[superprismatic]

A repairman fixing a typewritter

accidentally rearranged the electric

wiring so that each key printed a

letter other than the one shown on

the key (actually the letters were

wired in pairs so that if, for

example, on striking A a Z were

printed, then on striking Z an A

would be printed). A list of

9-letter words was being typed on

this typewriter and ten words were

written before the error was

discovered. These ten words

appeared as:

A J E Y F Z E W A

A N M K C G C W A

C Q Q A H C E W A

C X H C S X E X W

G W E C Z I E G A

G W Z A X K F K G

H A W A Z Q C X A

I D E K O O A K Z

O F Z W D T C W D

Z A O A Z A X I A

[/code]

What were the original ten words?

[HoustonHokie]

ELABORATE

EXQUISITE

IMMEDIATE

INDIGNANT

STAIRCASE

STRENUOUS

DETERMINE

CHAUFFEUR

FORTHWITH

REFERENCE

[bushindo]

My my, HoustonHokie is too fast. Solving this puzzle in less than 11 minutes, that's insane.

There is enough information to narrow down words 2 to 10. The first word can either be "evaporate" or "elaborate". So the solution is

elaborate OR evaporate

exquisite

immediate

indignant

staircase

strenuous

determine

chauffeur

forthwith

reference

PS. These puzzles are great. Keep them coming, superprismatic.

Edited August 11, 2009 by bushindo