OddThinking

The neuron in my brain that is responsible for me knowing that people get tattoos of “Chinese” characters bumped into the neuron in my brain that is responsible for me knowing that ROT13 is used as a simple obfuscation cipher, leading to the idea of:

“What does my tattoo mean? Oh, it is ROT13; it says ‘HOPE’.”

The neuron in my brain for “funny” only half-fired, so the three hundred million neurons responsible for me being a nerd thought “Ooh! A problem! Let’s solve it with Python!”

So, the challenge was: What sentence becomes another valid sentence when ROT13ed?

First, I went through a wordlist (267k words) looking for ROT13 pairs. They are listed at the bottom.

Then I went through and filtered out the useless ones. ERF and RES are words?

Here is the filtered list:

EBB=ROO
GEL=TRY
ENG=RAT
ANNA=NAAN
EBBS=ROOF
BIN=OVA
ANT=NAG
HE=UR
BO=OB
ENUF=RAHS
GREEN=TERRA
ANA=NAN
ENVY=RAIL
CHER=PURE
GURL=THEY
AHA=NUN
FUR=SHE
ABBA=NOON
AVO=NIB
BAR=ONE
BE=OR
BA=ON
ERRS=REEF
CEL=PRY
CHA=PUN
FUBAR=SHONE
BUB=OHO
BARF=ONES
BAL=ONY
IRK=VEX
ART=NEG
ARC=NEP

Then, I chuckled at some randomness.

• TERRA maps to GREEN.
• BOOBBOOBBOOB and BALONYBALONYBALONY pretty much come out unscathed by ROT13.
• CHER is PURE (or the opposite, depending on your perspective).

But remember the challenge? Are there any sentences that only use these words?

Well…

AHA! THEY SHONE GREEN GEL ON ONE’S ROOF.
NUN GIRL, FUBAR TERRA! TRY BA-BARF EBBS.

So, no, not really. None that I found. Perhaps if you were willing to break up word boundaries differently? Can you see any?

The Complete list:

FRAIL=SENVY
EBB=ROO
GRAAL=TENNY
GEL=TRY
CHAT=PUNG
FANO=SNAB
HERN=UREA
FANES=SNARF
HARIRA=UNEVEN
ANIL=NAVY
ENG=RAT
ERF=RES
HER=URE
ANNA=NAAN
CRAVAT=PENING
BALK=ONYX
ALF=NYS
JUVE=WHIR
EBBS=ROOF
BIN=OVA
GHAT=TUNG
ANT=NAG
FRA=SEN
FRY=SEL
HE=UR
GNAR=TANE
BO=OB
BEN=ORA
BEG=ORT
ENUF=RAHS
FANE=SNAR
GREEN=TERRA
ANA=NAN
FREE=SERR
GNAT=TANG
CRU=PEH
FREER=SERRE
ENVY=RAIL
ANAN=NANA
HA=UN
FLOOR=SYBBE
FARO=SNEB
CHER=PURE
CHEF=PURS
CREEL=PERRY
ABO=NOB
GUNG=THAT
ERR=REE
ERS=REF
ERG=RET
ERA=REN
ERK=REX
GUB=THO
GUL=THY
GUR=THE
CHERE=PURER
GURL=THEY
FUBBY=SHOOL
AHA=NUN
JURA=WHEN
FUR=SHE
FUN=SHA
ABBA=NOON
AVO=NIB
BAR=ONE
FRERE=SERER
FUNG=SHAT
CLERK=PYREX
CRAG=PENT
BES=ORF
BE=OR
BA=ON
ARAR=NENE
GERM=TREZ
FRAG=SENT
BOR=OBE
BON=OBA
BOB=OBO
ERRS=REEF
CEL=PRY
ABJURER=NOWHERE
CHA=PUN
CHE=PUR
CRAAL=PENNY
ARBA=NEON
FUBAR=SHONE
BUB=OHO
GRUE=TEHR
JUN=WHA
CHAL=PUNY
BARE=ONER
BARF=ONES
ABA=NON
ABB=NOO
EVO=RIB
FLAP=SYNC
ERNE=REAR
CUB=PHO
BAL=ONY
AB=NO
AH=NU
AL=NY
AN=NA
AR=NE
HIN=UVA
IRK=VEX
BEEN=ORRA
FURRY=SHEEL
ER=RE
ARS=NEF
ART=NEG
ARC=NEP