Friday, September 18, 2009

Off-Day Puzzle #17: Solution

The answer to yesterday's puzzle is Ronald Belisario.

The first step is to unravel the word configuration to reveal the verse. Each of the four numbered arrows indicate the starting point for each line of the 4-line verse, and you simply read in the direction of the arrow, bending or bouncing around any curve as they are encountered, a la Slot Racers. The only ambiguity is when two lines meet - in these cases the boundary between the two lines must be determined. This is done fairly easily by figuring out what parsing results in actual words.

Here are the four verses separated chromatically:

Written out in normal form:

Though you might search high and low,
The answer's perched under your nose.
And while blood's taken from a stone,
Words I arrange in scattered form.

The second step is to take the verse literally, particularly the second line "The answer's perched under your nose." The 15 letters literally positioned under "Your Nose" are:

I, L, E, B, L, O, O, D, S, I, A, R, R, A, N

Finally, the fourth line "Words I arrange in scattered form" is not only a reference to the logo-shaped configuration of the words, but also hints that the 15 letters are an anagram. Rearranged, they spell Ronald Belisario (not Ronnie Belliard - close, but not quite).

Congratulations to Josh S, LlCooll, J Steve, Keven C, Dunkhawk, Mr Customer, Neeebs, rbnlaw, Drewedez, Fanerman, QuadSevens, and UBragg.

I should also add that I, like some of you, got my Bellies mixed up for a moment. Specifically, I didn't realize LlCooll had sent in the wrong Belli (Belliard). I read his reply too quickly. Since I OK'd his answer and didn't realize my mistake until hours later, I can't penalize him, as he stopped working on the puzzle as soon as I accepted his answer. However, nor is it completely fair to those who fell in after him, who may or may not have gotten it before him. So I'm gonna resolve it by giving LlCoolL 2nd place points, but remove him from the scoring mechanism (i.e., his answer doesn't bump down the score of subsequent answerers). So both LL and J Steve get 2nd place points, Keven C gets 3rd place points, etc. Totally my mistake, sorry Ll and everyone else.

Updated puzzle rankings to be posted soon. Next Puzzle: 7am, Monday, Sept 21, from SoSG Orel!

9 comments:

LLCoolL said...

Don't worry, I'm not much of a threat to win the overall rankings.

QuadSevens said...

This was one of those puzzles that would have had me banging my head on my desk after reading the solution had I not solved it.

rbnlaw said...

Look out top ten; neeebs and I are making our late season charge.

Good thing I made that deadline deal for a puzzle book last month.

Matt said...

I wonder if EK shakes his head in annoyance whenever I send in an answer.

Neeebs (The Original) said...

I liked my first answer of what's literally under 'your nose'. Since my chin is under my nose, why not "Chin Lung Hu."

rbnlaw said...

OK, forget what I said about neeebs and I.


I kid.

Steve Sax said...

rbnlaw and Neeebs, the comedy duo

Steve Sax said...

or maaaaaaybe...rbnlaw and neeebs are the same person?

rbnlaw said...

I'll. . .I mean, we'll never tell.

Although you never see us in the same place at the same time. Same thread, yes; same place, never.