GC SF Sp WH BV YL BT CP SA CB CC Back to puzzle

Safari Adventure

Hyena

by Yar Woo, Todd Etter
Answers: ACM, RTS

This puzzle has two answers.

THX 1138

Each of the scrambled phrases is an amalgamation of 1–3 actors in the 1971 George Lucas film THX 1138. All characters in the movie have three-letter names (e.g., THX, CAM). Similarly, the actors' names have been broken into three chunks; each chunk represents the letter in their fictional name to display.

For example, the first message is CLAUDSENCEESSINGETTEBDONALDPLEA. This mashes up actors Claudette Bessing and Donald Pleasence, who played the characters ELC and SEN, respectively.

CLAUD (the first third of Claudette Bessing, so take the first letter of her character name): E
SENCE (the last third of Donald Pleasence, so take the last letter of his character name): N
ESSING: C
ETTEB: L
DONAL: S
DPLEA: E

We now have the letters ENCLSE. The next step is to match with one of the state nicknames of the license plates (in this case, Georgia, the Claustrophobic State), find the missing letter (ENCLOSE), and sort by statehood order.

OriginalActor(s)WordNicknameState
GARYFEMARSHIANSENCEDONALALANWOLDPLEA Gary Alan Marsh (CAM), Donald Pleasence (SEN), Ian Wolfe (PTO)COMPENSATEThe Fair Payment StateDelaware
JOHNSEAEDROCTONDONPOLLEYDon Pedro Colley (SRT), John Seaton (OUE)DOURESTThe Grumpiest StatePennsylvania
ROBERTDUTONJOHNSEAVALL Robert Duvall (THX), John Seaton (OUE)THEROUXThe "Friend"-ly Ex StateNew Jersey
CLAUDSENCEESSINGETTEBDONALDPLEA Claudette Bessing (ELC), Donald Pleasence (SEN)ENCLOSEThe Claustrophobic StateGeorgia
MAGGIEMCSENCEOMIEDPLEADONAL Maggie McOmie (LUH), Donald Pleasence (SEN)LUNCHESThe Midday StateConnecticut
GARYMARSHALAN Gary Alan Marsh (CAM)COMAThe Sleepy StateMassachusetts
ESSINGCLAUDETTEB Claudette Bessing (ELC)CELLThe Prison StateMaryland
DPLEASENCEDONAL Donald Pleasence (SEN)LENSThe Eyeglass StateSouth Carolina
OMIEIEMCDONPOLLEYMAGGEDROC Don Pedro Colley (SRT), Maggie McOmie (LUH)HUSTLERThe Con Artist StateNew Hampshire
WOLIANFE Ian Wolfe (PTO)TYPOThe Mistake StateVirginia
LSHKWAJOHNSEAJACTON Jack Walsh (TRG), John Seaton (OUE)GROUTEDThe Bathroom StateNew York
OLLEYDPLEASENCEDONPEDROCDONAL Don Pedro Colley (SRT), Donald Pleasence (SEN)TENSORSThe Math StateNorth Carolina
HALLEFRONSENCEDPLEADONALMARS Marshall Efron (TWA), Donald Pleasence (SEN)WANNESTThe Palest StateRhode Island
JOHDONPOLLEYNSEAEDROCTON John Seaton (OUE), Don Pedro Colley (SRT)POSTUREThe Ergonomic StateVermont

The end message is EDRO COLLEY DONP. Performing the same transformation with Don Pedro Colley's character (SRT) yields RTS.

Robert Duvall

The license plates all clue various movies that Robert Duvall has starred in (including the aforementioned THX 1138, which is redacted). Indexing in by the month to the movie and sorting again by statehood order gives the answer phrase.

License PlateMonthMovie
HRSEHED8 THE GODFATHER
HILJMPR3 BULLITT
KIDNPPM5 THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
XRA XRA1 NEWSIES
CARSTLR1 GONE IN 60 SECONDS
PRECHIT4 THE APOSTLE
MADASHL6 NETWORK
NPLMLVR7 APOCALYPSE NOW
BIGCOMT6 DEEP IMPACT
BAD DAD10 THE GREAT SANTINI
WNDRBY8 THE NATURAL
LDYTHVS6 WIDOWS
500RACR8 DAYS OF THUNDER

The end message is ALAN GARY MARSH. Peforming the THX transformation on Gary Alan Marsh's THX character (CAM) yields ACM.