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

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The June cryptogram was:

ENTOMOLOGISTS ARE GOOD FOR WHAT BUGS YOU.

Correct answers came from Delmar Burkitt, Andrzej Derdzinski, Wayne Dodge, Jeff Gerken, Alma Litten, Julia Minturn, Carla Nuenke, Dorothy Utendorf, and Sally Yocom.

The answer to the second word puzzle was actually

A KING IS ONE WHO HAS FEW THINGS TO DESIRE AND MANY THINGS TO FEAR.

Several people came up with slight variations which I accepted (e.g., decide for desire or bear for fear). So credit goes to the following: Delmar, Andrzej, Wayne, Jeff, Carla, and Dorothy. I can't recall the source for this quote.

Puzzle 3 asked for two answers which are: (1) the Bears and Rangers ended in a tie, as did the Rangers and United; (2) the Clippers and United played on the same day as the Angels and Rangers. Only Jeff and Andrzej submitted correct answers.

This month's first puzzle is the cryptogram. Each letter stands for a different letter in the decoded message.

E U R Q C U V Z H M K W X P Y M H W Y Z Y G G X C Z O X Z O V O Y C K Y U K B Y M G H W G K R G G X C Z P H W W H P Q M U C G O Y X W T X Q Y M.
— S X P O H Y B A Y B I S H C

This one is also a cryptogram with a different twist. The letters are grouped by fives so the spaces don't necessarily separate words, a system used in the past by the military I believe. You may need some additionial clues. The most frequent letter is not E and there is a five-letter word, a four-letter word, and two three-letter words which each occur twice. The quote is from a famous movie and the "author" is the actor/actress who speaks the words. Good luck.

T M P W P J Q K K Q S C P H M T K A U N E P W P M N C P H K A P H T Q R Q S M P W M T K A P M N C P H P W P C P H.
— B E W K T H A N I I C P H

This puzzle is adapted from the column Enigma by Susan Denham in the New Scientist by permission.

The standard set of dominoes includes pieces up to the double 6 (including combinations with blanks, a total of 28 dominoes). But at our school we have sets which go higher and lower than six. So, for example, we have a 7-set which includes all pieces from the double blank up to the double 7, etc.

Bill was playing with one set and Jim with another. Bill said, "My set has the same total number of spots as your set has dominoes.

Jim agreed, but added, "If I had the set of the next number up and you had the one with the next number down, then my set would have twice as many dominoes as yours has spots."

What sets do Bill and Jim have (e.g., 3-set and 24-set)?

I received a few replies about my inquiry about puzzle types. Jeff Gerken favored inclusion of "real puzzles" (as opposed to cryptograms). Wayne Dodge pointed out that answers to cryptograms "bubble up right away" (I like that description) and further noted that the other puzzles may take some time and he sometimes works them out months later when time permits. I recognize that there are some who work puzzles but don't send them in. I'll try to keep things somewhat balanced.

Correct answers and puzzle solvers will appear next month. Send answers by July 10th 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.