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Director GCHQ's Christmas Puzzle - Part 5

Director's 

Puzzle, top

Congratulations on solving Part 4 of the Director's puzzle.

 

Part 5 is the final stage. All answers take the form of a single word or string of letters.

 


Where

This question consists of a list of 55 words, plus one lone word. You have to work out where the lone word slots into the list. Each of the 56 words can be associated with another word (or partial word) and this second set of 56 words are in alphabetical order. The second set of 56 words divide up into seven sets of eight words, with the seven sets representing seven methods of pairing.

 
Where does the word CYBER fit into the following list? The list reads from left to right, top to bottom.

 

CAN BANDIT TRACT HOLE TROUT
MIDDLE TED CLONE SEA SWOOP
SALLY CONSTANT DESERT ADAMS SLIT
WONDER TOWN RUSSIA LINCOLN ARCHIPELAGO
FRONTAL DOVE BAND NIGHT LEICESTER
DADA STAND OIL ZONE BOUGHT
AUTO PRIM BLAISE SECRET ICECAP
ON CHIC MONTY HONOURABLE FI
THE DELIGHT TREADING MISSION CAIMAN
PERFECT SON SHERINGHAM PONY DELICATE
ICE STREET HERO FILCH NIP

 

The answer needs to be entered as three words, in this order: the associated word of the listed word that precedes CYBER, CYBER’s associated word, and the associated word of the listed word that follows CYBER. The three words should be entered as a single string of text with no spaces.

 


Sum

Sum Puzzle

 


Algebraic

Algebraic PlainAlgebraic Boards Plain


Manifold Agreement

Manifold 2 PlainManifold 1 Plain


Looter

 looter puzzle

 


Message

Extract answer from completed grid by reading the top row from left to right.

Message Puzzle

 


Graph Theory

  1.  graph theory 1
    What does E stand for?

  2.  graph theory 2
    What word corresponds to X?

  3.  graph theory 3
    What word corresponds to Y?

  4.  graph theory 4
    What word corresponds to Z?

 


Wordsearch

Various words, all taken from a certain category, can be found hidden (in the usual way) in the following square. Once you have found them all, some of the unused letters can be used (in order) to spell another member of the same category. The remaining 8 letters can then be rearranged to give the (unrelated) keyword.

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

  


Registration

The 10-by-10 grid below shows a school register for two weeks (Mon-Fri). On the left are the surnames of the 10 pupils, the boys before the girls (it's an old-fashioned school!), then sorted alphabetically. On the right are the number of days each one was absent over the two weeks. Using their teacher's musings (given below), deduce the keyword.

M T W T F M T W T F
Higgins . . . . . . . . . .      6
Jones . . . . . . . . . . 5
Jones . . . . . . . . . . 3
Thomson   . . . . . . . . . . 4
Wright . . . . . . . . . . 5
Yates . . . . . . . . . . 2
Dawson . . . . . . . . . . 3
Franklin . . . . . . . . . . 4
Hayes . . . . . . . . . . 2
Higgins . . . . . . . . . .  4

 

George sighed as he checked his register that Friday: only one pupil - Dennis, one of the identical twins - was present. Even he had missed part of last week - like all but one of the others, he'd been off sick with a bad cold. Tina had caught it first on the Saturday; the non-identical twins caught it the day after; and by Monday, the identical twins were both also sick. David had fallen ill the day after, Jon Wright and Chris on the Wednesday and, finally, Anita on the Thursday. On the following Monday, she was the only one still missing - one of two pupils to be ill for five days; everyone else had suffered for three days except for one who'd come in on the third day (and of course the one lucky student who'd avoided the bug). Wednesday finally saw a full class (one of the identical twins having been the only absentee on Tuesday), and George had hoped this would continue for the rest of the week. Not so - on Thursday, four had been missing, and now, with five more away, he had to abandon the lesson. 

 


Crossword

Solve and resolve to find the keyword.

Crossword
Across

1. A Spanish greeting returned - in Oahu? (5)
5. Addicts in American casualty head south. (5)
9. Organist confused by criticism. (8)
10. Own all of company run by short geek. (6)
12. Recess in a primary school enjoyable initially. (4)
14. Local fathers hold back musical, and they are shunned. (7)
16. Crude language. (5)
19. A dog - more than one - need to be in early. (6)
20. South African diver goes to bar. (6)
22. Scottish athlete. (4)
24. Bird - woman - left nothing. (8)
25. Old cat heard music. (4)
26. Joint festered endlessly. (5)
27. A jewel for each one. (7)
28. Pay three notes. (3)
29. Mixed bones a good food supply for horse. (7)

Down

1. Affected men, possibly those from York or Liverpool. (11)
2. Sponge from backward idiot and a hothead. (6)
3. Decoration misses point - it's too colourful. (6)
4. Greek troublemaker sent back letter. (3)
6. Eaten by French partners with garlic. (5)
7. Reckless complaint. (4)
8. Observes one with child's toy. (6)
11. Made coffee from earth? (6)
13. Walk quietly by harbour and small field. (7)
15. Commendation brought back from medal occasion. (8)
17. Jeered - a mild curse came first. (7)
18. Paper is article by MI6. (6)
21. Snake points to tree. (5)
22. Jaunt turns into military coup. (5)
23. Mr Armstrong is heard to pay respect. (5) 

 


Cipher

2114125246458678899091212424436438658850852054165166268280400421422524745957967 18838050062084185386586696 

 


Director's 

Puzzle, bottom

 

How to enter

Many congratulations on getting this far.

You are now invited to email your Part 5 answers to quiz@gchq.gsi.gov.uk by 31 January 2016. Please include your name with your entry.

We're not expecting you to answer everything! Send in as many answers as you can.

The winner will be drawn from amongst the top scoring entries, and notified by email soon after the closing date.

If you have enjoyed the Director's puzzle please make a donation to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Thank you, and happy Christmas!