# Sunday Morning Puzzle # 63 -- "Mystery Guest" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294 "2003-02-02T13:23:23Z")\ **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:** [February 2, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/1 "2003-02-02T13:23:23Z")
This puzzle consists of a list of movie titles with something in common. The titles have been broken into “doublets” and the doublets have been alphabetized. Example: **Title** : High Noon **Doublets** : HI GH NO ON **Alphabetizing** : GH HI NO ON **Problems** : 1. The titles were altered prior to being broken into doublets. Today we have a mystery guest, and due to the presence of this guest, I felt it prudent to alter the movie titles rather than have our guest \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. 2. There is an extra doublet in each of the twelve doublet sets. These extra doublets are not part of the altered movie titles at all. **Mitigating Circumstance** : Each extra doublet may be placed in the space to the left of its title number. When all extra doublets are in place, the solver should be able to read down, from 1 to 12, to discover the identity of our guest. He/she can also find the words that fill in the blank in “Problem 1”. ^^^^^^^^^^ \_\_\_ 1. LE OU OW RD SE SN TB TS VA \_\_\_ 2. BO EC HE HI IR NE RU SS TH YS \_\_\_ 3. AT EE EM ES OF PI RE TH TR US \_\_\_ 4. AI AY DA IN GH LO ND OD RA YB YR \_\_\_ 5. DO NG PO RI RI SI UR WN \_\_\_ 6. AP CE CL EE IN IP LA OS SE TH \_\_\_ 7. BU DE RM RN RS TH TO UN US \_\_\_ 8. AO BE BU CC FA FC IM NH OK ON RE RM RO SN UL UM YB \_\_\_ 9. DA EO FA FT HE HE ID JO NE OG OT RS SM UR YT \_\_\_ 10. AN AS BU DA DT DY EK HC HD HE ID MI NC SI ST TC \_\_\_ 11. AI AR HE LE NI NK NT OO RI SI SP \_\_\_ 12. CL DB DE EV GW HE IL OU RT ST UN UR Can you discover the titles, unmask our mystery guest, and fill in the blank? ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/2 "2003-02-02T14:36:16Z")
Just to clarify… After the movie title has been altered, an extra doublet is added ? Example HIGH NOON --\> HIGW NOON --\> HI GW NO ON --\> GW HI NO ON --\> GW HI NO ON TH or HIGH NOON --\> HI GH NO ON --\> GH HI NO ON --\> GH HI NO ON TH Which one ? If it’s the former, to how many letters is the title altered ? ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/3 "2003-02-02T18:08:28Z")
**Gyan9** , experience with **Biotop** ’s puzzles tells me that the alterations will be whole-word substitutions involving puns. The result is broken into doublets, then an extra doublet is added, then the doublets are put in alphabetical order. And let me add that, beyond any shadow of a doubt, these are some of the soggiest puns under the you-know-what. ---
**Author:** ![xenothrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/7ab992/32.png) [@xenothrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenothrope)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/4 "2003-02-02T18:24:44Z")
WOW. Talk about tough. So far I think I can pull SENSE out of the first one and EMPIRE from the third. Are we supposed to do these togeather or individually? If so I’ll stop posting my ideas/possible soultions. -x out ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/5 "2003-02-02T20:29:39Z")
Ah, Biotop. Another excellent puzzle. I would never take unbrage with you, my man. I love how your puzzles have varying shades of difficulty. My buddy, Phil Connors, does these with me and, as he puts it, “wears on his face a dream of Spring.” Thanks as always… ---
**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:** [February 2, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/6 "2003-02-02T21:06:58Z")
**Gyan9** : Your latter example is correct. Sorry my directions may have clouded the issue for you. Good luck. **xenothrope** : This mysterious doublet puzzle now may be shrouded in darkness, and you feel almost…sunk. However, I’m sure with time and effort you can come out of the fog and into the light… and meet our mystery guest. **Peregrine** and **MonkeyMensch** : You’re the SDMB’s two solving stars…and you seem to know what evils lurk in the hearts of puzzlemakers. I cheer you both: Ra! Ra! You both have a lot of…soul? ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/7 "2003-02-02T21:07:34Z")
And by the way, number 8 is a stone cold mother! ---
**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:** [February 2, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/8 "2003-02-02T21:10:24Z")
**Gyan9** : Sorry, your _first_ example is the correct one. Sorry for the added confusion! ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sunday-morning-puzzle-63-mystery-guest/152294/9 "2003-02-03T01:20:57Z")
Once again, I solve the puzzle just in time to …see that other Dopers have already done it. One day, I will be the first. One day