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

Cascade Bay

Ladies First

by Jan Chong, Todd Etter (original concept)
Answer: SALARY INEQUALITY

How to Solve

This puzzle consists of 16 phrases that have been independently transformed. Applying the transformation backwards reveals the original set of phrases, each of which is a feat or achievement.

Transformed Phrase Original Phrase Transformations
ELEQTD O TE SENOE ELECTED TO THE SENATE
  1. Drop the second to last letter
  2. Shift 4th letter by +14
BOMMANDEYG SHZG RPACZG RHUTTLZG COMMANDED THE SPACE SHUTTLE
  1. Shift first letter by -1
  2. Shift second-to-last letter by -5
  3. Append "G"
DLLARKED HLLNDIVIDRAL NLLLYMMIC FLLLLD LLLEAAL EARNED INDIVIDUAL OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL
  1. Shift first letter by -1
  2. Shift third-to-last letter by -3
  3. Insert "LL" after the first letter
WNKMPLETED WEDE WMKSTON WXWRATHON COMPLETED THE BOSTON MARATHON
  1. Shift first letter by +11
  2. Shift second letter by -4
  3. Prepend "W"
NOVI EHVI IRVITZKEG CRVIHITECTURT IRVIZT WON THE PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE
  1. Swap first and third letter
  2. Shift last letter by +15
  3. Replace third letter with "VI"
TRODINDUCTE TRODT TRODWORL TRODFOOTBAL TRODHAL TRODO TRODFAM INDUCTED TO WORLD FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
  1. Remove the last letter
  2. Prepend "TROD"
SIEDVR AF LEARZANIB OS CTREJSON SERVED AS LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS
  1. Second and third letters moves to the end of the word
  2. Shift second letter by -13
  3. Shift fifth letter by -9
XROMOTEDNE BONE JRIGADIERNE OENERALNE PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL
  1. Append "NE"
  2. Shift first letter by +8
ANAGEINDR HINER NTERNATIONAINLR ONETARINYR UNINDR MANAGED THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND
  1. Remove first letter
  2. Insert "IN" before the last letter
  3. Append "R"
CLETEF TQ THG EASBALN LAN OH EAO ELECTED TO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
  1. Replace the first letter with the fourth letter
  2. Shift the last letter by +2
AOWPPPTED TU TNN UKMUNI SKBUTA CTNJABT APPOINTED TO THE UNITED STATES CABINET
  1. Swap the second and fourth letter pairs
  2. Shift second letter by +6
  3. Shift third letter by +9
  4. Shift fourth letter by +1
VOFGHT YN JHP HEGOLUTIONARY MAC FOUGHT IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
  1. Shift first letter by -10
  2. Shift third letter by +11
WOON TOONX AWWAQD FOOR BEESS DIIRDCTION OFF A MUUSHCAL WON TONY AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
  1. Duplicate second letter
  2. Shift fifth letter by -1
RECCAUIVCE CONNAURESSIONYE MEDDAUE ME HONNAUE RECEIVED CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR
  1. Duplicate third letter
  2. Shift second-to-last letter by -2
  3. Replace fifth letter with "AU"
  4. Replace the last letter with "E"
EERLSSTEDY IRY TLEY URIDEDY SXADESY NEVIY ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY
  1. Shift second letter by +4
  2. Shift fourth letter by +10
  3. Append "Y"
GOMPETEE GEE GRESIDENTIEE GLECTIEE COMPETED IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
  1. Replace first letter with "G"
  2. Replace last two letters with "EE"

Solvers need to then lookup which lady in history first accomplished these achievements. Applying the transformation rules to the last name of each of these women gets you the last name of another first lady - the maiden names of 16 presidential first ladies, each containing an extra letter.

Achievement First Lady First Lady Transformed
ELECTED TO THE SENATE Harriet CARAWAY Edith CAROW(Y) Roosevelt
COMMANDED THE SPACE SHUTTLE Eileen COLLINS Edith BOLLI(N)NG Galt Wilson
EARNED OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL Charlotte COOPER Elizabeth BL(L)OOMER Ford
COMPLETED THE BOSTON MARATHON Bobbi GIBB Lucy Ware W(R)EBB Hayes
WON THE PRITZKER ARCHITECTURE PRIZE Zaha HADID Nancy DAVI(I)S Reagan
INDUCTED TO WORLD FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Mia HAMM Hillary (T)RODHAM Clinton
SERVED AS LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS Carla HAYDEN Lou H(Q)ENRY Hoover
PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL Anna Mae HAYS Dolley PAY(S)NE Todd Madison
MANAGED THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND Christine LAGARDE Julia (A)GARDINER Tyler
ELECTED TO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME Effa MANLEY Harriet LANE(A)
APPOINTED TO THE UNITED STATES CABINET Frances PERKINS Abigail POW(L)ERS Fillmore
FOUGHT IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR Deborah SAMSON Ellen (I)AXSON Wilson
WON TONY AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL Julie TAYMOR Claudia TA(A)YLOR Johnson
RECEIVED CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR Mary WALKER Elizabeth Virginia WALLA(U)CE Truman
ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY Loretta Perfectus WALSH Laura WELCH(Y) Bush
COMPETED IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Victoria WOODHULL Grace Anna GOODHUE(E) Coolidge

Ordering each First Lady by their chronological terms and reading off the extra letter gives the answer: SALARY INEQUALITY.