Thursday, March 10, 2011

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 6, 2011): In a Galaxy, Far Far Away...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 6, 2011): In a Galaxy, Far Far Away...:
Q: Think of a two-word phrase that means a time long ago. Move the third, fourth and fifth letters to the end of the phrase, without rearranging those three letters, to get a new two-word phrase that means the beginning. What phrases are these?
One less than Osama's and one less than Les Essarts.

Edit: Today (March 10) happens to be the birthdays of Sharon Stone and Osama bin Laden. Sharon's age is 53, Osama's is 54. That was the hint for STONE AGE. The other hint was a reference to the Tour de France 2011. Stage two of the race will be a circuit out and back to Les Essarts. Decrementing you get STAGE ONE.
A: STONE AGE --> STAGE ONE

62 comments:

  1. Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any hints that could lead directly to the answer (e.g. via Google or Bing) before the deadline of Thursday at 3pm ET. If you know the answer, click the link and submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.

    You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't give the answer away. Thank you.

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  2. Read the puzzle carefully. Once I realized that it did not say "Think of a two-word phrase that means a long time ago...", the answer came to me quickly, no advanced tools required.

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  3. Blaine, I believe one of your clues is circular.

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  4. but your other clue, Blaine, is sweet.

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  5. One of the phrases brings to mind a seminal scene from a classic 60s sci-fi movie.

    Chuck

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  6. I saw a Paul Simon solo act in the summer of '65. Is that long ago enough?

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  7. although sour would also apply.

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  8. Lorenzo, would circuitous also apply?

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  9. Your clues gave me just the tools I needed to come up with the correct solution, Blaine! I'm so glad I solved this one quickly, as I'm off to theater for a Sunday matinee and can now give my full attention to the show.

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  10. I saw Sammy Sosa in 1995.

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  11. I had to hurry and submit my answer early so I can get ready for a Mardi Gras party. Anybody seen my toga?

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  12. Rearrange the letters in either answer to say what Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer of the NBA have all done.

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  13. I've decided to start timing myself on solving the puzzles... this one took me four minutes and twenty seconds. Perhaps I can do better next time.

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  14. Another easy one. If you really know your American history the answer might remind you of the long-time, occasional, employer of Wyatt Earp, and this might give you some satisfaction.

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  15. TB - Ignored the traditional advice.

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  16. Love the clue, Doctechnical. Lots of musical clues this week, but I'm going with Bob Dylan.

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  17. Whatever glitch happened last week is fixed for this week. The podcast just updated.

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  18. Lorenzo, poor Horace, poor, poor Horace.

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  19. For those who have solved the puzzle:

    Take what follows the beginning of this week's puzzle and rearrange the letters to get a dish that is popular in some parts of the Caribbean.

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  20. Is Will suggesting that MARTHA's husband is hard-headed and that MARSHA's bunch really needs to work on it? I think he should just let the sunshine, let the sunshine in, the sunshine in!

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  21. skydiveboy,
    I don't know my American history as well as I'd like to.
    So,without knowing how great(almost used a different terminal phoneme) a risk I may be incurring:
    Would Mr. Earp's employer be an individual or a corporate entity?

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  22. L and/or T:
    I had a bad experience with Caribbean cuisine once, and I'm afraid I'll hurl if I have to scour 1000's of menus for the dish you have in mind. I'll gladly pay you someday for the correct answer somewhere in the Thu-Sat area.

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  23. Paul:
    Excellent Question!
    I intentionally wrote my post in order NOT to provide you with that answer. I think you will understand why when I explain my clues on Thursday. I will say, however, that I am not referring to when he refereed that famous world title boxing match in San Francisco.

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  24. I'll roll with that one, RoRo. Fifth Dimension, too.

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  25. As long as we're throwing in musical clues, I bet half of the bands at Woodstock would apply here.

    -- Other Ben

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  26. I must commend all of the posters and their sly musical clues.

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  27. Thanks anyway, Blaine.
    Thanks Lorenzo, I misread the puzzle like you did.
    All I needed was the first part of your post.

    Did someone mention characters on that show "Modern Family"?

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  28. I could't get the puzzle at frist than Fred came and help me with it.

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  29. All I have to say is Mythology and Video Games.

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  30. Thanks for the clue Chuck, but actually I think both of these phrases bring to mind that seminal scene from that great science fiction movie.

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  31. so, Chrisidore, hard to imagine that movie was just 10 years ago. Lorenzo, i'm stuck on your puzzle. I lived in the Caribbean but can only think of one animal that comes out of the answer but unless I go to the west side of my mind I don't see the other part. sdb and others know I don't always get it the first time. Heaven help us all if I get chosen to go on the air.

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  32. Paul and Ro Ro - would it help if I added quotation marks as follows:

    Take what follows "the beginning" of this week's puzzle and rearrange the letters to get a dish that is popular in some parts of the Caribbean.

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  33. Ro Ro: Andy, as in the son of the star third baseman?

    Perhaps I should have put "what follows" in italics.

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  34. I don't know, Lorenzo; if you're telling me that Tommy's "Bill and Melinda" remark is virtually extraneous to this question, then that's a factoid of interest. Otherwise, maybe I'll go back to sifting through the guano on the saloon floor. Or do the really smart thing and go to sleep.

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  35. Paul, I can't speak for Tommy, but I took his comment to be a clue to the NPR puzzle and not to my post.

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  36. OK, Lorenzo,
    any grains or "grain residues" involved?

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  37. Well. it's time for me to do the smart thing.

    falbo know smart thing.
    He have way with word.
    He help.

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  38. Paul, who knows what they put in the stuff? But grains or grain residues would not be essential.

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  39. Finally, the dawn!
    Now take what followed the "time long ago" upon which we are all suddenly focusing, and anagram to discover what kept me in the dark for so long.

    Maybe I'll have some oatmeal before making my daily rounds.....
    So, student, be prudent--take a little time for breakfast--(fill in the blank)--

    I thank you.

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  40. Lorenzo, my post was indeed related to your riddle.

    Oui, oui, Paul. An anagram of a two word phrase meaning 'shameless self-admiration' should be sandwiched in between.

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  41. I put two clues in my first post.
    Wyatt Earp worked for Wells Fargo occasionally throughout his long life. I believe the last time was when he was up in his seventies and they hired him to guard a valuable train shipment.
    I added the word, "satisfaction" as a sly clue to the Rolling Stones.
    Later I used the word, "rolling."

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  42. If you run into Sharon Stone (or Osama bin Laden), be sure to say "Happy Birthday" today! Same for Jasmine Guy, Prince Edward, Mitch Gaylord, Edie Brickell and Carrie Underwood.

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  43. Blaine -
    After the Stone Age came the Bronze Age. If you Google "bronze Osama" you discover that a guy named Osama Liwa won the bronze medal in the "lemon & pegs" event at the 2010 Asian Beach Games held in Muscat, Oman. Hence, my odd posts related to your first clue.

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  44. Lorenzo, Melinda and Bill are TWO GATES.

    Paul, was your reference to 'Age Noir'?

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  45. Sammy SOSA

    Stage One Stone Age

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  46. So, Lorenzo, I did have to go to the "west" side of my mind, as well as the West Indies, to go with the "goat". I used to love this (yum) with a side of homemade potato salad til I became a vegequarian.Now won't touch it.

    TB what was the Horace hint?

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  47. Tommy Boy,
    As you rightly observed, I spoke of my "brazen ego" casting a pall upon my understanding, and I may have been trying to extend that metaphor to civilization in general in a medieval manner.
    But, honestly, I don't know much about that
    history either.
    I had nothing ferrous in mind, yestermorn.

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  48. Paul, wasn't sure which way you were going so I mistook being in the dark as your clue.

    RoRo, I posted of player movement in the NBA as several had left the western conference and "gone east", an anagram of the solution. Lorenzo referenced Horace Greeley who popularized the phrase "go west young man."

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  49. Oh dear. I just checked my cell phone. Yesterday at 3:00pm and 3:01pm I received calls from the 202 area code. A callback a few moments ago revealed they were from a Weekend Edition employee. I had the phone on silent.

    Oh well. Maybe next time.

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  50. Lorenzo, I believe you've won the gold in both "lemon sticking" and buzkashi.
    Congratulations!

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  51. skydiveboy, I haven't located the train shipment Wyatt was hired to guard, but I think I see why you mentioned it. The only thing I found of value at the Bird Cage Theatre was some terrific loose-leaf music.

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  52. Paul:
    If you are that interested in learning more about Wyatt Earp I highly recommend reading the book, Wyatt Earp, by Casey Tefertiller. I believe in there you will find the reference you are looking for.

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  53. Doctechnical - Wow, that is really too bad.
    You have my sympathy.
    I will program my phone to remind me, regardless of silent setting, to be ready for the call.

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  54. My "Modern Family" clue referred to "modern stone-age family", the Flintstones.
    This apparently was understood and expanded upon to all by falbo.
    FREDMA was mentioned and discussed as Fred and Wilma last week.
    I'm sorry if my clue was too obvious.

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  55. My clue with mythology and video games is associated with the following:

    Mythology-Medusa, woman who can turn anyone who looks at her face into stone.

    Video games-usually have a stage one involved in them or chapter one, etc. at the beginning of the game.

    If you want to go a little further. In the video game series "God of War," Kratos fights many medusas on his various quests.

    ReplyDelete

For NPR puzzle posts, don't post the answer or any hints that could lead to the answer before the deadline (usually Thursday at 3pm ET). If you know the answer, submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.

You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.