Jokes and Riddles Centre

[TerranC]

There is a seven-letter word in the English language that contains ten words without rearranging any of its letters. What is the word?

[ August 02, 2003, 02:33: Message edited by: TerranC ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

um...English contains a lot of words.

and for anyone who's still interested, the answer is:

*DRUMROLL* >SPOILER ALERT<

a man on a horse with a parrot on his shoulder

two wings, six eyes, eight legs and two tails.

[ August 02, 2003, 05:21: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[Ragnarok]

On a standard Qwerty keyboard, what is the longest word you can type with your left hand only?

Yes, you can type any word with your left hand only but following what are supposed to be typing rules...

[Jack Simth]

stewardesses?

[ August 02, 2003, 07:05: Message edited by: Jack Simth ]

[Ragnarok]

Originally posted by Jack Simth:
stewardesses?

Correct.

[Kamog]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Ok, now for a cryptogram. These things kick my butt. I can never figure them out. But I made this one so I know the answer.

Hint: It's Se4 related.

code:

---

Q H U   Q R   E G U   M U J   R I B E Q K N   Q R   N S B B U N N   F H   N L I B U   

 

U X L F K U N   F N   J Q S K   N G F L N   I W F A F E J   E Q   G F E   E G U F K   

 

E I K T U E N   F H   B Q X W I E .   F E   F N   E G F N   R I B E   E G I E   

 

X I M U N   E G U   E I A F N X I H   N S B G   I   L Q O U K R S A   

 

B Q X L Q H U H E . 

---

1) There is a 1-letter word "I" on line 4. A 1-letter word can only be "A" or "I". Let's try "A", guessing that you wouldn't use the same letter to represent "I". Try substituting "I" = "a"

code:

---

QHU QR EGU MUJ RIBEQKN QR NSBBUNN FH NLIBU

*** ** *** *** *a***** ** ******* ** **a**

UXLFKUN FN JQSK NGFLN IWFAFEJ EQ GFE EGUFK

******* ** **** ***** a****** ** *** *****

EIKTUEN FH BQXWIE.  FE FN EGFN RIBE EGIE

*a***** ** ****a*.  ** ** **** *a** **a*

XIMUN EGU EIAFNXIH NSBG I LQOUKRSA

*a*** *** *a****a* **** a ********

BQXLQHUHE. 

*********.

---

2) Count the frequency of letters in the message:
A:3 B:8 C:0 D:0 E:17 F:13 G:8 H:6 I:11 J:3 K:6 L:5 M:2 N:15 O:1 P:0 Q:10 R:5 S:4 T:1 U:13 V:0 W:2 X:5 Z:0

Letters occur in the English language in roughly the following order of frequency: ETAONIRSHLDCUPFMWYBGVKQXJZ, where E is the most common letter and T is the next, and so on.

Because "E" appears 17 times, it is likely to be "e" or "t". The word "EGU" appears twice in the message. A common three-letter word that begins with "t" is "the", which is probable because "U" appears 13 times and could be "e". Try substituting E=t, G=h, U=e.

code:

---

QHU QR EGU MUJ RIBEQKN QR NSBBUNN FH NLIBU

**e ** the *e* *a*t*** ** ****e** ** **a*e

UXLFKUN FN JQSK NGFLN IWFAFEJ EQ GFE EGUFK

e****e* ** **** *h*** a****t* ** h*t the**

EIKTUEN FH BQXWIE.  FE FN EGFN RIBE EGIE

ta**et* ** ****at.  *t ** th** *a*t that

XIMUN EGU EIAFNXIH NSBG I LQOUKRSA

*a*e* the ta****a* ***h a ***e****

BQXLQHUHE. 

******e*t.

---

3) See the word "FE" which is "*t"? What's a 2-letter word that ends in "t". "it or "at". Well, we already guessed that "I" = "a", so then the word is "it" and "F" = "i".

code:

---

QHU QR EGU MUJ RIBEQKN QR NSBBUNN FH NLIBU

**e ** the *e* *a*t*** ** ****e** i* **a*e

UXLFKUN FN JQSK NGFLN IWFAFEJ EQ GFE EGUFK

e**i*e* i* **** *hi** a*i*it* t* hit thei*

EIKTUEN FH BQXWIE.  FE FN EGFN RIBE EGIE

ta**et* i* ****at.  it i* thi* *a*t that

XIMUN EGU EIAFNXIH NSBG I LQOUKRSA

*a*e* the ta*i**a* ***h a ***e****

BQXLQHUHE. 

******e*t.

---

4) Now it's easy to guess that "EGUFK" = "thei*" is "their", so "K"="r". Also "EGFN" = "thi*" is "this", so "N" = "s".

code:

---

QHU QR EGU MUJ RIBEQKN QR NSBBUNN FH NLIBU

**e ** the *e* *a*t*rs ** s***ess i* s*a*e

UXLFKUN FN JQSK NGFLN IWFAFEJ EQ GFE EGUFK

e**ires is ***r shi*s a*i*it* t* hit their

EIKTUEN FH BQXWIE.  FE FN EGFN RIBE EGIE

tar*ets i* ****at.  it is this *a*t that

XIMUN EGU EIAFNXIH NSBG I LQOUKRSA

*a*es the ta*i**a* s**h a ***er***

BQXLQHUHE. 

******e*t.

---

5) Now it looks like "NLIBU UXLFKUN" = "s*a*e e**ires" is "space empires", so "L"="p", "B"="c", "X"="m.

code:

---

QHU QR EGU MUJ RIBEQKN QR NSBBUNN FH NLIBU

**e ** the *e* *act*rs ** s*ccess i* space

UXLFKUN FN JQSK NGFLN IWFAFEJ EQ GFE EGUFK

empires is ***r ships a*i*it* t* hit their

EIKTUEN FH BQXWIE.  FE FN EGFN RIBE EGIE

tar*ets i* c*m*at.  it is this *act that

XIMUN EGU EIAFNXIH NSBG I LQOUKRSA

ma*es the ta*i*ma* s*ch a p**er***

BQXLQHUHE. 

c*mp**e*t.

---

6) It's easy to guess now that the second sentence says "It is this fact that makes the talisman such a powerful component."
Therefore, "R"="f", "M"="k", "A"="l", "H"="n", "S"="u", and "Q"="o"

code:

---

QHU QR EGU MUJ RIBEQKN QR NSBBUNN FH NLIBU

one of the ke* factors of success in space

UXLFKUN FN JQSK NGFLN IWFAFEJ EQ GFE EGUFK

empires is *our ships a*ilit* to hit their

EIKTUEN FH BQXWIE.  FE FN EGFN RIBE EGIE

tar*ets in com*at.  it is this fact that

XIMUN EGU EIAFNXIH NSBG I LQOUKRSA

makes the talisman such a powerful

BQXLQHUHE. 

component.

---

7) Obviously, "J"="y" and "W" = "b", "T"="g".

One of the key factors of success in space
empires is your ships ability to hit their
targets in combat. It is this fact that
makes the talisman such a powerful
component.

[Slick]

Most impressive, Kamog!

Slick.

[ August 03, 2003, 06:54: Message edited by: Slick ]

[Taera]

very well done! i always wondered how the cryptograms are solved, now i have a very good idea where to start if i ever need to

[geoschmo]

Yes, excellent job Kamog.

[Ed Kolis]

Say this ten times fast:

Calculate the albedo-libido ratio of Antonio's Alsatian albino alpacas.