perplexus.info :: Word Problems : 4-Letter Words

4-Letter Words (Posted on 2009-08-09)

I've just joined the YMCA and bought a lock to put on a locker. I bought one where you can choose your own combination. It has four rings surrounding the cylinder: the four inner rings have four dots that, when lined up, indicate the lock is in the open position. The lock came with eight outer rings from which the user can choose four to cover the inner rings, choosing one of ten characters on each ring to be over the red dot on the inner ring that it covers, thereby forming the combination.

I chose to use the four numeric rings (digits 0 - 9), but an interesting puzzle can be made from the rings having alphabetic characters.

The first ring has the letters A - J; call this type 1 ring. The second and third rings each have the letters K - T; call these type 2 rings. The fourth ring has letters U - Z and four special symbols. We'll ignore the ampersand, hyphen, blank and exclamation mark, but you might wish to explore such things as L&ER, for "lander" on your own.

Although foolish from a security standpoint, the use of a real word has mnemonic value. The foolishness is especially true as the specific hard-and-fast choice of the sequence of types, which can't be altered by someone merely opening the lock, limits the possible words that might be the key. For example if the sequence of types fixed onto the rings was 3221, few common words would be possible, like ULNA, VOLE, VOTE, WOKE, WOLF, WOMB, WOOD, WOOF, WORD, WORE, YOKE, YORE and ZONE. A potential thief could go through these quickly.

So categorize, by the sequence of type of ring, the possible 4-letter words that might be chosen as the unlocking key, given that there are one each of types 1 and 3, and two of type 2.

There are no tricks like treating W and M interchangeably, as, first of all, one is not really the upside-down of the other, and second, the one being used would be given away by the fact that all the other letters would be upside-down also.

Submitted by Charlie

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The below list includes not-so-common words; you be the judge of which ones are common. Two of the words are considered not only common but vulgar and have been ****'d out.

1223 alky ally alow army arty blow bony brow cloy coly cony copy cory cosy crow dopy dory doty elmy enow espy flow frow glow gory grow holy homy illy immy inky inly joky 1232 alum amus amyl anus arum arvo aryl blur bout bowl bows boyo boys bozo brut coup cowl cows coys crus doum dour down dows drum drys emus flus foul four fowl foys glum glut gnus gout gowk gown goys grum hour howk howl hows hoys jouk jowl jows joys 1322 auks aunt auto avos awls awns awol axon azon bulk bull bump bums bunk bunn buns bunt burl burn burp burr burs busk buss bust buts butt byrl cull culm cult **** cups curl curn curr curs curt cusk cusp cuss cuts cwms cyst dull dump dunk duns dunt duos dups durn duro durr dusk dust euro exon expo full funk funs furl furs fuss gull gulp guls gums gunk guns gust guts gyms gyps gyro hulk hull hump hums hunk huns hunt hurl hurt husk huts hymn hypo hyps jump junk just juts 2123 laky leku lily limy liny litu many menu meou meow minx miry mity nary oily paly paty pily piny pipy pity rely rimy ritz scow scry show thou thru tiny 2132 kayo kays keys lavs lawn laws lays levo leys maul maun maut mawn maws mayo mays mewl mews mixt nays neuk neum news newt next odyl pawl pawn paws pays pews phut raws rays revs rhus saul sawn saws says scum scup scut sewn sews sext shul shun shut taus taut tavs taws tews text thus 2213 knew logy okay oldy orby orgy play plew pogy prau pray prex prey prez skew slaw slay slew smew snaw spay spaz spew spiv staw stay stew stey toby tody tofu tray trey 2231 loud love lowe moue move moxa nova ooze plug pouf roue rove skua slub slue slug smug snub snug snye soya spud spue stub stud stye true trug 2312 kudo kues kvas kyak kyar kyat luck lues lugs lyes muck muds mugs nubs ouds oval oven over owes oxen oxes oxim oyer oyes pubs puck puds pugs pyas pyes pyin quin quip quit rubs ruck ruer rues rugs ruin ryas ryes subs suck suds suer sues suet suit swam swan swap swat swim sybo tubs tuck tuft tugs tuis twas **** twin twit tyer tyes tyin tzar 2321 kuna kune kyte luna lune lung lure lush lute lyre lyse mule muni mura mure muse mush mute myna myth nuke numb nurd ouph owse puke pula pule puli puma puna pung pupa pure puri push pyre quod rule rune rung ruse rush ruth ryke rynd sung supe sura surd sure surf swob syke syli sync syne syph tule tuna tune tung turd turf tush tyke tyne type tyre 3122 udos vamp vans vars vast vats vent vert vest veto vets vill vims vino viol virl walk wall wans want waps wark warm warn warp wars wart wasp wast wats watt well welt wens went wept wert west wets whom whop will wilt wimp wink wino wins wisp wiss wist wits yaks yams yank yaps yarn yelk yell yelp yens yerk yett yill yins yips yirr zaps zeks zerk zero zest zill zins zips zits 3212 ukes ulan umbo unco undo unit upas updo urbs urds user uses utas voes woes wogs wrap wren writ ylem yobs yock yods 3221 ulna ursa vole vote woke wold wolf womb wood woof word wore yoke yond yoni yore zone zori

Comments: ( You must be logged in to post comments.)

Subject	Author	Date
re(3): Categories?	Charlie	2009-08-10 22:11:25
re(2): Categories?	Dej Mar	2009-08-10 17:07:14
re: Categories?	Charlie	2009-08-10 11:25:34
re: Categories?	brianjn	2009-08-10 06:06:51
Categories?	Dej Mar	2009-08-10 04:58:21

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