Thursday, January 08, 2009

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 4): She was Bitten by the Acting Bug

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 4): She was Bitten by the Acting Bug:
Q: Take the last name of a famous actress in 2 syllables and 9 letters. Transpose the syllables and you'll have, phonetically, the word for a common ailment. Who is the person and what is the ailment?
For some reason I came up with the names Meryl Streep, Maureen Stapleton, Stockard Channing and Catherine O'Hara. They don't seem to match the puzzle at all, do they?

Edit: If you look up those actresses in IMDb, you'll find they were all in the same 1986 Movie
A: Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) --> Heartburn
Posted by Blaine at 5:19 PM
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38 comments:

  1. Don't stress over this one.
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  2. At least all of Blaine's actresses are far more talented than Paris Hilton, for example.
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  3. Actually I came up with two actresses that share the last name. One was old and French while the other is more a comedienne and I would use the term "actress" loosely with her.
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  4. Blaine's clue really nailed it. It's curious that I don't find the actress mentioned in any of the references I have. She could have met the younger "cowboy" I mentioned last week, but I seriously doubt it. She is known to have taken a stage, though. Bette Midler shares a nickname in part.

    Dave is right, "sea" wasn't associated in the manner or place he intended, but it was associated.
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  5. phrepd, in the primary spelling of her name, your comedienne/actress has only 8-letters... but she has used the 9-letter form, so I guess you are okay.
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  6. Blaine, thanks for the clue. I looked through a list of 780 actresses and couldn't find the correct answer, but your clue made it very easy. I was thinking of another actress whose name has the same second syllable, but it's spelled differently. She's a current actress who enjoys Indiana.
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  7. Puzzle #5: Change the first letter of a country's name and get a football player. This should be pretty easy.

    Cookieface, sorry for the U.S. puzzle.
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  8. Dave,
    A football great without a Superbowl ring or Heisman Trophy?
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  9. Hugh, your mention of Bette Midler was the clue I needed.
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  10. OK Dave--thanks for the warning, and I really am not into football but maybe my better half can help me out.
    I was just pleased with the other puzzles and I did finally get them all, all by myself. Not bad for a Canadian-HUH??
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  11. Lorenzo, life can be the pitts if you have a long NFL career and no ring or trophy to show for it. Guess that's just unlucky. Well done!

    Cookieface, sorry to throw you for a loop again.
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  12. I went with the French version who does use all nine letters. The Fortune Teller told me to pick her over the comedienne.
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  13. Is anyone else still stumped? More clues please!!!
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  14. Dave, I liked your clue, but it gives too much away. A simple Google search reveals it immediately with that...
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  15. Blaine, no problem. You might want to alter your clue, since it's the first hit when you google it.
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  16. Dave- May I have another clue to the football player puzzle? I think I really understand the clues, but something is still missing in my thinking. Thanks, cookieface
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  17. Cookieface,

    I found Dave's puzzle harder this week that it might have been because the NPR puzzle had me thinking initially in terms of last names only.

    Dave: I hope this didn't give too much away.
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  18. Although it did not help me solve the puzzle, after the fact I really liked Blaine's clue. A more obscure (and less elegant) clue in the same spirit might be worded: "For some reason, I came up with the names Alicia Keys and Rufus Wainwright ...."
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  19. Lorenzo, no you didn't give away too much.

    Cookieface, I dropped two hints to Lorenzo and one to you in my post on Sunday at 10:33.

    Do you like the old Marks Brothers movies? I used to get a kick out of them, but I'd sometimes zonk out while watching them. Overall, they're pretty super duper.

    Lorenzo, you know the answer so I'm sure you understand these clues.
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  20. Lorenzo, I got the answer but I don't understand your Alicia Keys and Rufus Wainwright clue.
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  21. micro--I never saw a post from you..and it's Dave's puzzle about football that I am interested in--I got the new puzzle from NPR
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  22. Dave,as I said, the clue is rather obscure. But it turns out that the two singer-songwriters have something in common. (Since you know the answer to the puzzle, start with the ailment and work backwards.)
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  23. Cookieface, my son (micropiranha) sometimes forgets to log off of his gmail account, so when I post something it sometimes says that it's from him, but it's actually from me. Sorry about that. There are four clues in the following sentence:

    Do you like the old Marks Brothers movies? I used to get a kick out of them, but I'd sometimes zonk out while watching them. Overall, they're pretty super duper.

    Lorenzo, I'll give it a shot. Thanks for clarifying that.
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  25. Lorenzo-I absolutely see no connection with Rufus and Alicia altho I have tried to find one.

    Dave-I have figured out your puzzle--yup,guess my Canadian roots do not hinder me from being savvy in US football. Ciao for now.
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  26. Cookieface, sorry for the obscure "clue". Try googling the answer to the NPR puzzle (the ailment) with Rufus or Alicia and you'll get a hit. Well, not exactly a "hit" in the "Top Ten" sense, but...
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  27. Cookieface, just out of curiosity, do you know what the four clues were from my earlier post today?
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  28. no, sorry Dave, I do not think the "Marks" Bros clues helped at all (and if you spelled Marx incorrectly on purpose). After the deadline, or whenever you give the answer(which I have), I would not mind if you could explain the clues to me.
    Lorenzo, I have tried what you said and no luck so far but I will try again--and as I said to Dave-when all is said and done, perhaps you will tell me what you were getting at.
    Thanks all!
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  29. Cookieface, just google Alicia Keys and the answer to this week's puzzler (the medical condition, not the actress), then google Rufus Wainwright with this week's answer. You'll see what Lorenzo means.

    I'll explain my clues tomorrow. They would mean something to football fans, but nobody else. Did anyone other than Cookieface or Lorenzo get the answer? Here it is again.

    Puzzle #5: Change the first name of a country to get a football player.
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  30. Dave--okay all is good in Miami(which is where I am now)--all clues worked--football one and Rufus/Alicia one. MARKS one, however, still alludes me. Thx for the feedback-it was most appreciated.
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  31. I would like to repost Dave's clue to the NPR puzzle, now that it is safe to do so --> it was "1751 Vine"
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  32. Blaine, thanks.

    Cookieface, glad to hear that you're enjoying the warm weather. Here's the explanation to the hints:

    ". . . life can be the pitts . . . Guess that's just unlucky." The football player in question played his college football at Pitt. His number at Pitt and in the NFL was 13 (unlucky).

    "Marks Brothers" refers to the collective nickname of Mark "Super" Duper and Mark Clayton, his receivers. "Get a kick out of . . . " refers to running back Jim Kiick. "Zonk" out refers to running back Larry Csonka.

    I hope this explains everything. This was much easier for an American football fan to figure out than a Canadian non-football fan.
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  33. Dave--I would never have known all that but I did get the football star and I am still a Canadian and I think only Lorenzo got it besides me...LOL fo a non-football fan-- altho we are watching the Sooners and the Gators tonight--big game here in Miami.
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  34. Dave, I was looking for one letter to change in his last name... no wonder I was lost. Now I get it!
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  35. Blaine, sorry that I wasn't more explicit, but I didn't want to make it too easy.

    How about coming up with some more puzzles, everybody.
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  36. Why is it that the puzzles seem so easy when you know the answer. Is
    January 11 another easy one?
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  37. Think I solved this new one. Good luck!!
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  38. Natasha, yes, this one was pretty easy.
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