Itinerant People of America (solution)
by Scott Handelman and Emily Morgan, with artwork by Danielle Sucher
Hinted at by the title and by the phrase oral tradition, solvers must determine that the code depicted is an IPA cipher. The code deciphers to reveal a subset of John Hodgman’s list of 700 hobos from his book Areas of My Expertise in numerical order. By taking the difference between the numbers of subsequent hobos and converting those numbers alphanumerically into letters, solvers receive the message PLEASE READ JOHN HODGMAN’S FRIDAY BLOG POST. On the first day of the Mystery Hunt, John Hodgman (will have) posted a blog entry on his web site (http://areasofmyexpertise.com). In his trademark style, Hodgman has capitalized several words in his blog post, spelling the secret message THE ANSWER IS BUSINESS TRAVELERS.
| Bilabial | Labiodental | Dental | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
| Plosive | p b | t d | k g | ʔ | ||||
| Affricate | ʦ | ʧdz | ||||||
| Fricative | f v | θ ð | s z | ʃ | h | |||
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | |||||
| Approximant | (w) | r | j | (w) | ||||
| Lateral approximant | l |
| # | Hobo Name | IPA |
| 1 | STEWBUILDER DENNIS | stubɪldərdɛnɪs |
| 17 | NAME WITHHELD | nemwɪθhɛld |
| 29 | OL’ BARB STAB-YOU-QUICK | olbɑrbstæbjukwɪk |
| 34 | SENATOR CLETUS SCOFFPOSSUM | sɛnətərklitəsskɑfpɑsəm |
| 35 | HORUS, THE BIRD-HEADED FOOL | horəsðəbərdhɛdədful |
| 54 | GILA MONSTER JR. | hilʌmɑnstərdzunjər |
| 59 | THOUGHTLESS HARRY HSU | θɔtləshæriʃu |
| 77 | STUN GUN JONES | stʌnɡʌndzonz |
| 82 | STICK-LEGS MCOHIO | stɪklɛɡzmɪkohɑio |
| 83 | THE UNANSWERED QUESTION OF TIMOTHY | ðiʌnænsərdkwɛsʧənʌftɪməθi |
| 87 | GALLANT | ɡælənt |
| 97 | LONNIE CHOKE | lɑniʧok |
| 112 | LOIS “CHARLES” LADYFINGER | loɪsʧɑrəlzleidifɪŋɡər |
| 120 | CINCINNATI O’GURK | sɪnsɪnætioɡərk |
| 134 | YUM-YUM SINCLAIR SNOWBALLEATER | jʌmjʌmsɪnklersnobɑlitər |
| 142 | ROBERT THE WEE | rɑbərtðəwi |
| 157 | THUNDERTWINE | θʌndərtwɑin |
| 161 | DAVID NO-EARS | devɪdnoirz |
| 168 | FREE-PEANUTS DOUG | fripinʌʦdʌɡ |
| 181 | LIL’ MAX MEATBOOTS | lɪʔəlmæksmitbuʦ |
| 182 | THE PERSONAL SECRETARY TO JED | ðəpərsənəlsɛkrətɛritudzɛd |
| 196 | SALTFISH BUNYAN | sɑltfɪʃbʌnjən |
| 215 | ROADRUNNER “MEEP MEEP” FABONG | rodrʌnərmipmipfəbɑŋ |
| 221 | CRISPY MORTON | krɪspimortən |
| 239 | QUESTIONABLE-JUDGEMENT THEODORE STOMACHBRACE | kwɛsʧənəbəldzʌdzməntθiədorstʌməkbres |
| 248 | LINTY SULLIVAN, THE LINT-COLLECTOR | lɪntisʌlɪvənðəlɪntkəlɛktər |
| 252 | THE YOUNG CHURCHILL | ðəjʌŋʧərʧɪl |
| 253 | THE YOUNG CHURCHILL’S HATED BRIDE | ðəjʌŋʧərʧɪlzhetədbrɑid |
| 278 | SULLY STRAIGHTJACKET | sʌlistreitdzækət |
| 280 | WHITMAN SAMPLER | wɪtmənsæmplər |
| 292 | THE EMPEROR | ðiɛmpərər |
| 307 | FAKE COCKNEY ACCENT ALAN STRIPPE | feikkɑkniæksɛntælənstrɪp |
| 314 | THREE-BEAN OTZ | θribinɑʦ |
| 330 | ANDY BUNKUM | ændibʌŋkəm |
| 345 | CRANBERRY SAUCE OPPENHEIMER | krænbɛrisɔsɑpənhɑimər |
| 364 | MR PENDLETON | mɪstərpɛndəltən |
| 384 | TEATTIME BB STILES | tittɑimbibistɑiəlz |