Conundrum: Pic Tac Toe in 3D, Part II
In a normal “Pic Tac Toe” puzzle, there are nine pictures in a 3×3 grid, like Tic-Tac-Toe. In each of the three rows, three columns, and two diagonals, there is a common theme that unites the three pictures. The challenge is to find the eight themes.
In this “Pic Tac Toe” puzzle, however, there are twenty-seven pictures in a 3x3x3 grid, like a Rubik’s Cube. In each of the nine rows, nine columns, nine pillars, eighteen lateral diagonals, and four cross-cube diagonals, there is a common theme that unites the three pictures. The challenge is to find the forty-nine themes.
Imagine stacking the three levels below on top of one another. For reference, and notation guidelines, check out my last 3D Pic Tac Toe, including the comments. The rules here are identical to that puzzle.
You can click on each image to see a larger version:
Top Level – Level A
Middle Level – Level B
Bottom Level – Level C
Please post whatever you come up with in the comments section.
Enjoy!
UPDATE: Correct themes provided by Neel Mehta (35). Alternate themes suggested by Neel Mehta (6) and K-Lyn (1). See comments for discussion, or click here to skip right to the answers.
October 27th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
This is just disturbing. Here I was thinking you’d taken a well-deserved break from creating visual puzzles. This time I may have to look at this more like a puzzle creator, thinking up likely themes for each picture and seeing if any apply.
Do you take any of these photos yourself? The Disneyfied pancakes and yet another Lincoln Center poster come to mind.
And this is like Annalisa’s nightmare. Too much pop culture!
I notice a few already. Some are guesses:
A1-A5-A9: VAUGH(A)N (Vince, Sarah, Robert)
A2-A5-A8: BEVERAGES (wine, “Black Coffee,” orange juice)
A2-B2-C2: DAVID (Noyes, Carradine, Schwimmer)
A4-A5-A6: BODY & SOUL (TV series, song, album)
A4-B5-C6: SISTER (Sister Godric, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sister Jack)
A6-B6-C6: ANAL BUM COVER
A7-B7-C7: ‘THE DOCTOR’ (David Tennant, William Hurt, Robert Picardo)
A8-B8-C8: FOOD? (Pancakes, Broccoli, Fruits)
A9-B9-C9: DVD COVERS (or the DVD logo)
B4-B5-B6: COMPOSERS? (Some old dude — or is that Liberace next to him?, Philip Glass, Vivaldi)
B7-B8-B9: WORDS FOR LAST NAMES? (Hurt, Bond/Broccoli, Close) or OSCAR WINNING ACTORS? (William Hurt, Christopher Walken, Tomei/Duvall)
C1-C2-C3: RACHEL (Evan Rachel Wood, Rachel Green, Rachel Shelley)
C1-C4-C7: RYAN (Murphy, Seacrest, Jeri)
C4-C5-C6: JACK? (Randy Jackson, Jack Black, Sister Jack)
C3-C5-C7: KATE (Moennig, Winslet, Mulgrew)
October 27th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
A great start!
You are correct on VAUGH(A)N, BEVERAGES, DAVID, BODY & SOUL, SISTER, THE DOCTOR, DVD, COMPOSERS, RACHEL, RYAN, JACK, KATE, and I believe it’s pronounced AN ALBUM COVER.
Extra cool points for that last one, as well as saying ‘THE DOCTOR’ instead of just DOCTORS.
FOOD is a bit too broad. I have a cool correct answer and a somewhat obscure alternate answer for that one. WORDS FOR LAST NAMES is also too broad, unless those words have something in common. But that’s not really where I’m going. I can give you an alternate answer credit for the OSCAR WINNING ACTORS.
The old dude at the piano in B4 is composer Irving Berlin. Standing next to him is singer Steve Lawrence.
October 27th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Oh, and I did not take any of these pictures myself, except for the IMDB screenshot in A4. All of the pictures were found on the Internet as you see them here. As always, picture credits will be linked after the puzzle is solved. To do so earlier would give too much away.
October 27th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Steve Lawrence without Eydie Gormé? How on Earth were we supposed to figure that out? You might as well give us a picture of John Oates!
Am I correct in assuming that none of these themes are something lame and generic like TV SHOWS or MOVIE POSTERS (where more than 3 are depicted)?
A3-A6-A9: STONE (Harry T., Joss, Mickey)
A5-B5-C5: JAZZ SINGERS? (Vaughan, Jones, Holiday)
A6-B5-C4: GRAMMY WINNERS? (Joss Stone, Paul Simon, Paula Abdul)
B1-B5-B9: PAPER? (book page, The Pentagon Papers, The Paper)
As you can tell, I’m really not getting any mileage out of B5. I know there’s a lot there, too.
October 27th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
STONE and PAPER are both correct, and don’t lose either of those words. You still need them.
I’ll give you an alternate for GRAMMY WINNERS, though I am thinking of something much more simple. JAZZ SINGERS is very creative, and worthy of another alternate answer credit, though my answer is little more direct – even obvious, once you see it.
I don’t think I have anything too generic, like TV SHOWS, MOVIES, or FOOD, without something specific like the DVD logo. MOVIE POSTERS would be a legitimate theme, but it isn’t used in this puzzle. (I think B9 is a DVD cover, not a movie poster.) But if you see, say three TV shows, perhaps the common theme is among the shows being depicted.
There are absolutely themes in the puzzle that could include more than three images in the puzzle. That was unavoidable.
And yeah, there’s so much in B5 that it’s hard to know where to start. But this puzzle is a lot more solvable than the last one, because the themes are much more solid, and having such a flexible central image was the key to making that happen.
It’s funny – I had wanted to move away from television and movies, and so I started with books. But I ended up doing a lot of movies and television anyway. It’s just so economical to take advantage of a cast where each person pictured has a character name and an real name, plus whatever else we may happen to know about a character.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Don’t worry about the pop culture overload; my next puzzle is over 77% movies.
I was concerned about generic themes (like for A3-B3-C3) because I would otherwise overlook them. But now I know!
A3-B3-C3: STONE COLD LESBIANS (Harry T. Stone, Cold Case, The L Word)
No? And I’m going to hell for saying it? Okay, then.
More guesswork:
A1-A2-A3: LABELS? (record label, wine label, nameplate)
A2-B5-C8: FRUIT? (grapes for wine, James and the Giant Peach, fruits in the horn o’ plenty)
B3-B6-B9: EAST COAST CITIES? (Philadelphia, Boston, New York City)
A9-B8-C7: ROBERT(S)? (Robert Vaughn, Tanya Roberts, Robert Beltran)
October 28th, 2007 at 3:57 am
FRUIT and NORTHEAST US CITIES are correct. I’ll also give you credit for ROBERTS, though if you look again, you’ll see that the parentheses are not needed around the S.
LABELS is creative, but I don’t know if the nameplate qualifies.
And as you suspected STONE COLD LESBIANS is not the correct theme here, or anywhere else in the puzzle. I was actually wondering if I would get that answer for C3-C6-C9, but I honestly don’t know who that is depicted in C6, so I couldn’t say.
Going back to A3-B3-C3, let me just say that this is the just the kind of lateral thinking theme that you love, Neel.
October 28th, 2007 at 4:04 am
By the way, the hint I gave earlier about three TV shows was not a reference to A3-B3-C3.
October 28th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
I’m sorry. I think my head just exploded…
HOW do you guys do this?????
October 28th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
My head exploded the first time too.
How does one construct a 3-D puzzle? NO IDEA. I can’t wrap my mind around the concept, much less perform the feat twice.
Solving them, however, is not that different than solving the standard 3×3 puzzle. Sure, there are 49 themes instead of 8, but you’re better off concentrating on one theme at a time.
The A-B-C notation is very helpful in identifying any 3-D line of images, but the descriptions over at Bill’s first 3-D puzzle can help you visualize WHY there are 49 themes. Let me explain… no, there is too much. Let me sum up:
Each two dimensional level (level A, level B, level C) is a 3×3 puzzle with 8 themes. Three levels means 24 themes.
Stack the levels atop one another, and you form 9 pillars: all the Pictures 1, all the Pictures 2, etc. So that’s 33 total.
If you imagine the three stacked levels as a cube, then you’ll notice that each face of the cube has a pair of diagonals. We’ve already included the diagonals at the top face (A level) and bottom face (C level), so we’re only concerned with the remaining four faces. The left face has A1-B4-C7 and A7-B4-C1. Identify the two diagonals for the front face, back face, and right face, and that’s 8 more themes, 41 in all.
The last 8 themes are the 3-D diagonals that go through the center of the cube: picture B-5. Start at the A level and determine the diagonals that start with A1, A2, A3, A4, A6, A7, A8, and A9 and intersect B5.
Those are your 49 themes.
October 28th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
That’s a nice summary, Neel, and you quoted The Princess Bride which always makes me smile.
My advice to K-Lyn and others who may be visiting is to break it down into smaller chunks, and focus on the chunks where you feel the most comfortable.
We broke the puzzle up into three levels (A,B,C) and then numbered the pictures in each level from 1-9. Thus, each picture can be described by a number and a letter, from the Be Cool poster at A1 to the Bewitched DVD at C9.
1. You can solve each of the three levels as its own Pic Tac Toe puzzle, e.g. A2-A5-A8: BEVERAGES (Wine, “Black Coffee”, Orange Juice). This is no different than what we’ve been doing. 24 themes.
2. The three images in each of the nine places across the three levels also form a theme, e.g. A2-B2-C2: DAVID (David Noyes, David Carradine, David Schwimmer). 9 themes.
3. This is the tricky one. All multi-level diagonal threes-in-a-row form themes as well, e.g., A2-B5-C8: FRUIT (Grapes, Peach, Apple). You need to visualize the cube to see why that’s a three-in-a-row. If you’re really not getting it, just skip this one for now and wait for me to post the list of unsolved themes. 16 themes.
And Neel’s right: you can only really focus on one theme at a time. So don’t try to solve it all in one shot. Do a few themes and then step away for a bit. When you come back, you’ll have a fresh perspective.
Enjoy!
October 28th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
One thing that IS harder about solving the 3-D puzzle: focusing on a single image (say, the “Spoon/Sister Jack” album cover in C6) and trying to see all the themes that include that image. It’s harder to visualize unless you write them all down:
The two dimensional themes: C4-C5-C6 row, C3-C6-C9 column
The pillar: A6-B6-C6
The cross cut diagonal: A4-B5-C6
Now, there’s not a lot going on in that image, as far as I can tell. Without even looking at the rest of the puzzle, themes that come to mind are: ALBUM COVER, SPOON/EATING UTENSILS, SISTER, JACK, and then maybe something related to the picture of the person, like BARE BACK or RED SCARF.
The anticipation came in handy once I looked at C6 within the context of its four themes. Sure enough, there’s a JACK theme in row C4-C5-C6 (C4 has Randy Jackson, C5 has Jack Black), ALBUM COVER in pillar A6-B6-C6 (A6 is a Joss Stone album, B6 a classical album), and a SISTER theme in the cross cut diagonal A4-B5-C6 (A4 has Sister Godric, B5 has Jake Gyllenhaal and his sister Maggie).
But I’m at a loss with the column C3-C6-C9. I don’t notice any eating utensils in the names of the cast of The L Word or Bewitched. No bare backs in Bewitched, thankfully. No scarves and no red in The L Word (and I think Agnes “Endora” Moorehead is wearing a ruffled collar, anyway). So I must be missing something there; once I (or someone else) solves it, then I never have to worry about C6 again.
Keep in mind that, with 4 themes, C6 is one of the least demanding images in the whole puzzle. More involved images might have 5 or 7 themes. The cube’s center, B5, is part of 13 themes.
Feels good to explain all this. I can stay involved with the puzzle without, you know, actually solving any of it.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Another good idea is to suggest ANY guesses that come to mind, even if you think they’re wrong. Some of the themes will be clever, and some will be straightforward. (There are 49 themes in play here, so they can’t all be mind-blowingly brilliant.)
So, for C3-C6-C9, here are some more guesses:
-OON (working upward: moon in Bewitched, the band Spoon, Mia Kirshner’s character is a total loon. Plus, “loon” is an L word, and let’s face it, I could’ve been a lot dirtier.)
LANDSCAPE (working downward: Los Angeles landscape, body landscape, unknown city landscape)
Now both of these are wrong, I’m fairly certain, but now they’re out of my system. Also, maybe they’ll trigger something in another reader that makes her/him solve that theme.
October 28th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
You might be interested to know that C6 was the last image that I chose for the puzzle. Because I knew exactly what I needed from it, I could afford to choose an image that didn’t have anything else.
Actually, I had wanted it to have a silhouetted skyline, since that was my original plan for that column. But everything else fit so perfectly, and I noticed another similarity to the other two pictures, so I went that way instead. It has to do with the scarf.
October 28th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
If pressed, I would have guessed A4 was the last image, because it’s the most tailored and manufactured.
The scarf is tied or knotted, which could relate to Darrin’s tie in C9, but I can’t see enough of what’s going on in C3 to decide if there’s any non-jewelry neckwear on, say, Rachel Shelley or Mia Kirshner. Now, Pam Grier is wearing a top that would have to be tied around the neck, but you don’t actually see it. I even looked at the names of necktie knots and nautical knots to find a match.
To go really out there (so to speak), you could draw some parallel between ties/knots and the tangled web they weave on The L Word, specifically Alice’s sex connection chart (I love Leisha Hailey). But that’s so far removed from the image itself that I wonder why I even went there.
Anyway…
B1-B4-B7: GLASSES (on Johnny Depp, Irving Berlin, and William Hurt)
B3-B5-B7: WILLIAM (Cold Case character Will Jeffries, William Styron, William Hurt)
A8-B8-C8: DOUBLES? (twin pancakes/forks/juices, Duran Duran, pairs of fruit — I know it’s wrong, but I wanted to get it out of my head)
October 28th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Ah. Good one!
A1-B1-C1: ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (The Rock, book paper, Running with Scissors. Sadly, I wasn’t anywhere near that pillar when I came up with the idea. I was thinking about Harry Stone.)
October 28th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
Yeah, it looks like Rachel Shelley (all the way on the right) is wearing a knotted scarf. So you guessed it, even if you didn’t see it. The theme is KNOTTED CLOTHING ACCESSORIES. WILLIAM is correct, and GLASSES too, though that isn’t Johnny Depp.
A8-B8-C8 is tricky, so I’ll give you a little nudge. As I said, there is a correct answer and a valid alternate answer, both of which require fruit and non-fruit to co-exist peacefully within the same theme.
But even within the one answer I am considering the “correct” answer, there are two elements in B8 that could possibly fit the theme. So, ask yourself what two non-fruit items that are found in B8 could be put in here to make a proper theme: Cherries, ?, ?, Orange.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS is correct, too. Nice lateral thinking!
October 28th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
A6-B5-C4: PURPLE (purple background, The Color Purple, Paula Abdul’s purple dress)
B2-B5-B8: FAMOUS MICHAELS? (Caine, Penn, Moore)
Oh crap. It’s FIRE. (candles behind Caine, Goblet of Fire, May Day’s “met his match” cigarette)
October 28th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
though that isn’t Johnny Depp.
Huh. All this time I assumed that was a still from Secret Window. Now that you’ve corrected me, I looked closer and can tell that Johnny Depp’s a lot prettier than that guy.
So, ask yourself what two non-fruit items that are found in B8 could be put in here to make a proper theme: Cherries, ?, ?, Orange.
Oh. Even living in Las Vegas, I never would’ve seen that.
A8-B8-C8: SLOT MACHINE SYMBOLS (cherry, lucky 7, orange/pear). But I can’t find the alternate element in B8 (no bar, no bell).
October 28th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Correct on both!
Actually, I was going for LIGHT (Candlelight, A Light in the Attic, Lighting a cigarette), but yours is just as good, and too close to consider an alternate theme.
The following 25 themes are still unsolved:
A1-A2-A3
A7-A8-A9
A1-A4-A7
A3-A5-A7
B1-B2-B3
B7-B8-B9
C7-C8-C9
C2-C5-C8
C1-C5-C9
A3-B3-C3
A4-B4-C4
A5-B5-C5
A8-B8-C8
A1-B4-C7
A7-B4-C1
A8-B5-C2
A3-B6-C9
A9-B6-C3
A1-B2-C3
A3-B2-C1
A7-B8-C9
A1-B5-C9
A3-B5-C7
A7-B5-C3
A9-B5-C1
October 28th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
The guy in B1 is Sawyer from ABC’s Lost.
SLOT MACHINE SYMBOLS is correct too. I was looking at the 7, but later noticed there was also a BAR code.
More than half-way there!
October 28th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Oh, and my alternate theme for A8-B8-C8 was GOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN C, in which broccoli is surprisingly rich.
Well, I did say it was an alternate theme.
October 28th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
More than half-way there!
Well, now I am.
A1-A4-A7: TYLER (Steven, John Carlisle’s character, Doctor Who characters Rose and/or Billie Tyler)
A1-B5-C9: BE (Be Cool, Beloved, Bewitched)
Done for now. My eyes need a rest.
October 29th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Those are both good.
Rose Tyler is played by Billie Piper.
October 29th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Sorry, I meant Rose and/or Jackie Tyler. Didn’t know if either or both were depicted. And thanks for fixing the italics.
Like a Coors Light drinker, I’m still hung up on twins…
A8-B5-C2: TWOSOMES (twin pancakes etc., Edie Brickell & Paul Simon, Ross & Rachel plus “prime time’s top 10 twosomes”)
Also:
A9-B6-C3: SEASON (complete season three, Four Seasons, second season)
I’m a little surprised you got this to work. Don’t BBC shows usually call it “Series Three”?
A7-A8-A9: MICKEY (Mickey Smith, Mickey Mouse pancakes, Mickey Stone)
B7-B8-B9: NUMBERS? (10, 007, clock face)
October 29th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Jackie Tyler is not pictured, but Rose Tyler is correct.
None of the themes are about the number of people in the picture. I’m actually quite fond of the A8-B5-C2 theme. It’s no ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, but it’s not too shabby.
NUMBERS alone is too broad a theme. The B7-B8-B9 theme has to do with words, not numbers.
SEASON is correct. I can’t say I really “got” this to work. That’s how it is on the box. The part I had to get to work was finding an image that included the word “season” and the name of a composer, etc.
And MICKEY is correct, of course. Of all of the themes, I thought you’d have solved this one right off the bat. Still, with 49 themes running, I imagine that you just hadn’t gotten to that one yet.
October 29th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
I’m sure there are still themes I haven’t looked at yet. I know I make it sound like I approach the puzzle so systematically or logically, but I assure you that my mind does not work that way.
By the way, I’ve noticed a lot of 2-out-of-3 themes that make me wonder if they were potential themes besides SKYLINES that you abandoned as the puzzle came along. Like MURPHY for C1-C5-C9, or RUSH for B3-B5-B7.
Anyway, I have some more spaghetti that I need to toss on the ceiling:
A4-B4-C4: CITIES IN PENNSYLVANIA (Carlisle, Berlin & Lawrence, Ryan & Jackson Townships)
October 29th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
No on Pennsylvania. A4-B4-C4 is kind of an odd theme. I don’t know that it really jumps out at you, but it should not require any research beyond what’s already been discussed here.
The flip side of the abandoned theme is noticing after the fact a “2 out of 3” that happened naturally that you think in retrospect would have made a really good theme. Your two finds are good examples, though I hadn’t seen them until just now.
RYAN was always the plan for C1-C4-C7, but later I noticed that another equally valid theme would be STAR (TriStar Pictures, Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, Starfleet). A1-A2-A3 was originally meant to be DAN, but the wine label wouldn’t cooperate, so I had to go a different way.
October 30th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
You can probably tell from my puzzles which image or theme was the last to be completed. Well, at least I think it’s obvious.
A1-B2-C3: CROSSED ARMS (Harvey Keitel, David Carradine, Sarah Shahi)
A7-B5-C3: AWARDS? (I know it’s wrong, but I saw Helena Peabody and Tony Kushner, and there is a Clarke Medal)
A3-B3-C3: CASE (court case, Cold Case, Jenny Schecter’s a head case)
October 30th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I can give you two alternate answer credits for that. Court case and head case are a bit of a stretch, though.
David Carradine’s crossed arms are relevant, but not to the theme of A1-B2-C3. That theme is far more interesting.
If you don’t know Rose Tyler from Jackie Tyler, then I’m guessing you don’t watch Dr. Who. This picture is from the episode “School Reunion” though the title is not part of any of the themes.
As for A3-B3-C3, I said before that this is the just the kind of lateral thinking theme that you love, Neel. Having said that, it’s a rather difficult one. I’ll refer you back to your own advice. Ask: Why this picture?
October 30th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
I don’t think I deserve an alternate answer credit for AWARDS or CASE.
You can probably tell by now which of these shows I haven’t watched: Doctor Who (any incarnation), Hu$tle, Kung Fu, Cold Case, and Star Trek: Voyager.
I lost interest in Lost about midway through the first season. (Would’ve been earlier, but my enjoyment of “Walkabout” compelled me to watch for a few more episodes.) The L Word was one of the best shows on TV when it started, but became unwatchable to me once the showrunners made Alice uncharacteristically obsessive, and continued to parade Jenny around like anyone cared.
On the movie side, I’ve seen and can remember Running with Scissors. The rest I haven’t seen or have already forgotten.
That Night Court picture is bugging me because there are so many potential themes there, and I can’t find any that apply.
A3-B5-C7: HARRY (Stone, Potter, Kim)
But there’s still POST, MAC, BULL, DIAMOND, etc.
A3-B3-C3 is messing with my head. (Why which picture? Nothing strange about a series of cast photos.) If you look at the fringe above the flag, then maybe it’s GOLD RUSH CALIFORNIA. But you’d know to put the words in order — you would have counted on it — so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Working upward, I could make a really lame and wrong argument for KIT KAT BAR. The concept of CANDY has also disrupted my ability to think through A8-B5-C2, with nature’s candy and “red hot” in play. Maybe I need a snack.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
HARRY is correct. KIT KAT BAR is clever. CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH is a reach. POST, MAC, and BULL are not used in the puzzle, though I had considered all of them. And another Princess Bride quote, and nicely applied. Let me try one, that might answer your “why this picture” question about A3-B3-C3.
I think there’s something I ought to tell you.
That is not Selma Diamond.
October 30th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
There’s something you should know… I’m not Selma Diamond either.
(Sword whipping noise)
I mean, oh crap. I forgot about Florence. Post-Diamond, pre-Warfield. How sloppy of me.
Why that picture, indeed. For now, I’ve got nothing. Drawing a blank. Uh…
“Mawage, that bwessed awangment.” (Only slightly off topic; I almost put Peter Cook in next week’s puzzle.)
October 30th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Well, you’re on the right track now, though there is another show I’m hoping you’ve seen. Also, if you’ve never seen any episodes of Cold Case or Kung Fu, then B1-B2-B3 will be a bit more difficult.
The following 19 themes are still unsolved:
A1-A2-A3
A3-A5-A7
B1-B2-B3
B7-B8-B9
C7-C8-C9
C2-C5-C8
C1-C5-C9
A3-B3-C3
A4-B4-C4
A5-B5-C5
A1-B4-C7
A7-B4-C1
A8-B5-C2
A3-B6-C9
A1-B2-C3
A3-B2-C1
A7-B8-C9
A7-B5-C3
A9-B5-C1
November 1st, 2007 at 3:17 am
Just when I think I’ve got something good Neel has already solved it. Drats. But I thought I should make my lurking known and invite you over to my (much simpler) themed puzzle…since I got ideas for mine from trying to solve both of yours.
November 1st, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Welcome back, K-Lyn.
Take a look at the list of unsolved themes (just above your comment) and see if you can’t beat Neel to the punch on a few.
November 2nd, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Well, there is an unfortunate hairstyle repeated in A1-B4-C7 but so far that’s all I’m getting. (Still mad that Neel beat me to The Doctor).
November 2nd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Holy hairdos, K-Lyn, I think you’re right!
John Travolta, Steve Lawrence, and Robert Beltran (am I naming the right guy?) share some sort of pulled back pompadour. If that’s correct, it’s all her.
Here’s a guess on my part:
A9-B5-C1: PAIR WITH THE SAME NAME (Robert Glenister and Vaughn, Philip Roth and Glass, Joseph Fiennes and Cross)
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Also, if you’ve never seen any episodes of Cold Case or Kung Fu, then B1-B2-B3 will be a bit more difficult.
I hope I don’t need more than Wikipedia:
B1-B2-B3: SHOWS THAT USE FLASHBACKS (Lost, Kung Fu, Cold Case)
November 2nd, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Wikipedia works. All three shows make extensive use of FLASHBACKS in every episode.
Alternate credit also for SAME NAME and one for K-Lyn for that odd HAIRSTYLE, which is actually kind of freaky when you look at it that way. But I have a much better solution for A1-B4-C7.
Nice work!
November 3rd, 2007 at 3:39 am
I just noticed that 5 of the 19 remaining themes involve the Night Court picture. Got to get on top of that, and I don’t mean it in a Dan Fielding way.
David Carradine’s crossed arms are relevant, but not to the theme of A1-B2-C3. That theme is far more interesting.
B2 is part of only 2 unsolved themes, so unless the crossed arms have some flashback significance, I have to deduce that they’re relevant to A3-B2-C1. There’s Joseph Cross, and I guess Florence Halop has a crossed tie.
Back to guesswork. I didn’t see anyone from C3 in Kill Bill, so:
A1-B2-C3: TARANTINO MOVIE ACTORS (Travolta/Thurman/Keitel, Carradine, Grier)
I don’t think that qualifies as “far more interesting,” though.
A3-B6-C9: STARS? (on the flag, by the moon, from the broom or dotting the “i”)
This picture is from the episode “School Reunion” though the title is not part of any of the themes.
I feel like this was a hint to look up that Doctor Who episode, so I did, and I’m thinking that machine is called K-9. Which, quite naturally, prompts themes like DOGS and JIM BELUSHI MOVIES. But I don’t see how that helps with A3-A5-A7, A7-B4-C1, or A7-B8-C9.
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:27 am
Some impressive sleuthing – and it has yielded results!
CROSS is correct for A3-B2-C1, but I was looking at Harry Anderson’s legs and not Florence Halop’s tie.
I’ll give you A1-B2-C3, but the full theme is 70’s TV ICONS RESURRECTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO (John Travolta, David Carradine, Pam Grier). Tarantino likes to cast people who he’s wanted to work with since he was a kid, and they often turn out to be very available. That’s the theme I was saying was far more interesting than crossed arms.
I’ll also give you full credit for STARS, though I was really going for NIGHT. Yours is just as good, and too close to mine in two of the pictures to give you an alternate credit.
I was hinting to look up the Dr. Who episode, but not to identify the dog. I wanted to help you identify the woman on the right, who is not a regular cast member – though that also won’t help you with any of the three themes you listed.
DOGS, since you mention it, was briefly under consideration as a theme for A3-A5-A7 (K-9 and BULL), but the lovely Ms. Vaughan hardly applies, and I’m actually pretty happy with the theme I ended up with.
A7-B4-C1, if you’ll allow me, is a Mehta-theme: a term I just coined that refers to an otherwise difficult lateral thinking theme made somewhat easier by having one of the pictures feature the key element in the context of the theme itself. Examples include Wolf Chili when the theme is CHILI BRANDS, or the album cover for Neon Bible when the theme is ALBUMS.
A7-B8-C9 is one of my five favorite themes in the puzzle, along with ROCK/PAPER/SCISSORS, SHOWS THAT USE FLASHBACKS, 70’s TV ICONS RESURRECTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO, and the still unsolved “hairdo” diagonal at A1-B4-C7.
So there’s three more themes solved. Well done!
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:30 am
The following 15 themes are still unsolved:
A1-A2-A3
A3-A5-A7
B7-B8-B9
C7-C8-C9
C2-C5-C8
C1-C5-C9
A3-B3-C3
A4-B4-C4
A5-B5-C5
A1-B4-C7
A7-B4-C1
A8-B5-C2
A7-B8-C9
A7-B5-C3
A9-B5-C1
November 3rd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Some impressive sleuthing – and it has yielded results!
Let me put it this way. Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? Morons.
Ah, the resurrection angle. Well, that is interesting. Travolta’s so embedded and popular that I forget he ever needed a comeback. Your theme is very specific and makes total sense; if it were Carradine, Grier, and Robert Forster, I might have picked up on it. (That’s not a criticism of the puzzle, but an assessment of my shortcomings.)
I wanted to help you identify the woman on the right, who is not a regular cast member – though that also won’t help you with any of the three themes you listed.
Wikipedia tells me that the “School Reunion” episode of Doctor Who “featured the return of Sarah Jane Smith, played by Elisabeth Sladen.” And if it doesn’t apply to those 3 themes, then:
A7-B5-C3: SARAH (Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jones, Sarah Shahi)
A7-B4-C1, if you’ll allow me, is a Mehta-theme: a term I just coined that refers to an otherwise difficult lateral thinking theme made somewhat easier by having one of the pictures feature the key element in the context of the theme itself.
Oh good: another reason for self-loathing. I do eagerly await becoming a “Posted In” category for this blog. Then, when a future post is filed under Mehta and Meta, my head can truly explode.
I’ll think about it some more.
November 3rd, 2007 at 2:43 pm
SARAH is correct.
Mehta-theme was meant to be a compliment – named after the innovator. Of course, with the theme being embedded in the image itself, the “meta” connection seemed natural. But I will tell you that the theme for the A7-B4-C1 diagonal can be found in image C1.
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:32 pm
I know it’s a compliment, and I take it as such; this is just me being self-deprecating. Sometimes I come across a personal situation and think “how very meta,” and then, “how very Mehta.”
Anyway, it’s clever terminology, and now I’m wondering why I didn’t think of it.
But I will tell you that the theme for the A7-B4-C1 diagonal can be found in image C1.
This narrows the possibilities considerably. What’s directly depicted in C1? Themes could be RECKLESS BEHAVIOR, WAYS TO PUT AN EYE OUT, or THINGS YOUR PARENTS WARNED YOU NOT TO DO. But I don’t see how those apply to A7 or C4. So I’ll start with a simple guess.
A7-B4-C1: MOVIE TITLES (K-9, The Pianist, Running with Scissors)
I’m not in love with this answer because C4 could just as easily be The Piano or The Entertainer. Heck, A7 could be Wag the Dog.
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
It isn’t MOVIE TITLES. It’s related to the members of the cast.
I had considered RECKLESS BEHAVIOR as a possible theme, but I kind of stalled on what else to include. Where do you go to find a picture of going swimming less than an hour after eating?
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
I had considered RECKLESS BEHAVIOR as a possible theme, but I kind of stalled on what else to include. Where do you go to find a picture of going swimming less than an hour after eating?
The local Y? I don’t know.
Britney Spears’ VMA performance comes to mind, but that’s probably better suited for a different theme, along with images of an Amtrak derailment and Amy Winehouse putting on makeup.
Back to A7-B4-C1. One of the things I found strange about the Running with Scissors cast was the obvious but mostly unexplored reunion of Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow. Maybe you’re saying something about REUNIONS, if Steve and Irving have worked together before, and Elisabeth Sladen’s return to Doctor Who qualifies.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Only one cast member of Running With Scissors is relevant, and that’s the only image that includes the theme as well.
November 5th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Well, we’ve had a good run, but I think it’s time to post the answers. Thanks to all who played, or even just visited, and a shout out to Neel for solving most of the puzzle himself.
Answers
A1-A2-A3: ROCK (The Rock, Marble texturing, Harry Stone)
A4-A5-A6: BODY & SOUL (Body & Soul IMDB entry, “Body & Soul,” Mind, Body & Soul)
A7-A8-A9: MICKEY (Mickey Smith, Mickey Mouse Pancakes, Mickey Stone)
A1-A4-A7: TYLER (Steve Tyler, Tyler, Rose Tyler)
A2-A5-A8: BEVERAGES (Wine, “Black Coffee,” Orange Juice)
A3-A6-A9: STONE (Harry Stone, Joss Stone, Mickey Stone)
A1-A5-A9: VAUGH(A)N (Vince Vaughn, Sarah Vaughan, Robert Vaughn)
A3-A5-A7: TIMES OF DAY (Night, Day, Evening)
B1-B2-B3: SHOWS THAT USE FLASHBACKS (Lost, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Cold Case)
B4-B5-B6: COMPOSERS (Irving Berlin, Philip Glass, Vivaldi)
B7-B8-B9: VIOLENT VERBS (Hurt, Kill, Combat)
B1-B4-B7: EYEGLASSES (On Sawyer, Berlin, Hurt)
B2-B5-B8: LIGHT (Candlelight, A Light in the Attic, Lighting a cigarette)
B3-B6-B9: NORTHEAST US CITIES (Philadelphia Homicide, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York mug)
B1-B5-B9: PAPER (Book paper, Pentagon Papers, The Paper)
B3-B5-B7: WILLIAM (Will Jeffries, William Styron, William Hurt)
C1-C2-C3: RACHEL (Evan Rachel Wood, Rachel Green, Rachel Shelley)
C4-C5-C6: JACK (Randy Jackson, Jack Black, Sister Jack)
C7-C8-C9: POINTY (Pointy Vulcan ears, Pointy horn of plenty, Pointy witch hat)
C1-C4-C7: RYAN (Ryan Murphy, Ryan Seacrest, Jeri Ryan)
C2-C5-C8: HOLIDAYS (Valentine’s Day, The Holiday, Thanksgiving)
C3-C6-C9: KNOTTED CLOTHING ACCESSORIES (Scarf, Headband, Tie)
C1-C5-C9: WOOD (Evan Rachel Wood, Amanda Wood, “Durwood”)
C3-C5-C7: KATE (Kate Moenning, Kate Winslet, Kate Mulgrew)
A1-B1-C1: ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (The Rock, Book paper, Running with Scissors)
A2-B2-C2: DAVID (David Noyes, David Carradine, David Schwimmer)
A3-B3-C3: WAITRESSES AT MEL’S DINER (Florence, Vera, Alice)
A4-B4-C4: LAST NAME IS MORE COMMONLY A FIRST NAME (Madeline Christie, Steve Lawrence, Paula Abdul)
A5-B5-C5: BLACK (“Black Coffee,” Black Keys, Jack Black)
A6-B6-C6: MUSIC (Mind, Body & Soul, “The Four Seasons,” Sister Jack)
A7-B7-C7: THE DOCTOR (The Doctor from Dr. Who, The Doctor, The Doctor from Voyager)
A8-B8-C8: SLOT MACHINE SYMBOLS (Cherries, 7, Orange)
A9-B9-C9: DVD LOGO (On Hustle, The Paper, Bewitched)
A1-B4-C7: DID YOU KNOW YOUR LAST NAME IS A EUROPEAN CAPITAL? (Edie Athens, Irving Berlin, Tom Paris)
A7-B4-C1: BALDWIN BROTHERS (Billy, Steven, Alec)
A2-B5-C8: FRUIT (Pinot Noir grapes, James and the Giant Peach, Apples etc.)
A8-B5-C2: SECONDARY COLORS (Orange Juice, The Color Purple, Rachel Green)
A3-B6-C9: NIGHT (Night Court, Night scene, Night sky)
A9-B6-C3: SEASON (Complete season three, The Four Seasons, The complete second season)
A1-B2-C3: 70’s TV ICONS RESURRECTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO (John Travolta, David Carradine, Pam Grier)
A3-B2-C1: CROSS (Crossed legs, Crossed arms, Joseph Cross)
A4-B5-C6: SISTER (Sister Godric, Maggie Gyllenhaal to Jake, Sister Jack)
A6-B5-C4: THE COLOR PURPLE (Mind, Body & Soul cover, The Color Purple, Paula Abdul’s purple dress)
A7-B8-C9: ROLES PLAYED BY MORE THAN ONE ACTOR (The Doctor, James Bond, Darrin Stevens)
A9-B8-C7: ROBERTS (Roberts Glenister and Vaughn, Tanya Roberts, Roberts Beltran and Picardo)
A1-B5-C9: BE (Be Cool, Beloved, Bewitched)
A3-B5-C7: HARRY (Harry Stone, Harry Potter, Harry Kim)
A7-B5-C3: SARAH (Sarah Jane Smith, Sarah Jones, Sarah Shahi)
A9-B5-C1: BUILDING MATERIALS (Mickey Stone, Philip Glass, Evan Rachel Wood)
Picture Credits
Picture A1
Picture A2
Picture A3
Picture A4
Picture A5
Picture A6
Picture A7
Picture A8
Picture A9
Picture B1
Picture B2
Picture B3
Picture B4
Picture B5
Picture B6
Picture B7
Picture B8
Picture B9
Picture C1
Picture C2
Picture C3
Picture C4
Picture C5
Picture C6
Picture C7
Picture C8
Picture C9
November 6th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
It was for the best. Persistent headaches have limited my online time, and visual concentration is not one of my strengths right now.
I wish more people would take part in solving your creations. I am again stunned that all those curious, puzzle-solving minds in other places refuse to accept your invitation.
November 7th, 2007 at 7:45 am
They do come, but most don’t stay. Still, I can’t complain since, though Ken’s message board, you’ve become a regular visitor (and through you K-Lyn), Dave for the math puzzles, and UnixMan bringing home the Bacon. And that’s four more participants than I had before, not to mention the dozens of extra visitors who read but don’t comment, which I’m happy to have as well.
I do not envy you the headache you will have after solving most of this puzzle. For now, rest well, and dream of large women.
November 7th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
Damn I’m impressed! I, too, struggled with the needed online time. The 3-D aspect makes it tough to utilize my primary method of solving these which is to stare at it without particularly focusing and see what my brain comes up with. There was to much.
But seriously, I am amazed at your craftmanship. I mean it.
Anybody want a peanut?
October 29th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
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