Which two letters come next in the sequence?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 1:45 pm

TA,FL,BO,WA,JA,NI,GR,YO,LI,TO,TH,BO,FR,TH,BI,BA,CI,TH,IS,JA

Karen Pearson · Post by **Karen Pearson** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:17 pm

IL, AL

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:38 pm

Karen Pearson wrote:IL, AL

That's four letters!

But they're not the next two I had in mind. Can you explain your reasoning?

Derek Hazell · Post by **Derek Hazell** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 8:57 am

Okay Jon, doesn't look like any of us are going to get it . . . Any clues?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:01 am

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:01 am

Jon Corby wrote:No.

I know Corby well enough to know there's a 95% chance the next two letters are "NO". For what reason, I know not.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:10 am

Matt Morrison wrote:
Jon Corby wrote:No.
I know Corby well enough to know there's a 95% chance the next two letters are "NO". For what reason, I know not.

The next two letters are not "NO".

Ray Folwell · Post by **Ray Folwell** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:22 pm

Are the next 2 letters the end of the sequence or does it carry on ?

They are not US states, UK Postcodes or ISO-3166-1 country codes but beyond that I'm stumped.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:04 pm

Ray Folwell wrote:Are the next 2 letters the end of the sequence or does it carry on ?

They are not US states, UK Postcodes or ISO-3166-1 country codes but beyond that I'm stumped.

They do carry on further than that, but the sequence is finite.

Matt Bayfield · Post by **Matt Bayfield** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:03 pm

Got it! The next two letters are "HO".

And to complete what I regard to be the end of the finite sequence: HO, TH, IS, JA, HO. Ok, you could continue it still further from there, with FR, TE, ME, but then you run out of two-letter groups.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:11 pm

Matt Bayfield wrote:Got it! The next two letters are "HO".

And to complete what I regard to be the end of the finite sequence: HO, TH, IS, JA, HO. Ok, you could continue it still further from there, with FR, TE, ME, but then you run out of two-letter groups.

Awesome, awesome work Matt. I am seriously impressed. Seriously. Hours of intense analysis or an epiphany?

Either way, have a badger:

I like the fact that you giving the answer probably won't help anyone else either, lol.

Matt Bayfield · Post by **Matt Bayfield** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:49 pm

Well Jon, I wasn't about to spoil the intrigue for everyone else when there was the alternative option of adding to their general confusion!

I only saw this thread this afternoon as I rarely visit this forum. The answer suddenly dawned on me after 15 minutes of considering various options of what kind of things the two-letter groups could represent - I was fairly sure that the groups represented, well, the kind of thing they actually were. It was then when I ran through the section in the middle "TO, TH, BO, FR, TH, BI..." that the solution eventually came to me - and of course it helped that the knowledge (as opposed to the skill) required to identify the sequence is in a sphere in which I'm very well acquainted. (You can probably guess what my specialist round is in pub quizzes...)

I could describe my thought process further... but that would probably give too much away.

The badger is appreciated!

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:00 pm

I have to admit I'm looking forward to the answer. I'm too dumb to know where to start with solving it.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:09 pm

I've been waiting on an answer for ages now. Hurry up you sexy tease.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:13 pm

Actually, before you reveal the answers, at the point when clearly no one else is going to get it, lets get some clues.
I just get too bewildered by these things to know where to start.

The only clue I can see at the moment is Matt referring to "groups", so presumably each two letter doesn't refer to a specific individual thing.
Although he could have meant that he'd separated the two letter codes into groups (like the middle group/section he pointed out). Who knows? Not I.

Oh, and mentioning it's something to do with a particular specialist round you tend to get in pub quizzes. Not that that helps, sports, geography, history, entertainment....

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:21 pm

Matt Morrison wrote:Not that that helps, sports, geography, history, entertainment....

...pasta shapes (or is that just my local?)

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:22 pm

Charlie Reams wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:Not that that helps, sports, geography, history, entertainment....
...pasta shapes (or is that just my local?)

what's it called, the Itali Inn?

(ba doom)

Matt Bayfield · Post by **Matt Bayfield** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:15 am

Matt, pleased don't be confused by my mention of "groups". I was using "group" as a synonym for a pair of letters. Replace every occurrence of "group" with "pair" and it might be less misleading.

Each two-letter pair does refer to a single thing. As it happened, concentrating on a small part of the full sequence did help me spot the solution, but grouping the pairs into sections of several pairs isn't necessary.

I leave it entirely up to Jon to give any further hints.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:25 am

Matt Bayfield wrote:I leave it entirely up to Jon to give any further hints.

I think we all know how unlikely that is

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:35 am

It's this bit that's confusing me:

Matt Bayfield wrote:And to complete what I regard to be the end of the finite sequence: HO, TH, IS, JA, HO. Ok, you could continue it still further from there, with FR, TE, ME, but then you run out of two-letter groups.

Given that FR, TE and ME are two-letter groups, why are they not part of the "finite sequence"?

I suspect the answer's going to be something to do with sport, and hence dull.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:45 am

Phil Reynolds wrote:It's this bit that's confusing me:

Matt Bayfield wrote:And to complete what I regard to be the end of the finite sequence: HO, TH, IS, JA, HO. Ok, you could continue it still further from there, with FR, TE, ME, but then you run out of two-letter groups.
Given that FR, TE and ME are two-letter groups, why are they not part of the "finite sequence"?

I suspect the answer's going to be something to do with sport, and hence dull.

They are part of the finite sequence, but kinda belonging to a different section as the rest of them in the puzzle. But they certainly would be next if you wanted to continue the sequence.

It's nothing to do with sport.

M. George Quinn · Post by **M. George Quinn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:46 am

Is it to do with music?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:49 am

M. George Quinn wrote:Is it to do with music?

It's nothing to do with sport.

M. George Quinn · Post by **M. George Quinn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:49 am

Don't answer that question. I've just got it.

Woo hoo.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 11:04 am

M. George Quinn wrote:Don't answer that question. I've just got it.

Woo hoo.

PM me, just to prevent other people falsely 'claiming' to have got it, and I'll give you respect in this thread.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:26 pm

Jon Corby wrote:
M. George Quinn wrote:Don't answer that question. I've just got it.

Woo hoo.
PM me, just to prevent other people falsely 'claiming' to have got it, and I'll give you respect in this thread.

PM received - Magic George is also bang on the money, and earns a dancing badger:

M. George Quinn · Post by **M. George Quinn** » Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:43 pm

I was on the right track for a couple of days just didn't get the last little bit.

Jon Corby wrote:YO,LI,TO,TH

I found this in a similair sequence yesterday that continues TH,YO,IM,TO,TH,ST

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 7:32 pm

PM received from David Williams received, who has also cracked the code! Well done!

Pour vous:

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Mon Jun 15, 2009 10:40 pm

Will you eventually reveal all?

Or at least give us a clue

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:35 am

marc meakin wrote:Will you eventually reveal all?

Or at least give us a clue

It would be pretty twattish of me not to tell you the answer.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:07 am

Jon Corby wrote:It would be pretty twattish of me not to tell you the answer.

Yeah, but will you?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:22 am

Phil Reynolds wrote:
Jon Corby wrote:It would be pretty twattish of me not to tell you the answer.
Yeah, but will you?

I would have to be some kind of colossal bell-end not to.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:25 am

Jon Corby wrote:
Phil Reynolds wrote:Yeah, but will you?
I would have to be some kind of colossal bell-end not to.

I think that answers the question.

Ian Fitzpatrick · Post by **Ian Fitzpatrick** » Tue Jun 16, 2009 10:25 am

Jon Corby wrote:
Phil Reynolds wrote:
Jon Corby wrote:It would be pretty twattish of me not to tell you the answer.
Yeah, but will you?
I would have to be some kind of colossal bell-end not to.

Keep stacking them up, Jon, we know we'll never see your answer

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:50 pm

I have the answer! There is no answer. It's random. Whatever you say after you will get a badger off Corby.

Stupid fucking quiz.

Derek Hazell · Post by **Derek Hazell** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:03 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:I have the answer! There is no answer. It's random. Whatever you say after you will get a badger off Corby.

Stupid fucking quiz.

OMG!
Jon's humour's gone too far this time.
Thanks for putting us out of our misery though Kirk.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:11 pm

Derek Hazell wrote: Jon's humour's gone too far this time.
Thanks for putting us out of our misery though Kirk.

To put you in more misery - I was joking.

Derek Hazell · Post by **Derek Hazell** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:22 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Derek Hazell wrote: Jon's humour's gone too far this time.
Thanks for putting us out of our misery though Kirk.
To put you in more misery - I was joking.

So was I . . . about his humour going too far this time

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:55 pm

People other than Mr Corby do know the answer. What's it worth? Of course said Mr Corby can buy my silence by matching any bid.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 6:57 pm

David Williams wrote:People other than Mr Corby do know the answer. What's it worth?

Much less than it would have been two weeks ago! It's dragging on a bit, I'm probably just gonna shrug and move on when the answer is revealed, rather than the mind-blowing excitement I might have experienced before.

Rosemary Roberts · Post by **Rosemary Roberts** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 8:33 pm

On a happily topical note: is this one of the many series that ends up at "MC"?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:08 am

Matt Morrison wrote:
David Williams wrote:People other than Mr Corby do know the answer. What's it worth?
Much less than it would have been two weeks ago! It's dragging on a bit, I'm probably just gonna shrug and move on when the answer is revealed, rather than the mind-blowing excitement I might have experienced before.

Oh, I was gonna tell you, but if you don't really care, then....

You will hate it (and me) when you hear the answer

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:19 am

Jon Corby wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:
David Williams wrote:People other than Mr Corby do know the answer. What's it worth?
Much less than it would have been two weeks ago! It's dragging on a bit, I'm probably just gonna shrug and move on when the answer is revealed, rather than the mind-blowing excitement I might have experienced before.
Oh, I was gonna tell you, but if you don't really care, then....

You will hate it (and me) when you hear the answer

WHEN ?

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:40 am

Can't we have more clues first, to give we lesser-able the chance of a small quantity of satisfaction?

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:46 am

OK, some questions:

1. Are the pairs initials?
2. And more specifically, do they refer to people?
3. Do the pairs correspond to countries?
4. Is the ordering chronological? ie, do the later pairs correspond to more recent events?
5. Do the pairs correspond to winners - eg Countdown finalists, Eurovision winners, something like that?
6. Is the answer somehow lexicographical? Like, I dunno, each pair corresponds to the first and last letter of a word which has some kind of property, eg Countdown final conundrums or something like that?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 9:58 am

Alice Moore wrote:OK, some questions:

1. Are the pairs initials?
2. And more specifically, do they refer to people?
3. Do the pairs correspond to countries?
4. Is the ordering chronological? ie, do the later pairs correspond to more recent events?
5. Do the pairs correspond to winners - eg Countdown finalists, Eurovision winners, something like that?
6. Is the answer somehow lexicographical? Like, I dunno, each pair corresponds to the first and last letter of a word which has some kind of property, eg Countdown final conundrums or something like that?

1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No (well, sorta, but not really how you describe)
5. No.
6. Kinda

Should be easy to get it from that.

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:22 pm

OK... so do the repetitions correspond to identical entries? eg does TH always mean the same thing?

And indeed... does TH refer to the word THE?

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:33 pm

Alice Moore wrote:OK... so do the repetitions correspond to identical entries? eg does TH always mean the same thing?

No.

Alice Moore wrote:And indeed... does TH refer to the word THE?

Ooh..... could be!

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:50 pm

Aha!

Hang on a mo... think I'm finally getting there...

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:03 pm

GOT IT!

Of course I can't prove it by giving the answer, as it's already been given. But this should be enough:

BE,IN,DU,BE,GO,TO,ME

Although I'm aware there are alternatives to what I just wrote, but that's the version I know.

Very good. Raised a smile in this corner of the internet.

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:09 pm

Here's another. What are the next 5 letters in this sequence?

F,U,K,A,W,W,R,A,Y,R,D,U,K,A,W,W,L,T,E,E,T,K,E,Y,R,Y,E,W,N,U,K,A,R,Y,O,E,E,W,T,U,T,D,O,E,E,W,N,U,K,A,R

Clue: It's going on a similar principle to the last one (which is why it uses single letters: too easy otherwise). God knows whether anyone'll get it though.

Jon O'Neill · Post by **Jon O'Neill** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:17 pm

Just give the fucking answer.

Alice Moore · Post by **Alice Moore** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:27 pm

The big breakthrough for me was realising that not only did TH sometimes stand for THE, but CI stood for CITY. And then I got TO,TH,BO,FR,TH,BI,BA,CI and then I got the rest.

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:50 pm

Are they lyrics to a song or words from a poem?

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:57 pm

Alice Moore wrote:The big breakthrough for me was realising that not only did TH sometimes stand for THE, but CI stood for CITY. And then I got TO,TH,BO,FR,TH,BI,BA,CI and then I got the rest.

Ah, that's finally enough for me to get it. Don't think I'd've ever done so without the CITY clue, it's not something I'm especially familiar with.

Junaid Mubeen · Post by **Junaid Mubeen** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:06 am

marc meakin wrote:Are they lyrics to a song or words from a poem?

The fomer. This whole thing was a huge anti-climax for me.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:36 am

Junaid Mubeen wrote:The fomer. This whole thing was a huge anti-climax for me.

Perfect

Graham Easton · Post by **Graham Easton** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 9:59 am

Hi everyone, i am a virgin poster and have also eventually solved this bollocks. I am deeply embarrassed to admit knowing the lyrics to this rubbish so please don't judge me from this post !

Charlie Reams · Post by **Charlie Reams** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 11:14 am

Graham Easton wrote:i am a virgin poster

Don't worry, this place is full of them.

Dinos Sfyris · Post by **Dinos Sfyris** » Sat Jun 20, 2009 11:43 am

Michael Wallace wrote:
Alice Moore wrote:The big breakthrough for me was realising that not only did TH sometimes stand for THE, but CI stood for CITY. And then I got TO,TH,BO,FR,TH,BI,BA,CI and then I got the rest.
Ah, that's finally enough for me to get it. Don't think I'd've ever done so without the CITY clue, it's not something I'm especially familiar with.

IAWTP