5

This puzzle is about solving anagram-chains.

To start, let's first define what an anagram-chain is:

  • An anagram-chain consists of multiple anagrams stitched together into a long letter-list.
  • Each anagram of the chain (except the last) partly overlaps with the follow-up anagram, so that there are letters which are shared by two anagrams (but never more).
  • The minimum of letters which overlap is defined. i.e. an anagram chain of overlap 3 (O3) requires that two anagrams overlap by at least 3 common letters.
  • No two anagrams overlap ever completely, i.e. no anagram can be 'fully' contained in another.
  • All anagrams of a chain share a common theme which is given.
  • All anagrams of a chain share a common property which needs to be found.

And now clarify this with an example:

The following anagram-chain (O3) is themed presidents of the USA:

IMMCARTRJYEFKEOHNNNDLBJOOYSNHRTRUARMAKBAABCOILLLINTN

And it solves to:

enter image description here

The common property is

All are from the Democratic party.

Can you now solve the following anagram chains:

#1 Night sky (O2)

VNSEUCRYMRASNUURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE
Common property: ?

#2 Animals (O3)

OSQUOMITEERTHONYBEEENPDCTIERCKCOCOAHGSSPRPERCALATILFFRUYTELEEBMBEUBLADYGONRFLVISHSIE
Common property: ?

#3 Food! (O3)

RRTCAOVADOCHIRICUFLOWALEPTGGNIERTOKACHSPINTUROSPSAAUARGLICOOBRCUMUCETLTELNISPPARCES
Common property: ?

#4 Hollywood! (O5)

KRIHPURNATHANEEBCLCTTOLETAUDEEBRPYHURNLOLHTEBOSIRYHWLAANKGCNEDJSOFIOTERSSGMNINOEICLKDASBNRAULOJOINEMEHLRRENIUISAEJBLRORTMCOIAINLADPEGEREGSRARONHZTHCLIEEJGSSAANBRBRRTEIADKNEAONWDJWOODARNCAFRJRENEENIELWKATSTHYBAEZTOLIETALRMEMANTMHOPSOIALREN
Common property: ?

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BmyGuest
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  • I don't understand the overlap criterion. In your example, surely Obama and Clinton only overlap by 1 letter? – Rand al'Thor Mar 17 '15 at 00:50
  • Never mind, I just realised the gaps are only there because of the extra |s in the first line. Maybe you should insert spaces or something? – Rand al'Thor Mar 17 '15 at 00:51
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    In the first one, I think it should be VNSEUCRYMRASNTURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE not VNSEUCRYMRASNUURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE. – Rand al'Thor Mar 17 '15 at 01:18
  • @randal'thor Currently travelling this week and will check later. I think, however, that something is indeed a bit odd (sorry). Shouldn't have posted that at 2.30am after a long day, I guess... I'll correct/edit when I get the time. – BmyGuest Mar 17 '15 at 22:12

2 Answers2

5

First one

VNSEUCRYMRASNtURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE
VENUS   MARS  JUPITER SATURN
   MERCURYSATURN   EARTH NEPTUNE

Note also the almost-possibility of

VNSEUCRYMRASNtURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE
VENUS   MARS  JUPITER STAR
   MERCURYSATURN   EARTH NEPTUNE

Getting the same thing coming up twice is OK, but an overlap of less than 2 isn't! The common property is:

planets.

The only problem is I think it should be VNSEUCRYMRASNTURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE not VNSEUCRYMRASNUURJPITEHARSTUNEPNE.

Second one

OSQUOMITEERTHONYBEEENPDCTIERCKCOCOAHGSSPRPERCALATILFFRUYTELEEBMBEUBLADYGONRFLVISHSIE
MOSQUITO HORNET  CENTIPEDE COCKROACH    CATERPILLAR  BUTTERFLY   LADYBUG  SILVERFISH
     TERMITEHONEYBEE   CRICKET   GRASSHOPPER    FRUITFLY   BUMBLEBEEDRAGONFLY

Common property:

insects/creepy-crawlies (does the word bugs cover both of these?).

There seems to be something wrong in the middle, because where I've written BUTTERFLY doesn't quite match; there could be BEETLE on the right, but then nothing seems to fit the left! BmyGuest, please can you check this very carefully?

Third one

RRTCAOVADOCHIRICUFLOWALEPTGGNIERTOKACHSPINTUROSPSAAUARGLICOOBRCUMUCETLTELNISPPARCES
CARROT RADICCHIO     EGGPLANTARTICHOKE TURNIP ASPARAGUSBROCCOLI  LETTUCE PARSNIP
   AVOCADO   CAULIFLOWER  GINGER   SPINACHSPROUT    GARLIC  CUCUMBER LENTILS CAPERS

... but there's only a two-letter overlap between SPROUT and ASPARAGUS! The common property is:

vegetables.

Rand al'Thor
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  • Preformatted text in spoilers is still visible for some reason - you can't change it (I think), I just wanted to let you know. – mdc32 Mar 17 '15 at 02:39
  • @mdc32 Thanks. On my screen at least it comes out as white on pale grey (as opposed to the usual white on white), which is still pretty hard to read. I couldn't come up with a better way of formatting it, since I really need a fixed-width font! – Rand al'Thor Mar 17 '15 at 09:39
  • Regarding the second one, is a smaller-than-normal fruit fly a "fruit flylet"? Oh, and your "common property" is wrong. – KSmarts Mar 17 '15 at 19:32
2

Given that rand al'thor, got #1, #2 & #3 above, I just focused on #4, which is:

KRIHPURNATHANEEBCLCTTOLETAUDEEBRPYHURNLOLHTEBOSIRYHWLAANKGCNEDJSOFIOTERSSGMNINOEICLKDASBNRAULOJOINEMEHLRRENIUISAEJBLRORTMCOIAINLADPEGEREGSRARONHZTHCLIEEJGSSAANBRBRRTEIADKNEAONWDJWOODARNCAFRJRENEENIELWKATSTHYBAEZTOLIETALRMEMANTMHOPSOIALREN
KATHARINEHEPBURNCLAUDETTECOLBERT HOLLYHUNTER  HILARYSWANK   JODIEFOSTER   NICOLEKIDMAN  JULIANNEMOORE LUISERAINER  MARIONCOTILLARD  GREERGARSON    JESSICALANGE     DIANEKEATON   JOANCRAWFORD    KATEWINSLETELIZABETHTAYLOREMMATHOMPSON
        CATEBLANCHETT    AUDREYHEPBURN SHIRLEYBOOTH GLENDAJACKSON SIMONESIGNORET SANDRABULLOCK  HELENMIRREN JULIAROBERTS    GERALDINEPAGE CHARLIZETHERON  BARBRASTREISAND JOANNEWOODWARDJENNIFERLAWRENCEKATHYBATES   MARLEEMATLIN  SOPHIALOREN

Common property:

"Best Actress" Oscar winners

Sorry about the bad formatting... not sure how to have a multi-line, fixed-width font, non-wrapping, spoiler block...

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