Another algebra puzzle -- sort of -- - Open Roads Radio forum for Ham, Amateur Radio and RV camping

NN5I · 01-27-2016, 04:05 PM

Because of the difficulty of formatting formulas, this is submitted as an image:

NN5I · 01-28-2016, 04:37 PM

No takers, eh?

Frederick was inviting Voltaire to dinner at one of his estates, Sans Souci.

Read Frederick's note as follows: "venez" under "p" à "100" under "6".

In French, that's Venez sous p à cent sous six and sounds exactly like Venez souper à Sans Souci which in turn means Come dine at Sans Souci.

Now that I've done the hard part for you (Frederick's note), can you figure out the easy part (Voltaire's reply)?

Radio · 01-28-2016, 06:22 PM

Sure, why not?

NN5I · 01-29-2016, 04:29 PM

Oh, well, that one didn't stir up much interest, did it.

Voltaire was accepting the invitation to dinner.

G a = "big G, small a" = "G grand, a petit" sounds like "J'ai grand appetit" = "I have a big appetite."

Radio · 01-29-2016, 07:18 PM

I cheated. Did some Google research. So in the spirit of good sportsmanship withdrew from competition.

It wasn't really algebra, nor anagram, but a rebus, and a French rebus at that.

So now I'll go see if there is

0 good
television

NN5I · 01-30-2016, 08:45 AM

Not really algebra, nor an anagram, but not really a rebus either. In a rebus, one uses pictures of sound-alikes to represent words. For example, a picture of an eye for "I", or a female sheep for "you", a baby goat for the first part of "kidding", etc. The pictures are usually drawings, but sometimes photos.

Here's a rebus-type birthday card I made for a young Judo student some years ago. Because it's for a little kid, I included text to be read aloud (to make it easier), but that's not typically done. This was a bright little girl, and she got it at once, except that she needed a little help pronouncing "ewes".