Thursday, April 11, 2013

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 7, 2013): Commonly Read on Sunday Morning

Sunday FunniesNPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 7, 2013): Commonly Read on Sunday Morning:
Q: Name something in nine letters that is commonly read on Sunday morning. If you have the right thing, you can rearrange all the letters to name a bygone car model that you still see on the road today. What are they?
I have a really great clue, but I'm going to save it for when I have the answer. :)

Update: 562-87-4193 is not my social security number.

Edit: Assuming the first word is 123456789, the second rearrangement is 562874193.
A: SCRIPTURE --> PT CRUISER

176 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. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the Thursday deadline. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pity indeed, Lorenzo. ;-) Ah well. Not only was my comment deleted here but part of my social security number was also exorcised. I am now 103-85-5. Must be some sort of test.

      Delete
    2. Above comment is meant to follow Lorenzo's comment about the deleted clue.

      Sometimes my phone posts in strange places...This is the 2nd time this week.

      Delete
  2. I wonder sometimes if this car model was named after a big wheel down at the circus. It was actually the perfect car for guys that drive around the back streets at night seeking immoral pleasures. As for that Sunday reading, I prefer the retro fairy tales I read to my kids on Saturday night. They typically have happier endings.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Got it, but the 9-letter thing I read on Sunday mornings is "the puzzle".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Molto intelligente (as in clever), Paisano. Se si lasciano le finestre aperte, forse ci vediamo in chiesa dopo questa mattina.

      Delete
    2. Perhaps we shouldn't speak in foreign tongues this week.

      Delete
    3. What about snake handling, Lorenzo? (I mean at the pulpit, not in the rectory, of course)

      Delete
    4. AbqGuerrilla, sometimes (but only sometimes) you can be such an apse.

      Delete
  4. E-F#-G-A-G-F#-E-E-D#-E-F#-E-D#

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ack! You're taunting me, Paul! I think I know within 5 years or so when this one was big, but for the life of me, I cannot recall the words or the artists.

      Delete
  5. I'm going to sit right down and write myself a writ and then live as if it were the only right way to operate.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I did not know this model was discontinued, but I approve of the decision. Now, how about doing the same with the other?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear skydiveboy,

      Aren't you worried about the hereafter? ......ok, neither am I.

      Delete
    2. I'm sure there are more than enough others who will be happy to do this for us.

      Delete
    3. Sdb:
      Sorry about the lack of response yesterday. I was leaving room for the early birds. No worm no fowl.
      Twas referring to the grand illustrious ruler and tin horn in chief, not his lacky.

      Delete
    4. You mean the mean ruler who thinks it is okay for him to steal from our retirement? The one who is called a liberal by the R's, which makes me wonder what Nixon was.

      Delete
    5. The model doesn't have to be discontinued to be bygone, does it?

      Delete
    6. I would say it does. But then the other item is gone by too much, don't you think?

      Delete
  7. G-G-G-G-A-E-G-A-G-A-G-B-B
    is the light-hearted version from my heritage.

    Paul, your version is one presumably shared by the heritage belonging to my husband Lorenzo.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Here we go again. I again this week am unable to submit my answer, or any other comments to any NPR contact. I can't be the only one who is having this problem.

    ReplyDelete
  9. If I were to take a vacation on one of these I would curse the trip.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Replies
    1. To paraphrase WJC, it depends on on what the definition of word is. Roughly speaking, a word can be any clump of letters that conveys a meaning. ;-)

      Delete
    2. Yeah, Curtis, I know. I was using your clue as a springboard for mine.

      Delete
    3. Per Curtis, roughly: we have the answer!

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  11. Ah, the Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle segment...the greatest show on earth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are there clues on either side of the ellipsis? Sufficiently so, I'd say.

      Delete
    2. Try to avoid spitting tomato seeds on your keyb . . . I beg your pardon, I am a fraud . . .

      Delete
    3. I can't imagine why anyone would intentionally spit on his or her (not their)keyboard -- but why tomato seeds in particular?

      Delete
  12. I have a suggestion for SDB who sometimes can’t submit, and for anyone who can’t post here past the 200th post – try using Mozilla Firefox as your browser. It’s free, it’s great, they keep it up to date, there are lots of nice add-ons and everything works.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Also, Firefox seems to be better protected against malware attacks than Internet Explorer.

      Delete
    2. No problem with Google Chrome, either.

      Delete
  13. Does anyone else think the Rachel & Will banter is becoming more scripted every week?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uh, yeah. They seem as scripted as the interviews Alex Trebek does with Jeopardy contestants.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    3. Okay, that was the comment that did it for me, so I guess it has to be removed.

      Delete
    4. I thought that post would not last long.

      Delete
    5. Maybe I'll just leave it at this:

      Curtis, I read Alex Trebek is leaving the show. Guess his job will not be in Jeopardy.

      Unlike my envelope-pushing comment ;-).

      Delete
    6. Word Woman, I'm sure your deleted post was clever. Pity it had to be exorcised.

      Delete
    7. My Dear Lorenzo,
      It was not exorcised. It was simply recalled.
      NHTSA.dot.gov

      Delete
  14. @B –
    What’s your point?
    @SDB
    At first I didn’t get it but now I do.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  15. The sideshow is running away with the circus.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Two clues to what I don't think is the expected answer, but might become an accepted alternate answer:

    1. Just as you get really interested, this has you flipping a couple of pages.

    2. "But Lord, I'm unworthy to have you come under my roof."

    ReplyDelete
  17. At the price, rust was an unwelcome bonus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...........Fe^2........
      Fe^2 ........... Fe^2
      Fe^2 ...............Fe^2
      Fe^2 ................ Fe^2
      Fe^2....................Fe^2
      ........Fe^2 Fe^2.........

      AbqG's initial circus clue had me headed in this direction and to an Italian car maker. Now, your rust clue, Jan. (Hope the styles don't crash~~I'm a little rusty). You may ignore the dots.

      Delete
    2. Much too stylish for the automobubble in question.

      Delete
    3. Oh btw trish mcwoman icu snagged post #42.
      Zekephod

      Delete
    4. WW: your ferrous wheel looks a little anemic.

      Delete
    5. She just needs to iron out some details.

      Delete
    6. #42 is always wheely, wheely special, ZaPhod.

      Yes, Jan, it looked better on my screen before I published it. ;-) The hour was late and I was feeling a bit anemic.

      Thinking of the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, today.

      ~~Trish McLady~~

      Delete
    7. I thought of Thatcher today as well, Trish. The news broke on NPR as I was waiting for, Harriet, the lady at my dry cleaners, to finish ironing my shirt. Watching a lady ironing while I thought about the iron lady. "Now that's ironic," I thought. Both are iron ladies, but little in common otherwise. That is to say, Harriet is very kindhearted. She does pressing at the cleaners, while Maggie took the oppressed TO the cleaners picking the pockets of the masses along the way. Harriet routinely empties my pockets as well, but always gives me the contents in a little bag. The lesson of MT was: Women in politics can be every bit as ruthless as men. I was foolish to think otherwise... Not even Meryl Streep could make me like her.

      Delete
    8. Might it be said, AbqG, you've changed the topic from ferrous (fair us) to ferric (fair? ick!)?

      No ferric wheel attached. ;-)

      Delete
    9. Maggie should have taken it as a bad omen when The Almighty chose an Argie as pope.

      Delete
    10. Perhaps...And now Annette Funicello has died also. And Roger Ebert last week...I liked Roger's comment that his wife, Chaz, was the fact of his life. As a scientist, that word choice really appealed to me.

      Delete
    11. And the connection is.... Annette starred in "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini", a garment named for a nuclear test site, while Maggie ordered a nuclear-powered submarine, Conquerer, to sink the cruiser Belgrano?

      Delete
    12. That Maggie sure did have a rollicking sense of humor (oops! humour in her case) didn't she? Just ask any British coal miner.

      Delete
    13. Of the three, I'm most saddened by the death of Ebert. Two thumbs down for the grim reaper!

      Delete
    14. AbqGuerrilla, I would agree. And that's a fact. ;-)

      Delete
    15. Sign on local Catholic school: Life is not facts but truths. What?

      Fact: We desalinated salt water today using plastic wrap, a small rock, a bowl , a cup & the sun. To me, that is also truth.

      Delete
    16. Ah, they might say, but can you turn your desalinated water into wine? Or, why didn't you just strike the rock with your staff?

      Delete
    17. Taking the NaCl out of the H2O was pretty impressive to the kids. We drank it, too. There was no whining involved.

      Ms. Mary in the kindergarten classroom would frown on me striking her against the rock.

      She did tell me two funny jokes today though. One involved Enya (Not for EWAF though) and the other the mood of colors. (A little raunchy but amusing).

      Delete
  18. If you don't fear the hereafter, you haven't read it. And if you get injured, seek some kind of therapy.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Forgive me if I sound judgmental, but personally, I never liked that model. The whole concept was fake, in my opinion. Let bygones be bygones.

    (And that last sentence is not alluding to the Audi commercial poking Mercedes Benz.)

    ReplyDelete
  20. We're back to Rodin agin? Ah liked the one called the boogers.
    Zehe of the fine arts

    ReplyDelete
  21. My physical therapist drives one of these.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phunny you should mention that, Jan. My physical therapist -- who is also a part-time pet trainer -- drives one of these as well. Her model is an avocado color with purple trim (pretty tacky). When I found out she was an evangelical Christian, I convinced her to bequeath me the car when the rapture calls her up to heaven. (Hey, where there's a will, I wanna be in it!)

      Delete
    2. My physical therapist told me my weight was too heavy. About 10 pounds would do; any more then my wright would be too light. Sometimes his manner hits me like a ton of bricks.

      Delete
    3. The "reading" part had me on a dead-end involving another line by this same car maker. It has 5 of the same letters.

      Delete
    4. My first thought was newspaper, but Blaine's posted photo told me that that couldn't be true, so I thought religion, and then "scripture". Didn't Toyota make the PT Cruiser? I initially saw the word "Prius", and wondered if they made something called the "trec". Ha ha. Thanks Abq for pointing me in the right direction.

      Delete
    5. Toyota makes the FJ Cruiser, a reworking of their old FJ40 Land Cruiser that anagrams to "ferric jus". Chrysler made the PT Cruiser.

      Delete
    6. Iron Lady blood? Does the FJ stand for anything~ Ferric Jeep?

      I thought of mentioning Tom Cruise or Penelope Cruz but thought that would be axed. I should have just used cruiser. ;-)

      Not bitter. ;-) I tested with PTC in chem lab.

      Delete
    7. F is for the F-series engine in the vehicle, and as far as I can tell, J is for Jeep, dating back to the days before that was a registered trademark. (I think it originally came from the jeep's official designation as "Truck, 1/4-ton, general-purpose", or GP). The original, Korean War-era Toyota jeep came with a B-series engine, and so was the BJ model. Don't know about Tom and Penelope, but there's no truth to the rumor that Hugh Grant and that hooker were picked up in a BJ model...

      Delete
    8. Yeah, I overlooked the cruiser comment and that should have been dinged.

      As for Maggie Thatcher, a group sent out a number of tweets with the hash tag #nowthatchersgone. Apparently that caused a minor scare for several of Cher's fans who read it as "Now That Cher's Gone".

      Delete
    9. BJ Hunnicutt's mom & dad were Bea and Jay; just in case anyone was wondering.

      Delete
    10. Hmm, BJ Hunnicutt and Korean War jeeps. I'm glad we're not letting the saber-rattling from northeast Asia get to us.

      Delete
    11. Wow, you guys are so smart it makes my head spin.

      Delete
  22. Wolfgang,

    A lot of people don't like that mode. It is judgmental. But you don't want to find out after it's too late. You don't want to learn about the netherworld by experience.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Leo,

    Maybe the model in question IS another car's netherworld. I can totally see any Packard or Studebaker turn around in the junkyard.

    Oh, and speaking of junkyard: the model in question is NOT "Christine."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahh...the Studebaker Avanti. Now _that_ was a luxury car. My next door neighbors had two of them when I was growing up. Unfortunately, Avanti doesn't anagram into anything particularly useful for this week's puzzle. Just a little nostalgia...

      Chuck

      Delete
    2. "Nostalgia"—yeah, right. Sounds more like a confession you coveted your neighbor's car. ;-)

      Delete
    3. Volfy,
      There's a Packard museum in Dayton, Ohio. My neighbors had his and hers Studebakers. Hers a Hawk and his an Avanti. The Hawk would get him out of the hole, but then it was all over. A family that street drags together stays together.
      Happy days and see you at the Friday night...er...drive real slow...in.

      Delete
    4. ZC,
      Wow! How long have they had that Packard museum in Dayton, OH? I used to live in Cincinnati. If I had known that, it would have made for a nice weekend trip.

      Delete
    5. Wolfy,
      Since 1992 it's showcased about 50 cars. Wiki has a picture of the bldg. The art deco style is fabulous.

      Delete
  24. do you read this on days other than Sunday?

    LMP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Way to go, Zeke. Everyone should read all of it, but few of us do.

      Delete
    2. Nope. Gave that up long ago.

      Delete
    3. Lots of diverse backgrounds and beliefs converge here at Blainesville. 'Nuff said.

      I was amazed to see the social security number tools out there. And to know numbers starting with 800 to 899 were just released in 2011. There are no numbers starting above 900, nor ending in 0000, or having 00 as the middle digits.


      Delete
  25. While we're at it, my social security number isn't 739-61-2548.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If PT CRUISER is "12 3456789", then "739612548" outputs SCRIPTURE.

      Delete
  26. This has become nothing more than a bizarre panel discussion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nor is mine 011-23-5813, skydiveboy. How about you?

      Delete
    2. I couldn't find 163259847 anywhere on my driver's license. I tried. I honestly tried.

      Delete
    3. Of course those aren't SSNs. They all are VINs of the model in question. (Carfax went ballistic on them.)

      Delete
    4. I thought VINs were 17 digits.

      Delete
    5. Nope. There is Vin Rose and Vin Gris, just to name a few.

      Delete
    6. @WW: According to Wikipedia, until 1981 "there was no accepted standard for [VINs], so different manufacturers used different formats."

      Therefore, at least a Packard or Studebaker VIN could have had just nine characters.

      Delete
    7. So, I don't think they are VINs of the model in question...Maybe ponder that with some VIN Gris while watching "My Cousin VINny." ;-)

      Delete
    8. I so hope that Joe Pesci's horse "Tomei" runs in this year's Derby or Oaks.

      Delete
    9. MCV is one of our all-time favorite movies. Mona Lisa Vito would have no trouble identifying a bygone car on the basis of obscure clues, for sure!

      Delete
    10. Such great characters. Marissa as Mona shone. Ruth, I didn't know Joe Pesci had a horse named Tomei!

      Delete
    11. So, Word Woman, getting back to one of your entries from last week: Do you really have a brother Petey, or was that just a response to my soon-to-be-deleted comment?

      Delete
    12. I really do have a brother, Pete, and George also. They are twins.

      He hates to be called Petey, btw, Jan.

      Delete
  27. Replies
    1. Enjoyed watching Louisville versus Michigan basketball last night.

      Delete
  28. Movie clue: Tora! Tora! Tora!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Movie I'm looking forward to seeing: '42."

    ReplyDelete
  30. What a Circus! My music clue would be Smoky Robinson

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Smoky, RoRo! The smoke out here is from our wood stoves, 7 degrees today. Heard the DC area fruit trees have popped within mere hours . Pretty trees, cherryblossoms!

      Delete
    2. WW, it was truly a beautiful day out here. no riding around, I preferred to walk. This area is well known for skipping Spring and going right to summer. It is currently (evening) 80 degrees in my house and much hotter upstairs where I sleep. I can't attend the Cherry Blossom festival this year. Hate to miss it

      Delete
    3. The smoke and fog just blew away.

      Delete
    4. Hugh, are you also in CO? Or is this done with smoke and mirrors?

      Delete
    5. To rephrase my question: are you in CO2? ;-)

      Delete
    6. Word Woman, Let's see if reply works today.
      The fog was between my ears. RoRo's Smoky finally got through to me changing me from a CT Loser to a PT Cruiser.

      Delete
    7. Hugh, as a native nutmegger I can't see a way for you to be a CT Loser (even in the fog). My mom still lives in a Hartford suburb. Et vous?

      Delete
  31. I attribute the wildness to cabin fever. 80° today and cloudless! Time to drive slowly with the rugtop down.

    ReplyDelete
  32. By far my least favorite car on the road, always gives us a good laugh when we see one! Pretty terrible, if you ask me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, KT, as far as styling, at least. I actually rented one a few years ago, and drove it from Calgary to Jasper to Banff and back, with a few interesting side trips, and it wasn't a bad car to drive, as long as you didn't have to look at it.

      Delete
  33. So, I suppose Doc Hudson from Cars doesn't count as a nine letter model. Plus, few folks spend Sunday reading HUD Condos.

    ReplyDelete
  34. scripture > P T Cruiser

    My Hints:

    "If I were to take a vacation in one of these I would curse the trip." Curse the trip is an anagram for P T Cruiser and the other word.

    "This has become nothing more than a bizarre panel discussion." This model was designed after panel trucks of the past. Some people even purchased conversion kits for the side, rear windows and added wood flooring.

    This car has a terrible reputation and I am happy to see the last of the ugly things. Now if we could make the other word go away. We might lose Kansas in the process however. But so what!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My daughter sent me a video clip of the Creation Museum in KY. The guy who runs it says the Grand Canyon was created in a couple of weeks with the runoff from the Great Flood. And in the dioramas human children play with dinosaurs. In the video there is a long line of folks waiting to get into the museum.

      Jan, said daughter wants to be a PA. Any suggestions for her? She is a biochem major and a sophomore in college. Still checking in on your niece, too!

      Delete
    2. Hey, I've got fundamentalist relatives who don't believe dinosaurs existed, that God just put bones in the ground to test the faith of true believers.

      PA is certainly a hot career, per the media. It's not a bad choice for someone interested in medicine and a life outside of work, too. Have her shadow a working PA for a week this summer. But college isn't trade school; use the short time to explore other areas of interest.

      Niece is still making up her mind (not her greatest strength).

      Delete
    3. Thanks, Jan.

      She really enjoyed her Medical Anthropology class last semester. So she is branching out.

      Delete
  35. > PER CURTIS, roughly: we have the answer!
    > At the PRICE, RUST was an unwelcome bonus.

    Both are also anagrams of the answers, SCRIPTURE and PT CRUISER.

    > Maggie ordered a nuclear-powered submarine, Conquerer, to sink the cruiser Belgrano?

    I thought I could get away with a passing reference like this.

    > TV clue: McHale's Navy.

    Starring PT 73. Someone also alluded to JFK's PT boat.
    Reminded me of summer visits to my in-law's place on Martha's Vineyard.
    We'd often see Jackie O's family's ski boat on Menemsha Pond.
    The registration number: 109 PT.

    > My physical therapist drives one of these.

    A PT PT CRUISER.

    > Movie clue: Tora! Tora! Tora!

    Torah! Torah! Torah!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jan, if your physical therapist worked part-time, it could be a PT PT PT Cruiser.

      Delete
    2. Isn't the Torah more for Saturdays than Sundays?

      Delete
    3. Damn WW! Someone needs to tax your brilliance!

      Delete
    4. Uncle John, thank you...but we'd have to tax everyone on this blog for their shining cleverness.

      We are all still curious about the circle on your photo. Tell us more, por favor.

      Delete
  36. Scripture --->>> PT Cruiser

    My deleted clue: The scripts sure seem to encompass not only the question, but the response, & the response to the response.

    None word (Nun word).

    Pretty Terrific Cherryblossoms.

    Michigan verses Louisville.

    Jan, I was surprised your bold-faced cruiser made it through. Will have to ask my brother, PT, about that. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  37. My father thought the PTCruiser looked like a Packard hearse.
    Wikipedia tells me PT stands for 'personal transport' which reminds me of a Sunday Puzzle earlier this year for which HEARSE was an alternative answer.
    If PTCruiser=123456789, then 163254897=PICTURERS.
    PICTURERS, it seems, is an actual word, for which ARTISTS or PAINTERS might be substituted.
    Paint It, Black played over the end credits of Full Metal Jacket, again, according to Wikipedia...I really don't remember.
    I do remember 'PT' didn't mean "personal transport' in that..............'motion picture'.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Last Sunday I said:

    @B –
    What’s your point?
    @SDB
    At first I didn’t get it but now I do.

    Blaine – as in “What’s your pt”?
    SDB – “curse [the] trip” anagrams to scripture and PT Cruiser.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  39. My clue: "Pity" (in response to the deletion of WW's post).

    ReplyDelete
  40. My clue: "Side show running away with the circus," PT Barnum.

    ReplyDelete
  41. 103-85-5 is the CAS number for Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) which is a dominant gene test for bitter taste. PTC was used in criminal cases before the advent of DNA testing.

    Perhaps the PTC Cruiser was doomed to a bitter review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeh, all those "single" genes they taught us about in undergrad biology: like asparagus pee, tongue curling, fixed earlobes. You just are way smart, WW. We need to be friends on FB.

      Delete
  42. I posted on Sun Apr 07, at 04:20:00 PM PDT:

    Two clues to what I don't think is the expected answer, but might become an accepted alternate answer:

    1. Just as you get really interested, this has you flipping a couple of pages.

    2. "But Lord, I'm unworthy to have you come under my roof."


    ─C─O─N─T─I─N─U─E─R─
    ═╪═╪═╪═╪═╪═╪═╪═╪═╪═
    ─C─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─ C
    ───┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─┼─E─┼─ E
    ───┼─N─┼─┼─┼─┼───┼─ N
    ───┼───T─┼─┼─┼───┼─ T
    ───┼─────┼─┼─U───┼─ U
    ───┼─────┼─┼─────R─ R
    ───┼─────I─┼─────── I
    ───O───────┼─────── O
    ───────────N─────── N

    Continuer: That's the word for those "Continued on page ..., column ..." notes appearing at the ends of the first segments of articles. I'm sure we all read many a continuer in the Sunday papers.

    Centurion: It was a Roman centurion who made the above quote. He came to Jesus seeking the healing of his servant, but as Jesus was about to follow him to his home, he made the quote expecting Him to just say the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus was amazed at his faith.

    ReplyDelete
  43. JFK, during WWII, commanded a PT Boat, alluding to a PT Cruiser.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Curtis, appreciate the word clumps~~JFK, WWII, PT. Back in the day, we called them abbreviations. But I do like the sound of word clumps. Ok, back to clipping my Grey Coupons.

      Delete
    2. Back when I got my BA in English @ CSU (in the College of AH&SS), we called them abbreviations, too. I've since decided to take license with the language and call them clumps.

      Delete
    3. CJI: I'm confused. The font on the board makes the point ambiguous: Are you referencing word CLumps, or word Dumps? I suppose the former would make better sense, but I was reading the latter, a few times through.

      Delete
    4. Hope it didn't make you feel Down in the Dumps but rather Clueless in the Clumps. The latter was Curtis's intent, I believe.

      Also, I meant acronyms more than abbreviations.

      CJI, aka Curtis, would you concur?

      Delete
    5. I concur that the intended word was CLump. The font on this site did make it ambiguous.

      Delete
    6. I'm confused, too: CSU? California State University, Colorado State, Cleveland State, Chicago State, Columbia Southern, Charleston Southern, Central State, Clayton State, Columbus State? Chelyabinsk State?

      Delete
    7. That would be Colorado State

      Delete
    8. If you live in CO, CSU is Colorado State & CU is the U of Colorado even though no one calls it Colorado University. I like the creativity of Chelyabinsk State though. Are any here ChSU alums?

      I think Cleveland State (ClSU) is the home of clumps.

      Delete
    9. Central State University, home of the Marauders; how 'bout dat Woody?

      Delete
  44. Smoky Robinson "I love it When We're Cruisin Together"

    Alas, I could not make an entry because the site would not accept my button pushing. SDB, is that similar to the problem you were experiencing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes and I'm glad to hear I am not the only one experiencing this problem. I tried Firefox and submitted, but did not like using Firefox and went back to IE. Who wants to learn a new program?

      Now please allow me to once again step up on my soapbox and comment on the puzzle this way. When talking with religious fundies, which I hate to do, I like to remind them that the bible is NOT the word of God, but is written by men. They always like to counter that while this is so, it is inspired by God. I then reply, "Oh, you mean like Lolita?" I always then get a rather blank look in return. My point being that everything is inspired by God. They never seem to get it.

      Delete
  45. Blaine doesn't want a religious discussion, here, but it sounds like SDB had not been reading his PT Cruiser. In any event, God is all good, and nothing evil is inspired by God. Evil comes from the free will He gave us. And you can use that free will however you want. The only thing you have to lose is your eternal soul.

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  46. My clues were:

    - Forgive me if I sound judgmental
    - A confession you coveted your neighbor's car
    Obviously there are religious connotations here, and an indirect association with the Bible (or “scripture”).

    - A nice weekend trip
    Loosely associated with “cruise.”

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  47. Before this week ends, I'd like to confess that I'm still wondering if 'commonly' (in the original statement of the puzzle) has anything to do with 'The Book of Common Prayer'; or if TBoCP has anything essential to do with red doors...in other words, I still haven't interpreted Mrs. Lorenzo's melody(assuming it's a melody).
    And, of course, I'm still wondering about tomatoes.

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  48. I was thinking "Atom Bible" "Bat Mobile" I know Atom Bible sounds made up - but so does....

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  49. Pycnv fwj rk sc ofka bgju mb typtf.

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    1. rfsk bcyc ozqb jggj ccar mfbi.

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    2. I now realize that they're right over at the new thread about there being two solutions. The two solutions rotate the same letter AND have the same number of letters!

      I now also realize that the first word called for in the other solution is in fact the key which makes sense of Paul's cipher-post above in Sharky's Vigenere Cipher.

      But PlannedChaos, neither that key, nor the result word, nor either of the words of my first solution, nor any of their ROT13's; work as keys to make sense of your crypto-post response.

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    3. iqlp tzbs gbbi sznr eumg wndv bywl jlhog.

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  50. I'm trying to think of a second answer.

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  51. Since noone has yet posted it, here's the new puzzle:

    Next week's challenge from listener Sandy Weisz: Take a common English word. Write it in capital letters. Move the first letter to the end and rotate it 90 degrees. You'll get a new word that is pronounced exactly the same as the first word. What words are these?

    Paul and PlannedChaos, I've tried each of the two words sought in the puzzle as keys, and their ROT13's, and all I've discovered is that one of the answer words actually ROT13's into a valid common english word.

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  52. Still working on this one. Do people agree that the capital letters that yield other letters when rotated are C & U, H & I, N & Z, and E & M or W? Or are there others?

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    1. Some time ago I entertained myself with the puzzle of making 3 blocks which together could form all 12 3-letter month abbreviations in uppercase.

      Those who try this puzzle soon discover two big problems: 19 letters would be involved, which is 1 more than the total number of sides we have to work with, and furthermore, if you consider "JAN", "JUN" and "AUG", it becomes clear that one of the letters in the set {"A", "J", "N" & "U"} must appear twice.

      I've come up with solutions involving not only "C" rotating to become "U", but also an uppercase "A" with vertical sides and rounded top which rotates to become an uppercase "D" with nice serifs.

      But don't worry. The letter rotated is in your set above and does NOT use my nice A & D!

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    2. Did you actually make the blocks, EWAF? Cool project. Would you post a link to your A and D?

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    3. No, I've never actually made those blocks, but I was able to use Paint to whip out an "A_and_D.jpg"

      I went to Character Map and tried out all the fonts. The only ones showing uppercase A's like what I have in mind were "Pump Demi Bold LET", "Terminal" and many of the "CL_West..."'s; but neither of them had any serifs on their uppercase D's!!

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    4. I like 'em! Would be fun to make the blocks so you could remember what month we're in. :-). Thanks for the jpg.

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