Hyperextensions
by Stephen Peters
Answer: QUATTRO PRO
Each file contains data of a different type (image files, programming languages, etc.), which would normally be represented using a different three-character extension. All documents are viewable through freely-available open-source programs (although many viewers/compilers won't be installed by default on every computer). Viewing the file or otherwise "playing" it will return one or more English words.
file | extension, type | phrase |
---|---|---|
001 | AAC, audio file | football franchise |
002 | AIF, audio file | Song written by Sting |
003 | ASC, ascii-armored PGP | Major educational institution |
004 | AVI, video | Southwestern Lombardia |
005 | COB, COBOL program code | count in casinospeak |
006 | DIA, Unix diagram editor file | Singer with long hair who performed a ballad about |
007 | DVI, TeX output file | near Sacramento |
008 | ELC, compiled Emacs code | private yacht |
009 | EML, saved email | Female figure skater |
010 | EPS, Encapsulated PostScript | Name for the world's largest |
011 | ERL, Erlang program code | Homer and Marge |
012 | FIG, xfig diagram | Bahraini |
013 | GIF, image | who won gold in 1968 |
014 | ICO, Windows icon file | Short name for what six |
015 | LUA, Lua script data | Playboy |
016 | OTF, OpenType font data | portraits and diptychs |
017 | RLE, image | about an American civil engineer |
018 | SCM, Scheme program | three majors might call their course |
019 | TAR, archive file | logo maker |
020 | URL, Windows Internet shortcut | carrier |
021 | UUE, uuencoded data | Jean who was known for 15th century |
022 | XAR, Xara document | Longest clue's word |
The different phrases must then be paired up into clues, the answer to each of which will be a seven letter word containing the six letters in the file extensions, and an extra. By ordering the clues by the number of words, you get the following order:
- GULF AIR = FIG+URL+A (Bahraini / carrier)
- ART PAUL = LUA+TAR+P (Playboy / logo maker)
- AC PAVIA = AVI+AAC+P (Southwestern Lombardia / football franchise)
- UC DAVIS = ASC+DVI+U (Major educational institution / near Sacramento)
- BOXCARS = XAR+COB+S (Longest clue's word / count in casinospeak)
- ECLIPSE = EPS+ELC+I (Name for the world's largest / private yacht)
- FLEMING = EML+GIF+N (Female figure skater / who won gold in 1968)
- FRAGILE = AIF+RLE+G (Song written by Sting / about an American civil engineer)
- FOUQUET = UUE+OTF+Q (Jean who was known for 15th century / portraits and diptychs)
- COMP SCI = ICO+SCM+P (Short name for what six / three majors might call their course)
- WEIRD AL = DIA+ERL+W (Singer with long hair who performed a ballad about / Homer and Marge)
The extra letters then spell APP USING QPW, or QUATTRO PRO.