Sunday, December 31, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 31, 2017): Wrapping Up the Year

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 31, 2017): Wrapping Up the Year:
Q: Name a famous singer — 3 letters in the first name, 5 letters in the last. Drop the middle letter of the last name and rearrange the result to name a variety of singing group. What is it?
I think it works equally well if you put the letter back in.

Edit: I can't say I care much for a boy band; I'd call them a boy bland.
A: BOB DYLAN --> BOY BAND

Sunday, December 24, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 24, 2017): Fifty Nifty United States

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 24, 2017): Fifty Nifty United States:
Q: The name of what well-known U.S. city, in 10 letters, contains only three different letters of the alphabet?
The same could be said about a city in Australia.

The Australia city is WAGGA WAGGA.
A: WALLA WALLA (Washington)

Monday, December 18, 2017

Christmas Puzzle for 2017

Our annual Christmas puzzle is available now.
As in prior years, the reward for solving is a video Christmas card, but you'll need to figure out the password by solving the puzzle first.

Note: If you need some help, the full answer is posted here, but try solving it without help first... it's more fun that way.

Feel free to add a comment below to let us know that you successfully figured it out (without giving away the answer to others). We are always looking for new ideas for next year's Christmas puzzle, so submit those too.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 17, 2017): Modern Conveniences

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 17, 2017): Modern Conveniences:
Q: Think of a convenience introduced in the 19th century that is still around today. Its name has two words. Take the first three letters of the first word and the first letter of its second word, in order, to get a convenience introduced in the 21st century that serves a similar purpose. Their names are otherwise unrelated. What two conveniences are these?
I can't think what it would be.

Edit: I eventually figured it out. My comment contained hints to "reference lists" and to enlisting the help of others.
A: YEL(LOW) P(AGES) --> YELP

Sunday, December 10, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 10, 2017): Put Your Vehicle In Reverse

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 10, 2017): Put Your Vehicle In Reverse:
Q: The name of what vehicle, spelled backward, becomes phonetically a four-word phrase identifying another vehicle?
Parallel parking requires you go backwards but if you've gone back more than 3 times, you're doing it wrong.

Edit: Three weeks ago we had a puzzle on car makes where one of the answers was SUBARU.
A: SUBARU --> URABUS = "You are a B-U-S"

Sunday, December 03, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 3, 2017): Get Out Your World Map

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 3, 2017): Get Out Your World Map:
Q: Take the singular and plural forms of a particular noun. Remove the first two letters of the singular form and you'll name a country. Remove one letter from inside the plural form to name another country. What words and countries are these?
Not to be petty, but doesn't this mean yet another lapel pin for LegoLambda?

Edit: Hint: a naval petty officer...
A: YEOMAN --> OMAN, YEOMEN --> YEMEN

Sunday, November 26, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 26, 2017): C'est la Vie

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 26, 2017): C'est la Vie:
Q: Think of a familiar French expression in three words, containing 3 letters, 2 letters, and 5 letters, respectively. Then take its standard translation in English, which is a two-word phrase. If you have the right phrases, the first words of the two phrases said out loud will sound like a world capital. What is it?
Not the way I say it.

Edit: I'm used to hearing the first P distinctly pronounced, but the other pronunciation where the P is silent is acceptable.
A: NOM DE PLUME = PEN NAME
"NOM PEN" sounds like PHNOM PENH, the capital of Cambodia

Sunday, November 19, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 19, 2017): Dare to be Different

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 19, 2017): Dare to be Different:
Q: Here is a list of six words. Besides the fact that each word contains the letter E, what highly unusual property do they share?
  • ADIEU
  • AMAZED
  • BUREAUS
  • ELATES
  • HEAD-ON
  • SIENNAS
  • I could add SOLUTE and ABASE to the list, but I really don't care.

    Edit: Happy Thanksgiving! Removing the letter E from CARE, you get CAR.
    A: All the remaining letters in each word (after removing the E) can be rearranged to name a car maker. AUDI, MAZDA, SUBARU, TESLA, HONDA and NISSAN. My additional two form LOTUS and SAAB.

    Sunday, November 12, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 12, 2017): State Capital and World Capital --> State Name

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 12, 2017): State Capital and World Capital --> State Name:
    Q: Take the name of a U.S. state capital. Immediately to the right of it write the name of a world capital. If you have the right ones, the name of a U.S. state will be embedded in consecutive letters within that letter string. What three places are these?
    Rather than wasting my time looking through several different lists; I feel I have to watch YouTube instead.

    Edit: YouTube --> video --> Montevideo
    A: DENVER or DOVER MONTEVIDEO = VERMONT

    Sunday, November 05, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 5, 2017): Fall Back to a List of Directors

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 5, 2017): Fall Back to a List of Directors:
    Q: Think of the last name of a famous film director. The first two letters and last two letters in order spell a word. And the remaining letters, rearranged, spell a synonym of that word. What film director is it?
    I have two answers -- a third if you want to include an Academy Award winning composer.

    Edit: Along with the Huston family, the Coppolas are notable for having three generations of Academy Award winners: grandfather Carmine Coppola (best score), father Francis Ford Coppola (best film, director, screenplay and writing) and daughter Sofia Coppola (best screenplay).
    A: (Francis Ford / Sophia) COPPOLA --> COLA + POP

    Sunday, October 29, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 29, 2017): Metal Nationalities

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 29, 2017): Metal Nationalities:
    Q: This week's challenge sounds easy, but it's a little tricky. Name a well-known nationality. Drop a letter, and the remaining letters in order will name a metal — one of the elements on the periodic table. What is it?
    A person from Oman is an Omanganese, right?

    Edit: Omanganese hints at the greek letter OMEGA.

    Update: I included a better clue in the comments about whether Will Shortz ever tests these puzzles. Software companies will often release a BETA version of their software to let customers test features before the final version is released.

    A: TIBETAN, remove β (BETA) and you get TIN

    Sunday, October 22, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 22, 2017): Two Week Challenge: Move Two Numbers

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 22, 2017): Two Week Challenge: Move Two Numbers:
    Q: This is a two-week challenge. Write down the equation:
    65 – 43 = 21.
    You'll notice that this is not correct. 65 minus 43 equals 22, not 21. The object is to move exactly two of the digits to create a correct equation. There is no trick in the puzzle's wording. In the answer, the minus and equal signs do not move.
    Keep it up; you still have another week to solve this.

    Edit: My hint last week was "I used to be an advocate...". I guess you could say if I'm no longer a proponent, I must be an ex-ponent. :) This week's clue is a hint to raise the numbers up.
    A: 65 - 4³ = 1² --> 65 - 64 = 1

    Sunday, October 15, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 15, 2017): Two Week Challenge: Move Two Numbers

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 15, 2017): Two Week Challenge: Move Two Numbers:
    Q: This is a two-week challenge. Write down the equation:
    65 – 43 = 21.
    You'll notice that this is not correct. 65 minus 43 equals 22, not 21. The object is to move exactly two of the digits to create a correct equation. There is no trick in the puzzle's wording. In the answer, the minus and equal signs do not move.
    I used to be an advocate of more challenging number/math puzzles. But this one is not worthy of a two-week challenge.

    Sunday, October 08, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 8, 2017): What did Henry Ford Do?

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 8, 2017): What did Henry Ford Do?:
    Q: Take the name of a country. Insert an E somewhere inside it. You'll get a phrase that answers the question: What did Henry Ford do?
    Not to repeat myself, but I just like saying the name of the capital.

    Edit: This puzzle wasn't that different from the "Just add Z" puzzle from 2014.
    A: MADAGASCAR --> MADE A GAS CAR

    Sunday, October 01, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 1, 2017): I can't make SUSHI without U

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 1, 2017): I can't make SUSHI without U:
    Q: Think of a 4-letter food. Move each letter one space later in the alphabet — so A would become B, B would become C, etc. Insert a U somewhere inside the result. You'll name a 5-letter food. What foods are these?
    To make a long story short, I woke up to raindrops in the night. Later, when my alarm went off, I tried working on this in my sleepy state for about 15 minutes and then fell back asleep. Good thing I wasn't trying to get up for a final.

    Edit: In Final Fantasy XV, during the "Raindrops in the Night" hunt, you fight a JUMBO FLAN. Perhaps a little too much of a clue and something searchable, but I went for it anyway.
    A: FLAN and GUMBO

    Sunday, September 24, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 24, 2017): What to Name the Baby

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 24, 2017): What to Name the Baby:
    Q: Think of a familiar 6-letter boy's name starting with a vowel. Change the first letter to a consonant to get another familiar boy's name. Then change the first letter to another consonant to get another familiar boy's name. What names are these?
    Don't worry; even if you don't have the answer now, you still have until Thursday at 2:59 pm ET. But don't wait any longer than that. And especially don't go on vacation.

    If you were to submit your answer at 2:59 pm, you'd be just in time. The last time this puzzle was used (July 27, 2014), I was on vacation.
    A: AUSTIN, DUSTIN, JUSTIN

    Sunday, September 17, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 17, 2017): Back to School Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 17, 2017): Back to School Puzzle:
    Q: This puzzle is for the new school year. Think of two antonyms, each in three letters. Set them side by side. In between them arrange the letters of TRY TO ACE in some order. The result will name someone at school. Who is it?
    Don't make the mistake I did.

    Edit: I originally thought all the letters had to be anagrammed, not just the ones in the middle. It was much easier to solve after that. And my hint was a reference to the quote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (or any of the numerous variations of that quote).
    A: HISTORY TEACHER

    Sunday, September 10, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 10, 2017): Go Nab a Cab

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 10, 2017): Go Nab a Cab:
    Q: Think of a famous quotation with 8 words. The initial letters of the first 4 words themselves spell a word, and the initial letters of the last 4 words spell another word. Both words rhyme with "jab." What quotation is it?"
    As Yoda would say, "Do or Do Not, There is No Try."

    Edit: It's a famous 8-word quote, albeit not the answer. Yoda usually urges against aggression saying things like, "A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack."
    A: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" - Muhammad Ali

    Sunday, September 03, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 3, 2017): The Cat's Away...

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 3, 2017): The Cat's Away...

    I'm unable to post the puzzle this week, but I didn't want to leave you without a place to post comments on the puzzle. Somebody help me out by posting a copy here. Then feel free to add your *hints*.

    Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any outright spoilers 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. Thank you.
    Q: Rearrange the 15 letters of COOL HIT FARE IN L.A. to name a famous song that's appropriate to the given phrase.
    A: "Hotel California" by the Eagles

    Sunday, August 27, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 27, 2017): All Signs Point To Sequoias

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 27, 2017): All Signs Point To Sequoias:
    Q: This week's challenge is a common two-word expression. The expression consists of 8 letters and uses all five vowels — A, E, I, O and U. It has only three consonants, one of which is repeated. The first word in the expression has two letters and the second has six letters. What familiar expression is it?
    I saw a sign that said "Sequoias", but that's one word, not two.
    A: AU REVOIR

    Sunday, August 20, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 20, 2017): Don't Stare Directly at this Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 20, 2017): Don't Stare Directly at this Puzzle:
    Q: Think of two synonyms — one in 5 letters, the other in 4. The 5-letter word starts with S. The 4-letter word contains an S. Change one of these Ss to an A. You can rearrange the result to name a group of people, in 9 letters, that ideally have those two adjectives describe them. What group is it?

    Sunday, August 13, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 13, 2017): Watching Two-word TV Show Adds Character

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 13, 2017): Watching Two-word TV Show Adds Character:

    Q: Name a long-running TV show in two words. Add a C and rearrange the result to name another long-running TV show also in two words. What shows are these? And here's a hint: Both shows are currently on the air, although the second one was most popular the past.
    The NPR website had last week's puzzle but now it's fixed! :)

    Edit: My hints were the symbols ! and :) representing the exclamation point in the first show's title and the word "Smile" in the second shows tagline.
    A: American Dad! and Candid Camera

    Sunday, August 06, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 6, 2017): Inauguration Anagrams

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 6, 2017): Inauguration Anagrams:
    Q: The word INAUGURATION contains the letters of GNU, GOAT, IGUANA, and AGOUTI, which are all animals. The name of what 9-letter animal can be spelled from the letters of INAUGURATION?
    The 9-letter words I'm getting are RUINATION, URINATING and RATIONING. Other words are IGNORANT, RAINING, RANTING, RIOTING and ANGINA.
    A: ORANGUTAN

    Sunday, July 30, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 30, 2017): Acirema fo Setats Detinu

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 30, 2017): Acirema fo Setats Detinu:
    Q: This puzzle might require a little research. There is a city somewhere in the United States with a population of about 24,000 people. Change the last letter in the name of its state. If you now read the name of the city plus the altered name of its state together, the result is a palindrome — that is, it reads backward and forward the same. What city is it?
    Edit: The only tricky part was realizing that part of the repeated letters came from the state name so that the city name was shorter than the state.
    A: ZION, ILLINOIS

    Sunday, July 23, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 23, 2017): Pat Sajak and Vanna White

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 23, 2017): Pat Sajak and Vanna White:
    Q: What common three-word expression — 14 letters in all — has only N and G as consonants, and otherwise is all vowels?
    I'm not sure Will Shortz has hit a homerun with this puzzle.

    Edit: Some announcers might say this as the ball is heading over the wall.
    A: GOING, GOING, GONE!

    Sunday, July 16, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 16, 2017): A Novel Approach

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 16, 2017): A Novel Approach:
    Q: Name a U.S. city and its state — 12 letters altogether.

    Change two letters in the state's name. The result will be the two-word title of a classic novel. What is it?
    I was thinking the answer was a city in Florida until I pulled the correct answer out of the recesses of my brain.

    Edit: The city I was thinking of was St. Petersburg, but I guess it wasn't the one in Florida. The other hint was pull being the opposite of push.
    A: EUGENE OREGON --> EUGENE ONEGIN by Alexander Pushkin

    Sunday, July 09, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 9, 2017): Synonyms and an Antonym

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 9, 2017): Synonyms and an Antonym:
    Q: Take a certain 7-letter word. Remove the first letter and you get a 6-letter synonym of that word. And the letter you removed is an abbreviation for the opposite of both words. What words are these?
    A: FACTUAL and ACTUAL --> F (False)

    Sunday, July 02, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 2, 2017): Girls and Cars

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (July 2, 2017): Girls and Cars:
    Q: Think of a common girl's name. Write it in all capital letters. Rotate one of these letters 90 degrees and another of the letters 180 degrees. The result will name a make of a car. What is it?
    And if you take one letter in the make of a car and turn it 90 degrees and another letter is turned 180 degrees the result is a fish.

    Edit: A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
    A: WANDA --> MAZDA

    Sunday, June 25, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 25, 2017): Deranged Kim Kardashian

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 25, 2017): Deranged Kim Kardashian:
    Q: Take the name KIM KARDASHIAN. Rearrange the letters to get the last name of a famous actress along with a famous one-named singer. Who are these people?
    My hint this week --> HfHN:AGBfER

    Edit: Both actress and singer appeared on Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief.
    A: (Nicole) KIDMAN and SHAKIRA

    Sunday, June 18, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 18, 2017): Putting Your Best Foot Forward

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 18, 2017): Putting Your Best Foot Forward:
    Q: Think of a familiar two-word phrase starting with T and ending with S, in which the interior letters name part of the human body. Remove the first and last letters of that word, and what remains will name another part of the human body. What's the phrase, and what are the body parts?
    I can tell you it isn't a knee.

    Knee was a hint to NEA which is the National Endowment For The Arts
    A: THE ARTS --> HEART --> EAR

    Sunday, June 11, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 11, 2017): Charmed by Chinchilla Fragrance?

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 11, 2017): Charmed by Chinchilla Fragrance?:
    Q: Consider this sentence:

    Benjamin, the Greenpeace ombudsman in the panorama, was charmed by the chinchilla fragrance.

    This sentence contains seven words of seven or more letters. They have something very unusual in common. What is it, and can you think of an eighth word with the same property?
    I think I may start my week with a folded tortilla.

    Edit: The phrase "Monday Taco" would work if two-word phrases were allowed.
    A: Drop one or more letters from the middle of the word and what remains is the name of a country (Benin, Greece, Oman, Panama, Chad, China, France). There are many other words you could name (Chamomile, Chipotle, Childlike, Childcare, Indicia, Ironman, Niggler, Nightclubber, Nightcrawler, Turnkey, etc.)

    Sunday, June 04, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 4, 2017): Another Two-Word Cities Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (June 4, 2017): Another Two-Word Cities Puzzle:
    Q: Name a well-known U.S. city with two words in its name. The second word sounds like the last name of a famous 20th-century writer. The first word is something found in virtually every work of this author. What is the city, and who is the author?
    I'd say the first word describes the complete works of this author, not just most.

    Edit: corpus (n.)
    1 : the body of a human or animal especially when dead.
    2 : all the writings or works especially the complete works of an author.
    A: CORPUS CHRISTI --> Agatha CHRISTIE and CORPUS

    Sunday, May 28, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 28, 2017): Fancy Math?

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 28, 2017): Fancy Math?:
    Q: If ELI is 173, and LOIS is 5,107, how much is LESLIE?
    The first person who says it's a little more than 5.3 million is getting banned.

    Edit: Turn the name upside down and you get the number, but not 5,318,008.
    A: LESLIE = 317,537

    Sunday, May 21, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 21, 2017): Creature of the City

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 21, 2017): Creature of the City:

    Q: Name a creature in 9 letters, 2 words. Drop the consecutive letters 'UR' and what remains when read in order will be the name of a major US city (in 7 letters).
    It's no time to tucker out on this puzzle.

    Edit: Tucker was the name of a sea turtle recently rescued by the Seattle Aquarium.
    A: SEA TURTLE --> SEATTLE

    Sunday, May 14, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 14, 2017): Morning and Evening Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 14, 2017): Morning and Evening Puzzle:
    Q: Take the brand name of a product that's usually consumed in the morning. Drop the first two letters and read the remaining letters backward. You'll get a word associated with the evening. What is the brand, and what's the word?
    Personally I like french toast for breakfast.

    Edit: "French" was a hint to the second word (SOIRÉE) and "Toast" was a hint to part of the first word (CHEERS --> CHEERIOS).
    A: CHEERIOS --> SOIRÉE

    Sunday, May 07, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 7, 2017): Medical Procedure Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 7, 2017): Medical Procedure Puzzle:
    Q: Name a familiar medical procedure in nine letters. You can rearrange these letters to name two people who might get this procedure. The answer consists of informal names for these people. Who are they?
    Using an anagram solver, I came up with an alternate pair of names. I'll tell you more next week.

    Edit: The word "anagram" was a hint. And the alternate answer it came up with was MOMMA and GRAM.
    A: MAMMOGRAM --> GRAMMA + MOM

    Sunday, April 30, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 30, 2017): Billboard Hot 100 Creative Challenge (cont.)

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 30, 2017): Billboard Hot 100 Creative Challenge (cont.):
    Q: It's a two-week creative challenge. The object is to mashup the titles of past No. 1 hits on the Billboard 100 pop chart to tell a story. For example: "I Shot The Sheriff" "The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia." "The Morning After" "I'll Be There" "Leaving On A Jet Plane."

    Wikipedia has a list of the Billboard No. 1 singles from the Hot 100 era, 1958 to present, which you can use. Your story can include up to seven song titles. Entries will be judged on cleverness, naturalness of reading, memorableness of the songs and overall elegance. You can send up to three entries and the best one, based on Will's opinion, will play the puzzle on the air in two weeks.
    Week two...
    A: Winning entry: Thrift Shop! / What Goes Around Comes Around. / Rag Doll, / Good Luck Charm, / Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini, / It's All In The Game. / I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For!

    Runner up: Sugar, Sugar / I Heard It Through the Grapevine / (You're) Having My Baby / I Gotta Feeling / It Wasn't Me / The Stripper

    Sunday, April 23, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 23, 2017): Billboard Hot 100 Creative Challenge

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 23, 2017): Billboard Hot 100 Creative Challenge:
    Q: It's a two-week creative challenge. The object is to mashup the titles of past No. 1 hits on the Billboard 100 pop chart to tell a story. For example: "I Shot The Sheriff" "The Night the Lights Went Out In Georgia." "The Morning After" "I'll Be There" "Leaving On A Jet Plane."

    Wikipedia has a list of the Billboard No. 1 singles from the Hot 100 era, 1958 to present, which you can use. Your story can include up to seven song titles. Entries will be judged on cleverness, naturalness of reading, memorableness of the songs and overall elegance. You can send up to three entries and the best one, based on Will's opinion, will play the puzzle on the air in two weeks.
    Get those creative juices flowing...

    Sunday, April 16, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 16, 2017): A Runny Variety of Cheese Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 16, 2017): A Runny Variety of Cheese Puzzle:
    Q: A spoonerism is when you change the initial consonant sounds of two words in a phrase to get a new phrase. For example, "Tames Jailer" is a spoonerism of the singer James Taylor. "Spark Mitts" is a spoonerism of the swimmer Mark Spitz. The name of what famous entertainer — first and last names — has a two-word spoonerism meaning "A runny variety of cheese"?
    I got caught up on "entertainer". That's not the first word I'd used to describe this person. Anyway, back to getting dressed for Easter.

    Edit: My pants are a little loose, so I made sure to wear a black belt.
    A: BRUCE LEE --> LOOSE BRIE

    Sunday, April 09, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 9, 2017): Deep Dive Under the Sea

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 9, 2017): Deep Dive Under the Sea:
    Q: Name a well-known U.S. city in two words. Replace each of these words with a word that rhymes with it, and you'll name a large sea creature in two words. What is it?
    It's a brainstorm...

    Edit: ... is an anagram of Manta birostris which is the Giant oceanic manta ray.
    A: SANTA FE --> MANTA RAY

    Sunday, April 02, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 2, 2017): Proper Name Anagrams

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 2, 2017): Proper Name Anagrams:
    Q: Think of four 4-letter proper names that are all anagrams of each other. Two of them are first names — one male and one female. The other two are well-known geographical names. What names are these?
    If I combine the first names I get a third person.

    Edit: Liam Neeson and Mila Kunis starred together in the movie Third Person
    A: LIAM, MILA, LIMA, MALI

    Sunday, March 26, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 26, 2017): Kitchen Remodel

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 26, 2017): Kitchen Remodel:
    Q: Name two things found in a kitchen — one starting with G, the other starting with K. If you have the right ones, you can rearrange the letters to name two other things, one of them found in the kitchen starting with F, the other one probably found elsewhere in the house starting with K. What things are these?
    Anyone have an answer not involving a brand name?
    A: GRIDDLE + KNIFE --> FRIDGE + KINDLE

    Sunday, March 19, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 19, 2017): I (blank) you!

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 19, 2017): I (blank) you!:
    Q: Think of a familiar phrase in the form "I ___ you," in which a four-letter word goes in the blank. Rearrange those letters and you'll get another familiar phrase in the form "I ___ you." Both phrases get more than half a million hits in a Google search. What phrases are these?
    Lickin' chicken

    Edit: "I read you lickin' chicken" -- military radio slang for "loud and clear."
    A: I DARE YOU (~542,000 results), I READ YOU (~577,000 results)

    Sunday, March 12, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 12, 2017): Two Word City Puzzle

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 12, 2017): Two Word City Puzzle:
    Q: Name a well-known city in the U.S. Two words. The second word rhymes with a word meaning "certain stories" — and the first word rhymes with something found in those stories. What city is it?"
    I've been waiting for Will to drop a real GEM of a puzzle.

    Edit: George Edgar Merrick was the planner and builder of the city of Coral Gables, Florida in the 1920s.
    A: CORAL GABLES --> MORAL, FABLES

    Sunday, March 05, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 5, 2017): Playing Games

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 5, 2017): Playing Games:
    Q: An easy-ish one this week. Write the name of a game in small letters. Reverse the second and third letters. Turn the fourth letter upside-down. The result will name something else to play. What is it?
    You can't convince me to give you an iota of help this week.

    Edit: Not one scrap which anagrams to...
    A: craps <--> cards

    Sunday, February 26, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 26, 2017): I'd Like to Buy a Vowel, Pat

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 26, 2017): I'd Like to Buy a Vowel, Pat:
    Q: Take five consecutive letters of the alphabet. Write them in left-to-right order. Insert five letters at certain spots. These will all go between the first and last given letters. The result will be a famous actor — first and last names. Who is it?
    Typing test: "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."

    Edit: Men serving country was a hint to jury duty and "Twelve Angry Men". The other hint was "aid" which is a homophone of "ade" as in lemonade.
    A: JKLMN --> Jack Lemmon

    Sunday, February 19, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 19, 2017): A Change of Outfits

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 19, 2017): A Change of Outfits:
    Q: Think of an article of apparel in five letters. Change one letter in it to name another article of apparel. Change one letter in that to name a third article of apparel. Then change one letter in that to name a fourth article of apparel. The position of the letters you change are different each time. What articles are these?
    Mr. Shortz has delivered a fun puzzle this week.

    Edit: My clue was delivered as in the *stork* delivering babies. If you anagram stork you get skort.
    A: SKORT <--> SKIRT <--> SHIRT <--> SHIFT

    Sunday, February 12, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2017): Having Fun in the Kitchen

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2017): Having Fun in the Kitchen:
    Q: Name some things commonly seen on a kitchen table. Switch the positions of the fifth and sixth letters of the word, and read the result backward. You'll name two things commonly seen in a kitchen. What are they?
    For us, practically everything ends up on the kitchen table, but maybe the rest of you have a "normal" amount of stuff to consider. It's all relative.

    Edit: Well, perhaps I have everything but the kitchen SINK? My other hints were rest as in NAP and relative as in KIN.
    A: NAPKINS --> SINK, PAN

    Sunday, February 05, 2017

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2017): And They Lived Happily Ever After

    NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2017): And They Lived Happily Ever After:
    Q: Name a prominent figure in a fairy tale. Write this in all capital letters. Add a stroke to one letter and rearrange the result. You'll name another prominent figure in a fairy tale. What two fairy tale figures are these?
    A: FROG —> OGRE