Monday, August 04, 2008

Off-Day Puzzle #8: Ned Colletti Plays Matchmaker

Another off-day brings another puzzle for the SoSG masses. This time, in honor of Ned Colletti, it's all about matches. You see, Ned is like one of those chaperones at a high-school cotillion dance, making sure everyone has a partner. Ned hates seeing someone left out! As such, last offseason, Ned made sure Andruw Jones was matched with a $36M salary for the next two years. And the season before that, he made sure Juan Pierre was matched with a cushy $45M deal. But now, Ned needs your help finding matches, especially since one of them is someone that even Ned doesn't want (if that is indeed possible).

Each of the five images on page 1 has an appropriate match on page 2. Find the matches, and then find the one pair of images that Ned doesn't want. Then, tell us which pair of images is the one pair that Ned doesn't want, and why not (after all, it IS Ned Colletti here).

Rules: Once again, please feel free to post comments in the thread, but if you think you have the solution, please don't give away the answer to everyone in the comments section. Instead, do the following:

  • email us your solution explanation, and
  • Post a comment simply saying you have emailed your solution attempt. Due to firewall issues, I may not be able to reply to your original email promptly, so please do be patient and check back on the comment thread for the latest news; I will confirm correct answers there.

HINT #1 (9.37a PT): Admittedly, this puzzle worked better prior to the trade deadline, when it was concocted. I got too lazy to revise the unwanted pair.

HINT #2 (10.35a PT): Strangely, one of the guys in this puzzle that Ned did end up wanting after all, was supposedly on the block in the final hour before the trade deadline. Luckily, we kept him (though sadly, we're not playing him).

HINT #3 (11:21a PT): Ned Colletti has been known to be a tinted cello.

HINT #4 (12.14p PT): On page 1, reading clockwise from the upper left, the images correspond with (8), (6), (5), (9), and (4). On page 2, reading clockwise from the top center, the images correspond with (4), (3), (6), (7), and (5). If you're stuck on one image, email me (and signal the email, please, in the comment thread).

HINT #5 (2:04p PT): In response to the emails, I suppose I should clarify that hint #4 refers to standard notation for word lengths. (Check comment #5 in that post for a link to that puzzle's solution.)

HINT #6 (4.54p PT) Yes, this is a wordplay puzzle. And just as a starting point, REINDEER does indeed match with HAT. Four pairs to go....

NOTE: I'll try to check email one last time this evening. Solution goes up at midnight!

64 comments:

Damon said...

I can never figure these puzzles out

QuadSevens said...

How did you get that picture of me working out?

cigarcow said...

What is that thing in the lower right corner, or is that part of the puzzle, figuring out what it is? Looks like an organ of some sort.

Steve Sax said...

All five pictures on each page are relevant. And cigarcow, that thing in the bottom right is...indeed what you think it is. But which organ???

jose said...

Ok, just sent mine in.

Steve Sax said...

Jose, you nailed it! Nice job.

Hint #1 up.

cigarcow said...

Jose, email me the answer.

jose said...

Sorry, it's a secret :)

Steve Sax said...

No collusion now, cigarcow...

Steve Sax said...

quad, wherefore art thou?

QuadSevens said...

I'm scratching my noodle trying to figure out how Jose solved this puzzle so quickly.

jose said...

Being unemployed and living on the East Coast helps a lot.

Steve Sax said...

I agree, quadsevens; I usually think of you as a little more than an even squad.

Steve Sax said...

Wow, either everyone is getting over their Manny hangover, or this puzzle is awful.

One more hint posted up top. This one may be the last one.

Erin said...

I get the methodology, and I have one of the pairs. It's just trying to figure out what descriptive word you are thinking of for some of the pictures that is proving to be difficult.

Steve Sax said...

Thanks for the feedback erin. I'll give one more clue after lunch that should help out...

Steve Sax said...

New hint (#4) just posted. Enjoy!

QuadSevens said...

I have to be honest, that clue isn't helping me at all. I feel more lost than ever.

Steve Sax said...

Quad, focus on hint #3...

cigarcow said...

These pretzels are making me thirsty.

Erin said...

All right, I sent you an email. But it's not the solution. Well, not all of it, anyway.

Steve Sax said...

Erin, thanks for your email. New hint (#5) just added, which should give a boost.

QuadSevens said...

Email sent in. I'm slowly moving towards an answer. Possibly a wrong answer, but at least I'm getting somewhere. =)

Steve Sax said...

Quad, on slide 1 your first four words are spot-on.

On slide 2, your second, third, and fourth words are right. Your first word is incorrect. And you still can't get that last word? Aw, nuts.

Based on your set of correct words, you can make two of the five pairs.

Steve Sax said...

And no, you are not looking for rhyming names....

Erin said...

I just sent another email. Still not the solution.

QuadSevens said...

Email sent in as well. Getting closer!

Steve Sax said...

Erin, your first three words for page 1 are correct. For word 4, use the second word only. Word 5 is only half-right (specifically, you have the second half of the word).

For page 2, your first word is correct (not the "maybe" choice); second is right as well. The third word is something that you wouldn't have. Fourth word is right. Fifth word refers to the genre.

You are very close!

Steve Sax said...

New hint posted (#6).

Steve Sax said...

Quad, of your two missing words, the first one is right. The second one is almost right (you're off by a single letter, but you've got the organ (literally, as well)).

Unknown said...

Apparently, the puzzle I won was an easy one! I'm stumped...

Steve Sax said...

SteveK, thanks for your email.

On page 1, your four words are right; the one on which you have a question is a nine-letter word, and you have the last four letters of that word.

On page 2, words two, four, and five are right. Word three is off by one letter (you have the right organ, it's just a different spelling to fit the puzzle). Word one is incorrect.

You are indeed on the right track for methodology. Keep plugging, you're close!

Erin said...

Most of the time, I never have a damn clue how to figure these out. This time, I've got two of the pairs, and I'm stuck on the other three. I think it's worse to know what to do and still not be able to do it.

Erin said...

Of course, as soon as I wrote that, I figured out a third one. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Erin said...

One more email heading your way.

Neeebs said...

I just gave it a shot. Pretty sure that I am way off base.

QuadSevens said...

Solution has been emailed in.

Steve Sax said...

neebs, thanks for your email.

page 1: words 1-3 are correct, 4 and 5 are incorrect

page 2: words 2 and 4 are correct, 1 and 5 are incorrect. word 3 is almost correct, with one letter off (the organ is correct, but use the singular notation)

your methodology is creative, but not on track...getting the precise words is critical to the solution. good luck!

Steve Sax said...

erin, in response to your question, not all of them (but the fourth one is indeed)

Steve Sax said...

Quad Sevens, congratulations! Second to solve. Well done.

Steve Sax said...

SteveK, all five of your words on page 1 are perfect.

On page 2, your first word is incorrect; think palindromic. Words 2, 4, and 5 are correct. Word 3 is off by one letter; use the singular notation rather than the plural.

Good luck with the pairing!

Erin said...

One more email on the way. I'm so close, I'll be upset if I can't solve this.

Steve Sax said...

Erin: it's not "knock". This is my bad, sorry about that--but think of type of content that is there (i.e., you'd find that page in a book of _____). If you don't have it in a couple of hours, I'll try and email you from home later tonight (damn firewall)...

Steve Sax said...

ps erin, I don't want you upset at me.

By the way, excellent guest post. Hope you get BTW2 up soon, the whole community misses your writing.

Erin said...

I would never be upset with you, Sax. Just with myself for taking too long to get this.

I'm on call for jury duty this week, which makes things hard to plan, but I should be getting a new site going very soon.

Erin said...

Okay, 80% there.

Erin said...

I'm sending in my answer, even though I only have four of five. I don't know if I'll ever figure out the fifth.

Steve Sax said...

neebs, as per your most recent email:

page 1, fourth word is not the word that you've listed in the last line of the email. Other four are correct.

page 2, words 2, 4, and 5 are correct. word 3 is off by one letter as you need the singular notation. word 1 is not correct; think palindromic.

you are quite close! you should start thinking about the pairings...

Unknown said...

I'm with Erin... and we probably have the same 4 of 5. I'm going to try for partial credit!

Steve Sax said...

erin, you're so close you can almost taste it. the last pair was in the news prior to the trade deadline...

Erin said...

In other news, let's spend the next few days really rooting for Andy LaRoche, as his new team is playing the Diamondbacks.

Steve Sax said...

Holey Canard!

Go Pirates!

Steve Sax said...

Steve K, you are indeed EXACTLY where Erin is. Both of you are at the precipice...

MR.F said...

Can I get my words checked? Thanks.

Erin said...

Finished! The email is on its way.

Steve Sax said...

Fanerman, thanks for checking in from afar!

Page 1, word 1 is misspelled but I'm sure you've got it; words 2 3 and 5 are correct, but 4 is not.

Page 2 is perfect.

Now, to the pairings...

Steve Sax said...

Nice job erin, third to solve. Your last one was indeed the match even Ned didn't want.

Unknown said...

Finally!

Steve Sax said...

Thanks for your email fanerman. I'm off to that region soon, so thanks for logging in from the road. You are DEFINITELY on the right track based on what you wrote over email.

Steve Sax said...

SteveK ("steve"), congratulations you are indeed correct and the fourth to solve. Bravo!

Steve Sax said...

Okay, with the 61st comment (a la Roger Maris), I am outta here. Good luck to all the rest of you who are playing...again, solution posts at 12 midnight. Good night, everybody!

Unknown said...

Okay I just posted a reponse

MR.F said...

Okay I just emailed a solution (I think). Cheers!

Steve Sax said...

Solution to this puzzle is posted here.