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The list is a list of nine 5-letter words, typed on a standard keyboard, where the typist has positioned his fingers some number of keys to the right or left. For example, the first word "awyvh" decodes to the word "drink" if you type it after moving your fingers 2 keys to the right. Note that two words use some of the characters to the right of the letter keys, like "[" "." and ";", and one word uses the "Tab" key ("rxq [TAB] t") on the left. Here is the list of the decoded words and the key transformations used to decode each:
2R drink
2L shave
3R lofty
3L hyena
0- pasta
4R intro
4L eight
1L cargo
1R usher
Stacking the words from "left to right" by key transformation gives:
4L eiGht
3L hyEna
2L shAve
1L caRgo
0- paSta
1R usHer
2R drInk
3R loFty
4R inTro
Reading the center letters down the stack spells out an appropriate 9-letter word, and the solution to this puzzle, "gearshift".
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1.
This is a list of nine 5-letter words.2.
They are typed incorrectly...3.
...in a very specific way that is slightly different for each.4.
Note the characters used in the 4th, 6th, and 7th words.Big Hint:
Make sure you are on a standard QWERTY keyboard.
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As clued by the title, each row of numbers (and one letter) can be read as a 10-digit ISBN number for a book. Searching with something like Amazon.com turns up the 6 books identified by the ISBN numbers:
Be Your Own Boss At Your Current Job
We Are All Fine Here
Why New Orleans Matters
S is for Silence
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook
Each of the titles contains a letter:
"Be" "Are" "Why" "S" "Oh" "'N"
Strung together, the letters form BRYSON, which (when combined with the clue that the solution is a "bill") is the last name of author Bill Bryson, the solution to this puzzle.
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1.
What could the numbers represent? (Reread the puzzle title)2.
Use a full line of numbers at a time.3.
What do the things you find have in common?Big Hint:
This is a book puzzle.
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The numbers can be arranged to form a number line from "1" to "26", with a few numbers missing:
1 234 578 910 111 213 141 617 192 122 232 426
1 2 3 4 5 _ 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 _ 16 17 _ 19 _ 21 22 23 24 _ 26
The number line represents the 26 letters of the alphabet and the missing letters are F O R T Y, which spell "FORTY", the missing number and the solution to this puzzle.
