Word Puzzles

Puzzles and riddles primarily involving language, writing, or letters and words

Secret Translation

The CIA intercepted some messages from a criminal organization, some in English and some in an unknown foreign language or code. As a CIA analyst and translator, you have figured out the following sentences and their English translations, but you do not yet know which sentence matches which translation:

  • Casara ashter osar
  • Intara amar
  • Intara orter osar
  • Alatara inter osar
  • Ortara amar
  • Alatara orter osar
  • I see a spy
  • I run
  • You see me
  • You see a spy
  • A suspicious man sees an enemy
  • You run

You have the opportunity to send a message in order to provoke a reaction from the criminal organization. Can you figure out and match up the translations above, and then send a message saying “a suspicious man runs” in this foreign language?

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Cryptic Pattern Puzzle

Replace the ?’s in each of these to complete the puzzle:

Part 1

“Asia” is H
“Cuffs” is S
“Ender” is I
“Redness” is F
“Fuchsia” is ?

Part 2

“Using” is E
“Desist” is I
“Visits” is E
“Design” is ?

Part 3

“Gross” is W or R
“Assign” is S
“Amassing” is E
“Design” is S
“Amassing” is S
“Arrows” is ? or ?

Part 4

“Pro-tem” and “row” are H
“Ties” is K
“Cohesion” is A
“Casino” is E
“Hocks” is either a word, name, ? or ?

Part 5

“Edna” is I
“Slang” is X
“Siege” is E
“Basin” is X
“Sin” is X
“Sin” is A
“Besiege” is X
“Signals” is ? and ?

Source: Matt Malone on Puzzling StackExchange (spoiler warning: contains the solution)

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