# Sunday Morning Puzzle #42 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505 "2002-03-11T05:28:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 11, 2002, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/1 "2002-03-11T05:28:14Z")
I know it’s no longer Sunday…but what the heck! I’m just so glad to see us up and running again. This puzzle is dedicated to the higher powers at the SDMB. Thanks for bringing us back! Today’s puzzle features a list of 21 words with something in common. The words have been encoded, and this encoding can be explained by the common factor. The number in parentheses after each encoded word indicates the position of the special letter within that word. When read in order, the special letters will spell out what living in a world without our beloved SDMB for nearly a month has made me feel like. * * * 1. 15291625 (1) 2. 36225225400 (4) 3. 361642254411441625324361 (2) 4. 16251144 (2) 5. 400811196119616925196 (7) 6. 22519625 (3) 7. 441256 (2) 8. 3242516 (2) 9. 32481494925324 (4) 10. 4008116925361 (2) 11. 25681119625 (4) 12. 5291361648119649400225196 (2) 13. 4003241361144491324 (9) 14. 2253636 (1) 15. 36225441324 (3) 16. 121196225400 (2) 17. 161196925 (1) 18. 3616422522540025324 (2) 19. 324225225400 (3) 20. 169251144 (4) 21. 1698114425361 (4) ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/2 "2002-03-11T16:28:08Z")
Number 3 was particularly hard, but… 6251625! 3681324361400 36122514448425324! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/3 "2002-03-11T17:34:56Z")
Somehow I missed this thread in the mishegoss last night, and I really have to rush off to work now. I’m supposed to be reconciling the company checkbook… which was exactly why I had to postpone the completion of Puzzle #41…exactly one month ago today…just before the board disappeared into nothingness… It’s happening all over again!! Aaauugghhhhh!!! ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2002, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/4 "2002-03-11T22:29:48Z")
Okay, I’ve got the checkbook squared away, and now I have the power to see through this little puzzle. All I have to say is “36125922519616 36122514448425324!” It’s great to be back. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/5 "2002-03-12T02:00:46Z")
Looks like things are back in shape at the SDMB! Congratulations to \*\*Llamapoet \*\*for first discovering all the right angles. **Peregrine** : Great to hear from you again. I knew you could get to the root of this problem. But tell me…did you ever solve the Valentine Puzzle (the one puzzle I have no copy of…sigh)? Now…time to get back to that very interesting other SDMB cipher. ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/6 "2002-03-12T02:52:17Z")
> [@](#): > > …did you ever solve the Valentine Puzzle (the one puzzle I have no copy of…sigh)? Well, yes. Yes I did. Thanks for asking. I attempted to post my triumphant response Monday evening (the 11th). Imagine my disappointment when I found the board was down. Imagine my continuing distress when the board showed no likelyhood of returning anytime soon. I sent you an e-mail the following Sunday to try to persuade you to join the refugees washing ashore at Fathom, where we could have used a puzzle or two. Worried a little when I didn’t hear back. I still have the hard copy I did my doodling on for #41. I’ll be more than happy to type it up and send it along in the next day or so. Peregrine ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/7 "2002-03-12T08:05:26Z")
Well this is hardly fair. I wait for _weeks_ to post an answer to the last puzzle (thinking I might be able to beat Peregrine to the punch for a change) and now, not only is that puzzle gone, but you’ve gone and made a _new_ one with which to torture my few remaining brain cells - and Peregrine’s already got it! Harrumph. [grumble] And I must say I was severely disappointed that the answers to Puzzle #41 did _not_ include “Is Helen Burning?” ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/8 "2002-03-12T09:20:40Z")
Well, not to put too fine a point on it… I solved the Valentine’s Day puzzle moments before the board went down. No really. I’ve always thought Ken was a stick in the mud. Nice to see you guys back. ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-42/97505/9 "2002-03-12T15:29:13Z")
It was my opinion that Barbie really wanted to join in, but didn’t have the right outfit.