YES, DECODING is harder than CODING.
Let's assign integer numbers to letters according to their place in the English ABC (a=1, b=2,...,z=26.)

We then "code" a given word by 2 parameters, e.g:
YES SIR⇒(49,2375)(46,3078)
NO WAY⇒(29,210)(49,575)

Once you find how the coding was done, you will understand that
a) There is no one-to-one-correspondence between the word
and the ordered couple, so STAR, ARTS and RATS produce identical couples.
b) The correct decoding of a meaningful phrase might be possible.

NOW DECODE THE FOLLOWING PHRASES
(only one 5-letter word - all other words less than that):
a. (26,100)(39,1620)(58,6900)
b. (49,2375)(28,115)(18,42)
c. (46,2760)(19,60)(61,7875)(19,60)
d. (52,3680)(18,65)(99,2794500)

code: (letters' digit sum, letters' digit product)

a.
[Earl Grey and company]
 TEA FOR TWO
[Hungry and pregnant, perhaps]
 EAT FOR TWO
[Had a double helping]
 ATE FOR TWO
[Surprised at the dessert request]
 EAT CAROB, WOT?
[A query about the bewildering lunch]
 ATE COBRA ... WOT?
[Scottish word for either 'to' or 'too' substituted for an incorrect English homophone]
 TAE FOR TWO
(26,100): ATE, EAT, ETA, TAE, TEA
(39,1620): COBRA, CAROB, CARBO, COARB, ORF, FOR, FRO
(58,6900): OWT, TOW, TWO, WOT

b.
[Name of a song featured in Guitar Hero II; also a slogan used by the Scottish National Party campaign in the 1997 UK general election, then later used by Barack Obama as a 2008 campaign slogan,]
 YES WE CAN
(49,2375): SEY, YES
(28,115): WE
(18,42): CAN

c.
[A polite greeting]
 HOW DO YOU DO?
[Asking a hairstylist about clientele]
 WHO DO YOU BOB?
[Asking how to play the game bobbing for apples]
 HOW DO YOU BOB?
[Asking another about his/her sex life - or perhaps a hairstylist about his/her clientele]
 WHO DO YOU DO?
(46,2760): HOW, WHO
(19,60): ALAE, BOB, DO
(61,7875): YOU
(19,60): ALAE, BOB, DO

d.
[Mimicking Alfred E. Neuman]
 WHAT, ME WORRY?
(52,3680): THAW, WHAT
(18,65): EM, ME
(99,2794500): WORRY

Edited on March 30, 2013, 10:09 pm

Posted by Dej Mar on 2013-03-30 08:12:40