Thursday, October 02, 2008

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 28): Just Desserts

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 28): Just Desserts:
Q: Name a popular dessert that has two syllables, in which the vowel sound in the first syllable is a short E. Change this to a long A, and phonetically you'll name a famous singer. Who is it?
I liked my clue from a couple weeks ago regarding the B.C. Comic. I wish I had a similar clue this week. Oh wait, maybe I do...

Edit: My clue above was to the comedian Bill Cosby and he is associated with this dessert.
A: JELLO --> J. LO (Jennifer Lopez)
Posted by Blaine at 5:16 PM
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24 comments:

  1. Maybe it will help you to get this one if you know that the DESSERT and the SINGER both originated in the SAME STATE!
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  2. This is way too simple. There's really no need for clues! I'm disappointed this week's challange.
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  3. Took 2 seconds to solve this one.
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  4. mandy, I know the dessert but not
    the singer. How "famous" is your
    singer?
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  5. Geri,
    She is an actress and singer. If you got the dessert you should be able to put in the long "a" sound and get it. Hint: You need to say the 2 syllables slowly.
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  6. mandy, AH HA! About as famous as you can get.
    Thank you.
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  7. I bet Ben knew the answer..or used to, but now Marks's got it.
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  8. This one had me stumped for awhile, but I was taking it too literally. I spent far too long thinking of famous singers with two syllable names or really famous first names and desserts by their common rather than brand name. I'm also curious why Will chose to call her a singer rather than an actress.
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  9. Okay, at the risk of enraging any of her fans, here's my clue: The singer in question has never failed to impress me as stupefyingly arrogant and narcissistic. And her so-called talent has done anything but impress me. And if you think of her as an actor first, gimme a break!
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  10. I agree about how simple this week's puzzle is. I had it the instant I heard it.
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  12. Did anyone get my other clue? Also, who has noticed the new commenting system on the NPR website? There should be rules against posting the outright answer 2 inches below the actual puzzle. :-)
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  13. NPR comment system: it weren't broke, so of course they fixed it.

    As for the woman in question, it's charitable to call her either a singer or an actress. Don't be fooled by the fame that she's got.
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  14. Thanks Ben! Sorry, but I really think there are a helluva lot of artists more deserving of recognition than "the person in question." She played a (deceased) famous Latin-American entertainer in a film and, when asked about the experience in an interview, said only how cool it was to be able to sing in front of thousands of cheering people. Absolutely nothing about what an honor to have the chance to portray such a gifted and humble performer. It's all about ME ME ME...

    She's on my list of people who make me feel it would be worth substantial cash outlay to be guaranteed I would never actually have to watch them in anything.
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  15. Carl, One thing in her favor: Although she wears her hair straight, long, and parted in the
    middle at least she has the GUTS
    NOT to BLEACH it!
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  16. And also: she'd probably be a better choice as John McCain's running mate...

    Sorry! I know. I know. Keep the politics and religion out of this...
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  17. Carl, Why? Politics and religion
    are fun--so many zealots to argue
    with.
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  18. Hi Geri

    Been a long time since I read Spider Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, so don't remember all the details. But I know it was a place where, for some reason, beings from other times and places would frequently wander in. Usually they would have some great dilemma and the regulars would help them solve their problems.

    One hard and fast rule of Callahan's was this: absolutely no discussing politics or religion. Because it was a place where you could relax.

    Also, the patrons often had pun competitions.
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  19. Blaine, I don't know how likely it is that anyone would think of B.C. as someone's initials in that clue; it sure never occurred to me...

    Perhaps you could have worked in a reference to "I Spy" or something...
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  21. Blaine,

    I thought your clue was in the comic strip itself. Can you hear me now? = Hello..which sounds like Jello. Didn't get the Bill Cosby hint though.
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  22. Carl, I'm reminded of a Science
    Fiction convention I attended where
    Spider Robinson was one of the speakers. He addressed the audience
    as,"Jadies and Lentlemen."

    I've been doing some research on
    PUNS on the internet--fascinating,
    lots of literature and comment and
    exmples. There seems to be a consensus that PUNS and the LOWEST
    form of humor.
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  23. And for some reason that reminded me of hearing Garrison Keillor telling a story on A Prairie Home Companion, when he mentioned a family's emu and went on to say they found in on the internet--that's why they call it an "e" mu.

    And one of the best jokes from his annual joke show: A priest a rabbi a lawyer a blond and a dog walk into a bar. Bartender looks up and says, what is this, some kind of a joke?
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  24. Amazing that there were only 2000 correct answers submitted for this one, even though the correct one was posted nearly a week ago on the NPR site!
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