columbus area mensa,col-m, puzzles, 2000 february

The January cryptogram was:

ITS LIKE DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN. — YOGI BERRA.

Correct answers came from Margie Breckenridge, Carla Darnell, Andrzej Derdzinski, Alma Litten, Julia Minturn, Kevin Skehan, Dave Smith, and Sally Yocom.

Julia reminded me that his true first name was Lawrence. In researching this out I found his full name is Lawrence Peter Berra. His nick name, Yogi, derives from his youth when one of his friends remarked that his walk looked like that of an Indian Yogi he once saw in a movie.

The second puzzle asked for the number of fossils Dick found each day and his total during the Tom, Dick, and Harry fossil hunt. The results were 94 + 70 + 1 + 1 + 81 for Monday through Friday respectively and a final total of 247.

The third puzzle was a letter for number substitution for which the correct answer for "AVERAGES" was 1,064,176. The complete substitution is shown at the right. Only Andrzej Derdzinski and Jeff Gerken submitted answers to the last two puzzles, both of which were correct. But it certainly wasn't an impressive start for the new year.

The summary of the 1999 puzzle year is as follows. A total of 32 different persons submitted puzzles, 29 of which were local members. Five were members submitting answers for the first time. Of the 37 puzzles, Andrzej had all of them correct, while Charlie Bruce and Jeff Gerken missed only one. For both it was the circle on graph paper puzzle back in September. Steve Herrick challenged initially with 16 correct, but did not submit answers after becoming Editor. Then there are our Cryptogram specialists and I should recognize Carla Darnell, Alma Litten, Julia Minturn, and Sally Yocom, who had all twelve correct, plus John Jackson with eleven. Thanks to all who submitted puzzles and who make the column an enjoyable challenge for me.

This month's first puzzle is the cryptogram. Each letter stands for a different letter in the decoded message. This one is more difficult than usual. I saw it as a bumper sticker on the car ahead of me in traffic.

J H S A ' K T B H X O Z , T Q I X Z A Q L F R S J L .

Since this is the leap year month of a special year, that extra day gets us an extra cryptogram. So here's one that's not so difficult.

B Y L E A ' P S N E E N S K V S , P S R A D S B N N E E K S Y B Y N J .

— U T B N B K U A C C

This puzzle is from the column Tantalizer by Martin Hollis in the New Scientist by permission.

In the monastery of the Grand Enigma on the peaks of Mount Tantalus seven of the brothers are on a diet of bread and water. Each has confessed to a different pair of the deadly sins and each sin has claimed a different pair of victims. Here's what we know:

1. Cuthbert, Edwardus and Francis have no sin common to any two of them.

2. Bernard, Dominic, Edwardus and Gregory have indulged in all seven between them.

3. Ambrose and Gregory have admitted to sloth.

4. Dominic and Edwardus have admitted to lust.

5. Ambrose is not proud, nor Bernard avaricious.

6. Francis is neither proud nor intemperate.

7. Cuthbert, who is guilty of anger, has a sin in common with Dominic, who is not guilty of anger.

Which pair have fallen prey to intemperance, and which to envy?

This month's Quest column, printed elsewhere in Col-M, might interest the puzzle fans.

Correct answers and puzzle solvers will appear next month, as well as the year end results of the 1999 puzzles. Send answers by February 14 to Dick Nuenke; 1460 Kingsgate Rd.; Columbus, OH 43221 or call in (recording 24 hours) to 326-0452; fax to 292-4118; or e-mail to rnuenke@columbus.rr.com