# Cryptic Puzzle Help **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 5, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145 "2004-11-05T06:00:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/1 "2004-11-05T06:00:21Z")
I’ve been playing a game where you get 10 cryptic puzzles (well, most of them are cryptic) and each one of them is a password to a ZIP file. The prize is in the last Zip file. It’s not a real prize, it’s a set of co-ordinates to find with my GPSr. I have never been good at solving cryptic puzzles and some of these have me stumped. I’ve left in some that I have completed as this may give an insight into what is going on with the others. **Solved** : nearby rotium cream 11 chars CREMATORIUM dead city pen is crool 10 chars NECROPOLIS Word for self restraining with all vowels in alpabetical order 11 chars ABSTEMIOUS Next number in series 1 11 21 1211 111221 312211 **These ones have me stumped** : gurerdhverqnafjrevftrbpnpuvat 10 chars Experimental site for a left party and a right party 10 chars More men to manage to mark time 9 chars **I think I’ve got this one, but I’m not sure** : Stress finishes the politician - has his head removed 8 chars INSTRESS ??? Is there anyone out there who is good at cryptic puzzles that could offer help, hints or solutions. Would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/2 "2004-11-05T06:11:56Z")
> [@Caught@Work](#): > > gurerdhverqnafjrevftrbpnpuvat 10 chars If you use a ROT13, the phrase translates to: therequiredanswerisgeocaching. So try: geocaching. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/3 "2004-11-05T06:35:37Z")
Dude, you’re brilliant. I never even thought of ROT13 (even though it should have been the first type of decryption I thought of). From that, I’ve been able to dictionary attack the remainder of the clues. Thanks a whole lot. this has been driving me batty for days. Level 1 muzza Level 2 victoria Level 3 nearby rotium cream 11 chars crematorium Level 4 dead city pen is crool 10 chars necropolis Level 5 gurerdhverqnafjrevftrbpnpuvat 10 chars ROT13 therequiredanswerisgeocaching geocaching Level 6 Word for self restraining with all vowels in alpabetical order 11 chars abstentious Level 7 Experimental site for a left party and a right party 10 chars laboratory Level 8 Next number in series 1 11 21 1211 111221 312211 Level 9 More men to manage to mark time 9 chars metronome Final Stress finishes the politician - has his head removed 8 chars emphasis ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/4 "2004-11-05T07:22:47Z")
🙂 Glad to help. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/5 "2004-11-05T09:38:57Z")
Metronome ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/6 "2004-11-05T09:40:46Z")
Too late, I see. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/7 "2004-11-05T10:05:04Z")
I figured out what ROT13 is, but how do you get these other ones? The number in series one is also obvious. Do any of the other ones deal in cryptography like the ROT13 one, or are they just riddles? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryptic-puzzle-help/273145/8 "2004-11-05T11:40:44Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I figured out what ROT13 is, but how do you get these other ones? The number in series one is also obvious. Do any of the other ones deal in cryptography like the ROT13 one, or are they just riddles? Not exactly. It helps if you’re familiar with the conventions of cryptic crosswords. For example, they often use anagrams: I picked up “metronome” from the clue “more men to manage to mark time” because “manage to mark time” is a hint that you’re looking for some kind of timekeeper, which leads to “more men to”, which is an anagram of the answer, “metronome”.