Obnoxiously difficult quotes

[abracadebra]

Thanks for the warning, they are definitely more difficult to me than usual.

[universalmom]

abracadebra is a GREAT name

[Barnabas]

"Night's black mantle covers all alike."
-Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas

A 3% solve rate. I worked this one quite awhile, and after I realized I had as much chance of solving it as I did of striking oil in my back yard I just had to look it up.

[montyb]

"Civilization: a thin veneer over barbarianism."
— John M. Shanahan

[momof7]

Impossible quote!

I came across a quote tonight that had a solve rate of less than 2.5%

Flirtation: attention without intention.

[wvwoman]

whoa!

that is obnoxious!
i had one earlier with a 3.8% success rate--that's the lowest i've had.

[imported_Lurker]

Wow, momof7, if you don't get "without", it's pretty near impossible. Congrats!!!

[montyb]

"When in doubt, ask. When not in doubt, ask. "
— Unattributed

This little blackguard caused me no end of grief.

[gryhnd51]

these "little backguards" are the reason I have made lists of the most elusive and EVIL crytograms I have solved. You can scoff, but I did it with Pootie's advice. I see nothing wrong with giving yourself the gift of a particularly ugly quote you've solved all on your own!

[Barnabas]

these "little backguards" are the reason I have made lists of the most elusive and EVIL crytograms I have solved. You can scoff, but I did it with Pootie's advice. I see nothing wrong with giving yourself the gift of a particularly ugly quote you've solved all on your own!

I'm not scoffing. I do the very same thing. If I've solved it, and it was particularly difficult, it goes onto a list. Nothing wrong with giving yourself credit. I have also prepared a list of "letter patterns" from quotes I've previously solved. If, for example, I spot the crypto-pattern of the word NothiNg, but I find that the word doesn't work with the puzzle, I'll check my list of 7 letter words and look at positions 1 & 6 for a matching letter. Again, this list has been compiled from words in puzzles that I have already solved, so I don't consider it to be a cheat sheet. A word is not added to the list until it has been solved by me in a puzzle.

[montyb]

Aarghh!!!

"Enough shovels of earth - a mountain. Enough pails of water - a river. "
— Proverb

[damsel22]

Obnoxiously difficult quotes

ooh, Montyb, that's just wrong! I'm sorry you had to experience that. Try to have a good day anyway.

[montyb]

Thanks, Damsel

It's going to be a great day; I'm playing golf today with my son.

[damsel22]

Obnoxiously difficult quotes

"Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame."
— Alexander Pope

Average time 330 seconds. I took about 233.

"No more we meet in yonder bowers Absence has made me prone to roving; But older, firmer hearts than ours, Have found monotony in loving. "
— Lord Byron

Average time 260 seconds, my time 223.

Oh my goodness, two in a row! I think it's time for a coffee break!

[marnita]

I just got a proverb: "He that winna be ruled by the rudder maun be ruled by the rock. "
It didn't even say it was Scottish!