Philip Koski author page
2 puzzles by Philip Koski
with Jeff Chen comments
| U | N | I | G | A | R | B | O | A | T | A | L | L | ||
| S | O | N | I | T | O | O | K | P | A | L | E | O | ||
| E | T | S | S | O | L | O | S | S | I | L | T | S | ||
| S | A | C | R | E | D | L | Y | D | E | C | I | D | E | |
| U | P | H | O | L | D | A | S | I | H | E | I | R | ||
| P | R | O | C | E | S | S | P | R | A | I | S | E | S | |
| O | O | H | C | E | L | T | S | |||||||
| B | L | E | T | C | H | L | E | Y | P | A | R | K | ||
| M | O | U | S | E | V | E | E | |||||||
| D | I | S | T | I | L | L | N | O | M | I | N | E | E | |
| O | W | I | E | O | Z | S | H | E | L | E | N | A | ||
| G | A | S | M | A | N | M | A | S | S | A | G | E | S | |
| S | N | A | P | S | T | I | T | U | S | A | Y | E | ||
| I | N | L | E | T | S | T | O | R | E | D | E | L | ||
| T | A | S | H | A | A | H | M | E | D | E | D | S |
There's a lot going on here:
Four short entries hint at cryptogram letter substitutions.
I to O, A is E, D is T and S to R indicate that you should replace any circled Is with Os, As with Es, etc.
The four entries change from SACREDLY / DECIDE / GASMAN / MASSAGES to SECRETLY / DECODE / GERMAN / MESSAGES.
Those four new words hint at the inner workings of BLETCHLEY PARK, where WWII code-breakers worked furiously to decipher the German Enigma Machines.
Reminds me of a brilliant cryptogram puzzle that transformed ALAN TURING to HR HALDEMAN. I didn't connect today's concept as strongly, but I was fascinated by Flip's commentary. I'm so curious to figure out who the CIA is scouting out in the crossworld!
| S | W | A | B | T | W | A | N | G | E | D | I | T | ||
| H | O | S | E | A | I | R | E | R | A | I | D | A | ||
| O | M | I | T | I | N | T | R | O | S | A | A | B | ||
| A | B | A | T | T | L | E | O | F | W | I | T | S | ||
| L | A | G | E | R | O | S | L | O | P | A | C | |||
| S | T | O | R | I | E | D | S | N | O | O | T | Y | ||
| B | O | A | R | D | E | R | O | S | ||||||
| S | A | R | G | E | N | T | P | O | R | T | R | A | I | T |
| A | R | E | A | A | M | O | C | O | ||||||
| G | O | B | L | E | T | M | A | R | I | M | B | A | ||
| E | D | U | R | U | S | T | S | N | E | A | K | |||
| T | S | A | R | N | I | C | H | O | L | A | S | I | ||
| A | N | T | E | B | A | T | H | E | A | N | E | T | ||
| W | R | A | P | O | I | L | E | R | I | T | S | A | ||
| S | A | L | T | S | L | E | W | S | D | O | T | S |
WRAP / ITSA. Debut puzzle by … Yoda?
Because his robe is a type of wrap?
Stop shaking your head at me!
I was so stumped at "Name That Theme." All the circled letters were anagrams of something, displaying a tidy progression of 1 2 3 circles at the beginning and 3 2 1 at the end. I couldn't wait to find out what I was missing!
Hmm. ITSA does wrap around the end to the beginning of the themers. It does consistently progress in that consistent 1/3 2/2 3/1 series. But … why?
At this point in our conversation, Jim Horne casually referenced C3PO, the uptight protocol droid.
I loved many of the clues today, varying in a range of fun genres:
- Cool trivia. WOMBATs have cube-shaped droppings? Now I feel the need to replicate the feat.
- Question mark wordplay. [Hookup that might get kinky?] in the starting corner is joyous. That's a HOSE hookup — wasn't that what you were thinking?
- Clues that make you think. [Like the Tower of Babel, in two ways]? I couldn't even think of one way. STORIED? Ah, yes! Legendary, as well as possessing many floor-type stories. Genius way to elevate (ha) a not-that-exciting entry.
Fun debut concept, but I found it difficult to wrap my mind around—
(sounds of Jeff being force choked)