Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Pic-Tac-Toe (11th edition)

Last week I took a step back and re-evaluated my skillz as a puzzle maker. Or mad skillz, as it were. I decided to go a little less crazy with these and get back to basics. The goal was to simply construct a puzzle that worked, rather than get too caught up with obscure themes. I think I did a fair job of it below. (Better still, I've already composed next week's puzzle.)

The Pic-Tac-Toe is a picture puzzle in which 9 images are arranged in a 3x3 grid so that each row, column, and diagonal contains three images that share a common theme. Determine all 8 themes, and you solve the puzzle.

(Click the image to enlarge. Guess in the comments.)

SOLVED! Bill gets 5, K-Lyn gets 4. But feel free to solve this puzzle yourself, and then check your answers in the comments section.
around

6 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 11, 2007 4:04 AM

    Some quick guesses and then I'm off to work...

    Top Row: YELLOW AND BLACK

    Center Row: MONKEYS

    Bottom Row: PAINTERS

    Left Column: MERCHANDISING

    Center Column: LEGUMES

    Right Column: YOUNG GIRLS

    Slash: HAND RAISED

    Backslash: BLACK

    Bill
    shakespeareteacher.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Neel MehtaDecember 11, 2007 11:59 AM

    You're halfway there with 4 correct themes: the rows and the center column.

    I'll give you partial credit on the 357 slash, but I'm going for something much more specific. Also partial credit on the right column; my answer there is slightly more specific.

    ReplyDelete
  3. K-LynDecember 11, 2007 12:16 PM

    Painters?

    Left: Numbers (multiples of 5)
    Right: Brunettes
    Backslash: black hawk (team, mohawk, and actual black hawk)
    Slash: is it pointing fingers?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Neel MehtaDecember 11, 2007 12:45 PM

    Officially, the bottom row is PAINTINGS or WORLD OF PAINTING: Salvator Mundi painting, painter Francisco Goya, Native American painting.

    K-Lyn, you are correct about the left column, right column, and 159 backslash.

    The 159 backslash is just HAWK (Iowa Hawkeye, mohawk, black hawk / feathers).

    Still unsolved is the 357 slash, which doesn't have much to do with hands or fingers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousDecember 11, 2007 4:18 PM

    Oh, that's lovely.

    Slash: QUEEN ELIZABETH'S DAUGHTERS IN LAW

    Diana, Fergie, Camilla

    ReplyDelete
  6. Neel MehtaDecember 11, 2007 4:29 PM

    Thanks!

    The puzzle solution...

    Top Row: BLACK AND YELLOW (color schemes for University of Iowa, Charlie Brown, When a Stranger Calls)

    Middle Row: MONKEYS (golden snub-nosed monkey, album Monkey Business, marmoset)

    Bottom Row: PAINTING (Salvator Mundi painting, painter Francisco Goya, Native American painting)

    Left Column: MULTIPLES OF 5 (Iowa jersey #5, 100-piece puzzle, years 1510 and 1525).

    Middle Column: LEGUMES (Peanuts, Black Eyed Peas, lentils)

    Right Column: BRUNETTES (actress Camilla Belle, girl with marmoset, Native American woman)

    159 Backslash Diagonal: HAWK (Iowa Hawkeyes, guy with mohawk, black hawk & hawk feathers)

    357 Slash Diagonal: BRITISH ROYAL WIVES or QUEEN ELIZABETH'S DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW (Camilla, Fergie, Diana)

    ReplyDelete