Sunday, December 30, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 30, 2018): Name That Farm Animal

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 30, 2018): Name That Farm Animal:
Q: Think of a world capital. Change the third letter to get the informal name of a farm animal. What capital (and animal) is it?
Bonus puzzle: Take out the vowel that is repeated in the name of the farm animal, rearrange the remaining letters and you have a word relating to Wales.

Edit: The remaining letters when rearranged spell CWM, a rounded, glaciated valley, especially in the mountains of Wales.
A: MOSCOW --> MOOCOW

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Christmas Puzzle for 2018

Our annual Christmas puzzle is available now. Follow the simple directions, eliminate those words and see what's left...

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.

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.

If you need help with the puzzle or if you missed the reference in our Christmas family photo, here is the answer to the puzzle. But try to solve it yourself before looking there.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 23, 2018): Happy Holidays!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 23, 2018): Happy Holidays!:
Q: It's a straightforward puzzle. Think of a place you can find coins, in two words. Put the second word first, and you'll get a compound word describing most holiday cards. What words are these?
I hold my holiday cards close to my heart; you might call them "chest-treasure". Do we need Word Woman's help this week?

Edit: Word Woman's initials are WW, just like the answer.
A: WISHING WELL --> WELL-WISHING

Sunday, December 16, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 16, 2018): What's on Your Bookshelf?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 16, 2018): What's on Your Bookshelf?:
Q: Think of two words meaning "certain groups of females." If you have the right ones, you can rearrange all the letters to name a famous novel by a female writer. The title has 13 letters in total. What novel is it?
Let's see where this goes.

Edit: One thing you might consult to get places is an atlas.
A: DAUGHTERS + GALS --> ATLAS SHRUGGED (by Ayn Rand)

Sunday, December 09, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 9, 2018): Let's Table This For Now

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 9, 2018): Let's Table This For Now:
Q: Think of a word that can go before "table" to make a familiar phrase. Move the last letter to the front, and you'll have a word that can go after "table" to make a familiar phrase. What phrases are these?
Where's a careless intern when you need them?
A: CRAPS TABLE --> TABLE SCRAPS

Sunday, December 02, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 2, 2018): Let's Investigate This Fully

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 2, 2018): Let's Investigate This Fully:
Q: Think of a common 7-letter word. Drop its second letter, and you'll get a 6-letter word that does not rhyme with the first. Alternatively, you can drop the third letter from the 7-letter word to get a 6-letter word that doesn't rhyme with either of the first two. Further, you can drop both the second and third letters from the 7-letter word to get a 5-letter word that doesn't rhyme with any of the others. What words are these?
My job is done.

Edit: The title hints at THOROUGH. The picture and my text hint at THROUGH.
A: THROUGH --> TROUGH -> THOUGH --> TOUGH

Sunday, November 25, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 25, 2018): WOW! Food Brands Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 25, 2018): WOW! Food Brands Puzzle:
Q: Think of a well-known food brand. Add the letters W-O-W. Then rearrange the result to name another well-known food brand. What is it?
No ad needed.

The second brand doesn't need an addition AD to spell out AND; it's just 'N.
A: NESTLÉ --> SWEET 'N LOW

Sunday, November 18, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 18, 2018): Taking the Next Logical Step

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 18, 2018): Taking the Next Logical Step:
Q: In my trip to Europe two weeks ago I visited a friend in Amsterdam who literally has a puzzle on his doormat. Before you walk into his apartment, there's an original puzzle for you to solve. I was able to do it. See if you can. What number comes next in this series: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 23, 28?
April 2nd, '07?

Edit: In the OEIS (Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences), this is sequence A004207
38 (Add the sum of the digits in the prior number, e.g. 16 + 1 + 6 = 23, 23 + 2 + 3 = 28, etc.)

Sunday, November 11, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 11, 2018): Synonymous Four-Word Phrase

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 11, 2018): Synonymous Four-Word Phrase:
Q: This challenge is easy, but elegant. Think of a familiar four-word phrase that means "to be last." Together the first two words are a synonym for the last word. What phrase is it?
If you take the initial letter of each word, change the last letter to two later in the alphabet, you get another synonym for the last word.

Edit: Butt
A: BRING UP THE REAR

Sunday, November 04, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 4, 2018): What Shall I Wear Today?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 4, 2018): What Shall I Wear Today?:
Q: Think of an article of apparel in eight letters. Drop the last 2 letters. Move what are the now the last 2 letters to the front. You'll get an article of apparel in 6 letters. What is it?
The first list I looked at was no help at all.

Edit: "At all" sounds like "atoll" which leads to "Bikini Atoll" and then "Monokini".
A: MONOKINI --> KIMONO

Sunday, October 28, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 28, 2018): One Singular Sensation

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 28, 2018): One Singular Sensation:
Q: Think of a famous Broadway musical in two words. Change one letter in it to the preceding letter of the alphabet — so B would become A, C would become B, etc. Remove the space so you have a solid word. The result will name something that all of us are part of. What is it?
I've never taken an acting or singing class so I'm probably not much help.

Edit: My hint was "class"
A: MAMMA MIA! --> MAMMALIA

Sunday, October 21, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 21, 2018): You Shouldn't Open Beer That Way

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 21, 2018): You Shouldn't Open Beer That Way:
Q: Take the 9 letters of BEER MOUTH. Arrange them in a 3x3 array so that the three lines Across, three lines Down, and both diagonals spell common 3-letter words. Can you do it?
I know I can — can you?

I is a homophone for "eye" which is an example of an ORB. And you is a homophone for "U" which is the letter in the middle.
A:
OHM
RUE
BET

Across: OHM, RUE, BET
Down: ORB, HUE, MET
Diagonal: OUT, BUM

Sunday, October 14, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 14, 2018): Famous Women

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 14, 2018): Famous Women:
Q: Take the 7-letter last name of a famous woman. Drop the letter E. Add an I and an F. You can rearrange the result to get a word that famously describes this woman. Who's the woman, and what's the word?
This took me 3 minutes 10 seconds to solve.

Edit: Her stepson, Christian Bale, was in 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
A: (Gloria) STEINEM - E + IF --> FEMINIST

Sunday, October 07, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 7, 2018): The I's Have It

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 7, 2018): The I's Have It:
Q: Think of a title for a particular person — two words, 15 letters in total — in which the only vowel is "I." What is it?
The prior person had the title for about a year.

Edit: In general, unless they become Miss America, they all keep the title for about a year.
A: MISS MISSISSIPPI

Sunday, September 30, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 30, 2018): I'm Turning Pro

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 30, 2018): I'm Turning Pro:
Q: Name a major professional sports team. The first and last letters of the team's name specify something that is an anagram of its interior letters. What team is it?
This does seem pretty easy, unless I've misread something.

Edit: "does" is an anagram of "dose" while "misread something" refers to illegible handwriting attributed to doctors.
A: (Boston) RED SOX --> RX (℞), DOSE

Sunday, September 23, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 23, 2018): Caesar Cipher Time

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 23, 2018): Caesar Cipher Time:
Q: Think of an affliction in five letters. Shift each letter three spaces later in the alphabet — for example, A would become D, B would become E, etc. The result will be a prominent name in the Bible. Who is it?
This puzzle is driving me batty.

Edit: Bats are believed to be the original carriers/reservoir of the Ebola virus.
A: EBOLA --> HEROD

Sunday, September 16, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 16, 2018): Uncommon Commonality

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 16, 2018): Uncommon Commonality:
Q: These five 2-word phrases have something very unusual in common. What is it? When you find it, think of another two-word phrase that has the same property.

● Property rights
● Land mine
● Sales order
● Color scheme
● India ink
You are all very capable students of Will Shortz.

Edit: Using the same pattern on "CAPable STudents", we have CAPital and STate.
A: The first 3 letters (of the first word) are the start a state capital and the first 2 letters (of the second word) are the state postal code.
PROperty RIghts --> PROvidence, RI
LANd MIne --> LANsing, MI
SALes ORder --> SALem, OR
COLor SCheme --> COLumbia, SC
INDia INk --> INDianapolis, IN

A few possible phrases that also work:
BOSs MAn / BOSun's MAte --> BOSton, MA
COLlege SCholarship --> COLumbia, SC
DENtal COverage --> DENver, CO
HARbor PAtrol / HARem PAnts --> HARrisburg, PA
INDefinite INtegral --> INDianapolis, IN
LINgual NErve --> LINcoln, NE
LITerary ARts --> LITtle Rock, AR
MADeira WIne --> MADison, WI
PROmise RIng --> PROvidence, RI
RICkets VAccine --> RIChmond, VA
SACral CAnal / SACred CAbal --> SACramento, CA

Sunday, September 09, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 9, 2018): Your Place or Mine?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 9, 2018): Your Place or Mine?:
Q: Think of two well-known companies — one in five letters, the other in four letters. Write the names one after the other.

The result, when spaced differently, will name a well-known geographical location in the U.S. (in two words). What is it?
Not counting mergers

Edit: Exxon merged with Mobil in 1999 to become ExxonMobil.
A: MOBIL + EBAY = MOBILE BAY

Sunday, September 02, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 2, 2018): Start Your Engines

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 2, 2018): Start Your Engines:
Q: The name of the film director David Lynch conceals the word AVIDLY in consecutive letters, spanning his first and last names. Can you think of a famous film director whose first and last names conceal a 6-letter name of car, past or present, in consecutive letters?
Tesla only has 5 letters.

Edit: Tesla has been naming their cars as the Model S, Model 3 and Model X.
A: GUILLERMO DEL TORO (MODEL T).
Alternate: DENIS SANDERS (NISSAN)

Sunday, August 26, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 26, 2018): Musical Body Parts

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 26, 2018): Musical Body Parts:
Q: Think of a well-known musician whose last name contains a body part. The musician has a single-word nickname that anagrams to a different body part. Who is this musician, and what is the nickname?
The longer version of the musician's nickname also contains a body part.

Edit: Satchmo is short for "satchel mouth".
A: LOUIS ARMSTRONG --> SATCHMO --> STOMACH

Sunday, August 19, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 19, 2018): Part of a Complete Breakfast

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 19, 2018): Part of a Complete Breakfast:
Q: Think of a brand name you might see on your breakfast table. Change one letter to a Y and rearrange the result to get a familiar two-word phrase that names something else you might see on your breakfast table. What phrase is this?
It could be Grape Jell-O® but Grape Jelly doesn't involve any rearrangement.

Edit: My hint was about not being scrambled which is what you would need in order to see the egg yolks.
A: KELLOGG'S-L+Y = EGG YOLKS

Sunday, August 12, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 12, 2018): The Missing Link (Part 2)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 12, 2018): The Missing Link (Part 2):
Q: Continuing on from Part 1, here's Part 2 of the challenge.

These four words have a very interesting and unusual property in common — something about the letters in them (all the letters). What is it?

SCARECROW
SCREENSAVER
CAMERAWOMAN
CURVACEOUSNESS

When you know it, think of a common 7-letter word that shares the unusual properties of both last week's and this week's words.
If you are thinking anagrams, you are heading down the wrong path. Personally I don't feel the second property is that uncommon. However some of you may still be wishing the deadline was extended another week.

Edit: The hints were "down" and "extended" trying to hint at the missing descenders and ascenders when written in lowercase. And the word "uncommon" was an example of such a word.
A: In lowercase, the words have no ascenders and descenders
scarecrow
screensaver
camerawoman
curvaceousness

The common words that I found that could both contain a planet and only use these letters were:
aVENUeS -> VENUS
MAnneRS --> MARS
MAnuReS --> MARS
MARacaS --> MARS
MARoonS --> MARS
MARrowS --> MARS
MoAneRS --> MARS

I submitted AVENUES because VENUS wasn't included in last week's planet list.

Sunday, August 05, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 5, 2018): The Missing Link (Part 1)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 5, 2018): The Missing Link (Part 1):
Q: This is Part 1 of a two-week challenge. You'll need to solve both parts before you send in your answer. So hold your answer for now.

These four words have a very interesting and unusual property in common. What is it?
NEANDERTHAL
EMBARRASS
SATURATION
CONTEMPTUOUSNESS
Don't get overenthusiastic — be sure to wait until after the two-week deadline. Here's a link to Part 2.

Edit: oVerENthUSiastic contains the letters of yet another planet in order.
A: All the words contain planet names

nEAndeRTHal --> EARTH
eMbARraSs --> MARS
SATURatioN --> SATURN
coNtEmPTUousNEss --> NEPTUNE

Sunday, July 29, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 29, 2018): Let Me Phrase That Differently

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 29, 2018): Let Me Phrase That Differently:
Q: Think of a familiar two-word phrase in 8 letters — with 4 letters in each word. The first word starts with M. Move the first letter of the second word to the end and you'll get a regular 8-letter word, which, amazingly, other than the M, doesn't share any sounds with the original two-word phrase. What phrase is it?
A: MAIL SLOT --> MAILLOTS

Sunday, July 22, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 22, 2018): Part Human

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 22, 2018): Part Human:
Q: Name two parts of the human body. Say them out loud one after the other. The result, phonetically, will name something delicious to eat, in 7 letters. What is it?
I could claim credit for this puzzle based on something I wrote several years back.

Edit: I used BROW, KNEE (BROWNIE) as a hint to a previous puzzle involving body parts.
A: BROW, KNEE (BROWNIE)

Sunday, July 15, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 15, 2018): Famous Chicagoan

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 15, 2018): Famous Chicagoan:
Q: Name a famous person from Chicago — first and last names. The last name ends in an E. Change the E to an I and rearrange the letters in just the last name to get a famous actor — whose first name is the same as the first person's. Who are these people?
Technically their first names aren't the same. The actor has played a character in the same occupation as the person from Chicago and possibly based on the person.

Edit: The first names are AL(phonse) and AL(fredo). Al Pacino played Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy.
A: AL CAPONE --> AL PACINO

Sunday, July 08, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 8, 2018): Slicing your Pancake

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 8, 2018): Slicing your Pancake:
Q: The word PANCAKE has an unusual property. If you remove its last letter, you get a series of U.S. state postal abbreviations — PA, NC, and AK. Can you name a major city and state that both have this property? To solve this, first think of a state in which you can drop its last letter to leave a series of state postal abbreviations. Then find a major city in that state that also has this property. The city and state names have to be different. What city and state is it?
To your pancake, add butter, syrup or whipped cream, as you like it.

Edit: One of the characters in Shakespeare's "As You Like It" was Orlando de Boys.
A: ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Sunday, July 01, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 1, 2018): Your Title Goes Here

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 1, 2018): Your Title Goes Here:
Q: Name a woman's title. Drop the first and last letters and read the result backward to get another woman's title. Both titles are common English-language spellings. What titles are these?
It's a pity I live on a rocky hill.

My comment was pointing out that Ñ isn't always the same as N. The name Peña means rocky summit or rocky hill. But without the tilde, the word pena means pity. NPR recently had a similar problem with año and ano.
A: BARONESS --> SEĂ‘ORA (or just SENORA in some dictionaries)

Sunday, June 24, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 24, 2018): X Marks the Spot

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 24, 2018): X Marks the Spot:
Q: Think of a well-known commercial name in 9 letters. Change both the fourth and ninth letters to X's and you'll get two other familiar commercial names, one after the other. What names are these?
I didn't realize how many commercial names contain X. Trix, Timex...

Edit: Perhaps a little too obvious -- a cereal and a watch brand.
A: CHEVROLET --> CHEX, ROLEX

Sunday, June 17, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 17, 2018): Four-letter American Companies

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 17, 2018): Four-letter American Companies:
Q: Think of a familiar hyphenated 7-letter word. The first 4 letters name a prominent American company, and the last 4 letters name a different prominent American company. What word is it?


A: Vis-Ă -vis (Visa, Avis)

Sunday, June 10, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 10, 2018): Welcome Back, Potter - TV Show Pitch (Week 2)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 10, 2018): Welcome Back, Potter - TV Show Pitch (Week 2):
Q: The object is to pitch a TV show idea to one of the networks, either broadcast or cable, in which your TV show's title is just one letter different from an existing show's title, past or present. Name your TV show and summarize it in 15 words or less.

Examples:
AMERICAN I DO'SHilarious misadventures of a bumbling wedding planner
YOU BET YOUR WIFETrivia contest, with wagering, to determine who knows more — husband or spouse

Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of wording, humor and overall effect. No more than three entries per person, please. The person who sends the best TV pitch will play the on-air puzzle in two weeks


Winner:
I Remember MOMA - Each episode focuses on a past exhibit or artist at the Museum of Modern Art
According to Will it was "chosen because of its originality, surprising letter substitution, naturalness of its description, and humor."

Runners-up:
Perks And Recreation
The O.C.D. Couple
Father Knots Best
Star Trek: The Next Veneration
Big Brothel
The Mary Tyler Moose Show
Beverly Sills 90210
Mayberry B.F.D.
The Punsters
The Incredible Hunk
The Incredible Hula
Little Souse on the Prairie
Let's Make a Meal
Saturday Night Jive
Lust in Space
Big Bong Theory
Get Kmart
PR
The Greatest American Herb
Who Waits to Be a Millionaire?
America's Next Top Mohel
As the World Burns
Hawaii Five-K [race]

Sunday, June 03, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 3, 2018): Two Week Challenge - TV Show Pitch

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 3, 2018): Two Week Challenge - TV Show Pitch:
Q: The object is to pitch a TV show idea to one of the networks, either broadcast or cable, in which your TV show's title is just one letter different from an existing show's title, past or present. Name your TV show and summarize it in 15 words or less.

Examples:
N.Y.P.D. CLUEManhattan crime investigation in which each case hinges on a single, unexpected piece of evidence
HAVE GUT, WILL TRAVELPortly host tours the best all-you-can-eat restaurants in America

Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of wording, humor and overall effect. No more than three entries per person, please. The person who sends the best TV pitch will play the on-air puzzle in two weeks

Sunday, May 27, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 27, 2018): There's Something Worrisome About My Body?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 27, 2018): There's Something Worrisome About My Body?:
Q: Name part of the human body. Switch the first two letters to get a two-word phrase for something that is worrisome. What is it?
In reverse it's a fish dance move.

Edit: Backwards it's NEMO DAB
A: ABDOMEN --> BAD OMEN

Sunday, May 20, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 20, 2018): Hit Film with Sequels

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 20, 2018): Hit Film with Sequels:
Q: Take the title of a famous Hollywood flop. Change an A to an R, then rearrange the letters to spell a famous box office hit — which went on to spawn sequels. What films are these?
As with most things, we can blame Shakespeare.

Edit: The phrase was made familiar in Shakespeare's sonnet 29, "my state...sings hymns at heaven’s gate"
A: HEAVEN'S GATE --> THE AVENGERS

Sunday, May 13, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 13, 2018): When's Dinner?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 13, 2018): When's Dinner?:
Q: Think of a two-word phrase a child might shout when walking in the front door. Rearrange the letters and add an "E" at the end, and you get the next two words the child might shout. These are both common expressions. What are they?
There are a few assumptions being made, but I'll allow it.

Edit: It's a little dated to expect Mom to be the one staying home waiting for the kids to arrive from school. Can't Dad be there too? And how did the child get home? They didn't walk home alone, did they?
A: HI MOM! I'M HOME!

Sunday, May 06, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 6, 2018): Criminal Country

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 6, 2018): Criminal Country:
Q: Name a certain kind of criminal. Drop the first two letters and the last letter of the word, and you'll name a country. What is it?
I'm not writing a misleading clue today.
A: I'll be interested to see whether PYROMANIAC or VAGABOND was Will's intended answer.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 29, 2018): Concert at the Baseball Hall of Fame

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 29, 2018): Concert at the Baseball Hall of Fame:
Q: Name a famous player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Take a letter out of the last name and move it into the first name. The result will name something you might see at a concert. What is it?
Or perhaps on the way there?

Edit: When I came up with road crew, my first thought was of the team of workers that build or repair roads.
A: ROD CAREW --> ROAD CREW

Sunday, April 22, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 22, 2018): Finding Nemo

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 22, 2018): Finding Nemo:
Q: Take the name of a famous film director. Drop the first letter of this person's first name and you'll name a fish. Read the last name backward and you'll name another fish. What film director is it?
Don't forget to turn in your answer by Thursday at 3pm ET.

Edit: The hint was turn which combines to make turnpike.
A: SPIKE LEE --> PIKE, EEL

Sunday, April 15, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 15, 2018): Country Scramble

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 15, 2018): Country Scramble:
Q: The letters of SWITZERLAND can be rearranged to spell LIZARD and NEWTS — LIZARD being the singular name of an animal, and NEWTS a plural. Name another country with this same property. That is, name another country whose letters can be rearranged to spell two animals — one singular and one plural. It's a major country. What country is it?
I can't say this puzzle sounds very new.

Edit: The puzzle from February had the answer of NEW MEXICO where you dropped the W and got MICE, OXEN.
A: MEXICO --> MICE, OX

Sunday, April 08, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 8, 2018): On the Tip of My, Er, Finger?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 8, 2018): On the Tip of My, Er, Finger?:
Q: Name a part of the human body, insert a speech hesitation, and you'll name a country. What country is it?
Reminds me of a puzzle from a couple years ago.

Submit your answer to the puzzle here

Edit: The country appeared in a puzzle from January 2016
A: BRAIN + AH --> BAHRAIN

Sunday, April 01, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 1, 2018): Who Do We Appreciate

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 1, 2018): Who Do We Appreciate:
Q: Pick an even number between 1 and 10 that's 1 more than four and 2 more than ten.
Not seven

My hint has 8 letters and also points out that SEVEN and THREE may have the right number of letters but aren't even.
A: EIGHT the even number in that range that has 1 more (letter) than FOUR and 2 more (letters) than TEN.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 25, 2018): Funny Bunny

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 25, 2018): Funny Bunny:
Q: Name a small but well-known U.S. city, followed by its two-letter state postal abbreviation. This string of letters, reading from left to right, spells two consecutive words that name distinctive characteristics of bunnies. What city is it?
The city may be small, but the populace has large aspirations.

Edit: It's the birthplace of Bill Clinton & Mike Huckabee but with a population of around 10,000.
A: HOPE, AR --> HOP, EAR

Sunday, March 18, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 18, 2018): How Now, Brown Cow

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 18, 2018): How Now, Brown Cow:
Q: Think of a popular two-word song title in 7 letters. If you have the right one, you can rearrange the letters to name an animal and the sound it makes. What is it? Here's a hint: The title is in a foreign language.
Edit: I don't usually like having the picture being my clue but I realized when I picked the photo it was already pointing to a sheep.
A: LA BAMBA --> LAMB, BAA

Sunday, March 11, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 11, 2018): I'm Too Sexy (for my Shirt)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 11, 2018): I'm Too Sexy (for my Shirt):
Q: Name a common article of apparel in 3 letters and another in 4 letters. Rearrange all 7 letters to name a well-known three-word song title. What is it?
Kudos to the PM for a solid puzzle this week. My hint? I don't care for lime-flavored Jello.

Edit: PM may stand for Puzzle Master, or Paul McCartney. Let it Be is an EP released by American comedy metal/punk act Green Jellö in 1984.
A: TIE + BELT --> LET IT BE

Sunday, March 04, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 4, 2018): Landmark Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 4, 2018): Landmark Puzzle:
Q: Name a famous singer — first and last names. Change the last three letters of each name to an E and you'll name a well-known landmark. What is it?
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Edit: The actual quote from Forrest Gump is "Life was like a box of chocolates...". The phenomenon where a large number of people incorrectly remember a past event is called the Mandela Effect. Whitney Houston sang for Nelson Mandela at a White House dinner in his honor in October 1994.
A: WHITney HOUSton --> WHITE HOUSE

Sunday, February 25, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 25, 2018): United States of Mammals

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 25, 2018): United States of Mammals:
Q: Name a place in the United States that contains a W. Drop the W, and you can rearrange the remaining letters to name two types of mammals, each in the plural form. What place is it, and what are the mammals?
I was going to provide a crass clue but decided against it.

Edit: Crass Clue is an anagram of Las Cruces (New Mexico) which is where the puzzle submitter is from.
A: NEW MEXICO - W --> MICE, OXEN

Sunday, February 18, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 18, 2018): Hot Spots Not to be Forgot

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 18, 2018): Hot Spots Not to be Forgot:
PRIOR WEBSITE PUZZLE:
Q: An easy-sounding challenge this week that turns out to be not so easy: Two major U.S. cities, each with two-word names, each have an unusual property: The last two letters of the first word in the name are the same as the last two letters of the second word in the name — like University City, in Missouri, in which both "university" and "city" end in "-ty." But both cities in my answer are much larger. According to the 2010 U.S. census, each city has more than a quarter-million people. What cities are they?
Don't miss any of the bright spots in the photo here (courtesy of NASA). If you think Mr. Shortz made a mistake in the population count, he did not.

Update: The puzzle above is apparently *not* the puzzle that was presented on air. Here's the one that was presented on-air and has now been corrected on the website.
ON-AIR PUZZLE:
Q: Take the start of the name of a country and the end of that country's capital. Put the parts together, one after the other, and you'll get the last name of a character in a very popular movie. It's a character everyone knows. Who is it?
This one's easier and less controversial. I'm guessing it was inspired by another recent puzzle.

Edit: The recent puzzle involved Alec Guinness.
A: KENya + nairOBI --> (obi wan) KENOBI

Sunday, February 11, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 11, 2018): Put Your Back Into It

Sunday Puzzle (Feb 11, 2018): Put Your Back Into It:
Q: Name part of the human body in six letters. Add an R and rearrange the result to name a part of the body in seven letters. What are they?
I went through three ENTIRE lists until I figured out the answer.

Edit: The first *3* letters of ENTIRE are ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat)
A: Tonsil and Nostril

Sunday, February 04, 2018

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 4, 2018): Getting Short with You

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 4, 2018): Getting Short with You:
Q: In English, a short "u" sound is usually spelled with a "u," as in "fun" and "luck." Occasionally it's spelled with an "o," as in "come" and "love." Can you name two everyday one-syllable words in which a short "u" sound is spelled with an "a"?
I used to wear corduroy pants.

Edit: What was I thinking?
A: WHAT, WAS