Greetings this fine morning. As I've been doing, I will be hosting your weekly confuseathon with a series of puzzles that will either get your mind going or cause you to flee in terror.
The usual rules apply: post spoilers and/or hints only inside comments, not in their subjects. Ideally, your subjects should contain items such as "SOLUTION FOR #2" Or "#3 HINT" with the actual hints or answers inside the body of the message. This avoids spoiling it for others. If you have comments auto-expanded, you will want to turn that off before reading comments here if you want to avoid spoilers.
But first, a photo:
This is another light drawing, in which I use manipulated light to create a (hopefully) interesting picture using long exposure techniques.
Puzzles after the fold.
A note of apology-- I made an error posting this on Sunday and deleted it, thinking I could just post a new version of it. Turns out that even though I deleted the one diary, I'm still only allowed one diary per day and, oops, can't post a second. So... this didn't go up Sunday morning as planned. So instead of Sunday Puzzle Blogging, we've got snow day puzzle blogging, since by the time I can post this, we're expected to be totally pummeled in the Northeast. (which reminds me-- if I disappear during the day, it probably means I've lost power, internet, or both-- it won't be by choice :))
Okay: on to explanations and puzzles:
All puzzles, unless otherwise noted, are my own creation.
To begin: a couple puzzle explanations.
CELEBRITY DISGUISES:
For "celebrity disguises," you have three clues as to the answer, which will always be someone well-known, either fictional or real:
Your clues can be any of the following, with examples for the name JOHN EDWARDS in brackets:
- an anagram; [HARD SNOW, JED]
- the same structure of consonants and vowels; [FINDING ARTS]
- the same number of letters in each word; [DARK CHARIOT]
- the same initial letters of each word; [JANE EYRE]
You will have to sort out which type of clue each answer is. Y's count as vowels and punctuation can be ignored.
CRYPTOGRAMS
Cryptograms are cypher puzzles: each letter for each puzzle is replaced with another. I.e., if you substitute the letter "A" with the letter "K," "K" will represent "A" throughout the entire puzzle. Each cryptogram uses its own letter key. Cryptograms are phrases and/or statements converted through such a key. The goal is to translate the statement. Cryptolists are lists of items with a common thread. Sometimes I include special cyphers, such as all the vowels replaced with an "*" or numbers included in the cryptogram. I will note when doing so.
And now... (drumroll...) the puzzles!
Puzzle #1: A cryptoquote. This puzzle has two parts. First, solve the cryptogram:
XCNB CXYRY YEV OTDENCE TDZA NC NYTZ YXCKN TAYVAIPBDF, XKN NBAG OCKTV PBCM KP MBYN NBADI PNGTA CJ TAYVAIPBDF MCKTV TCCZ TDZA DJ, GCK ZECM, NBAG TAV. DN'P NIKTG TDZA XAYNDES Y VAYV BCIPA, XKN NBA RCPN JIKPNIYNDES NBDES YXCKN NBDP FIDRYIG IYOA BYPE'N XAAE NBA BGFAI FYINDPYEP YEV NBADI JTYRA MYIP (NBCKSB NBYN'P XAAE XYV AECKSB), DN'P XAAE NBA TYOZ CJ IAYT TAYVAIPBDF JICR NBA JICENIKEEAIP.
Then, tell me who said it.
Puzzle#2: A cryptolist. First, decode all the items in the list:
OMEJ KYCHUYA
OKUUS JHYGKU
PLV UMDDLJA
VLBEHKG KVKUAMJ
OMK ZHJPMGLHJM
BMGLJ XILJJ
HHALN VHJYRL
PMJS FMGYCSJ
KRHJ EHJYGKU
FLGDKUP FMPPNULKY
Then identify what it's a list of.
Puzzle #3: plf515 submitted the following puzzle, which I think is one of the better puzzles I've seen. He doesn't know where it originated and neither do I (if anyone does know, please let us know):
Into each of the following blanks, place the same letters in the same order. No doubling of letters, no letters from foreign languages, just the same letters in the same order. Make a sentence that is both grammatically correct and sensible:
The [ ] physician was [ ] to operate because he had [ ].
It took me a few hours to solve it, so those of you who solve it quickly can enjoy making me look bad.
Puzzle #4: Celebrity disguise:
ROWING WITHIN RIVERS
ONE NARROWING SANDAL
HID IN THIS BAD SEASON
Puzzle #5: Celebrity disguise:
"WHERE THE KANSAS
CORN WAR?" DECLARE
CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE
Puzzle #6:
take a look at the picture shown:
The shape shown is a series of overlapping squares. Each smaller square is formed by taking a line based on one side of the square, rotating it a certain distance (the same distance every time) and inscribing a new square based on where the line meets the boundaries of the larger square. Assuming that this continues on to infinity and that one side of the largest square is 100 centimeters long, what is the total area of all the squares (i.e., the area of the biggest blue square plus the area of the next largest square (the largest white one), etc.)?
Explain your work (if you want to).
One quick note before I wrap this up: as I finish writing up this post, it's Saturday evening.
Sunday we're expecting high winds and major amounts of snow, which means that my connection may or may not last through the day. I prefer to be online when I post the puzzles to provide clarification, suggestions, etc., but if I disappear, please don't be offended-- it's not by choice.
Oh, and... one more light drawing, one of my favorites so far:
With both photos, clicking on them brings you to larger versions.