Code

The Nocturne of Pierre Boulez is believed to have a coded meaning, but because of Boulez's virtuosity, no one knows what was coded, as when we forget where we hid the spare key. Hint: It is in G.

A code is a sophisticated security device that aims to protect property or information by making it impossible for anyone lacking the "key" to the code to access the material. Codes are used by individuals, companies and federal agencies alike to safeguard their most prized possessions and data.

Riddle Code

Codes can take many forms, but a typical code relies on some sort of wordplay. An example of this is the Riddle Code: in order to access material a person must give the correct answer to a riddle. Popular riddle codes include "How many animals did Moses take on the Ark?" and "A pirate comes into a bar with a ship's wheel in his pants. What does he say?" also, "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a wood chuck was Chuck Norris?"

Cipher

Another type of code is the Cipher, in which a text message is garbled according to some sort of pattern. Only by ascertaining the pattern can one unscramble the message. The most popular cipher, which was used by the United States government for nearly two hundred years, is the A=1 cipher, whereby each letter of the alphabet is assigned to a number; hence A=1, B=2, et cetera. This code was finally cracked in AIGB, an event that is generally regarded as the downfall of Richard Nixon.

A cipher that is still in use today is Pig Latin, an immensely complex and arcane code that has roots in the ancient Roman world. Expert code breakers have expressed certainty that there is a way to crack the code, but the method of redistribution of letters is so complex and seemingly random that no discernible pattern has ever been found. An example of Pig Latinised text, found inscribed on one of the daggers that killed Julius Caesar:

Nordfay

What does it mean? No one can say for sure.

Konami Code

A final mysterious code, the Konami Code, is a tightly guarded Japanese military secret. There are rumours that, when uploaded onto a jet fighter's computer system, the code bestows an extra life upon the pilot of the ship. Japan's possession of this code is the primary reason the country has been so dominant in all six World Wars.

See also

• ROT13
• Shopping list