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Blame this one on Ian Too, too Mystery Cache

Hidden : 4/30/2011
Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

The cache is not at the published coordinates.

I recently published a 9-letter word puzzle cache (GC2PQGQ) inspired by Ian Too's Sparkling Cache (GC2PN9M). Mine, unusually, seems to have proved a tad too difficult . So I have devised another, easier, word puzzle which will provide a clue to my former puzzle.

Usual word puzzles rules apply (no proper nouns, foreign words, abbreviations, suffixes, prefixes, acronyms etc). Some long words can be broken down into a series of smaller words of 2 letters or longer. Thus, CONSTIPATE is CONS + TIP + ATE. This way of breaking the word down can be written as a number 433 (a 4-letter word then a 3-letter word then a 3-letter word). By using some slightly less common words one can break CONSTIPATE down into two other combinations: CONS + TI + PATE (424) CONS + TI + PA + TE (4222) There are no other legitimate ways to break down CONSTIPATE without using single letter words or non-legitimate words.

Next, put the number codes for the word together (concatenate them) to give a single number. The order used should be the one that gives the smallest final value. Then add the length of the whole original word (10) at the end. Doing this, we get a number for CONSTIPATE, which is: 422242443310

I found 3 adjectives (A, B and C) that all mean more or less the same thing. Using the number coding system described above they have number codes as follows A=33336639 B=52353210 C=22322232222333234223643224524711

If you put the words together ABC (concatenate them, lower case, no spaces, as usual) then this is the password you require.

Try your password after clicking this link: Tj word puzzle

As an extra challenge can anyone find a word which has a larger number than C? I couldn't although I spent only about 15 minutes looking for one

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Vs lbh ner abg gbb pyrire, guvf pbhyq n qvfgvapg nqinagntr ba guvf chmmyr!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)