Thursday, April 16, 2009

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 12): Easter Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 12): Easter Puzzle:
Q: Think of the name of a country. Change its first letter to a 'D,' and then read the word backward. The result will be a creature that lives in that country. What's the country and what's the creature?
Hopping off to church, no time to provide a hint. Discuss this among yourselves.

Edit: This clue was a bit of a misdirection. In my comments I talked about a flurry of activity and mentioned a winter storm which should make you think of a BLIZZARD. That has the B from the country and sounds like the creature.
A: BRAZIL --> LIZARD

35 comments:

  1. I'll be in the lounge while you figure it out...

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  2. No soft parades when they celebrate in this country.

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  3. Sorry, completely forgot about the puzzle. Been listening to Ween and watching kylemonkey videos on youtube. Talk about distraction...

    I can say that one of my favorite writers, of late, is Banana Yoshimoto of Japan. She's written a few novels, of which I've read Kitchen, and at least one collection of her short stories, Tokage, has been published as well.

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  4. My friend Annie might know this one...

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  5. Sorry, we had a flurry of activity trying to get to church... if it weren't spring, I'd compare it to a snow storm.

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  6. ...james newell osterberg jr. is a stooge and a punk...he changed his name...i wonder if he's ever been to this country to work or play...

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  7. My friend Larry and I visited here once. He spent most of his time hanging out in the hotel bar dressed in his finest threads and hittin' on the chicks.

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  8. ...and, of course, Bill had his problems with Alice.

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  9. Wow, there is just a river of information on this country and the creatures on the Web.

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  10. Timmy, I think that you're confusing your rock icons (see my post above).

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  11. Lots of big, strong women in this land

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  12. Do any of them speak Japanese? That's both a clue (believe it or not) and an inside joke; my girlfriend had a roommate a while back who was the daughter of Japanese parents who had settled in the country in question.

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  13. English, which she spoke well enough, was her third language...

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  14. I was just listening to Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again." Seems to me, we're driving to Eugene in a couple of weeks.

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  15. ...dave, you're talking about a type of king and mine's a type of godfather...

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  16. ...also, there was an eighties-new-wave-one-hit-wonder-band famous for covering a barrett strong song...

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  17. What happened to the Taco Bell chihuahua? I heard he bought Geico insurance.

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  18. Timmy, I didn't realize that the igster had that nickname. Thanks for informing me. It's a more specific nickname than the king that I mentioned. Could be his lust for life. Was the cover song done by a flying variety of this creature? Sounds like you really know your music because that's a name I would have never come up with.

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  19. JR, are you really coming to Eugene or is that part of a clue? I live in Eugene.

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  20. ...yes, dave, those flying creatures made some bucks doing that cover--i wonder if they're still collecting royalties...

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  21. I found Bonnie Raitt's first album on CD at Goodwill recently; was so nice to hear that. Her earlier work was more pure blues. You can say of many artists that their earlier work was more creative/artistic than their later work, good as it was. Like Terry Gilliam, and King Crimson, for instance.

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  22. Carl, I think you're right. Some artists' work kind of goes south later in their careers.

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  23. Dave- We are heading to Eugene. My wife's mother and other family members live in Eugene. The Road is part of my clue. Thanks to B.H., B.C., & D.L. during the 40's...

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  24. JR, I didn't understand your clue at first, but I googled my first impulse and got it. We're supposed to have great weather in Eugene this weekend. The Saturday Market opened two weeks ago and, unlike the UO baseball team which has lost six straight, it should be in full swing.

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  25. And if anyone had bothered to google Banana Yoshimoto they'd have discovered that her collection of short stories is titled "Lizard," or Tokage in Japanese.

    And I referenced Terry Gilliam and King Crimson because they had early works called Brazil and Lizard, respectively.

    But it didn't seem anyone was struggling with this one...

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  26. Carl, Your hints were like frosting on the cake.

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  27. Geri, flattery will get you everywhere... ;)

    I really enjoyed Kitchen, by the way. Not so much Lizard, but it wasn't so bad.

    Latest enthusiastic film recommendations: The Station Agent and The Visitor.

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  28. Carl, I saw King Crimson play at the Hollywood Bowl around 1982. Great show! I agree with your film recommendations, especially The Station Agent. Have you seen David Mamet's House of Games? Repo Man? A Clockwork Orange? Three of my favorite movies of all time.

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  29. Dave, seen those, loved them. Saw someone do a great parody of Mamet's style of writing dialogue once... can't remember where. Ever see Paris, Texas? There's one scene in that movie that might be my very favorite movie scene.

    Buena Vista Social Club will always, always be one of my ten favorite movies.

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  30. Didn't plan that, but those two films have connections of major significance; both directed by Wim Wenders (what question is answered 9-W?), and Ry Cooder who did the (truly beautiful) music for Paris, Texas, has a prominent role in gathering and recording, and performing with, the musicians in Buena Vista Social Club.

    The question answered "9-W" is--do you spell your name with a "v," Mr. Wagner?

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  31. Carl, that's pretty funny. 9-W. I saw Paris, Texas many years ago and don't remember it too well. Never saw BVSC, but I've heard that it's very good. Maybe I'll rent it over the weekend. The Big Lebowski is a classic, too. I loved Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Diner, another great movie.

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  32. In Paris Texas, the scene where Travis meets the crazy, yelling guy on the long pedestrian overpass above the freeway? Really loved that scene.

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  33. Carl - I did Google it when I saw the word lizard I knew. I always doubt my answer until I see a clue that validates it.

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