Monday, April 08, 2013

PCS 6.1: All (PCS Season) Sixes and Sevens


_______ _______ _______ _______ _______
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______(2)
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______(2)
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______
_______ _______ _______ _______ _______
_______(2) _______ _______ _______ _______
_______(2) _______ _______ _______ _______

_______ _______ _______ _______(2) _______
_______ _______ _______ _______(3) _______
_______ _______ _______ _______(3) _______
_______ _______ _______ _______(3) _______
_______ _______ _______ _______(4) _______
_______ _______ _______ _______(2) _______
_______ _______ _______ _______(2) _______

_______(3) _______(2) _______ _______
_______(2) _______(2) _______ _______
_______ _______ _______ _______
_______(2) _______ _______ _______
_______ _______(2) _______ _______
_______ _______(2) _______ _______
_______(3) _______(2) _______ _______



AACFIR
AAJN
AAAAHNT
AAACCINRTT
ACEHIIMRTT
AAIS
AMNOORSTY
AAAILRSTU
AEEINNRT
AABDNRR
ABDFHLS
BELU
ABMNRRWY
AACEILN
ACEIILNOPT
ABCCEEEFHMORRSST
CCCEKKORSU
CDEFHLOOOORSSSSU
CNTU
AAEGHHLLLOSTWY
CDO
DEOPY
EEDDGHHINRTU
ENVY*
EEIILNQSU
EEFOPU
AFIRRY
CFKU
EEGMORTY
GLNOTTUY
BEEFFGILOORT
AAGMMRR
EEDGR
EEGNR
GMPRUY
ABCDEFHILLNOOPR
AADEGGGHINNNRS
AHPPY
AAADHHISY
GHHIJMPU
DEHLRSU
DGIINO
AEIJLOV
AAAAKMTY
CHIIKKOUY
KOUYZ
CGILO
GJLMNPOU
LSTU
AAIMNPRU
AELMMOSUU
ADMNOY
CEEHKMNORRTU
EHKLMNOOOTUY
CIIMU
AAADHLMRU
AACEHIMNORRT
AFKOOOT
AEILMNOPSUYZ
AEGNOR
DEEEFHHINOOOPRRTX
AAEILNPT
AHIOPR
EEHHILNOOOPPRSSST
IPSS
DEIPR
AAABEFIKNNOOPRRSZ
ADIMPRSY
AIILNQRU
ACDEFFILR
ECHIORRT
DLR
AAAAHRRSS
AADRSTUY
CHHIIIJORS
ADAHIMS
HIST
HOPSTTU
EELPSY
HLOST
FIMST
EENSYZ
AACEHIMORSTU
ADNSUY
AAADHHINSSTW
AEEEFILMMOPRSTT
ADHRSTUY
ISTT
ADESTUY
DDEHNORTUW
AARSSV
AIILMNV
EILOTV
AADDHHISU
ADDEENSWY
EEELLLSWY
AERTW
ELLOWY



*Start here, maybe?


Puzzle Rules: The solution to the puzzle is a former Dodger. Comment freely in the thread, but if you have the solution, please don't give it away to everyone in the comments section. Instead, do the following:

  • Send us me an Email with "PCS" somewhere in the subject line, containing the first and last name of the players, along with your reasoning. Submitted answers without the reasoning, or those submitted with the incorrect reasoning, will count for participation only, even if the answer itself is correct. And please include your screen name somewhere in the email; and
  • Post a comment simply saying you have emailed your solution attempt. We may not be able to reply to your original email promptly, so please be patient and check back on the comment thread for the latest news; we may confirm correct answers there.
You have until midnight PT tonight to submit your answer. Answer will be posted tomorrow morning. Good luck!

Hint #1 11:00 am - The items in the word bank come in sets of seven. I'd recommend starting with unscrambling the shorter words to start to narrow things down.

Hint #2 12:30 pm - The word bank is in (almost) alphabetical order. Yes. Almost. For a reason.

Hint #3 1:15p -  14 of these 98 things are not like the others, 14 of these things just don't belong...

58 comments:

QuadSevens said...

Working on it.

Orel said...

Stumped.

Hideo Nomo said...

Any truth to the rumor that you came up with this puzzle after passing out on your keyboard?

Hideo Nomo said...

DGIINO DESHIELDS

Franklin Stubbs said...

That is a spurious rumor. I came up with this puzzle BEFORE passing out on my keyboard.

Franklin Stubbs said...

Hint #1 is up.

Franklin Stubbs said...

Where are people getting stuck?

QuadSevens said...

I've got over 2/3 of the words unscrambled. Going to start trying to figure out the blank spaces and numbers.

Franklin Stubbs said...

The blanks and numbers relate directly to the sets from Hint #1. Once you get a few "full" sets, you should understand the numbers.

Steve Sax said...

I'm on it. I know what to do...

Orel said...

heh heh, he said ISTT

Orel said...

That first hint was helpful, thanks.

Franklin Stubbs said...

Hint #2 up top

Steve Sax said...

I've got 13 of the 14 sets, but I don't know what to do yet.

ubragg said...

I'm just checking in. Looks fun, will see what I can come up with.

Steve Sax said...

dammit, who woke up ubragg?! boooooo

Franklin Stubbs said...

I wonder which set is the one Sax hasn't unraveled yet...

Franklin Stubbs said...

One more hint up now, and we'll give everyone a chance to chew it over for a while

Franklin Stubbs said...

One quick edit to the regular rules text. Answers (and questions) should be directed to SoSGStubbs at gmail dot com, not the main site mailbox.

ubragg said...

Answer sent! Fun puzzle, Stubbs!

Franklin Stubbs said...

Nailed it! Nice work!

Steve Sax said...

(grumble grumble frickin' ubragg the braniac grumble grumble)

Alex said...

I stayed home from work just to work on this puzzle because diapers and formula for the baby can wait!

Ubragg shows up and within an hour has it solved, FML...

Steve Sax said...

answer sent

Steve Sax said...

got the fourteenth. you are a wicked man, stubbs

Hideo Nomo said...

I'm starting to get what you're going for, but still working on the unscrambling.

Not sure if this was intentional, but the "Show Original Post" view on the comment page makes the puzzle into a nice clean layout for printing to work on.

QuadSevens said...

I've got 11 of the 14 groups figured out. Still stumped on the numbers.

Franklin Stubbs said...

I think you guys are overthinking the numbers. They're a guide only. You don't really need them to solve.

Franklin Stubbs said...

Q7, you should be able to solve with 11 of 14.

Steve Sax said...

Stubbs: was my answer correct?

spank said...

did they really need to blur out the top of Janine Turners butt crack? #cabletv # :(

QuadSevens said...

Even though I haven't solved this puzzle, I want you to know that typing seven of these words into a spreadsheet at work really made my day.

Franklin Stubbs said...

Sax. For the record, you are entirely correct

Hideo Nomo said...

Dang. Forgot to send in my progress for credit.

Steve Sax said...

No partial credit here, Gnomes!!!

Hideo Nomo said...

From the new rules:

"For every puzzle you participate in, you get 1 point."

Franklin Stubbs said...

Gnomes,

The old participation rules still apply. If you worked on it and commented on the thread, you're good for a point.

I'll be posting the solution a little later today, since, you know, "work".

Hideo Nomo said...

Woot! Point!

BJ Killeen said...

I would have played but was not able to get the answers in on time. Wish you'd let it go a bit longer. :-(

ubragg said...

I like the idea of letting it go for longer, too. You might even consider leaving it up for a week (since you'd never have two puzzles overlapping that way), and maybe even only introduce one hint per day. If you did that, you could make the puzzle worth fewer points as the hints are released, and by the last day the hint could basically just tell you how to do it. I suspect you'd get more participation (and solves) that way. But then, I'm not sure how excited you'd be about changing the format now that we've started...

Steve Sax said...

@BJ 10:12a: TWSS

Franklin Stubbs said...

Well, I'm game for it if everyone else is. What say we make a first day solve 3 points, and second day and later solves 2 points? There should be some gravy for getting it right on the off day, no?

QuadSevens said...

Mmmmmm! Gravy!

Franklin Stubbs said...

*ladles*

ubragg said...

Sounds great to me!

Franklin Stubbs said...

Let's make it so, then. I'll post up the extension this afternoon so people know they can keep going.

QuadSevens said...

Question sent. I haven't given up on this yet!

Franklin Stubbs said...

"Bump" post and new hint up top.

BJ Killeen said...

Thanks. Will start unscrambling.

BJ Killeen said...

5 sets so far. Lots more to do

QuadSevens said...

Answer sent! Woohoo!

Franklin Stubbs said...

7777 brings it home.

Franklin Stubbs said...

Of all people, I would be disappointed if a guy named QuadSevens didn't finish this one.

QuadSevens said...

Very true Stubbs. I was determined to finish this one.

BJ Killeen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BJ Killeen said...

I think I got it...at least I hope I did.

BJ Killeen said...

ugh; guess not: gonna do some more work. I knew it couldn't be this easy!

BJ Killeen said...

I'm too dumb for this...