The Hunt Year was...

2010 Post Hunt

Your online guide to the zaniness of the 2010 Post Hunt!

When: 6/6/2010

Where: Freedom Plaza

The Washington Post held it's third Post Hunt, continuing to build on the successes of all the proceeding Hunts! It returned to Freedom Plaza for the second consecutive year.

This Hunt had a little bit of everything, from hot/sunny weather at the beginning of the Hunt to cloudy/rainy weather at the end, a mix of easy as well as challenging puzzles and one of the largest Post Hunt crowds to date!

All the winners were from the general D.C. area, so the Florida teams had the chips knocked off their shoulder. This Hunt also had only three teams to finish the Hunt, and one of the items contained here in the Archives (see below) would have been given out if other teams had been able to complete the Hunt.

The Initial Puzzles
NOTE: The puzzle answers are hidden! In order to see them, you must highlight them with your mouse to reverse the text!

1. Your Toyota has a stuck accelerator and is picking up speed. What should you do?
A. Call the police.
B. Send an urgent text message to your Uncle Steve.
C. Hire an attorney.
D. Die.
E. Duh, shift into neutral.

Answer: E

2. What did Vice President Biden say to President Obama at the signing of the health-care act?
A. "I�ve had it with these (bleeping) snakes on this (bleeping) plane."
B. "This is a big (bleeping) deal."
C. "Does this act cover hair transplants?"
D. "Can you believe I�m next in line for the (bleeping) presidency?"

Answer: B

3. Which of these is not the name of a current or former TV show?
A. "America�s Top Phone Sex Operator."
B. "Last Toddler Standing."
C. "You Want Me to Go to the Toilet Where?"
D. "Holocaust on Ice."
E. None of the above, but only because no studio exec has thought of them yet.

Answer: E

4. If Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho cosponsored a bill with Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, and it was enacted, what would it be called?
A. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff.
B. The Beatles.
C. The Late Ethel Merman.
D. The Crapo-Dingell Act.

Answer: D

5. The official motto of the District of Columbia is "Justitia Omnibus." What does it mean?
I. "Land of Wingtips."
J. "Justice for All."
K. "The [bleep] set me up."

Answer: J

Main Puzzles (i.e. the puzzle sites)
NOTE: Puzzle answers and their descriptions are hidden! In order to see them, you must highlight them with your mouse to reverse the text!

Puzzle: The Abstract Shapes
Location: The Ellipse north of the Washington Monument
Description:
At the Ellipse at coordinates 1B, Hunters found a large series of abstract shapes spread wide across the area. The shapes looked familiar somehow...
Related puzzle photos and materials...

Puzzle Answer: 500
How to get the answer:
The shapes were the tops of letters. Hunters simply had to figure out what the letters were. After some observation, they realized that they were the tops of the letters to the words 'FIVE HUNDRED'. 500 was the answer.

The clue from the clue list:
500. Hand it over while whispering the sound of the fourth.

Puzzle: The Credentials
Location: West side of the Ronald Reagan Building
Description:
Hunters went to coordinates 8E on the Hunt Map and were greeted by Hunt staff handing out passes to the "Hunt Bar". They were given a string so that they could wear the pass around their neck.
Related puzzle photos and materials...

Puzzle Answer: 21
How to get the answer:
Alert Hunters noticed that there was a Bar on the map, located near coordinates H5. If they went there, they received a second handout which read:
"The Hunt Bar
Code for Proper Attire:
You MUST be wearing shoes.
Please check to make sure you are wearing shoes!
How many are you wearing?"

The answer to question for the second handout was 2, but that was not a clue in the cluelist. So what could the answer be?

Re-reading the second handout's beginning, it said "The Hunt Bar Code", meaning that the barcode on the first handout was a clue, too.

Hunters were supposed to wear the handout around your neck like the volunteers were, and then look down at their feet to check that they were wearing shoes. By doing this, they would look across the barcode, and see that it formed the words 'Nineteen Plus'. Take the '2' answer for how many shoes you were wearing and you got 19 + 2 = 21, which was the answer to the puzzle.

The clue from the clue list:
21. On the back, draw a picture of the first, and add your cell number.

Puzzle: The Interpreter
Location: The Hunt Main Stage in Freedom Plaza
Description:
At the main stage at coordinates 3E, Hunters were forced to listen to a long, boring, monotone speech that was supposed to change the lives of the clueless. However, due to the speech's boring nature, an interpreter was brought along.
Related puzzle photos and materials...

Puzzle Answer: 66
How to get the answer:
Throughout the speech, the reader would note, "The solution is clear" and the interpreter would raise both of her arms above her head, looking like a referee signaling a touchdown in a football game. In addition to that, she was wearing a black and white striped shirt that also hinted the look of a football referee. Possible football scores connected with that signal are 1 point (extra point attempt), 2 points (two point conversion), 3 points (field goal) and 6 points (touchdown). While there were clues that matched mixed combinations of 1, 2, 3 and 6, none of them seemed to fit exactly because you couldn't tell how many points were being indicated. However, there was a clue 66 which made the most sense since it used the same score for each time the interpreter raised her hands. The answer was 66.

CONTROVERSIAL PUZZLE! Due to the nature of the puzzle, and how many times during the speech "the answer is clear" was repeated (5 times), there was at least one other potential, viable answer, which was "35", where the first signal meant six points and the second meant one point for the extra point attempt. This is one of the most common scoring techniques in football. However, midway through the Hunt, they put up a sign and announced that "35" was NOT the correct solution. Some Hunters did not see this until close the end of the Hunt.

The clue from the clue list:
66. B 4 u can win, U need 2 go 2 the 2nd.

Puzzle: The Comic Strip
Location: Outside the Old Post Office Pavilion
Description:
At coordinates 9J, outside the Old Post Office Pavilion, there was a large comic strip, where the panels were not in sequential order and each had a number between 2 and 8. Hunters had to view it and figure out the answer.
Related puzzle photos and materials...

Puzzle Answer: 13
How to get the answer:
The first thing Hunters needed to do was put the panels in the correct order. Once they did that, they could use the numbers from each panel: 7834562.

Hunters used to Hunting usually notice that 7 numbers together represent a phone number you need to dial. Dialing 202-783-4562, Hunters heard the following message:
"You dialed this right, so be quite proud.
And now you can be prouder!
Your answer comes from counting up
the members in the clowder."

Hunters had to go back to the comic strip and count the number of cats in panel 7; the total was 13, the answer to this puzzle.

The clue from the clue list:
13. On the front, circle the word that got you where you are.

Puzzle: The Feet
Location: One block west of Freedom Plaza
Description:
Arriving at coordinates 3D, Hunters stood behind a roped off area, looking at a large number of mannequin feet. A very large number of feet. 555 1/2 feet, to be exact.
Related puzzle photos and materials...

Puzzle Answer: 74
How to get the answer:
Hunters who had familiarized themselves with the Washington Post Magazine's Post Hunt issue realized there was a connection to the 555 1/2 feet and the "Our Town" graphic on page 10, which discussed the Washington Monument being 555 1/2 feet tall. That was telling Hunters where they needed to go next. In the same picture there were several people described, including a man wearing a Dodgers jersey and holding a pink umbrella. Above him it read "Ahh...it appears this man has the answer."

Hunters had to look for a man fitting that description at the Washington Monument. When they found him, he had a number on the back of his jersey: 74. That was the answer to this puzzle.

The clue from the clue list:
74. Next, you find the person wearing the third.

The Clues
5. If you want status, you want [Picture of a 'face' and a 'book']
8. Even though this is only a red herring, it is delicious.
10. "Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a prune? I fear that I shall have to poo real soon."
13. On the front, circle the word that got you where you are.
14. On the back, circle the word on the front.
15. Circle around back.
17. That is not 4 u 2 no.
18. Support the Jews: Mr. Simpson, grape-cranberry, and [Picture of a stick-figure man made up of lightning bolts.]
21. On the back, draw a picture of the first, and add your cell number.
23. If the liquor store asks if you are a drunk, take the fifth.
25. It�s not a liquor store, it�s a front.
27. What da name of dat guy?
29. It�s not a front, it�s arrears.
34. Keep doing what�s right, then see what�s left.
35. Drill, baby, drill. Then blow it out your blowout preventer.
39. Show me a pretty little number / When she walks, she rolls like thunder.
40. Extirpate Sesquipedalianism Now!
45. If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it.
46. [Picture of a chirping bird, stylized like Twitter's logo]
50. 50.
61. Put your name on it, and your cellphone number, and stick it where the sun don�t shine, except on Thursday.
62. Uh-uh.
66. B 4 u can win, U need 2 go 2 the 2nd.
71. Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern are debt.
74. Next, you find the person wearing the third.
75. Sometimes, you just have to draw a line.
77. Copacetic.
79. Third, steal first.
82. [Picture of a stick]
88. First, steal second.
89. [Picture of a 'Dial' soap bar]
90. Second, steal third.
91. If you see what we mean / This means sixteen.
97. Bet on the second to place and the third to win.
99. The key is to eliminate the middle man.
100. That�s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind, one enormous stride for humanity, one humongous . . .
101. Walk up to him and say, "Fill Up the Third!"
208. Negatory
210. Former name Caps� home.
211. Count down from one hundred until you hear a moo.
294. 50.
295. The tooth? You can�t handle the tooth.
297. Reply hazy; try again.
299. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Quack, quack.
370. Put your left foot in. Put your left food out.
371. Uh-huh.
375. Third, you have to think inside the box.
378. Inka binka bottle of squid ink.
400. A measure of the extent to which you realize you are trapped in a world almost entirely devoid of reason.
403. Next, put your money where his mouth is.
493. The buck stops over there, near the salt lick.
500. Hand it over while whispering the sound of the fourth.
509. A measure of the extent to which you realize you are trapped in a world almost entirely devoid of raisin.
700. In the first place, there is no third place.
708. Second that emotion. Then subtract by five.
816. [Picture of a bunny rabbit holding a flower]
902. A man, a plan, Suez!
907. Go forth and multiply.
909. Go second, and divide.
999. You don�t like it? So Suez.
1009. What�s up with that?
1206. Find the woman with the hourglass shape and yelp like a whelp.
1309. What�s that all about?
1492. If it isn�t Columbus, and it isn�t blue, what is it?
1550. What the Dickens?
2000. WTF?

The Final Puzzle
NOTE: The final puzzle description is hidden! In order to see them, you must highlight them with your mouse to reverse the text!

The Final Puzzle:
At 3pm at the Hunt Stage, the final clue was revealed. A juggler came out and attempted to juggle (the weather and small stage ceiling posed problems) three discs which had the following pictures depicted on them: EAR, STAR, NUT.
Final puzzle photos and materials...

Solving the Hunt:
First, Hunters had to have their clues:
13. On the front, circle the word that got you where you are.
21. On the back, draw a picture of the first, and add your cell number.
66. B 4 u can win, U need 2 go 2 the 2nd.
74. Next, you find the person wearing the third.
500. Hand it over while whispering the sound of the fourth.

Hunters realized that what they literally needed to do was juggle the letters in 'STAR', 'NUT' and 'EAR'. Rearranging the letters, they would spell 'RESTAURANT'. On the Hunt map, there was a location marked 'RESTAURANT' near coordinates 6K-L. Those arriving quickly to this area found Hunt volunteers handing out menus to the 'Eww Street Cafe Restaurant and Lounge', and were told "We recommend the seafood". On the menu, there were several disgusting foods mentioned and their related prices. Seven of these were seafood-related. Putting the prices together, in order from top to bottom on the menu, gave Hunters a new number, 3344970, which could then be used as a phone number: 202-334-4970. Calling this number, Hunters received the following message:
"No, we meant the C-food."

Going back to the menu, there were four items that were foods that used words that began with the letter C:
House cat casserole with caper sauce
Cassoulet of dog in chocolate sauce
Cracked crab confit with slug-slime coulis
Cornmeal-crusted jackass with cornichons

The next step was to combine these four food entries with the clues collected from the Hunt puzzle sites:
13. On the front, circle the word that got you where you are.
This was referring to the front of the menu. The word that got Hunters there was 'RESTAURANT'. They needed to circle that word on the front of the menu.

21. On the back, draw a picture of the first, and add your cell number.
On the back of the menu, Hunters had to draw a picture of the 'first', meaning the first of the menu entries they had left. In this case, it was a cat. Drawing a picture of a cat and writing yoru cell phone # on the back of the menu was necessary.

66. B 4 u can win, U need 2 go 2 the 2nd.
This meant that Hunters now needed to go to the 2nd menu item, which was 'dog'. But there was no dog on the map...but there was a canine...meaning the coordinates K9. Hunters needed to go there, and quickly.

74. Next, you find the person wearing the third.
At K9, Hunters would find someone wearing the third item, specifically a Hunt volunteer wearing a t-shirt with a crab on it.

500. Hand it over while whispering the sound of the fourth.
Finally, the Hunters needed to hand over their menu while making the sound of the last menu item, a jackass. Hunters who did these before anyone else won the Hunt.
Who won (Congratulations!):
All were local (D.C.) teams.

Photos & related materials for the winners...

Articles/Ads

Photos, articles, stories and other multimedia related to the hunt...

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Page last updated: Sunday, April 28, 2024 3:18:24 PM