[=SDC=] Q61: Stringy sentences

Question

Make a sentence of the type "Can't wingers own American apes?" where words are hidden across word boundaries, in this case "twinge", "sow", "name", "canape", "scan".
Scoring: number of words minus number of unused letters. In this case 5-3=2. First to score 21 points, or highest score at close of SDC, wins.
This question too is from the fiendish mind of Adrian Bailey.
Jerry Friedman, T. O panelist

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Make a sentence of the type "Can't wingers own American apes?" where words are hidden across word boundaries, in this ... of SDC, wins. This question too is from the fiendish mind of Adrian Bailey. Jerry Friedman, T. O panelist[/nq]
Pol: 'What do you read my lord?'
Ham : 'Words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words, words'

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Make a sentence of the type "Can't wingers own American apes?" where words are hidden across word boundaries, in this ... of unused letters. In this case 5-3=2. First to score 21 points, or highest score at close of SDC, wins.[/nq]
Are names allowed? Then it's pretty easy to construct long sentences:

Some saw Art and Ivan and Alf and Abel and Alec and Earl and Sal and Inez and Erle and Ryan (the red one who we later awed) don our gear, then say, "Eat eel in a crepe!"
mesa war tan diva nan dal fan dab elan dale can dear lands Alan dine zander lean dry ant here do new how elate raw eddo no urge art hens aye ate Eli nacre peso
I quit at 35 words (hidden in a 38-word sentence, with no unused letters), but clearly this can be extended...

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Make a sentence of the type "Can't wingers own American ... 21 points, or highest score at close of SDC, wins.[/nq]
[nq:1]Are names allowed? Then it's pretty easy to construct long sentences: Some saw Art and Ivan and Alf and Abel ... I quit at 35 words (hidden in a 38-word sentence, with no unused letters), but clearly this can be extended...[/nq]
I think that we'll have to limit the number of personal names to 3, and the number of times a word can be repeated to 3 also. Does the panel agree with this ruling?
Adrian (keeper of the string)

Usenet · Answer

Adrian Bailey:
[nq:1]I think that we'll have to limit the number of personal names to 3, and the number of times a word can be repeated to 3 also.[/nq]
So there can be three names, but four instances of the same word?
Mark Brader, Toronto "He seems unable to win without the added (Email Removed) thrill of changing sides." Chess

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Adrian Bailey:[/nq]
[nq:2]I think that we'll have to limit the number of ... of times a word can be repeated to 3 also.[/nq]
[nq:1]So there can be three names, but four instances of the same word?[/nq]
I don't know whether to laugh, say Thanks or go Argh! Serves me right for trying to think in the post-work hour. It doesn't really matter, but I meant
3 instances of the same word.

Adrian

Usenet · Answer

Adrian (keeper of the string):
I think that we'll have to limit the number of personal names to 3, and the number of times a word can be repeated to 3 also. Does the panel agree with this ruling?
And what is the word about quoted material and parenthetical material? I suggest that quoted material should not be allowed in any word puzzle, and you probably don't want parenthetical material in this one.

Richard Maurer To reply, remove half
Sunnyvale, California of a homonym of a synonym for also.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Are names allowed? Then it's pretty easy to construct long ... with no unused letters), but clearly this can be extended...[/nq]
[nq:1]I think that we'll have to limit the number of personal names to 3, and the number of times a word can be repeated to 3 also. Does the panel agree with this ruling?[/nq]
OK, hope this one doesn't generate more objections:

Some saw Art and Alf and Ryan (the red one who we later awed) don our gear, then say, "Eat Edam, pesto, plum, peas, yam, pear, sole, okra, ale, rice, slaw, squash, escarole, rum, brat, onion, sago, gelatin, grouse, Spam, perch, apple, beer, eel, and rye (tsk!) in a crepe!"

so mesa war tan dal fan dry ant here do new how elate raw eddo no urge art hens aye ate damp estop lump easy amp ears oleo kraal er ices laws quashes caroler umbra ton ions agog elating rouses pamper chap plebe ere elan dry et ski nacre peso
This time I quit at 50 words (no unused letters).

Usenet · Answer

Jerry Friedman:
[nq:1]Some saw Art and Alf and Ryan (the red one who we later awed) don our gear, then say, "Eat ... pamper chap plebe ere elan dry et ski nacre peso This time I quit at 50 words (no unused letters).[/nq]
It wasn't actually specified in the question posting whether the word count applied to the original sentence or the number of hidden words, but clearly the latter makes more sense. Here there are 50 words in the original sentence, but only 49 entries on the hidden-words list are correctly hidden: "so" in "some" crosses no word boundary. (The list sizes are equal because "nacre" crosses two word boundaries.)

But wait! Although the original example sentence only included letters used once in hidden words or not used at all, there was no rule saying that they couldn't be used more than once unless the words "of the type" are meant to imply it implicitly. So in Ben's solution "saw Art" hides not only "war", but "wart"; "the red" hides "her" as well as "here"; and as well as "estop", "pesto plum" hides "stop" and "top". That brings us up to 52 hidden words (assuming that all of Ben's words are accepted as words), and I bet there are quite a few more.

Mark Brader > "Simple things should be simple." Alan Kay, on UIs (Email Removed) > "Too many ... try to make complex things simple ... Toronto > and succeed ... only in making simple things complex."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Some saw Art and Alf and Ryan (the red one ... This time I quit at 50 words (no unused letters).[/nq]
[nq:1]It wasn't actually specified in the question posting whether the word count applied to the original sentence or the number ... correctly hidden: "so" in "some" crosses no word boundary. (The list sizes are equal because "nacre" crosses two word boundaries.)[/nq]
Oops, thanks for the correction scratch "so" off the hidden word list.
[nq:1]But wait! Although the original example sentence only included letters used once in hidden words or not used at all, ... words (assuming that all of Ben's words are accepted as words), and I bet there are quite a few more.[/nq]
Hadn't thought of that... yes, that would add many more words (e.g., "earth" and "earthen" across "gear then", "ashes", "she", and "he" across "squash escarole", etc.). But I don't think this is what the Panel had in mind. (Then again, a list of food terms is probably not what they had in mind either!)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]But I don't think this is what the Panel had in mind. (Then again, a list of food terms is probably not what they had in mind either!)[/nq]
So do it again using sheep terms. :-)

Mark Brader, Toronto > "I wish to *** these calculations had been (Email Removed) > executed by steam!" Charles Babbage, 1821

[=SDC=] Q61: Stringy sentences

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