DA's Puzzle #1

[Don Amargo]

Okay, so I work in a really weird office building. I see all sorts of strange people and things as I’m walking down the halls--why just yesterday, I passed both a doctor and one of those amateurs who plays at receptions, as well as a fairly high-rated chessplayer and Bonnie, the resident sentient computer. And speaking of computers--I know they’re running at least three different versions of Windows there, and the latest Mac development--they seem to be having the most trouble with a Windows edition, though. It gets worse. The intercom system’s not working, the bathroom’s out of supplies, and in a fit of rage one of our receptionists just leveled another one down on the rug. Seems she told a poor joke, or something.
Observing the same things, the General Manager just handed me a note. ‘Raise your IQ’, it reads: ‘what’s the missing element?’
Darned if I know...

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This is an alternative handle I'm using to test puzzles.

[mole]

I can't see anything... Maybe the symbols for some of the elements?

[Jas]

That's what i was thinking mole... It seems possible to get a number of two letter abbreviations out of the passage...

Doctor MD
Chess Player... well a grandmaster is abbreviated to GM but there's also rankings of IM, FM, SM, NM and CM apparently
Windows NT, ME, SE, XP
Intercom PA
Bathroom supplies TP

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be much of a pattern and not all of those are elements.

[Don Amargo]

Good thinking with the two-letter phrases...and the only one that's an element is the one that's...well...not there. So don't bother looking for any others.

[Tahnan]

Ah, right, so the computer is an AI, the manager is a GM; could a bathroom be a WC?

Not that I see where this is going, per se.

[ZutAlors!]

Also:
one of those amateurs who plays at receptions = DJ? MC?
just leveled another one down on the rug = KO
the latest Mac development = ? (Must be something, right?)

[Logain]

I was looking at this a little yesterday, and didn't post since Tahnan already added the 'AI' which is the only one I felt confident about.

But, I was thinking along the lines of a simple spelled out phrase from beginning to end...which is missing one two letter phrase (which also happens to be an element abbreviation)

The doctor can also be Dr. (DR) which would be much better for spelling a word...but like Zut, I couldn't think of anything besides DJ or MC, which put a grinding halt to that.

But also notice that certain combinations of the Windows versions look promising.

SE-NT ME, or another arrangement if they are parts of words.

Also, a MAC development could be 'OS', for OS/7, OS/9, etc.

[This message has been edited by Logain (edited 02-16-2002 11:23 AM).]

[Suspence]

Can we come up with 2 letter phrases that use every letter of the alphabet? Perhaps we can come up with all the letters but 2, and those 2 will be the symbol for an element.

Edit: Assuming everything everyone has suggested so far is correct, we are left with the letters: B E H L Q U V X Y Z.
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I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature

[This message has been edited by Suspence13 (edited 02-16-2002 12:58 PM).]

[Faeriefire]

Actually, if you count "IQ", the letter Q has already been used.

[Milt]

For all you unfortunate people out there, the latest Mac development is OS X.

[Don Amargo]

Anyone still working on this? Since it's puzzle #1, it's actually way simpler than you're making it out to be. The whole "using all the letters of the alphabet" idea would be cool, for instance (and not impossible,) but it would make it harder than I'm trying. So here's the relevant information so far...

MD, IM, NT, OS, PA, TP, AI, DJ, KO

You have all but two of the two-letter phrases, and one of them is the missing element.

~Don Amargo

(Note: they will get harder. This is just a warm-up.)

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This is an alternative handle I'm using to test puzzles.

[Suspence]

Ok, I will try to revive this. When you say missing "element", all I can think of is the 2 letter chemical symbol for an element. Is this what I'm looking for???

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I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature

[Don Amargo]

Yes, and it is not directly found in the puzzle.

[Suspence]

Nb? Isn't Niobium sometimes called the missing element?

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I hate people who try to write interesting things in their signature

[Flash Bazbo]

Here's all I've been able to put together so far... I'll keep it invisible for the sake of the brave souls who don't want any hints...

We can make a chain from the symbols confirmed by Don to be correct, linking the symbols by common letters:

NT-TP-PA-AI-IM-MD-DJ

I can't yet see where to place KO, OS, and the missing elements.

Can anyone extend this further?

[GH]

Here's something I noticed, Flash.


"Seems she told a poor joke, or something." = J/K ??

JK could add onto the end of your chain, link up KO-OS, and leave just "SN" (Tin) to complete the circle.

[Don Amargo]

Tin is correct.

End of puzzle #1.