Author: KOrfield

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[Solution] Missing Vowels

Each of the rows is missing all of its vowels. Once the words are reconstituted, they look like this:

  • Star Wars Characters:
  • PRINCESS LEIA ORGANA (11)
  • COUNT DOOKU (6)
  • ADMIRAL ACKBAR (7)
  • Classic Board Games:
  • THE GAME OF LIFE (11)
  • SNAKES AND LADDERS (4)
  • BATTLESHIP (6)
  • Fictional Trains:
  • THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE (10)
  • THE POLAR EXPRESS (5)
  • HOGWARTS EXPRESS (4)
  • School Subjects:
  • ENGLISH (7)
  • MATHEMATICS (7)
  • EARTH SCIENCE (4)
  • US States:
  • OKLAHOMA (4)
  • NEVADA (3)
  • OHIO (1)
  • Pokemon:
  • MEWTWO (5)
  • EEVEE (4)
  • ALAKAZAM (2)
  • Animals:
  • SPIDER (2)
  • HORSESHOE CRAB (12)
  • SIBERIAN TIGER (9)

Indexing into each of the full answers by the given numbers reveals the phrase I’d like to what a vowel, Pat. This is a reference to a commonly spoken phrase on Wheel of Fortune, where contestants must buy vowels. The answer is BUY.

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[Solution] The Long and Short of It

This puzzle consists of seven very simple mazes, each with a single yellow line through it. Solving the mazes and paying special attention to where the path intersects with that line gives the following:

The flavor text of the the puzzle references both Samuel and telegraph, suggesting that Morse code is necessary to get the answer. Reading the path/yellow line overlaps as dots and dashes gives . ... -.-. .- .--. . ... which translates to ESCAPES, the answer to the puzzle.

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[Solution] Binary Logic

Each of the words can be preceded by either TRUE or FALSE to make a common phrase. (In certain cases, the reverse can also be a phrase, but it is always quite rare.):

  • FALSE PRETENSES
  • TRUE BLOOD
  • FALSE EQUIVALENCE
  • FALSE WITNESS
  • FALSE EYELASHES
  • TRUE BLUE
  • TRUE DEER
  • TRUE TO FORM
  • FALSE ACCUSATION
  • TRUE CRIME
  • TRUE COLORS
  • TRUE BELIEVER
  • FALSE BOTTOM
  • FALSE FLAG
  • TRUE BUGS
  • FALSE PROPHET
  • FALSE IMPRISONMENT
  • TRUE STORY
  • TRUE TO LIFE
  • FALSE DICHOTOMY
  • TRUE DETECTIVE
  • FALSE TEETH
  • FALSE ADVERTISING
  • TRUE VALUE
  • FALSE ALARM
  • TRUE NORTH
  • TRUE TYPE
  • TRUE O’BRIEN
  • FALSE START
  • TRUE ENOUGH
  • FALSE POSITIVE
  • FALSE COGNATE

Converting these True/False answers to binary (TRUE=1, FALSE=0) gives 01000111 01110010 01101001 01110100. The flavor text clues ASCII which can turn eight-bit binary numbers into characters. Translating these four numbers gives Grit. The answer is GRIT.

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[Hint] The Long and Short of It

This is the hint for The Long and Short of it, originally posted just last week. In an effort to get back on schedule, you have one more week to solve it using the hint below.

Samuel and his telegraph will help you interpret where your path through the maze intersects the yellow line.

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[Puzzle] Missing Vowels – 18 November 2024

The website is starting to get back to normal. The entire archive is still missing, but I will be working on re-uploading that as we go along. The hints for the last two puzzles and the solution to the September-October metapuzzle have now been uploaded. Congratulations to everybody who solved it!

The new puzzle for this week is Missing Vowels, inspired by the least-imitated round from the game show Only Connect.

Please enter your answer below, leaving out all punctuation.

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    [Solution] Spatial Relationships

    This metapuzzle consists of the following image, along with the answers to the feeder puzzles: MOZART SYMPHONY, YOU ARE HERE, FIFTH GEN CONSOLE, CANDY BAR, OBERON, TRIDENT, THERMOMETER, and CARNIVOROUS PLANT.

    This image suggests the planets of our solar system, moving outward. Each answer corresponds to one of the planets:

    • Mercury = THERMOMETER (Thermometers are traditionally filled with mercury.)
    • Venus = CARNIVOROUS PLANT (Venus flytrap)
    • Earth = YOU ARE HERE (Unless any aliens are solving these puzzles, in which case, welcome!)
    • Mars = CANDY BAR (Mars bar)
    • Jupiter = MOZART SYMPHONY (Mozart Symphony No. 41 is named Jupiter.)
    • Saturn = FIFTH GEN CONSOLE (the Sega Saturn)
    • Uranus = OBERON (Oberon is a moon of Uranus.)
    • Neptune = TRIDENT (The god Neptune wields a trident.)

    Indexing into each answer by the number written on the planet spells out the solution, MOONSHOT (or MOON SHOT), referring to an ambitious, groundbreaking effort, such as the 1969 moon landing.