This week’s puzzle as posted earlier:
Every well-read geek knows the meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything. In fact, later this year, I’ll encounter it on my birthday, being born in 1971. The meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything?
42.
Just recently, on my social media “wall,” it was pointed out to me that MATH was indeed the true meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything. If we translate its letters into their ordinal position within the alphabet (i.e., A=1, B=2, C=3, … Z=26), we get M=13 + A=1 + T=20 + H=8, and 13 + 1 + 20 + 8 = 42.
Clearly, this couldn’t be the only such word that sums to 42… could it?
This week’s puzzle is based around the set of words that all sum to that universal total. Below is a word grid, and instead of providing the words themselves to fit into the grid, I have provided clues to find them. The unifying factor between them is, well, the unifying factor of Life, the Universe, and Everything: their letters sum to 42.
2 Letters
1080p
prescription
3 Letters
!(old)
.rw2 format
1/80 Burmese kyat
1/cosecant
aggressive dog
file transfer protocol
Roswell, NM
4 Letters
1 nodus + 1 nodus
all but one prime
Cera in Superbad
Egyptian cat goddess
Ichthyology subject
Loxley alternate
Mr. Auberjonois
Perfect cube
Roman satyr
ruled combat
Ruler of Asgard
soft rime (frost)
stately dance (HI)
Romanian circle dance
third prime5 Letters
1/2 of English spywork
air valve in carburetor
don’t forget this!
Greek d
Kermit’s stringed instrument
love or radio
Macedonic money
Ralph of consumer rights
Scale-y constellation
the gripes (baby)
uncanny or macabre
distributed cards
Larix conifers
6 Letters
Catholic clergyman
Cornell city
degrade or debase
Hydrocharitaceae
other 1/2 of English spywork
tiny stone
7 Letters
C2, i.e., CaC2
prattle or chatter
Muammar
8 Letters
debt evader
equilibrium
resoluteness by virtue
Congratulations to Andy Arizpe for submitting a correct solution for the puzzle, and having it drawn at random out of all correct answers submitted.
The completed puzzle, with solved clues (each of which sum to 42!) appears below:
2 Letters 1080p – TV prescription – RX 3 Letters !(old) – new .rw2 format – raw 1/80 Burmese kyat – pya 1/cosecant – sin aggressive dog – cur file transfer protocol – FTP Roswell, NM – UFO 4 Letters 1 nodus + 1 nodus – nodi all but one prime – odds Cera in Superbad – Evan Egyptian cat goddess – Bast Ichthyology subject – fish Loxley alternate – hood Mr. Auberjonois – Rene Perfect cube – nine Roman satyr – faun ruled combat – duel Ruler of Asgard – Odin soft rime (frost) – hoar stately dance (HI) – hula Romanian circle dance – hora third prime – five |
5 Letters 1/2 of English spywork – cloak air valve in carburetor – choke don’t forget this! – Alamo Greek d – delta Kermit’s stringed instrument – banjo love or radio – shack Macedonic money – denar Ralph of consumer rights – Nader Scale-y constellation – libra the gripes (baby) – colic uncanny or macabre – eerie distributed cards – dealt Larix conifers – larch 6 Letters Catholic clergyman – deacon Cornell city – Ithaca degrade or debase – demean Hydrocharitaceae – elodea other 1/2 of English spywork – dagger tiny stone – pebble 7 Letters C2, i.e., CaC2 – carbide prattle or chatter – blabber Muammar – Qaddafi 8 Letters debt evader – deadbeat equilibrium – balanced resoluteness by virtue – adamance |
Thanks for puzzling with GeekDad!