• A novel word puzzle for Christmas - with a safe link

    From Graham Smith@21:1/5 to All on Sun Dec 27 10:35:28 2020
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From gerson@21:1/5 to All on Tue Dec 29 11:05:04 2020
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af-9021-90c4d06db251n@googlegroups.com...

    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.



    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From gerson@21:1/5 to All on Tue Dec 29 14:23:19 2020
    "gerson" wrote in message news:SN6dnQfau9wq73fCnZ2dnUU78R_NnZ2d@giganews.com...



    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af-9021-90c4d06db251n@googlegroups.com...

    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.



    Spoilers



    oops I got it wrong, the second word doesn't fit

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Graham Smith@21:1/5 to gerson on Tue Dec 29 03:23:33 2020
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:23:26 AM UTC, gerson wrote:
    "gerson" wrote in message news:SN6dnQfau9wq73fC...@giganews.com...
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...

    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.



    Spoilers


    oops I got it wrong, the second word doesn't fit


    It is a little tricky!

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From leflynn@21:1/5 to gerson on Tue Dec 29 07:53:42 2020
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Graham Smith@21:1/5 to leflynn on Tue Dec 29 09:39:16 2020
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn

    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From leflynn@21:1/5 to Graham Smith on Tue Dec 29 12:45:32 2020
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Graham Smith@21:1/5 to leflynn on Tue Dec 29 14:02:51 2020
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 8:45:33 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn

    Yes, the solution is hoSTAge, hydRAnT, ideAS, imAm, inSTeAd. I don’t regard iceRS as commonplace.

    Marks out of ten, anybody?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From leflynn@21:1/5 to Graham Smith on Wed Dec 30 08:35:10 2020
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 5:02:53 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 8:45:33 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn
    Yes, the solution is hoSTAge, hydRAnT, ideAS, imAm, inSTeAd. I don’t regard iceRS as commonplace.

    I bet there are more people employed as icers in the US than are imams. I was on Zoom with one the other day. A quick search finds four open positions for icers at bakeries within 10 miles of my house. I guess I do too many crossword puzzles:
    http://www.acrossndown.com/crosswords/answers/ICER
    If a puzzle has multiple solutions that depend on which words are considered common, it might be politic to say, "the solution I had in mind" or "a solution with common words".
    L. Flynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Graham Smith@21:1/5 to leflynn on Wed Dec 30 13:24:48 2020
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:35:12 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 5:02:53 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 8:45:33 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn
    Yes, the solution is hoSTAge, hydRAnT, ideAS, imAm, inSTeAd. I don’t regard iceRS as commonplace.

    I bet there are more people employed as icers in the US than are imams. I was on Zoom with one the other day. A quick search finds four open positions for icers at bakeries within 10 miles of my house. I guess I do too many crossword puzzles:
    http://www.acrossndown.com/crosswords/answers/ICER
    If a puzzle has multiple solutions that depend on which words are considered common, it might be politic to say, "the solution I had in mind" or "a solution with common words".
    L. Flynn


    My apologies. I am guilty of not taking a global view. I am in the UK and in my 60+ years I have never come across the term ‘icer’. Over here the equivalent is ‘cake decorator’. I feel it is key to the puzzle that there is a single solution. So I
    will have to be more careful in future - this is the puzzle’s first outing on the internet.

    My main goal is to get the puzzle published in a newspaper. In this scenario, there will be professional people, better placed than me, to judge what is commonplace.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From leflynn@21:1/5 to Graham Smith on Fri Jan 1 13:29:39 2021
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:24:50 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:35:12 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 5:02:53 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 8:45:33 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn
    Yes, the solution is hoSTAge, hydRAnT, ideAS, imAm, inSTeAd. I don’t regard iceRS as commonplace.

    I bet there are more people employed as icers in the US than are imams. I was on Zoom with one the other day. A quick search finds four open positions for icers at bakeries within 10 miles of my house. I guess I do too many crossword puzzles:
    http://www.acrossndown.com/crosswords/answers/ICER
    If a puzzle has multiple solutions that depend on which words are considered common, it might be politic to say, "the solution I had in mind" or "a solution with common words".
    L. Flynn
    My apologies. I am guilty of not taking a global view. I am in the UK and in my 60+ years I have never come across the term ‘icer’. Over here the equivalent is ‘cake decorator’. I feel it is key to the puzzle that there is a single solution. So
    I will have to be more careful in future - this is the puzzle’s first outing on the internet.

    My main goal is to get the puzzle published in a newspaper. In this scenario, there will be professional people, better placed than me, to judge what is commonplace.

    Graham,
    If you want to have a version for the general public, I would look for cases where there were fewer false leads. I consider HULAS, HUNTS, HURT and HUSH to be complicating words that fit one of the patterns but are not part of the intended solution.
    L. Flynn

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From leflynn@21:1/5 to leflynn on Fri Jan 1 18:59:38 2021
    On Friday, January 1, 2021 at 4:29:41 PM UTC-5, leflynn wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:24:50 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:35:12 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 5:02:53 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 8:45:33 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn
    Yes, the solution is hoSTAge, hydRAnT, ideAS, imAm, inSTeAd. I don’t regard iceRS as commonplace.

    I bet there are more people employed as icers in the US than are imams. I was on Zoom with one the other day. A quick search finds four open positions for icers at bakeries within 10 miles of my house. I guess I do too many crossword puzzles:
    http://www.acrossndown.com/crosswords/answers/ICER
    If a puzzle has multiple solutions that depend on which words are considered common, it might be politic to say, "the solution I had in mind" or "a solution with common words".
    L. Flynn
    My apologies. I am guilty of not taking a global view. I am in the UK and in my 60+ years I have never come across the term ‘icer’. Over here the equivalent is ‘cake decorator’. I feel it is key to the puzzle that there is a single solution.
    So I will have to be more careful in future - this is the puzzle’s first outing on the internet.

    My main goal is to get the puzzle published in a newspaper. In this scenario, there will be professional people, better placed than me, to judge what is commonplace.
    Graham,
    If you want to have a version for the general public, I would look for cases where there were fewer false leads. I consider HULAS, HUNTS, HURT and HUSH to be complicating words that fit one of the patterns but are not part of the intended solution.
    L. Flynn
    That should be HURL not HURT...

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  • From Graham Smith@21:1/5 to leflynn on Sat Jan 2 03:49:35 2021
    On Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 2:59:39 AM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Friday, January 1, 2021 at 4:29:41 PM UTC-5, leflynn wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:24:50 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 4:35:12 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 5:02:53 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 8:45:33 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 12:39:18 PM UTC-5, Graham Smith wrote:
    On Tuesday, December 29, 2020 at 3:53:44 PM UTC, leflynn wrote:
    On Monday, December 28, 2020 at 7:05:13 PM UTC-5, gerson wrote:
    "Graham Smith" wrote in message news:f00d6e2b-d07a-44af...@googlegroups.com...
    I’m not sure anyone has looked at this puzzle, because of the need to click on a link that cannot be trusted 100%. So I have moved
    the pdf file to my Google Drive and made it accessible to all. Take 2:

    I call it Dictato. This is a link to the puzzle - it is a pdf file on my Google Drive.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jmmxNMxYJIAwBKGI23O2dU8V1qWGHh50/view?usp=sharing

    If you have a go at the puzzle, please let me know. I am keen to know what people think of it.

    I’ll post the solution in the new year.

    Thank you.


    Spoilers


    10




    9




    8




    7




    6




    5




    4




    3




    2




    1



    holly

    hostage
    hurrahs
    hurts
    hush
    instead

    ivy
    The word "imAm" works in place of huSh. It has almost twice as many Google hits as hush.
    And, strangely, I find "hurray" defined as "an utterance of the word “hurrah.”
    Also, the pattern for the step where you have huRTS is given as xxxYY, so hunTS would be correct but huRTS is not. Perhaps you intended to have xxYYY for this step.

    L. Flynn
    I have double-checked the puzzle and I am confident it is correct.

    Between you, you are around halfway to the solution.
    Solution to a longer puzzle... Y = {S,T,A,R} , x <> {s,t,a,r}
    One possible solution to the original puzzle is given by
    1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 4.3, and 5.

    holly
    xxYYYxx hoARSen 1.1
    xxxYYxY hoiSTeR 2.1
    xxYYYxx hoSTAge 1.2
    xxxYY hunTS or hulAS 3.1
    xxYx huRl 4.1
    xxYYYx huRRAh
    xxYYY huRTS
    xxYx huSh 4.2
    xxxYY hydRA 3.2
    xxxYYxY hydRAnT 2.2
    xxxYY ideAS or iceRS 3.3
    xxYx imAm 4.3
    xxYYxYx inSTeAd 5
    ivy

    L. Flynn
    Yes, the solution is hoSTAge, hydRAnT, ideAS, imAm, inSTeAd. I don’t regard iceRS as commonplace.

    I bet there are more people employed as icers in the US than are imams. I was on Zoom with one the other day. A quick search finds four open positions for icers at bakeries within 10 miles of my house. I guess I do too many crossword puzzles:
    http://www.acrossndown.com/crosswords/answers/ICER
    If a puzzle has multiple solutions that depend on which words are considered common, it might be politic to say, "the solution I had in mind" or "a solution with common words".
    L. Flynn
    My apologies. I am guilty of not taking a global view. I am in the UK and in my 60+ years I have never come across the term ‘icer’. Over here the equivalent is ‘cake decorator’. I feel it is key to the puzzle that there is a single solution.
    So I will have to be more careful in future - this is the puzzle’s first outing on the internet.

    My main goal is to get the puzzle published in a newspaper. In this scenario, there will be professional people, better placed than me, to judge what is commonplace.
    Graham,
    If you want to have a version for the general public, I would look for cases where there were fewer false leads. I consider HULAS, HUNTS, HURT and HUSH to be complicating words that fit one of the patterns but are not part of the intended solution.
    L. Flynn
    That should be HURL not HURT...

    It is possible to compose easy Dictato puzzles and hard ones. Obviously, for this group of enthusiasts, I’ve done one that is at the hard end of the spectrum. You are right: easier ones would be more suitable for the casual puzzler.

    Thank you for your comments.

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