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Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:29 pm
by bcimmet
Hello, solvers! There's a new contest puzzle from Fill Me In – but this one is not a crossword. If you like other types of word games, give this one a try. It's still a contest, there's still a hidden answer, but this week, the game is a cryptogram.
The puzzle is called "Living in Luxury" and was constructed by me (Brian Cimmet). The solution to the puzzle is a two-word title.
The puzzle (as a PDF) can be downloaded from here. You're welcome to solve, you're even welcome to join in the chatter about it – but if you want to eligible for a prize, you have to listen to the podcast for this week's password.
The podcast can be found here (via Apple Podcasts), or just search for "Fill Me In" wherever you enjoy podcasts.
Once you've solved the puzzle, submit your answer and this week's password by email to
fmi@bemoresmarter.com. You can also contact us with any suggestions, questions, comments, or ideas. Thanks for playing along!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:05 pm
by Schmeel
I solved it.
I've never done a cryptogram before - it was enjoyable!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:49 am
by mokelfish
Thumbs up for non-crossword metas!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:55 pm
by MikeM000
This was cool...my brain needed something slightly different and this very much hit the spot. Nicely done!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 12:45 pm
by Dave C
It was fun and different from the usual meta crosswords.
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2021 3:32 pm
by Meg
That was fun!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:35 pm
by DrTom
I'd forgotten how much I liked cryptograms, fun change. I have a few two -word titles that are apropos of the endeavour but I do not have the "click" I do with a META. I also noticed something about the various entries that is either a part of the mechanism or just an accepted practice.
Hopefully at some point the answer will be posted or someone will offer a way to the "click", but whether or not I get "the" answer I enjoyed these immensely.
As a homage:
U ZWAKHF EXSW PXK XKCUJW, PIE LBWN U KH UE UZ IZIXAAM FM HLN.
AyEhf 2021 (obviously my usual byline!)
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:49 am
by Al Sisti
DrTom wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:35 pm
...I have a few two -word titles that are apropos of the endeavour
My dear old mudda used to have a saying : "I've got two words for you and they aren't 'Happy Birthday'!" Yep, my perfectly imperfect mother.
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 4:44 pm
by DrTom
Al Sisti wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:49 am
DrTom wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:35 pm
...I have a few two -word titles that are apropos of the endeavour
My dear old mudda used to have a saying : "I've got two words for you and they aren't 'Happy Birthday'!" Yep, my perfectly imperfect mother.
Were they "Bless You" maybe??
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:13 pm
by Al Sisti
DrTom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 15, 2021 4:44 pm
Al Sisti wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:49 am
DrTom wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:35 pm
...I have a few two -word titles that are apropos of the endeavour
My dear old mudda used to have a saying : "I've got two words for you and they aren't 'Happy Birthday'!" Yep, my perfectly imperfect mother.
Were they "Bless You" maybe??
You're half right...
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 9:26 pm
by BarbaraK
So my first thought, when I saw that this was a cryptogram instead of a crossword, was "Is it time to give up on New Years resolutions yet?" My resolution this year was to broaden my horizons and do variety puzzles, not just crosswords. And I've been doing the WSJ Saturday puzzles. I've even managed the cryptics, and I give a lot of credit for that to the Fill Me In podcast with their explanations of how those things work.
But a cryptogram? Yuk. Do I have to? Whine!
But I did it. Haven't done one of these in years, but once I got going and got in the groove, it wasn't so bad. Not my favorite type of puzzle or anything I'd seek out, but it was OK.
Once the cryptogram part was done, it took some googling to get the meta part, but I have split the banana!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:20 pm
by lbray53
I finally got around to solving this. I remembered building a very basic Excel spreadsheet to finish these during my lunch hour when I was still working.
It used a vlookup formula to speed up the guessing process. I was able to reproduce it which speeded the process along. Once the puzzled were solved Google soon led me to the answer.
Nice puzzle(s).
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 6:23 pm
by Hector
I'll let Brian create the thread for it, but there's a new contest crossword at:
https://t.co/wbN5jSHavx?amp=1
The meta went quickly, but that could be mere luck.
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:24 am
by Schmeel
Thanks!
I got it too. Fun meta!
And it seems I won the previous contest.
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:53 am
by BarbaraK
Schmeel wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:24 am
Thanks!
I got it too. Fun meta!
And it seems I won the previous contest.
Congratulations!! What are you going to pick for your prize?
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:10 am
by Schmeel
BarbaraK wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 7:53 am
Schmeel wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:24 am
Thanks!
I got it too. Fun meta!
And it seems I won the previous contest.
Congratulations!! What are you going to pick for your prize?
I think a few months' subscription to MGWCC. I've been meaning to try it out (in other words see if I could fit another meta into my otherwise busy schedule) and this seems like a good opportunity. We'll see what the rest of my family has to say - "What? Another one?!" - I can't seem to drag any of them into solving these...
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:58 am
by bcimmet
(Hello to anyone visiting this thread -- there's a post for the Episode 286 contest, a new crossword called "King Con (400° for 20 minutes)." Give this one a go -- we're pretty pleased with it!)
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:26 pm
by bcimmet
There was a request for explanation of the solution to "Living in Luxury" in another thread, but I thought it best to post the solution here instead.
The answer to the overall puzzle was GRAND HOTEL, as mildly hinted by the title. More specifically, each of the five quotations were from artists associated with some kind of public release entitled "Grand Hotel" – a book, a movie, a musical, an album, and a television show. The parenthetical years given were the years each of those releases occurred.
In a few places, the wording of the quotes was slightly altered (without impacting the intent of the quote). With those minor tweaks, each quote was made up of exactly 24 letters. The ciphers used to create the cryptograms were keyword ciphers, using NOVEL, FILM, MUSICAL, ALBUM, and TVSHOW as the seed. I never expected anyone to see those keywords, but they did prove a creative way for me to generate five unique ciphers.
But it was the 24 letter set that was the actual key to the puzzle. The ciphers for the five cryptograms avoided two letters each – those letters being GR / AN / DH / OT / EL.
I've never written cryptogram puzzles before, though I've solved plenty of them. I like the idea behind this puzzle, and made the choice to slightly alter the quotations in order to satisfy the constraints of the puzzle concept. Maybe that's too unethical for a silly podcast contest puzzle, but I don't know.
Anyway, thanks for giving it a go!
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:32 pm
by Meg
bcimmet wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:26 pm
There was a request for explanation of the solution to "Living in Luxury" in another thread, but I thought it best to post the solution here instead.
The answer to the overall puzzle was GRAND HOTEL, as mildly hinted by the title. More specifically, each of the five quotations were from artists associated with some kind of public release entitled "Grand Hotel" – a book, a movie, a musical, an album, and a television show. The parenthetical years given were the years each of those releases occurred.
In a few places, the wording of the quotes was slightly altered (without impacting the intent of the quote). With those minor tweaks, each quote was made up of exactly 24 letters. The ciphers used to create the cryptograms were keyword ciphers, using NOVEL, FILM, MUSICAL, ALBUM, and TVSHOW as the seed. I never expected anyone to see those keywords, but they did prove a creative way for me to generate five unique ciphers.
But it was the 24 letter set that was the actual key to the puzzle. The ciphers for the five cryptograms avoided two letters each – those letters being GR / AN / DH / OT / EL.
I've never written cryptogram puzzles before, though I've solved plenty of them. I like the idea behind this puzzle, and made the choice to slightly alter the quotations in order to satisfy the constraints of the puzzle concept. Maybe that's too unethical for a silly podcast contest puzzle, but I don't know.
Anyway, thanks for giving it a go!
Thanks Brian. I got the meta the easy way, and missed so many of your elegant layers. At least now I know why the quotes were altered.
Re: Episode #282 Contest: Living in Luxury
Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 8:44 pm
by Al Sisti
bcimmet wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:26 pm
There was a request for explanation of the solution to "Living in Luxury" in another thread, but I thought it best to post the solution here instead.
The answer to the overall puzzle was GRAND HOTEL, as mildly hinted by the title. More specifically, each of the five quotations were from artists associated with some kind of public release entitled "Grand Hotel" – a book, a movie, a musical, an album, and a television show. The parenthetical years given were the years each of those releases occurred.
In a few places, the wording of the quotes was slightly altered (without impacting the intent of the quote). With those minor tweaks, each quote was made up of exactly 24 letters. The ciphers used to create the cryptograms were keyword ciphers, using NOVEL, FILM, MUSICAL, ALBUM, and TVSHOW as the seed. I never expected anyone to see those keywords, but they did prove a creative way for me to generate five unique ciphers.
But it was the 24 letter set that was the actual key to the puzzle. The ciphers for the five cryptograms avoided two letters each – those letters being GR / AN / DH / OT / EL.
I've never written cryptogram puzzles before, though I've solved plenty of them. I like the idea behind this puzzle, and made the choice to slightly alter the quotations in order to satisfy the constraints of the puzzle concept. Maybe that's too unethical for a silly podcast contest puzzle, but I don't know.
Anyway, thanks for giving it a go!
Wow... I'm embarrassed to have completely missed that level of elegance. Glad you posted it here.
