Prof. Scott Weiss (see solution)
Enigmatologists have a special fascination with game shows. In
this puzzle, we pay homage to one of our favorites: The $100,000
Pyramid. In order to get through this course, you'll have to
successfully complete the bonus round of that game. As a reminder,
this involves two team members. One team member is given a
category, and must give a list of things in that category to
his/her partner. The other must name the category. Naming things
not in the category, or using a word in the category name is an
automatic loss of the round. The pair must complete six categories
within 60 seconds. If they can't, they'll have to start over with
a new set.
To help, we've provided you with all 42 possible categories,
listed in seven possible games. They are in the order that they
may appear in the game. (We have a set of first categories, second
categories, etc.) In the second category in each set, the full
category is "Things ___ Might Say". The sixth category (at the top
of the pyramid) is of the form "Things that are ___". For
simplicity, we've eliminated these extraneous words below. For
complexity, we've given you the categories in seven grids. You'll
have to spell out the names by moving from letter to letter
horizontally or vertically, but never diagonally. You can reuse a
letter in a category name, but you'll never stand on a letter.
We've marked the first letters, as well as given you enumerations
for each grid. All letters will be used when you're done (some by
more than one category name). (Equal signs are actually hyphens.)
When you feel you're ready, have two team members drop by the
Faculty office, and we'll let you play the round. Good luck! Make
Dick Clark proud!
S------
M------
O Y A S E D I N
C------ M-------
R E M S
I S U I
A--------
S N U E M S L
T C
M----
M-----
H I U S P N Y R A
S------- L-----
T A M E S O R S
S-----
N Y C C N E I C
F A D D
D--------- S-------
D E
L--- W-------
O F V I O
B----- O- V-------- S D N
A T A
T----- D--------
M O B R S P E T Q
M---=D--- C------- E S D Y O T E
A S U
Q--------
T R I C K C E D N I E
T E T P A H R I A W S
I H S A W T A R Z Z C
N G S H S I L I N E
D
T
S--------- T- S----
S W
A--
L-----
E N N O H S V T D
P---- O- A C----- G-- S T O C S N O M I E
E-------- N-------- D T P
A F O C S C T
L--- L---- O- S------ E O N R T S E
N O A
A-----
L D G I N A S I B C
G N A
L F L T L E I
S Y N D
S----- P--------
O W P R H T S R
G------- T--------- S O C
E E N H S E K
C----- E-------- P----- M D C R P A R U W N
D- C-----
I----- R I
C O I T L B P O I
X=----- E------- T----- E F E S
E G U Y R C S
F----
D X N C O U N T E I M
I F E P I S D C C O
L E S E D O
T I T
C-----------
R H E A D S A
S----
L-----
R E S A R L I R Z E
C----
P--------
I S S L H A N E S R
A-----------
U N A A P M I D A B
E------- H-------- Q N
L I H C V J I
F------
E F S A T O A
L A C P R N
B L E S I
R---
N------
G N T U R T R
K---
S------
R E V S E D E A
G---- A-------- R---- S E A
D S R I C H
C--- O-
R---
E A T M B E M M
E--- T-------
R---- L L N U O
T C A
C------
O R E R F S A T
K N O S P M O H
U R T S C H K E
T----- I- T---
R---
P L A C E
B------
C-------
S P R I G I S B U Y
P----- T- B-- U-------- T A
A C A T O O U
M--
A--------------
S P E R S D H R M M
S----
P-----
I B E L I N I S A B
I---------
G O E L S G H M L R
L O B I N T I L E
P O G N A T
R H T