Sunday, July 17, 2016

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 17, 2016): Mixed-up American Politicians

NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 17, 2016): Mixed-up American Politicians:
A: Name a prominent American politician — first and last names, 11 letters total. Rearrange these letters, and you'll get a country plus the former name of another country. Who's the politician, and what countries are these?
A: NANCY PELOSI --> SPAIN, CEYLON

250 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 a chain of thought, or an internet search) 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
  2. What Noah used to build his boat?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Paul Bordman, well-known actor-politician = Burma, Poland... Didn't think so.

    ReplyDelete
  4. One thang fer certain, they're all lyin' to me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I must say, these answers were a long time coming for moi... BUT IT DID take my mind off my recently bruised ankle.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wonder what the pH of this puzzle is?

    ReplyDelete
  7. A common thread could be read into this puzzle

    ReplyDelete
  8. I quickly solved it hours ago while still in bed and went back to sleep. Coming up with a hint that is not a giveaway is not as easy. No hint here, sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another anagram?!?!?! Not nice!

    I hope that isn't in bad taste.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was ready to give up the NPR puzzle for good if the presumptive Republican nominee was the answer. Thankfully, it's not. {That will save you from anagramming one name.}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's good because after finding Poland in the Tangerine Tornado's name I was stuck with five unagrammable letters.

      Delete
    2. A few months ago The Nation had a cryptic crossword using the fact that "Bernard" "Sanders" "Hillary" "Clinton" all have 7 letters. Not very relevant, but a funny coincidence.

      Delete
    3. The most political person of recent times is James Comey, but he came up one letter short of connecting the dots - as usual.

      Delete
    4. As I said yesterday: Remember CRIME DOESN'T PAY...as well as politics (see: jobbery) and DEBT has now become the NEW (source of) INCOME!

      Delete
  11. Personally, the former name suited me to a t.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Okay, here is my rather lame hint: Peter Falk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Answer has only one "i" ?

      Delete
    2. Yeah, this is a giant giveaway.

      Delete
    3. I must be really obtuse. I have an answer that works and I can't make any sense of sdb's clue. I did a fair amount of googling to no avail. I can't wait until Thursday afternoon for an explanation.

      Delete
    4. As I expected. That is why I did not delete it. Thanks for your post.

      Delete
  13. I am slow this week in responding. Helen and are moving into a new house, with much cleaning (thank you, Pine Sol, Clorox, and Windex), sweeping, and vacuuming, all helped by our four dogs and three indoor cats. Now I will get back to it. ---Rob

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So you're making a clean start in life?

      Delete
    2. I'll bet those three cats huddle on the bed with you during the colder months - maybe not so much now during July. Are you moving to a new state as well as new house? Oklahoma? Arizona?

      Delete
  14. I note this puzzle was submitted by Ben Bass of Chicago. Isn't he known around these here parts?

    ReplyDelete
  15. A cynical Blainesvillian might argue that these are usually purchased one at a time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't really know, but I do think Harriet is a good example of a Blainesvillain.

      Delete
    2. GB, actually laughing aloud here.

      Delete
  16. Personally, I am reminded of the ruthless swallows and amazons. --Margaret G.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right. Ruth has been here less lately.

      Delete
    2. Can't say as I blame the babe though. (Can you say babe w/o the PC Polizei coming after you?)

      Delete
  17. Much as it pains me to say this, but I am getting ready to join the Anti-Anagam Society.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You might need to work on that a bit more, SZ. I don't think you are quite there yet.

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

      Delete
    3. WHOOPS. Darn bifocals. (Bifocals = devices giving you two ways to be out of focus.)
      What I meant to say was, "Much as it pains me to say this, but I am getting ready to join the Anti-Anagram Society."

      Delete
  18. I don't know if there is actually any connection, but after reading all the comments above, the answer came to me.

    For my marker, I will just say, "Star Wars."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd had a different movie in mind. Right genre though...

      Delete
    2. SZ, I agree with you on that one, and it's not my genre.

      Delete
    3. Do I see what you did there?

      Delete
    4. What's uncanny, WW, is that we're so much alike.

      Delete
    5. Paul, that could be why we both enjoy hanging out at this corner of cyberspace, a notional environment if there ever was one. . .

      Delete
    6. And it could be why we all enjoy hanging out in this corner of the multiverse. Was there ever anything else?

      Delete
    7. The Star Wars entry baffled me, but once I obtained the answers, it became clear what Bob Kerfuffle is referring to.

      I will say no more until Thursday, 3 PM Eastern, lest I reveal a clue too close to the answer.

      Delete
  19. Geometry Chief SOH-CAH-TOA might enjoy the angles on this puzzle. With a great sense of humour. . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete

    2. Touché, eco. Sines, cosines, and tangents will never be the same. Well, especially tangents because you know how we are. . .

      Delete
    3. Shortz Offering His Crummy Anagram Has Turned Off Audience [editorial board rewrite]

      Delete
    4. Tri-angles wherever you can, right?!

      Delete
  20. 60 Minutes is my one and only TV program. I don't even watch it every week, but I just watched Leslie Stahl interview Trump and Pence. I have never seen anything as strange before as the color of these two idiots' faces. They were striking shades of red, especially that of Trump. I cannot understand if it was a very bad makeup job or how they actually look. I kept thinking it looked like Trump was made to look like the Devil, not that I am into believing that kind of thing, it was just the thoughts that kept coming at me as I watched. I am wondering if anyone else here happened to watch this and if it appeared the same to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Making up Trump to make him look like a idiot.... sounds like a task for the Department of Redundancy Department

      Delete
  21. Trump's head looked really big to me. Must be full of Will Shortz's puzzles and ideas to make America great again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought as it progressed that Pence looked like he really didn't know how to respond and had perhaps soiled himself. Hopefully he was wearing tight Mormon magical shorts.

      Delete
    2. Aw, c'mon, Guys. Are you really looking forward to Shrillery giving a bunch of screeches - er - speeches?

      Delete
    3. Wow, I just watched the 60 Minutes piece on line, and I'm completely sold. I fell off my chair at 19:30 when he said "I think I’m much more humble than you would understand."

      That would be a great title for a song, perhaps They Might Be Giants?

      Delete
    4. eco,
      Didn't you notice his red complexion? I just tried looking at it, as you did, on my computer monitor and it is just the same as on my LCD TV screen. Like a lobster! I really was hoping others would have noticed this too. It leaves me wondering if he was set up by the make up tech.

      Delete
    5. I sort of noticed, but I was also working and spent more time looking at my work monitor than the second monitor. I guess it was red, but not a full Boehner. Maybe you have your screen adjusted differently?

      I'm just glad I had to miss the first night of the convention (memorial service for a friend). City Council hearing tomorrow, just need a couple more excuses....

      Delete
    6. No, my screens are not overriding colors. That is why I mentioned that it was on both my screens and no other persons show this way. This anomaly really caught my attention due to its uniqueness. Boehner never had a red face. His appearance was very odd, as was noticed by the media, but it looked like it came freshly out of the tanning booth, which, actually it did. It was not at all red. I would suggest you go back and look again, closely, and look at the areas around his eyes, and how they are much paler, but still red, I mean the skin, not the eyeballs. Something is very wrong here.

      Delete
    7. I suspect he uses a spray tan (ironic that he wants to look darker given his racist penchant). This article notes that his color is changing in very short time, and this notes that bright lights and high def show it off to bad effect.

      I still fear more what's under the skin and what comes out of that scowling mouth.

      Delete
  22. This week's puzzle answer was incredibly coincidental for me. I actually had to listen to it on the podcast because my wife and I had just set sail on a cruise to the current country. Should be an amazing trip. We're going to stay in a beautiful resort and spa in one of the nation's oldest cities. Massages and new coiffures from the city's famous hairdressers. And, of course, delicious dining. Sorry you all couldn't make it here as well.

    I did, in trying to get the answer, stumble across this puzzle: Think of the surname of an American political family (members include a former US Senator and the current and former mayors of a prominent city). The name is 8 letters long. Remove the last letter of the surname and the remaining letters can be anagrammed into the name of a country. Who are the family and the country?

    Happy solving!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just make sure that you leave a phone number where you can be reached at 3 PM EASTERN on Thursday, 07/21/16, and that you know when it is actually 3 PM EASTERN, since you will be several time zones removed.

      I could write more about the solution, but that would be a giveaway. As singer-songwriter Iris Dement would say "Let the Mystery Be."

      Delete
  23. ty nick - that was a nice memory

    ReplyDelete
  24. Will Shortz gets anagram in email, reads it on radio, gets paid (secret amount).
    Enigmatology?
    Puzzlemastery?

    I kept looking to see if Trump had his hand behind Pence ala Bergen or Winchell.
    And leaning over to rub shoulders! Casting goo-goo eyes at each other! Achhh!
    We are in for a ride like none ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MJ: I am getting out of the Trumpmobile asap!

      Delete
  25. This seems like a summer rerun to me. We've been here before.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Speaking of countries, one of my favorite movies is called Scotland, PA, giving it an odd quality of referencing one country and one state. The soundtrack of the movie uses a lot of classic rock from the early 70s, helping to make it a joy to watch for us old folks who grew up on classic rock back when it was just called rock. It was one of those small, Sundance releases. Unfortunately, it's now out of print, so we'll need to treat the copy we own extra carefully.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I seem to recall giving up on that film after 15 minutes or so. Interesting that you mention the soundtrack: according to Wikipedia, the director chose it because "the band's catalogue was surprisingly inexpensive".

      Delete
    2. I'll admit I have an unusual taste in films and TV shows. Most of the shows I like don't make it past the first season or two because my wife and I are the only ones watching them.

      And, for film, I find the vast majority of popular movies to be completely unwatchable. I can't sit through anything with Transformer, Madea, or Avenger in the title. I need sedation to watch anything starring Adam Sandler or Mike Myers.

      Delete
  27. Listening to the RNC this evening is strange. I keep wondering where they got these speakers who appear to be on a strict diet of Dulcolax.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Literally seconds after starting to think of an answer, the politician's name was mentioned on the sitcom I have on in the background. I once saw this politician at church.

    ReplyDelete
  29. New to this blog, heard the puzzle over the weekend on the radio & cannot stop researching into it's solution. At this point, I feel that I'm over analyzing the answer, because I've listed out every politician in both parties and the list of 11 letter country names that I've found on a Google search. So, can someone just verify 2 things? First, is there only 10 current country titles with 11 letters and second, are there only 5 formerly titled countries with 11 letters? All I need is yes/no, then will dig into it! Thank you for your assistance!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The number of letter of the current country PLUS the number of letters of the former country equals 11.

      Delete
    2. FFPPSS:
      I think you have been neglecting your elevenses lately.

      Delete
  30. It's two different country names - one former, one current. There are 11 total letters in those two names. --Margaret G.

    ReplyDelete
  31. So far the only individual in support of Trump at the DNC who sounds remotely human is his wife, Melanoma Trump, who was made a fool of by the speech writers having her plagiarize Michelle Obama's speech. Idiots rule!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CORRECTION:
      That should be Melodrama Trump.

      Delete
    2. I liked your Melanoma Trump. It evokes John Dean's, "Cancer on the Presidency," comment, and precisely describes my thoughts on the potential of a Trump Presidency.

      Delete
    3. Very clever of her speech writer ...a closet democrat.

      Delete
    4. Actually he doubles as a makeup tech at 60 Minutes too.

      Delete
    5. I just want my plutocracy back!

      Delete
    6. It is now being reported that the Trump speech writers have wisely decided they should scrub the part where it says, "four score and seven years ago..." out of his acceptance speech.

      Delete
    7. HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! Hilarious!

      Delete
    8. If I thought they had the intelligence for such things (perhaps they do) the plagiarism speech is actually brilliant strategy. It keeps everyone from talking about the important issues at the convention:
      the floor fight and possible breaking of rules in calling for a voice vote rather than roll call on the rules changes;
      the constant call of fear fear fear;
      the divide and conquer strategy of blacks vs Latinos;
      the continued calls for law and order, this time focusing on Black Lives Matter and the Occupy Movement;
      and general hostility towards anyone who isn't white and living a stereotypical 1950's life.

      Machiavelli would be proud.

      Delete
    9. If this is the best criticism Hillaryites can come up with, we can really look forward to a great ClintonII. And it tells us where Hillary's head is - as if we didn't know. I listened to the citation read at Charlie Kettles' Medal of Honor ceremony yesterday. He's the kind of guy I'd want looking out for me if I was under fire - not some policy wonk working on her alibi instead of lifting a finger to get help on the way. Speeches be damned. We need a leader.

      Delete
    10. eco, I had the same thought about distracting us from the real issues. Everyone is talking about the speech issue and not addressing all of the things you listed.

      Delete
    11. I'm more than happy following rules. Just give me some real do's and don'ts.

      Delete
    12. eco:
      You forgot to mention the construction of the Adobe Curtain.

      Delete
    13. The one that lets me download and save PDF's ... and never see them again?

      Delete
    14. SDB: there's only so much space in the blog, and I didn't want to wear out my keyboard.

      WW: it's the old magician's (conjuror's?) trick, you wave one hand while the real tricks are happening where no one is looking.

      Stepping into the Wayback Machine, I thought the Anita Hill accusations against Clarence Thomas were a brilliant way of getting him appointed. I think there was a pretty good chance he wasn't going to get approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. As I recall Joe Biden and others were not happy with his general lack of judicial experience and knowledge over fundamental constitutional issues. Didn't help that Biden did not call corroborating witnesses.

      But all of that distracted everyone from Thomas' complete lack of qualifications, which he has showcased over the last 25 years. If they had stayed on topic, and avoided the guilt over the "high tech lynching" would he have made it to the Court?

      Delete
    15. Eco:
      On the other hand, Thomas is a gift from God to white people who are looking for an excuse to use the forbidden word.

      Delete
    16. eco, it's always important to look away from the distractions if you want to see what's going on. I believe you may be right about Thomas. Wonder what's the next big distraction and what that will really mean?

      Delete
    17. I can't get no distraction
      I can't get no distraction
      'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
      I can't get no, I can't get no

      Delete
    18. Would that make you Wonder Woman?

      Political distractions abound, fun project to compile a list. At least fun for a cynic. I suspect the next big one will get us into fighting another war, like Gulf of Tonkin or WMD.

      Delete
  32. Edward James Olmos approves of this puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't know what you're driving at here, Ryan, but I'm sure you'll let me know on Thursday. Meanwhile, here's my tuppence: In the Time of the Butterflies may not have been a great movie, but it was good for what it was, and Edward and Salma were top-notch, as expected.

      Delete
  33. Thoroughly bazaar (yes, that kind).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is no way to peace,
      Peace is the way.

      I got that from somebody's road sign.

      Delete
  34. I wonder why Blaine has not conversed with us lately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natasha, he doesn't want to miss the call should Hillary ask him to be his running mate.

      Delete
    2. Probably because he does a puzzle blog, not a political forum. Perhaps we should beat our opinions into plowshares - whatever the heck they are - and bury our hatchets in some nearby cliche.

      Delete
    3. Wait! Can one still say "bury the hatchet"?

      Delete
    4. I checked with Molly; she's good with it.

      Delete
    5. "Bury the hatchet" is a great term, and we should acknowledge the Iroquois Confederacy that created the idiom.

      And that they are the planet's oldest democracy.

      And that they never sued the founding fathers for plagiarizing their Constitution.

      Delete
    6. I'd like to know more about the Iriquois Great Law of Peace. I did some duckduckgo searching but that makes me want to learn more. Thanks for that path, eco.

      Delete
    7. Most enlightening thread on this week's blog. . .

      Good to see you back here, RoRo.

      Delete
  35. I expect when the Democrats have their convention, and Hillary Clinton gives her acceptance speech, the Republicans will accuse her of plagiarism if she ends with, "God bless America!"

    ReplyDelete
  36. I don't know whether this country is democratic or republican, but at least I know who's responsible for TWUMP!

    http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/did-the-tea-party-create-donald-trump/482004/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trump is Making America Grate!

      Delete
    2. Is it grate or is it cheese, or both?!

      Delete
    3. I fully expect him to end his acceptance speech with, "God Bless Trump Tower!"

      Delete
    4. Think I remember a nursery rhyme about being in the tower bizness...

      "Dumpty Twumpty sat on a wall, Dumpty Twumpty had a great fall..."

      Delete
    5. Well Humpty Dumpty was actually a political comment at the time and not intended for children. However, I was thinking you were referring to that tramp put in the tower by her father and she had hair similar to that of Twump. But I guess in the end she had a rather hair raising escape.

      Delete
    6. Doubt that Twump's Toupée could attract too many princes, even if it's superglued to that orange.

      Delete
    7. Toupée or not Toupée--that is the question:

      Delete
  37. Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, just finished speaking at the RNC, where he insisted that all people and groups and races, etc. must be treated equally. He somehow forgot to mention those the Republicans always leave out though, such as women, Negros, Mexicans, Asians, homosexuals, transsexuals, the poor, Democrats, hourly workers, immigrants, seniors, those needing health care they have no way of getting and my fingers are getting tired.

    ReplyDelete
  38. How about this doozy from Rudolph Giuliani:

    "Donald Twump will do for America as I did for New York City"

    ...is that a threat, insult, or a declaration of war?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please refresh my memory, as I cannot remember anything Rudolph Giuliani did for New York City, or anyone else for that matter.

      Delete
    2. Well, for one he's a master of humility:

      "I'm probably one of the four or five best known Americans in the world...."

      Delete
  39. The rhetoric of the speakers at the RNC tonight is more vile than those participating in a hazing at a fraternity of perverts at Bob Jones University.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can think of many acronyms for RNC, but this is the other one I'm dwelling on right now:

      T errible
      R epublican
      U ses
      M onetary
      P ersuasion

      Delete
    2. Or:

      Tyrannical
      Reptilian
      Upsets
      Mean
      Politicians


      Delete
  40. DID
    OUR
    NATION
    ACTUALLY
    LISTEN?
    DUH!
    TRITE
    REMARKS---
    UNDOUBTEDLY,
    MELANIA
    PLAGIARIZED!

    ReplyDelete
  41. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  42. ROTTEN
    OLD
    GUY'S
    EROTIC
    REQUESTS
    APPALL
    INTERVIEWER
    LADIES:
    EW,
    SICK!

    Apt anagram for ROGER AILES:
    ARISE, OGLER!

    ReplyDelete
  43. In 2003, a Republican administration took the United States to war with Iraq to prevent a dangerous megalomaniac from gaining access to nuclear weapons.
    Last night, the Republicans named a dangerous megalomaniac as their candidate for the Office of President of the United States, potentially giving him access to nuclear weapons.
    Can anyone explain this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you.
      I'd hoped Blaine's World would be politics-free haven, and an island of sanity. But since that hope, along with my hopes for civil discourse, has been dashed, I decided to throw my two cents in.

      Delete
    2. Have you ever noticed how in this country it is considered in poor taste for us to discuss the important things, i.e. politics, in any situation where we get together, such as meals, or work, yet we have no public places where we can do this, such as they have in European countries? There can be no democracy where ideas and politics cannot be discussed freely.

      Delete
    3. Ergo my comment on the lack of civil discourse. This year's politicking has been filled with ad hominem attacks. Where are the discussions of policies and programs?

      It's been less enlightening than watching six year olds call each other names.

      Delete
    4. Yeah; civil discourse; civil war; what's the difference?

      Delete
  44. This is democracy in action, I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's what they want you to believe, but we are not a democracy. Try to avoid the Kool-Aid.

      Delete
    2. Given how many people don't register to vote, and how few people actually do vote - especially in primaries - and how difficult it can be to vote and finally how there are so many attempts to suppress the vote....[SDB will doubtless add things I missed]

      I would call this democracy inaction. Note the uniformity of sources chosen for this week.

      Delete
  45. Does this week’s puzzle have a Wednesday deadline or a Thursday deadline?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is ALWAYS a Thursday deadline unless stated otherwise. Please see the rules at the beginning of this blog.

      Delete
    2. Good question. The Sunday puzzle website says, "Include a phone number where we can reach you Wednesday, July 21, at 3 p.m. ET." Of course, July 21 is Thursday. Since there's no holiday this week, I'd guess they meant Thursday, July 21.

      Delete
    3. Interesting. I hadn't visited the NPR website this week, so didn't know that. I guess not many of us noticed it either. I just cannot believe one of the minions goofed again.

      Delete
    4. Thanks for having a look at the NPR page. jan, your suggestion to go with the date is a good one.

      Delete
  46. Poor Meredith McIver - Melania Twump's speech writer offered to resign. Twump refused.

    Inaguaral non-"YOU FIRED!"statement.

    So humble-twumble!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What is so strange about it, along with all the other Trump gaffs, is that it only bothers those of us who are against him. It doesn't even faze his devoted dupes who follow him. I heard one being interviewed today on NPR who happens to be a young, Republican lawyer of Mexican immigrants, who states he is still undecided, but sounded anything but. He could not do anything but defend the obvious plagiarism, but even stated it was not plagiarism, but simply borrowing and not against the law. However should a button drop off a piece of clothing worn by Hillary Clinton, to these clowns it would be tantamount to treason. He kept on saying how Trump would change the awful things he was saying about immigrants when he got into office. I guess it is reminiscent of Hitler's Mein Kampf, where he stated exactly how he felt about things, but it was ignored by the average German of the time. Well we all know he did not moderate his ideas after taking over the country, but went wild with them. Why are people so stupid?

      Delete
    2. Puppets on a very thin string. I reckon Chris Christie was drunk last night, but then again he always sounds tipsy. "Lock her up?!"....What the Twump?

      It's appalling and almost amusing to hear confused Twumpoids calling in to Brian Lehrer coverage. He's so polite to them!

      My hope is that all Hill-Cli haters are listening to this GOP freak show...

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

    ReplyDelete
  48. D ementia
    O f
    N umbed
    A llows
    L osers
    D efend

    T erribly
    R ambunctious
    U ntidy
    M essy
    P op-Tarts

    ReplyDelete
  49. DISGRUNTLED
    OLD
    NERDS,
    ALL
    LOSERS.
    DON'T
    THE
    REPUBLICANS
    UNDERSTAND
    MODERN
    POLITICS?

    ReplyDelete
  50. Per the plagiarism admission, Melania GAVE the quotes to the speechwriter - but the speechwriter is taking the fall. What ever happened to, "The Buck Stops Here," and the person in charge accepting responsibility????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Imitation is the biggest form of flattery, right??!!!

      Is that why Dtwump looks similar to a jug of SunnyD?

      Delete
    2. Not quite. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

      Delete
  51. All the political acrostic wordplay brings to mind: is that why unstable drunken hallucinations are called DTs?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NANCY PELOSI >>> SPAIN, CEYLON

      pH referred to Pacific Heights, the part of San Francisco where NANCY PELOSI resides.

      (un)CANNY is an anagram of NANCY.

      SOH/CAH/TOA is a nod to Speaker of (the) House.

      "Say what?" referred to CEYlon.

      Duckduckgoing Peter Falk's "Columbo" series leads directly to a wiki page saying "not to be confused with Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka" (CEYLON).

      "Thoroughly bazaar" is a nod toward Paul Theroux's "The Great Railway Bazaar" including travel across the Palk Strait to CEYLON.

      Delete
    2. "P(eter F)alk Strait". Do i see what you did there?

      Delete
    3. Yeah, Paul, you are seeing strait!

      Still trying to figure out your apostrophe hint below. . .

      Delete
    4. Nancy ... I am Darth Vader.

      Delete
  52. NANCY PELOSI > CEYLON & SPAIN

    My hint: “Okay, here is my rather lame hint: Peter Falk.” Peter Falk was the star actor in the TV show, I never watched, Columbo. The capitol of Sri Lanka is Colombo. Sri Lanka is the current name of Ceylon. A couple here thought this was a giveaway hint, but I do not agree. The typical American doesn’t know anything about Ceylon/Sri Lanka, and would be unable to locate it on a world map, not to mention never having heard of Colombo.

    Arthur C. Clarke resided in Sri Lanka and wrote a short story from which 2001: A Space Odyssey was made. Not "Star Wars."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And here I am, trying to find somewhere where Falk either criticized or praised or was somehow associated with Pelosi. Totally ignored the TV show and never considered that your hint was to the places rather than the person.

      Delete
    2. Even with all those O's in COLOMBO, it is the commercial capital of Ceylon/Sri Lanka, not the capitol.

      The legislative capital of Sri Lanka is now Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.

      Kotte is a suburb of Colombo, home to my niece's husband's family.

      Delete
    3. But Colombo was a 70's TV show and is easier to pronounce. When your niece's husband goes to visit does he say "Welcome Back Kotte?"

      Delete
    4. eco, There you go again; letting the Kotte outta the bag.

      As to capital vs capitol. I have always had a problem there and meant to check on it before I posted, but I forgot. Is that a capital or capitol offense?

      Delete
    5. Aum I God! I must have made a miss steak.

      Delete
    6. eco, he may well. Sanith is a pretty funny guy.

      Delete
  53. NANCY PELOSI -> SPAIN, CEYLON

    > Fits to a T.

    Ceylon was/is known for tea.

    > What you can't teach an old dog.

    "Canine ploys" is an anagram for Nancy Pelosi

    > What Noah used to build his boat?

    "Sri Lanka" Ceylon, now) anagrams to "ark nails"

    > A cynical Blainesvillian might argue that these are usually purchased one at a time.

    Unlike other speakers.

    > Rabbits!

    Nancy Pelosi also anagrams to "lapin" and "coneys" (or "lapins" and "coney").

    ReplyDelete
  54. Nancy Pelosi, Spain, Ceylon

    Last Sunday I said, “Personally, the former name suited me to a t." Ceylon Tea, that is.

    ReplyDelete
  55. In my reply on Sunday, I mentioned Pine Sol, which is an anagram of N. Pelosi. ---Rob

    ReplyDelete
  56. My "marker," "Star Wars," was merely meant to signify "science fiction," or S F, also the initials of San Francisco, the district represented by Nancy Pelosi, as I believe was immediately grasped by @SZ and @sdb and later by @lmp.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have just read @skydiveboy's comment, and I would repeat that I was only thinking of the genre of science fiction. Although it is in my database that A. C. Clarke lived in Sri Lanka, that had nothing to do with my marker!

      Delete
  57. "I'm more than happy following rules. Just give me some real do's and don'ts." The salient portion is real do's and. I took great pains to work in that apostrophe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My early use of FAIR was a giveaway, but I can do little to correct that now.

      Delete
  58. The only thing of interest to me in this "puzzle" was the former name of a country.
    A list of four or five came along within minutes.
    To a "t" and sdb's Falk hint made Ceylon the certain pick and I stopped working on it then, before killing any more brain cells rearranging letters.
    I think I could work up a nice comparison between Donald Trump and anagrams.

    ReplyDelete
  59. "Not nice" referred to the French City of Nancy, which is both nice and not Nice.

    I also threw in some links to Salon.com articles, a weak homophone for Ceylon.

    Speaking of articles, maybe this article will wake up the media (and half the country). They can't cover policy, or business crime, but they do love a sex scandal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "We all breathe the same air."

      It's a conspiracy.

      Delete
  60. My reference to the "ruthless swallows and amazons" denoted Nancy (in the book series "Swallows and Amazons" one of the girls was called Nancy instead of Ruth, because pirates were Ruth-less). --Margaret G.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You drew from sources with which I was unfamiliar, but I'll bet if I had done my Googling and/or DuckDuckGoing, I would have found them. I might have gone with a "Magill" theme.

      Delete
  61. NANCY PELOSI =

    SPAIN + CEYLON
    (now SRI LANKA)

    And to all those who were “suited to a TEA,” great “giveaway” !

    And Ceylon's capital is Colombo...Peter Falk as Columbo...

    The Missios puzzle: Mayor of New Orleans, Mitch LANDRIEU (-U) = IRELAND.

    ReplyDelete
  62. NANCY PELOSI, SPAIN, CEYLON(formerly Sri Lanka)

    ReplyDelete
  63. Nancy Pelosi-Ceylon-Spain
    My comment, “Much as it pains me to say this, but I am getting ready to join the Anti-Anagram Society,” included pains, an anagram of Spain.

    And, as with others, my comment re: movie genres was a pointer towards Arthur Clarke, who lived in Sri Lanka. In addition to writing the short story, The Sentinel , which lead to 2001, A Space Odyssey, Clarke is credited with inventing the geosynchronous communications satellite

    ReplyDelete
  64. I just finished listening to some gay idiotic Republican mogul give a speech where he asked "who cares" about the restroom debacle. Well I care! I would not want my children having to share such an intimate experience with the children of Republicans. After all it is Republican politicians who seem to be getting themselves into questionable situations in these public places. I give you ex Senator Larry Craig of Idaho as the poster child.

    ReplyDelete
  65. While Ceylon changed its name to Sri Lanka, I don't think things have changed that much. It is still a sari state.

    ReplyDelete
  66. NANCY PELOSI, SPAIN, CEYLON

    My reply/hint:

    "I don't know whether this country is democratic or republican, but at least I know who's responsible for TWUMP! And sharing a link to a Tea party related article."

    Relating to Ceylon AKA the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka...and Ceylon tea...

    ReplyDelete
  67. Donald Trump is a grate politician. He will grate America raw. He is already making my ears grate again. Long live grateness.

    ReplyDelete
  68. This puzzle reminded me of a joke I made up some years ago:

    Imagine you are on a sea cruise ship vacation with stops in India, but along the way the ship makes an unscheduled stop in Sri Lanka in order to transport an ill passenger to the hospital. What do you think the captain should do after he has disembarked his sick passenger?
    The captain should leave, Ceylon.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Nice work, Ron.

    My clues were "sail on" and "spa in". Pretty straightforward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well at least "straightforward" is not a euphemism for homophobic. :-)

      Delete

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.