# What are the five pencilled lines in the Rubaiyat? · Somerton Man (Tamam Shud) > Four answers have been proposed. The letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand. leads, with evidence 2… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/somerton-man/questions/QST0CVC20Z85TC8/what-are-the-five-pencilled-lines-in-the-rubaiyat Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:58:49+00:00 --- **0** # What are the five pencilled lines in the Rubaiyat? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: the letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. The letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand. leads, with evidence 2 for, 1 against: supported by its tests. Three are still possible. ## Why it matters The code has been read as a spy cipher, a betting note and a mourner's shorthand. Statistical tests since 2009 have narrowed it a good deal⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RDT58E3/final-report-2009-who-killed-the-somerton-man)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RXE1BT9/murder-and-nlp-taman-shud-case-splash). ## Answers 4 [**The letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/somerton-man/answers/ANS0CVC25VG1236/the-letters-are-the-initial-letters-of-words-of-an-english) Supported by its tests Evidence: 2 for, 1 against Most likely [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/somerton-man/answers/ANS0CVC281T46TR/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**The letters are meaningless, the product of a disturbed or intoxicated mind.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/somerton-man/answers/ANS0CVC27J66GJQ/the-letters-are-meaningless-the-product-of-a-disturbed-or) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 1 against Disputed [**The lines are an enciphered message (for example a one-time pad keyed on the Rubaiyat or a classical cipher).** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/somerton-man/answers/ANS0CVC26TR220R/the-lines-are-an-enciphered-message-for-example-a-one-time) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 2 against Disputed ## History 1. 1949[The Advertiser (Adelaide) puts forward: the lines are an enciphered message (for example a one-time pad keyed on the Rubaiyat or a classical cipher).](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1R602ZCK/this-beat-the-navy) 1. 2009[Turnbull & Bihari puts forward: the letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RDT58E3/final-report-2009-who-killed-the-somerton-man) 1. 2009[Turnbull & Bihari: first- and second-order Markov scores strongly favour English initial letters over other languages and over…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RDT58E3/final-report-2009-who-killed-the-somerton-man)For: The letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand. 1. 2009[Turnbull & Bihari: playfair, Vigenère and one-time-pad readings with Bible and Rubaiyat keys failed.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RDT58E3/final-report-2009-who-killed-the-somerton-man)Against: The lines are an enciphered message (for example a one-time pad keyed on the Rubaiyat or a classical cipher). 1. 2009[Turnbull & Bihari: the code's distribution differs from random letters written by 55 volunteers, sober or drunk.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RDT58E3/final-report-2009-who-killed-the-somerton-man)Against: The letters are meaningless, the product of a disturbed or intoxicated mind. 1. 2014[Rehling: no matching passage has been found in more than 20,000 Project Gutenberg books.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RXE1BT9/murder-and-nlp-taman-shud-case-splash)Against: The letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand. 1. 2014[Rehling: an independent n-gram analysis also finds it almost certainly an English initialism.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CVC1RXE1BT9/murder-and-nlp-taman-shud-case-splash)For: The letters are the initial letters of words of an English text, written as personal shorthand. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/somerton-man/questions/QST0CVC20Z85TC8/what-are-the-five-pencilled-lines-in-the-rubaiyat%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/somerton-man/questions/QST0CVC20Z85TC8/what-are-the-five-pencilled-lines-in-the-rubaiyat%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/somerton-man/questions/QST0CVC20Z85TC8/what-are-the-five-pencilled-lines-in-the-rubaiyat%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/somerton-man/questions/QST0CVC20Z85TC8/what-are-the-five-pencilled-lines-in-the-rubaiyat%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/somerton-man/questions/QST0CVC20Z85TC8/what-are-the-five-pencilled-lines-in-the-rubaiyat%23add-source) Where it fits Somerton Man (Tamam Shud) **What are the five pencilled lines in the Rubaiyat?** Key question · you're here [ Ask a question under this one ]