Solution: tfeL oT thgiR
Answer: NICE MEN
Written by Xue Heng
This puzzle is about heteropalindromes, which are strings of letters that form (different) words when read both forward and backward.
A few of the clues might seem ambiguous at first, until we realize that each clue describes something that can be filled in the blank to complete the clue, when read from right to left. For example, the third clue is “We took the _ _ _ _ to the place where we buy groceries.” We can fill in the blank with TRAM, and TRAM when spelled backwards is MART, a place where groceries are bought.
The clues and their blanks can be filled in as follows:
| Clue | Clue in blank | Described Clue | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| There is high _ content in this Japanese Seaweed | IRON | NORI | N |
| You have not _ me for the item I helped you get for your baby | REPAID | DIAPER | I |
| Give me a _ on how this heart device works | RECAP | PACER | C |
| Inside that _ is your prize | DRAWER | REWARD | E |
| We took the _ to the place where we buy groceries | TRAM | MART | M |
| Some _ is required before the substance gives off heat | TIME | EMIT | E |
| How long do his _ usually last for | NAPS | SPAN | N |
We then take the letter in each highlighted blank in the order that the clues are presented, which gives us the answer, NICE MEN.
Author's Notes
The original version of this puzzle was somewhat lamer, where clues were not written backwards and one of the words in each clue, when read backwards, is the answer to the clue. The position of that word in the clue is then used for re-ordering. Then Jon suggested that the clues be given backwards, and that removed the need for any flavor text. I think I like this version better.