Puzzles from Loremipsumstan

by Craig Kasper

ANSWER: THE EYE OF SAURON / GAME WARDENS


Each "translated" set is the instructional text of a specific puzzle from the United States Puzzle Championship, with letters replaced with "Lorem Ipsum" text (though word lengths, punctuation, and capitalization have been preserved), digits replaced by the number sign (#), and with specific letters replaced with the underscore character. As the instructions suggest, each set of instructions comes from a puzzle from a different USPC year, and the years involved are eight consecutive years in reverse chronological order. (See base of page for details).

Reading off the letters which were replaced by the underscore character in each instruction yields the instructions DECODE INITIAL SYMBOLS FROM EVERY TITLE ON TOP OF INSTRUCTIONS CITED FROM AN EVEN NUMBERED TEST YEAR. ANSWERS FROM OH NINE ARE OVERLAIN TO MAP SHIFTED AND NORMAL DIGITS TO LETTERS. TO DECIPHER USE A PAIR OF KASPER'S SOLUTION GRIDS TOGETHER.

The even numbered year titles (see base of page for details) are:

  • 2008: &17( 65(72^! *57%&9*
  • 2006: 9(%@!8 $7#87 %$64#
  • 2004: #3&87 @&^1$ 7^(@3#4
  • 2002: !(6#2 ^8!*% 4#)3 2^&@* 8!%5$8

Taking the initial symbols from each word gives the cipher string &6*9$%#@7!^428. The two Kasper solutions from the 2009 USPC can be overlaid, with one set of digits "shifted" to corresponding punctuation symbols, to form a decoding key:


The deciphered answer is therefore THE EYE OF SAURON.

The supplementary information from 2000 reveals that in the alternate history, there was no US puzzle championship in the year 2000, and that all US puzzle championships were moved forward a year. This results in a different set of even-numbered year titles:

  • 2008 (previously 2007): !9&$6 43@&)5 36#4 $@6
  • 2006 (previously 2005): #47&^&( 5!9@2
  • 2004 (previously 2003): @!8*23 1#@25& &1%9$^2
  • 2002 (previously 2001): %4#1!^!@!^! (5%22&7

Taking the initial symbols from each word now gives the cipher string !43$#5@1&%( and the two Kasper solutions from what we know as the 2008 USPC (which became the 2009 USPC in the alternate history) can again be overlaid with one set of digits "shifted" to corresponding punctuation symbols, to form a new decoding key:


The deciphered answer is GAME WARDENS.


&17( 65(72^! *57%&9*

Sedut p erspic _atis unde # om # nisi _t_n atuse rrorsi t_ olup tate macc usanti um dol ore mq uel _udant iu mt_ tamremaper_am e_quei. (Psa qua Eabi lloin, ven toreve _i _at ise tq uas_ar ch ite cto_eat aevita_d ictas unt expl; ica bon Emoe_i mipsa, mvo luptat em qui avo lu ptassi ta spe rnatura utodita_ tf ugi tsedq ui aco nseq.) Uu nturm ag nidolore seosqu i ration evolup.

Tatems: Equin esc iuntne qu epo ## rroquisquam estquid, olo_ emip su mquia, dol or _ita_e.

  

KakurOH (Michael Rios) - 2008

Enter a single digit from 1 to 9 into each empty square so that each clue number is the sum of the digits in the corresponding answer. (For the Down clues, the answer is the set of digits in the squares directly below the clue; for the Across clues, the answer is the set of digits in the squares directly to the right of the clue.) No digit is repeated within a single answer.

Answer: Enter the digits in the 18 highlighted squares, from left to right, top to bottom.

!9&$6 43@&)5 36#4 $@6

Tc_n sec tet uradip_ sc ing veli tsed quiano nnunqua (#m#), doe-iusmodit empora (#i#), nci diduntutl (#a#) bo reet dol oremag n_ + mal - iquamq ua erat _ol upt a_emut _nimadm ini mave_iamquisn _strum e_erc ita ti one _ulla (mcor poris.) Suscipitlab_ rio sam_isiuta liquidex eacommo dicons equat_r _ui saut + em - ve_eu.

M iurer_ prehen der i + tq _ii nea v_l u - pt _te _elit. E sseq_amn ihil mole stiaec o + ns e -. Q uat-urvelill umqui dol or e_eumfugia tquov. Olup tasn ull 1a1 pariatu ratver oe os_t accus.

Amuset: Iusto odi odigni (+ ss -) im osd u_im us_uibla_, di tiispra_sent i_mvo (lup tat umdelen iti atquec or -++).

  

Fridge Magnets (Adam Wood) - 2007

Fill all the regions of the grid with dipole magnets (1x2), not-magnetic plates (1x2), and monopoles (1x1) so that the number of + and - values in each row and column matches the corresponding values below and to the right (where given). Horizontally and vertically adjacent squares cannot contain the same + or - value.

A dipole magnet has a + at one end and a - at the other. A monopole must have either a + or a -. A non-magnetic plate has is completely blank. Note that the 1x1 regions cannot be left blank.

Answer: Enter the values (+ or -) of the nine monopoles, in alphabetical order (for the example the answer is -++).

9(%@!8 $7#87 %$64#

Rupti quo sdolor # eset_ua # smol est iasex _eptu (ris int obca) ec _tic upid i_ate nonprov i_ ents imil i_ue su ntin cu lpa ## qui_ (ffici ad es_r un tmoll i_iaanimi idest_abor), ume td olor um fug aet_a rumqui de mreru mfaci li_estete xp edi tadi stincti.

Onamli: berot empor ecumso lu tanob (is_s te _igen) di opti _c umq uenih _lim peditquom.

  

Sepdoku (Bruce Oberg) - 2006

Place the digits 1 through 7 into the empty cells (one per cell) so that each digit appears no more than once in each of the 21 rows (seven in each of three different directions), and in each of the seven groups of seven cells indicated by the gray circles.

Answer: Enter seven digits in order (left to right) in each of the three main diagonals.

#47&^&( 5!9@2

I_usidquo dma xi_ep l_ceatfa cerepo ss imus omni sv olu ptas assu me_dae_t o mnis do_orrep. Ellend ustem_oribus autemquib usdametaut officii (S deb / _tisa_ + tre -). Ru_nec ess i_ atibus_ ###[degrees].

Aepeev: en_et ut_ tvo_u ptat_sre.

  

Numerical Jigsaw (Erich Friedman) - 2005

Rearrange the seven vertical strips so that each of the four rows contains a true equation. Normal mathematical operation precedence applies (X and / before + and -). Strips can be rotated 180[degrees].

Answer: Enter the first equation.

#3&87 @&^1$ 7^(@3#4

_ud ia_ daesi ntet_olest ia enonr ec usa ndae_ta. Que earumreru m_ icten; etu ras_pient ed_lectusu tau trei ci endisv ol upt atibusmaior_ sal_a. Sconsequ atu rautper fere_di sdo loribusa_p _r iore sre pellatsedut p_ rsp iciati su nde om nis istenatu_e rr ##[degrees].

O_s _tvo lupt atemac cusa _ti umdolorem qu elau_an t_ umto t amr emap e_iame aqu eipsaq uaeabi_lo invento _ever it ati setqua_iarc hitectob_ a_a_vit aedi, ctasun_ex plicab onemo. Eni mips_mvolup ta tem quiavolup tassit as per naturaut odi_aut fu git sedquiac _nsequu.

_turma: gnido lor e_eo sq uirat, ionev olu ptatems equinesc_untn eq uep orroqu isq uam_stquido l_remipsum. (Qui ado_ors, ita metco nse ctetu radip is _I, NG.)

  

Degrees of Separation (Cihan Altay) - 2004

(Also called "A Matter of Degrees" in some places)

You are given containers as shown in the diagram. One container is empty; the remaining containers are full of liquid at the temperatures shown. Transfer the liquids between the containers so that the temperature of the liquid in one of the containers is 72[degrees].

You must pour liquid from one container to another in such a way that either the source container becomes empty or the destination container becomes full, whichever occurs first. The temperature of the resulting liquid is the weighted average of the combined liquids.

Answer: Enter the list of moves, using the letters corresponding to the source and destination containers. (For example, the first two moves might be AC, BC.)

@!8*23 1#@25& &1%9$^2

_elit sedq_ ia non numquamdo eiusm oditemp or a_nc idid untutl ab ore et_o lo remag na mal iquamq u_ eratv oluptat__ut e_i_admi ni ma, veniam_uisno, strumexerc, ita _ione_ulla. Mcorpo_issus, cip it lab _r__samni siuta liq_i dex ea commodic_ ns e q_a_ur Quisau temv (eleumiu_er epreh enderit_uiin ea voluptatev). (Eli _essequ amnihilm, olesti aec ons_qua tu_ve lil lum quidolo _eme um fug iatq.)

Uovo_u: Pt_sn ull apariatu_at (V#, E#, _ro.) eos_taccusamus et ius too diod_ (gn issim osdu cim _sq _i bla ndi_ ii spr aesent).

  

Minesweeper Path (Ken Duisenberg) - 2003

Place mines in ten different empty squares so that each number in the grid is equal to the number of mines immediately adjacent to it, horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Additionally, all of the remaining empty cells can be traversed by a single closed loop (connecting cells horizontally or vertically). (For solving purposes, ignore the letters above and the numbers left of the grid.

Answer: Enter the coordinates (A1, G7, etc.) corresponding to the ten mines (in order from the top of the grid to the bottom).

!(6#2 ^8!*% 4#)3 2^&@* 8!%5$8

I umvo_u pta_umdele, nitia tquecorr u_t_quos dolore se tquas mo l_s tia sexc_, pt urisint obc ae_aticu piditate. Nonprovid ent s_mili_ ue sun tinculpa q_iof, _i cia_eseru nt mol litiaa n_miidestl.

Aborum: etdol oru mfuga etharum: QU, I, DEM.

  

Broken Calculator (Nob Yoshigahara) - 2002

A broken calculator, which normally displays digits as shown in the top image, is missing all vertical segments. Determine the numbers in the equation below, as displayed by the broken calculator.

Answer: Enter the three numbers: XX, X, XXX.

%4#1!^!@!^! (5%22&7

Rer umfac ili sest etexp ed i_ad i_tincti_nam lib_rot emp or ec umsolu tano bis este ligen, dioptiocum-queni (hili mp, editq uom inusidquod maximepl_ce atf ac erep ossi mu somni sv olu pt asassu, _en da esto_ ni sdo lo rrep ellendu ste mp ori busa ut emqui bus dameta ut off ici_sdebi tisa). _tre ru__e cess ("Itati #") bussa_ _e e venietut etvolu, pta tesr _pud iand ("Aesi #") ntet mo l e_tiaeno nrecus; and aeitaq ue _ar umreru _h ict enetur _s apiente d_ lec tusutautreic_ endi.

Svolu_: Tatib usm aioresa _i asc onsequa_ _rautpe rfer endi sd olori bus _sp er iore_r, epellat_ edut pe_ spic_ ati, sund e_m nisist ena, tuserrorsi tvolu pt_ temacc _sa.

  

Club Sandwich (Craig Kasper) - 2001

The first and last names of nine professional golfers are to be wedged into the grid below, crisscross-style (that is, words are completely interlocked and go from left to right or top to bottom, and no words of two or more letters not in the list of names are formed in the completed grid). Each first name ("Front 9") begins on a numbered square, and each last name ("Back 9") ends on a numbered square; the number in the square is the number of letters in the corresponding name.

Answer: Enter the letters in the numbered squares from left to right and top to bottom, starting with the first row, then the second row, continuing until the bottom row.