I have recently coded the 1st line of an aria from an opera composed by George Gershwyn and I am ready to share with you the following information:

1. The code is a simple substitution code, ten distinct letters were replaced by the digits 0,1,2…9.
2. One letter was left uncoded.
3. The line consists of six words.
4. When coded the 1st, 4th, and the 5th words become square numbers and do not use the non-coded letter ,
5. The other words are either multiples of a square number, bigger than one, or use the uncoded letter.

I dare you to find the name of the aria, the numbers in my coding (or alternate solution complying with the above terms) and to explain how it relates to puzzle's title.

(In reply to re: Possible answer; possible difficulties. by broll)

broll,

"NOW (973 = 7*139), not a multiple of a square
 NOW (917 = 7*131), not a multiple of a square"

As stated in my post, I interpreted "bigger than one" as one of the three options with the other two, "a multiple of a square number" and "use the uncoded letter". Given that there are six words, three given as squares (1st, 4th and 5th), the other three would be represented each by one of the three options. The two NOWs are not multiples of a square but are both bigger than ONE (of course this interpretation could also eliminate two of the four presented options as possible answers as the 'multiple of a square' encoding is also bigger than ONE).

Posted by Dej Mar on 2012-07-14 09:21:38