# A fairly difficult puzzle **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457 "2002-04-08T09:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/1 "2002-04-08T09:52:24Z")
MB MB MB ZM BML OWX, OWA “NYZ ZOK ZOK ZOK SMJ UMMF. CMKA BLMX XKQJ? LKQC GOQZ BQWLK XWAKA GLMZK, TTSWW QIZWMJ, BQXMYA RMMRPK OYXQJ PYCGWR AIOMMP AKQLIO ZOKMLH QJAGKLA. IOQDZKL KIMJMXH KXKLRKA RKJKLQP PQWAAKE QIIMLCWJR IPQAAWIQP DMPWZWIQP DLQTKMPMRH.” ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/2 "2002-04-08T10:22:08Z")
And how long did that take you to type correctly??? …processing… Gp ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/3 "2002-04-08T11:12:32Z")
Including time for cross-checking, footing, and verification, about two hours. Good luck, grimpixie! ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/4 "2002-04-08T13:01:03Z")
So far the reference is over my head, however this is BYJ RMMP! I’m not giving up though! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/5 "2002-04-08T13:09:09Z")
Okay, Biotop. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/6 "2002-04-08T13:15:35Z")
Is looking for a simple character substitution solution hoping for too much??? Gp ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/7 "2002-04-08T13:26:39Z")
I thought it might be a [rot13](http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/rot13.html) message, but it came out gibberish when I tried to translate it this way. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/8 "2002-04-08T13:48:46Z")
“CM ZM ZM QIZ QJC OWX PKZ XQJ JMZ ZOK ZOK BMLIK HWKPC IOMMAK IMXXMJ CWIZQZMG.” Is that by any chance what you are looking for or should I keep reading? Fascinating stuff. Now I better get to work, the owner’s will punish me severely if I’m late and I can’t afford to lose my job—not with so many bills unpaid! Just kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/9 "2002-04-08T17:44:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by grimpixie \* > \*\*Is looking for a simple character substitution solution hoping for too much??? > > Gp \*\* It begins that way. After that, an additional puzzle unfolds. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/10 "2002-04-08T17:50:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biotop \* > \*\*“CM ZM ZM QIZ QJC OWX PKZ XQJ JMZ ZOK ZOK BMLIK HWKPC IOMMAK IMXXMJ CWIZQZMG.” > > Is that by any chance what you are looking for or should I keep reading? Fascinating stuff. > > Now I better get to work, the owner’s will punish me severely if I’m late and I can’t afford to lose my job—not with so many bills unpaid! Just kidding. \*\* It looks like you started on the right track, Bio. But it looks like you might have gotten side-tracked a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/11 "2002-04-08T21:45:07Z")
Okay, I’m home from work now and can work on this some more. One question, Libertarian: Is the …" **N** YZ… in the first line correct? (And please, Lord, don’t make me have to read another long piece from that certain tome looking for clues! I’ll be good, I promise!) ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/12 "2002-04-09T02:49:19Z")
Once again, I’m astonished at how little I know about economics. I take it we’ll be done when we get the words in the right order? I think **Biotop** is right about the NYZ; UYZ seems more likely, if I know my quick brown fox. (Or maybe you managed to work in a reference to the Journal of Urban Technology. I’ve got a ways to go yet on the ordering.) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/13 "2002-04-09T09:19:23Z")
> [@](#): > > One question, Libertarian: Is the …"NYZ… in the first line correct? Ackkkkk! No, dammit. It should be MYZ. A thousand apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/14 "2002-04-09T09:21:53Z")
> [@](#): > > I take it we’ll be done when we get the words in the right order? Not quite. Once you’ve done that, a third puzzle unfolds. You’re done when you’ve posted the answer to it. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/15 "2002-04-09T12:05:42Z")
With a little help from Mr Hart, I managed to do the letter substitution. Now I’m puzzling about the word order; is there any system in this? (OK, I guess there is, but I can’t find it ☹ ) ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/16 "2002-04-09T12:46:23Z")
Hell, I have a first suspicion of what it _could_ be, but I’m not 100 % sure about it. I tried to email you, **Libertarian** , because posting my proposals here would cause the others to kill me, but you disabled the email function. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/17 "2002-04-09T13:02:22Z")
Well, if you’re wrong, I’ll tell you, and if you’re right, you’ll win. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/18 "2002-04-09T13:29:35Z")
In rot13, to avoid any slight trace of a spoiler: Yrg rnpu vaqvivqhny pubbfr ubj ur jnagf gb pbbcrengr va gur fbpvny qvivfvba bs ynobe; yrg gur pbafhzref qrgrezvar jung gur ragercerarhef fubhyq cebqhpr. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/19 "2002-04-09T14:03:40Z")
You’re pretty close, Schnitte. But there is a much more direct answer to which you are led by the third and final level of the puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2002, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457/20 "2002-04-09T15:33:54Z")
**M** YZ, even better. I can’t claim complete coherence for the word order yet, but it seems to include the question, QIIMLCWJR ZM OWX, [meaning PYCGWR SMJ XWAKA] GOQZ CMKA PQWAAKE BQWLK XKQJ? If this is in fact the third part of the quest, then I think **Biotop** has the right answer. In order, with a typo corrected and an extra ZOK removed, it would read PKZ ZOK IMXXMJ XQJ IOMMAK QJC QIZ; CM JMZ BMLIK OWX ZM HWKPC ZM Q CWIZQZML. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-fairly-difficult-puzzle/102457.md?page=2)