like...

Every single "chosen one" story

IT

matt

I T

North Læraðr

I T IT IT IT it ItiT

matt

stronk

Avi

repl.it?

matt

19:00

it it it ti it it i titi itt jt ut

it tii t ut u it ut i t t it i t it it it t it t it ut tut utit it

somthng is worng

Avi

what is it?

North Læraðr

IT

matt

my brsinb

it it it it it it it it it ti tt

helo e okeaee

pease heko #Nirth

North Læraðr

I am genuinely concerned

Avi

please help #North

matt

19:05

what have you done

Avi

ok for like a moment there

I thought you were actually having a problem

matt

well uh

im not

Avi

bless

matt

spoonerism time!

"bless you" = "yes blue"

behnfcnjdkflecrcgvr

msh210

@NorthLæraðr Goodbye, heart.

North Læraðr

19:15

@msh210 ?

I'm confused

I mean her works are kind of depressing yeah

@Deusovi You have yet to give us a clue :P

Deusovi

CCCC hint: Multiple words in the clue are technically not necessary (that is, the clue would work fine without them, but it also works fine with them in).

2

thanks for the reminder! left to go eat and got distracted

North Læraðr

heheh

matt

so meta

bobble

... which words? :)

Deusovi

(also I may or may not be playing A Monster's Expedition right now)

matt

19:20

hmmm

bobble

you are. admit it.

Deusovi

(yes, obviously)

matt

i t

North Læraðr

@bobble Hmm. I'm thinking "a monster" is the definition. I think epic, for one, might be part of the sub clue word for "storyteller"

So like a name of a person, who can just be a "storyteller"

Hm. Really nice surface, by the way

Or maybe "epic storyteller" is the def..?

bobble

the only two works that I could think of then are REGALER and RELATOR, and neither seems to work

North Læraðr

19:23

No that leaves "it's penned by" which is awkward

matt

i t

North Læraðr

I'm trying to simplfy the C4 down to the bare necessity

Would appears endless and endless be same enough? Hmm

No, because one is a verb and the other is an adjective... but maybe. Perhaps an adjective which "appears endless"?

bobble

my current parsing: def = "A monster", word for "expedition" minus its last letter ("appears endless") + IT or ITS + ("penned by") word for "epic storyteller"

Sphinx

0

Q: Minesweeper confusion

I'm getting a bit confused about something I keep encountering when playing minesweeper. I keep seeing the following formation: ????? ?1x1? ?1x1? ????? Surely those 1's should be 2's, as each one is adjacent to both of the mines in the centre? My initial thought was that this is a bug, but I've...

minesweeper

North Læraðr

Ahh, that's good

bobble

19:28

take that with a grain of salt, since I haven't found any actual words that work

North Læraðr

Well, that would fit Deus's clue I think

You can remove, "a", "appears", and "epic"... wait what do you mean penned by word for epic storyteller?

bobble

"penned by" = "written by" = "next to"

North Læraðr

hm

perhaps TRI(-p)(+epic storyteller)

Hm, I can think of TRI(-p)TONS, but Idk how "TONS" is = epic storyteller

North Læraðr

19:56

Maybe it's CALLIOPE? She's the muse of epic poetry... but now idk how that fits the wordplay

Oh wait that's too many letters I can't count

matt

i t

i should make a bot that just replies "i t" to any comment that has "it"

bobble

we must save matt from the Itness - a sickness that causes its sufferers to reply "it"

matt

yes please help

i can't stand it

heeelp meeeee

is the Itness terminal?

bobble

@NorthLæraðr, I believe you're the expert here

North Læraðr

@bobble On what?

Oh Itness

matt

20:08

is it terminal, @North?

North Læraðr

@matt That has so many levels of puns I can't even

matt

wooosh i dont get it

North Læraðr

is it terminal? is "it" terminal?

matt

but h e l p m e

oh no

ahh

last words: pickle is bad

*dies*

bobble

we are very sorry for hijacking the Puzzling chat, aren't we matt?

matt

20:13

(i'm supposed to be dead)

but yes

sh- p- denrfjekd

reanimates

s- i- so the itness isnt terminal then phew

msh210

@NorthLæraðr It's from a song.

North Læraðr

@msh210 Ah

msh210

@matt Coincidentally, "denrfjekd" actually means "reanimates" in Icelandic.

North Læraðr

...

bobble

no it doesn't

North Læraðr

20:21

......

@Deusovi Are initials of authors a valid abbreviation?

bobble

well-known authors, I think

North Læraðr

i was thinking (word)(WS) like William Shakespeare, but I'm not sure

I don't think it can be WS

msh210

@bobble Close enough.

@NorthLæraðr not IMO

matt

@msh210 it does not

North Læraðr

@msh210 Yeah, I didn't think so. Deus is pretty strict in his formatting of his C4s

matt

20:24

uh no I meantabout the icelandic thing

bobble

Well, I would be fine if the author was primarily known by their initials (like JRR would be find for "Tolkien")

matt

> Coincidentally, "denrfjekd" actually means "reanimates" in Icelandic.

@bobble *fine

msh210

2 mins ago, by msh210

@bobble Close enough.

matt

nope

but uh this is Puzzling, not Icelandic

North Læraðr

13 mins ago, by bobble

we are very sorry for hijacking the Puzzling chat, aren't we matt?

matt

20:26

@NorthLæraðr that's my point

could really use some lunch right now

i imagine @NorthLæraðr will be enjoying his carbon dioxide

Avi

21:19

GRENDEL is 7 letters

HERODOTUS is not

matt

y- yes

that is true

i wonder when the Sphinx will awaken

Avi

when your puzzle gets 200 upvotes

bobble

There are 7 puzzles with net score >200 out of 21,211 questions

Avi

the sphinx has awakened 7 times o.o

matt

today?

Avi

21:26

in total

matt

i meant about the sphinx

Avi

anyways

so here's what I'm thinking

(def) = monster

(wp) = Expedition synonym with last letter removed, placed next to (penned by) epic storyteller (literally - some epics were told in theatre)

i can't help but think about how well Ovid goes with Covid

matt

coincidence? i don't think so

North Læraðr

22:27

@Avi I was just thinking that

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