The table is composed of five-letter words reading downwards.

Retain the cyclic order of the letters but using the wraparound process (ie, 1,2,3,4,5 → 2,3,4,5,1 or → 5,1,2,3,4) replace each given word with an anagram (which is a valid word), and so determine a short message.

F

S

T

R

C

E

C

S

E

C

E

M

S

A

R

S

E

R

E

P

A

E

O

T

R

E

A

A

L

I

P

L

A

E

A

I

T

E

R

C

T

H

E

V

S

R

B

L

E

L

K

D

R

V

A

A

E

U

E

E

N

E

E

E

O

E

A

O

E

G

T

E

L

R

S

R

S

R

A

N

L

S

W

S

K

Y

D

E

H

D

Note: Some words in the table as well as in the solution will not be in common usage.

By cycling within columns, I formed new words and caused the second row to read:

"LET US HAVE SOME ORDER"

The more obscure words required are:

FETAL --> ALFET
COTES --> ESCOT
CRENA --> NACRE

Nice problem, Brian

Posted by Steve Herman on 2009-04-01 12:39:50