Thursday, September 29, 2011

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 25, 2011): Occupational Study Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 25, 2011): Occupational Study Puzzle:
Q: Think of a ten-letter occupation ending in "er." The first four letters can be rearranged to spell something that person would study, and the next four letters can be rearranged to spell something else that person would study. What is the occupation?
This week I'm going to put my feet up and let everyone else come up with the obvious clues.

Edit: You put your feet up on a footstool or ottoman. The flag of the Ottoman Empire had both a STAR and a MOON.
A: ASTRONOMER --> STAR, MOON

Thursday, September 22, 2011

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 18, 2011): College Campus Mix-Up

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 18, 2011): College Campus Mix-Up:
Q: Take the name of a well-known university in two words. Switch two letters in the respective words; that is, take a letter from the first word, put it in place of a letter in the second word, and put that letter where the first letter was. The result will name something you might take on a camping trip. What are the names of the university and the camping item?
To tell the truth, while the two-week challenge was interesting, I'm glad we are back to our regularly scheduled program with a weekly NPR puzzle.

Edit: The original host of To Tell the Truth was Bud Collyer. On radio (and later TV and film) Collyer supplied the voices of both Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent.
A: KENT STATE --> TENT STAKE

Saturday, September 17, 2011

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 4, 2011): Two-Week Challenge - Famous Person Palindrome

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 4, 2011): Two-Week Challenge - Famous Person Palindrome:
Q: This is a special two-week creative challenge involving palindromes. A palindrome reads backwards and forward the same. Write a palindrome that contains the name of a famous person. For example: "No, Mel Gibson is a casino's big lemon." Or "Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside." You can use the famous person's full name or just the last name, whatever you like. The object is to write the most interesting palindrome that contains a famous person's name, past or present. Any length is fine, short or long. Palindromes will be judged on their interest, elegance and naturalness of syntax.
Given this challenge is open-ended, there are no hints in my post this time. So anyone going to tackle a Sarah Palin palindrome?
A: "Did I cite operas I'd revere? Verdi's are poetic. I did!"
Runners-up:
"Peewee let reborn Robert E. Lee weep."
"Yawn, Madonna may baby a man, no damn way!"

Thursday, September 01, 2011

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 28, 2011): Air Cushioned Anagram

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 28, 2011): Air Cushioned Anagram:
Q: Rearrange the twelve letters of the words "AIR CUSHIONED" to name a person in the media, first and last names.
Previously, this puzzle would have had the ability to heal nannies!

Edit: If you anagram 'heal nannies' you get 'Liane Hansen'.
A: The new host of Weekend Sunday Edition, Audie Cornish