The Sphinx's Lair

Lukas Rotter

19:00

In my search for definitions for rainbow, I came across the very interesting term"water-bow" - Apparently sometimes used in poetry... Anyone every heard of that?

sounds funny to me

Sciborg

Okay after much big braining we have our clue

bobble

how big were the brains?

Sciborg

Heckin big

CCCC: “Fertilizer loses a bit of moistness after September,” said resigning leader, gravely. (10)

Avi

@Sciborg one last note in doc

Sciborg

Gotta say I'm very proud of the work we did on this one

matt

19:10

let’s make a new tradition: every time someone solves a c4 they have to say “HOLY SHIT I SOLVED IT”

Sciborg

Lol I hope that doesn't become a meme here

What have I done

matt

a lot of things have become memes here

such as pickles

Avi

@matt I mean, we all do that internally

matt

lol

Sciborg

I was just genuinely gobsmacked that I had it

Avi

19:12

It even reads a bit like a Tom Swiftie :o

Sciborg

If you turn me into a chat meme I swear to God

matt

at which point you will say “HOLY SHIT I’M A MEME”

Sciborg

don't test me matt

bobble

what you gonna do? fight?

Avi

HOLY SHIT I'M GONNA FIGHT

matt

19:16

it is too late @sciborg

Sciborg

what have i become

Avi

looks up down left right

shifty-eyed CCCC

runs

Sciborg

Y'all are sending me

Avi

mixed messages

bobble

little bobblecrowns!

Mithical

19:19

@Sciborg being a chat meme is overrated

matt

(a bobblecrown is just bobble’s crown)

(and my crown)

Sciborg

Low key Bobble you should start selling lil bobblecrown plushies, I'd buy twelve

matt

YESS

bobble

@matt correction:

Oct 9 at 4:06, by bobble

You can't steal my bobblecrown. I am my bobblecrown. My bobblecrown is me.

Sciborg

The bobblecrown bobbles only for Bobble

matt

19:22

yep

well, and me

Lukas Rotter

@Sciborg def: sepulchral: sep + (-m)ulch + (-gene)ral

Sciborg

So you have chosen death

GOD DAMN IT LUKAS

bobble

what... what?!

Sciborg

That's not necessarily the correct wordplay but yes that is the word

HOW

Lukas Rotter

ok wait

hmmm

Sciborg

19:23

i'm AMAZED

Lukas Rotter

i was unsure about the general part

thats probably wrong

Sciborg

yeah it's not general

But like you are SUPER close

Jesus Christ

bobble

@Sciborg bobblecrown also works for Mith

Oct 8 at 20:55, by Mithical

Sciborg

Valid

msh210

@Sciborg I'd think it's SEPULCHRAL (Sep before (m)ulch) except that I can't see where the RAL would come from and, more importantly, the definition would be an adverb for an adjective solution, so I don't think that can be it.

Sciborg

19:25

I mean I can probably just tell you since you basically got it

msh210

Oh dang, I was typing that while more chat was going on and I got sniped

bobble

And Avi

Lukas Rotter

lets just give it to the person who gets the last part correct :)

bobble

2 days ago, by Avi

Sciborg

Then whoever gets the last part wins :p

@Avi They got it

Avi

19:26

not yet

they have to get the whole WP

Sciborg

True

I'm still shook though

Avi

@msh210 The first hint would be: The final . can be ?, and that's why

@Sciborg very fast indeed.

Sciborg

I mean I absolutely love that we've had two completely out of the blue CCCC solves/near-solves in one day in this chat

I was so sure that would take a couple days at least

matt

HOLY SH— ok I’ll shut up

Sciborg

HOLY SHIT THEY SOLVED IT

matt

19:30

or I won’t shut up

Avi

not yetttt

bobble

how many "t"s are required?

Avi

tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

Lukas Rotter

maybe we'll sit 5 days on the last part? :)

Sciborg

Nah you can do the rest of it, you guys are too smart for me :p

Genuinely hella impressed, well done

Lukas Rotter

19:34

Ok I have a possible explanation which is probably not it, but: Relinquish -> leader (start of) -> rel -> said (homophone) -> ral

I'm just taking shots now lol

Sciborg

Not quite

Don't overthink it, it's not super obscure

Lukas Rotter

I mean, we do have re(signing) + l(eader) + homophone said. I think I should just shut up until I undoubtebly have it :)

Sciborg

I guess we may have been a bit confusing on it so I will make that the second hint: "said" wasn't intended to be a homophone clue

Probably bad wording on my part so I apologize

Avi

probably too early for a second hint lol

Lukas Rotter

Said doesn't have to be a homophone clue as far as I know, so no worries, but that was just the best guess I had in my hurry

Sciborg

19:42

lol I mean they basically have it, I just wanted to clear that up in case it was a muddle down point

No more hints :p

Lukas Rotter

also, I doubt rel -> ral would be even legal as a homophone, since both are not real words as far as I know :P

Sciborg

Yeah :p that was not the intended path

bobble

I keep re-reading Deus's explanation of his solve path. He makes my puzzle seem much smarter than I thought it was.

Lukas Rotter

"Yeah, that was totally intended"

Sciborg

"I definitely meant to do that"

matt

19:45

@bobble deusovi has proven that you are very smart :)

bobble

I mean, I meant all of the deductions that he found. He just made them seem really cool.

Sciborg

Because they are cool

matt

is that not a subset of your smartness?

@Sciborg "HOLY SHIT THIS IS A COOL PUZZLE"

Sciborg

@matt HOLY SHIT IF YOU DO THIS ONE MORE TIME

matt

what will happen to me

Sciborg

19:47

I'll make you solve the "Ascent to new alcohol" CCCC

matt

the punishment should fit the crime

Sciborg

too extreme?

matt

?

Sciborg

that CCCC has broken lesser men

matt

what does solving CCCCs have to do with SWEARING LOUDLY?

Sciborg

19:50

Solving CCCCs and swearing loudly are basically the same thing

How else are you meant to solve them tbh

matt

calmly

Sciborg

you are incorrect sir or gentleperson

Lukas Rotter

the loudest answer is always right

matt

gentlesir

Avi

@matt HARRY

matt

19:52

also the starred messages are not showing for me

Avi

DIDJA PUTYA NAME IN DA GOBLET OF FIYAAAAAAA

4

Sciborg

"Dumbledore said calmly"

bobble

5th year emo harry

matt

@Sciborg your original "holy shit" has 5 stars now

Sciborg

Thank you for this curse

matt

19:54

you're the one who cursed lol

bobble

AVADA KEDAVRA

matt

@bobble HOLY SHIT she tried to kill me

Sciborg

ATTEMPTED MURDER

BOBBLECROWN ATTACKS INNOCENT GENTLESIR

bobble

NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU *****

matt

@bobble that's new! bobble swearing

bobble

19:57

One of the exceptions to my no-swearing rule is quotes

(the other is curse words I made up myself)

Sciborg

and then there's me who yelled "SHIT" in the chat a couple hours ago

matt

@bobble and this answer

@Sciborg I really like your sense of humor

bobble

well, that was unavoidable to answer the question

Sciborg

oh my god, "students should not f*ck" absolutely sends me

matt

@Sciborg why tf is this so funny

Lukas Rotter

19:59

The OP's current rep is exactly 1337, just wanted to point that out

Sciborg

@matt you're a gem also kind gentlesir <3

matt

@LukasRotter who

Lukas Rotter

scratch cat from the Q that you posted

Sciborg

Scratch--Cat

Scratch---Cat

1.3k 1 15

matt

leet

rhymes with yeet

Sciborg

20:01

I'm resisting the urge to upvote their question and ruin it

matt

good idea :p

Sciborg

NOOOO

We must not break the spell

Sid

I see the C4 has already been solved

Sciborg

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

@Sid Yes, I solved @LukasRotter's C4 and they are 90% of the way through mine :)

matt

SHOLY HIT IT'S A SPOONERISM

Sciborg

20:05

DOD GAMN

matt

BI SCORG

COBBLE BROWN

Sciborg

SENTLEGIR

Avi

Why is everything in all caps

.

matt

since we're not bleeping in here

Avi

/me facepalms

Sciborg

20:07

oh my god

leave this chat, you've blursed all of us

matt

deletes how bout dat

Sciborg

you can't delete what my eyes have seen matt

Sphinx

0

Q: Integers whose arithmetic mean equals their geometric mean

For which positive integers n is it possible to find n integers whose arithmetic mean equals their geometric mean?

mathematics number-theory

matt

then hit the reload button in your eyes

Sciborg

Is that in the frontal lobe or the amygdala I can't remember

Documentation for the brain is terrible

bobble

20:09

I want there to be a bad puzzle now so I can close-vote it

Sciborg

Did you get close vote privileges?

bobble

Yeah, remember me celebrating when I got 3k rep earlier today? That's the threshold

Sciborg

Wait no sorry I thought you were Matt

Ahh okay

Nice!

matt

Matt is the tilty crown and the green triangles

Avi

he he tilty crown

Sciborg

20:11

You'll have to forgive me, I'm a little bit visually impaired and these avatars are tiny as hell

Sid

@bobble 10k is the real deal. You get to see invisible things.

matt

the eyes are in the CISUAL VORTEX

*the optic nerve

Sciborg

The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

bobble

It's taken me 4 months to get 3k, and a good portion of that are the two maze answers which got HNQed

matt

it’s taken me 8 months to get to ~470 (on merrybot)

THE LYNX’S SPHERE

I am officially calling myself a gentlesir every time I come into this chat

Sciborg

20:16

I'm calling you that from now on so

matt

apparently gentlesirs are the people on r/justneckbeardthings

which I am not

but I am still a gentlesir

Sciborg

oh. i was not aware. never mind

you are a DIFFERENT gentlesir

matt

indeed

Sciborg

or we can be gentlepersons together

either one

matt

no i like gentlesir

Sciborg

20:19

then that you shall be

bobble

@Sciborg, you should edit your chat profile's "about"! Make it funny for us :)

matt

besides i hate neck beard things

@bobble with a HOLY SHIT and everything

Sciborg

@bobble Ooh I forgot to do that :D

I am 100% including that

Also remind me that if I have time and can find my sewing machine, I'm going to make a bobble plushie and nobody can stop me

matt

@Sciborg YESSSSS

bobble

Do it! I'd love some pictures.

Sciborg

20:25

I'll have to find some yellow fabric since the closest I have is orange, but I'm 100% committing to introducing the first-ever line of Bobblecrown Babies

matt

@Sciborg maybe just call them bobblecrowns

bobble

great chat profile!

Sciborg

Bobble what should the name of your soon-to-be hit plushie line be

bobble

bobblecrowns or bobblettes?

bobblies?

Sciborg

Bobblies is ADORABLE

matt

20:27

that chat profile is ... what did you say ... "sending me"

Sciborg

I'm hip with the kids, I know

bobble

My bobblecrown is female. The bobblecrown minions are a mix of genders. In case that matters.

Sciborg

@bobble Will do :D

matt

what do the different gender bobblecrowns look like?

bobble

exactly the same

matt

20:28

oh uh ok

bobble

the older they are, the more little points they get

so the babies are just pincushions

Sciborg

Pincushions?? That's adorable

bobble

and the old old ones have pointies all over

matt

is there a formula for converting age --> # of points?

Sciborg

I love how we're establishing the deep bobblecrown lore

bobble

20:30

No - points just pop up over time. Why and when seems random

serious scientists in lab coats are currently studying this

matt

we should really make a conworld. main population: bobblecrowns and sciborgs that like saying "holy shit".

Sciborg

Please no

matt

ok then

Sciborg

I wouldn't be able to handle the cuteness of 100 bobblecrowns

It would kill me

bobble

they'll all try to jump on you!

the little babies aren't great at jumping, they mostly bobble in place

Sciborg

20:32

Do they make a lil "bobble-bobble" noise

matt

i doubt that

bobble

of course

Sciborg

obviously

bobble

they say "baa-boow, baa-boow"

matt

bobblecrown conlang?

Sciborg

20:33

baa-boow baa-boow i'm coming for youuu

headcanon: baa-boow baa-boow secretly means "i will feast on your blood"

matt

@Sciborg no they are benevolent lil things

Lukas Rotter

Wait @Sciborg, did you confirm that sepulchral is the exact correct solution?

matt

i have a feeling they're interested in genetics

Sciborg

but what if bobble is secretly planning to take over the world, and the bobbles are just a cute facade

@LukasRotter Yes that is the solution

matt

@Sciborg no, of course not!

Lukas Rotter

20:35

dang it

bobble

they do suck out puzzling ability, so...

matt

@bobble that is not blood though

also can they ever transfer puzzling ability back?

bobble

they can transfer it to me. never tried for anyone else

Sciborg

I love the bobblecrowns... but in my heart I fear them

matt

what is their planet's name?

@Sciborg they cannot hurt you

Sciborg

20:36

that's just what you want me to think

i'm on to you bobble

matt

@Sciborg i am an innocent gentlesir, you said so yourself

Sciborg

sus

matt

firm voice i am an innocent gentlesir

bobble

@Sciborg baa-boow, baa-boow

Sciborg

OH GOD THE BAA-BOOWING IS GETTING CLOSER

THEY'RE COMING

matt

20:39

@Sciborg i will protect you

injects hypospray

this will make your brain inaccessible to the bobblecrowns

Sciborg

My brain is already inaccessible to myself

matt

@Sciborg well then, good

the bobblecrown's worst fear is someone yelling "HOLY SHIT"

do it now

bobble

not "booblecrown" :(

Sciborg

how dare you

matt

sorry, typo

Sciborg

20:41

This sin can never be forgiven

matt

holy shit i am unwanted here

sadness

bobble

matt hears the "baa-boow, baa-boow" getting closer... closer... closer...

Sciborg

they're coming for you

i warned you

matt

Q teleports the bobblecrowns into a nearby volcano

yep I'm a trekkie

Sciborg

How did we get on Star Trek Bobblecrown RP again

matt

20:43

i dont know

Sciborg

What did we do to this innocent chatroom

bobble

okay someone just serial-upvoted me

well, 30 minutes ago

matt

hm

bobble

but I just noticed

Avi

twas'nt me

bobble

20:45

looks like ~18 upvotes in ~2 minutes

Avi

or perhaps, more correctly, 'twas'nt me

oh yeah something like that will probably be reversed

enjoy it while it lasts I guess

unless one of your answers/questions got HNQ'd

bobble

hmm, overcounted. only 12 upvotes

Sciborg

¯_(⊙_ʖ⊙)_/¯

bobble

anyways. DON'T SERIAL UPVOTE

matt

you have to double the \

\\_ --> \_

Sciborg

20:47

oh, my bad. Forgot formatting

I wasn't the upvoter, I only upvoted your puzzle from today

Gareth McCaughan

I think we're still waiting for someone to finish off the solution to Sciborg's clue. I suggest that they consider what other role "said" could play in the clue, if it isn't a homophone indicator.

matt

@bobble HOLY SHIT SOMEONE SERIAL UPVOTED YOU

bobble

bye for now

Avi

uhhhh

matt

@Avi what

Avi

20:52

so what's the deal about the Fortnightly Topic Challenges

Sciborg

I'm not sure

Is upvoting like that a bad thing? I wasn't aware it was frowned upon tbh.

Lukas Rotter

Stiv suggested to wait until the Q is not featured anymore, then post another Q for discussing the details so we can start on Nov 1st (Sunday). I think that's a good way to go.

matt

yes

Sciborg

oh. Is it like a fraudulent vote thing?

matt

it’s just when people upvote EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE

Sciborg

20:57

um... to be honest I didn't know it was bad. that may have been partly me upvoting some of her posts because i hadn't noticed them before. i hope she's not mad, i didn't know it was bad

Is it against SE rules to upvote a person too many times?

Mithical

basically

it's against the rules to vote for a person

Sciborg

legitimately did not know that, i'm sorry. i hope i didn't get her in trouble or anything

Mithical

and there's an auto-detecting script that reverts votes cast on a specific user in a short timeframe

@Sciborg nah

most cases are accidental

Sciborg

i did not mean to, that's on me

When I meet people on SE sometimes I go through their older posts and upvote, I forget there's rules against that

Mithical

someone once ran through a puzzle series I created with like 20 puzzles in the series at the time...all automatically reverted :D

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