Solution: Uniform Foxtrot Oscar Answer: ORCHID
This puzzle looks like (and indeed is) a hidden object puzzle.
The words of the text ask us to look for six items and note their locations.
The nature of the text (radio communication lingo) suggests that the NATO phonetic alphabet might be at play.
To solve this puzzle, we first find each item. Then we use the row number of the item to index into the NATO phonetic letter corresponding with the column heading.
| Item | Found in Cell | Phonetic Letter | Index | Extract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key | G2 | GOLF | 2 | O |
| Soccer ball | F5 | FOXTROT | 5 | R |
| Puzzle piece | E2 | ECHO | 2 | C |
| Duck | H1 | HOTEL | 1 | H |
| Snake | C6 | CHARLIE | 6 | I |
| Butterfly | D1 | DELTA | 1 | D |
The answer to the puzzle is ORCHID.
Author’s Notes
The image used in this puzzle was drawn by Enigmatologist Josephine Reynes.
The title of the puzzle, Uniform Foxtrot Oscar, is simply UFO written using the NATO phonetic alphabet.