[superprismatic]

I can fit the surnames of all

38 presidential surnames into

an 18 by 12 grid as follows:

MSEYAHM-GNIDRAHSUB

NOXINJC--GNANAHCUB

RRN--EKNAGAERADAMS

UEORFFILLMORETNARG

HTTOOFNOSLIWF-A-NH

TRGORELYTSEGDILOOC

RANSDREWOHNESIEOSL

ACIE-SYNERUBNAVLII

MKHVNOSKCAJC-EE-DN

ALSE-NOSNHOJROLYAT

BOAL-TAFTLPIERCEMO

OPWT-KENNEDYTRUMAN

[/code]


Every letter in this grid is

part of at least one presidential

surname.  These names are written

in the grid either vertically,

horizontally, or diagonally.  They

may also be put in forwards or

backwards.  Usually, leftover grid

positions, here containing a dash,

are replaced by random letters.

This, then, becomes a word search

puzzle.  The solver is asked to

find all the target words (in this

case, presidential surnames) which

are in the grid.



The tables could be turned and we

can make a much harder puzzle:

Find and fill the smallest possible

rectangular grid (in terms of the

number of cells) which contains all

presidential surnames in word search

puzzle fashion.



But I propose the following puzzle:

Place all presidential surnames in

word search fashion in such a way

that the partially filled-in grid

made this way contains the fewest

letters.



For example, this grid contains 189

letters and all required surnames:

[code]

----------------C-V-------------

---------------L--A-------------

--------------E---N-------------

-------------VI---B----------R--

------TFAT--E-SEN-U---------E---

---------MTLEVESOOR--R-----T----

ECREIPML--AG--NOSREFFEJNH-R-----

--L---AI-NDBUCHANAN--L-ADAMS----

---I--DNDI--O-OOH-AO-YRMC-Y-----

----N-ICLY--H-WFO-G-MT-U-K-E---Y

-----TSOE-N-RAEOJVA-H--R--S-S-D-

------OLI-NOSIRRAHEUG--T---O-E--

-----CNNF-LHSUBDO-RR-----P--N---

-----I--RYI--L--IMA------O-N----

----K---AN---NIXONL------LE-----

---C---TG------WT-GL-----K------

--M----T------------I-----------

------O--------------F----------

-----N--------------------------

Can you find a grid which contains much fewer than 189 letters? Here is the complete list of presidential surnames (comprising 252 letters):

EISENHOWER

WASHINGTON

JEFFERSON

CLEVELAND

ROOSEVELT

VANBUREN

HARRISON

FILLMORE

BUCHANAN

GARFIELD

MCKINLEY

COOLIDGE

MADISON

JACKSON

LINCOLN

JOHNSON

HARDING

KENNEDY

CLINTON

MONROE

TAYLOR

PIERCE

ARTHUR

WILSON

HOOVER

TRUMAN

CARTER

REAGAN

TYLER

ADAMS

GRANT

HAYES

NIXON

OBAMA

POLK

TAFT

FORD

BUSH

[/code]

[Guest]

I managed 187 letters but I'm tired now!

I don't think i could bring it down much.

Can'r be bothered to share my solution. Anyway, it's quite messy.

[superprismatic]

I managed 187 letters but I'm tired now!

I don't think i could bring it down much.

Can'r be bothered to share my solution. Anyway, it's quite messy.

Good going! I don't know how small the number of letters can get, but I can't wait to see the smallest you puzzlers can come up with!