tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post4740085302893238821..comments2024-03-28T18:08:45.225-07:00Comments on Blaine's Puzzle Blog: NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 17, 2013): Water, Water, EverywhereBlainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-3966094941503590332013-03-24T08:03:04.565-07:002013-03-24T08:03:04.565-07:00I see clues to all 5 words, if you want to include...I see clues to all 5 words, if you want to include "in your head" for NASAL. :)Blainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06379274325110866036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-52984286662219433432013-03-24T07:46:25.343-07:002013-03-24T07:46:25.343-07:00You can go ahead and dismantle the geek code grids...You can go ahead and dismantle the geek code grids, guys. I would have had a bear of a time solving it with them anyway. Don't mean to sound histrionic here, but while you were traveling around the world and back devising your tables, I solved this in my head in 9 minutes while listening to the news. Thanks anyway. I realize you were trying to help. (clues to all four words are here).AbqGuerrillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08439641600563812511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-44869316788297063192013-03-24T07:20:39.334-07:002013-03-24T07:20:39.334-07:00Screen captures of the above post, rendered in:
W...Screen captures of the above post, rendered in:<br /><br /><a href="http://i.imgur.com/FfSP6tm.png" rel="nofollow">WebKit (Safari)</a>;<br /><a href="http://i.imgur.com/diFnSX1.png" rel="nofollow">WebKit (Chrome)</a>;<br /><a href="http://i.imgur.com/yKneqsf.png" rel="nofollow">Gecko (Firefox)</a>;<br /><a href="http://i.imgur.com/IMF2kzK.png" rel="nofollow">Presto (Opera)</a>.<br /><br />I do not have access to Internet Explorer and so cannot see what it looks like rendered using Trident. Isn't a 5x5 grid of monospaced letters sufficient?PlannedChaoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12366856086658014260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-19307437024364202282013-03-24T07:11:34.765-07:002013-03-24T07:11:34.765-07:00I think I'll have to go back to this as the be...I think I'll have to go back to this as the best template so far:<br /><br /> ╔═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╗<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─N─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─A─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─N─╫─A─╫─S─╫─A─╫─L─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─A─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─L─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╚═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╝<br /><br />It looks <b><i>absolutely perfect</i></b> both in EditPad Lite and in this comment editor on which I'm entering this very comment right now.<br /><br />I just wish I had a better filler character to use to show where a future letter will be placed. The square character ("□") makes the template appear <b><i>badly misaligned</i></b> in NotePad. To view the template in EditPad Lite, just copy it here, go to EditPad Lite, <cntrl>N to start a new document, then select "Convert", "Text Encoding", and then select "Unicode UTF-8". Do this <b><i>before</i></b> you paste!<br /><br />You may wish to use <b><i>this</i></b> template to experiment and come up with your solution:<br /><br /> ╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗<br /> ║ □ │ □ │ N │ □ │ □ ║<br /> ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢<br /> ║ □ │ □ │ A │ □ │ □ ║<br /> ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢<br /> ║ N │ A │ S │ A │ L ║<br /> ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢<br /> ║ □ │ □ │ A │ □ │ □ ║<br /> ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢<br /> ║ □ │ □ │ L │ □ │ □ ║<br /> ╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝<br /><br />Obviously, that template <b><i>does not look nice at all</i></b> here!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-24550178547968995492013-03-24T06:43:06.842-07:002013-03-24T06:43:06.842-07:00Curious:
Here again is the template (improved a l...Curious:<br /><br />Here again is the template (improved a little):<br /><br /> ╔═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╗<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─N─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─A─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─N─╫─A─╫─S─╫─A─╫─L─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─A─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─L─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╚═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╝<br /><br />And here it is substituting your U+FF21 through U+FF3A unicode characters:<br /><br /> ╔═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╦═╤═╗<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─N─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─A─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─N─╫─A─╫─S─╫─A─╫─L─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─A─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╠═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╬═╪═╣<br /> ╟─*─╫─*─╫─L─╫─*─╫─*─╢<br /> ╚═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╩═╧═╝<br /><br />I should point out that the first set appears <b><i>perfectly aligned</i></b> in a text editor such as Notepad, while your unicode letters, which <b><i>are visible</i></b> (and I'm surprised; the name of the character set to which I had to convert the newly opened text document, is called "Unicode UTF-8"; and I was sure that I would have to change it to a UTF-16, for which my choices are "little endian" and "big endian" - both unreadable.) - those letters <b><i>form misalignments</i></b> in the text editors! - And while testing these out in Notepad, I now feel I must abandon those little square characters ("□"), because although they do just fine in EditPad and EditPad Lite, they <b><i>cause misalignments</i></b> in Notepad!<br />As I type this, I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out. Your letters, although readable here in the editting session, look <b><i>different</i></b> than they do in your post above. <br /><br />Now the preview:<br /><br />The template <b><i>does not</i></b> look perfect in the preview!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-11907915351626521962013-03-24T05:12:45.619-07:002013-03-24T05:12:45.619-07:00May I suggest using the unicode characters U+FF21 ...May I suggest using the unicode characters U+FF21 through U+FF3A:<br /><br />ABCDE<br />FGHIJ<br />KLMNO<br />PQRST<br />UVWXY<br />Z<br /><br />Multiple answers this week, you think?PlannedChaoshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12366856086658014260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-77742694927257230672013-03-24T03:56:14.551-07:002013-03-24T03:56:14.551-07:00The new puzzle is up, and here it is:
Next week&#...The new puzzle is up, and here it is:<br /><br />Next week's challenge from listener Andrew Chaikin: Take the four words "salt," "afar," "lava" and "trap." Write them one under the other, and the words will read the same vertically as horizontally. This is a word square of four-letter words. Note that the only vowel in this example square is an A. The object of the challenge is to create a five-letter word square using only common, <br />uncapitalized English words, in which the only vowel in the entire square is A. The word in the center row, and column, is NASAL.<br /><br />On Thursday, I'll be posting this:<br /><br /> ╔═══╦═══╦═══╦═══╦═══╗<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─N─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╠═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╣<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─A─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╠═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╣<br /> ╟─N─╫─A─╫─S─╫─A─╫─L─╢<br /> ╠═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╣<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─A─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╠═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╬═══╣<br /> ╟─□─╫─□─╫─L─╫─□─╫─□─╢<br /> ╚═══╩═══╩═══╩═══╩═══╝<br /><br />except with all those white squares ("□") replaced with other letters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-88153845592017447642013-03-23T16:05:04.813-07:002013-03-23T16:05:04.813-07:00Heard there was a meteoric event yesterday on the ...Heard there was a meteoric event yesterday on the East Coast around 8 p.m. local time. Any one lucky enough to see it? It was described as a ball of green fire exploding into sparks of green and purple.Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-32606203364176566792013-03-22T11:31:18.469-07:002013-03-22T11:31:18.469-07:00My alternate puzzle from above: "Take a seven...My alternate puzzle from above: "Take a seven-letter word (plural) for something used in water. Remove the same number of consecutive letters that you remove from this week’s NPR puzzle. Squish what is left together. The result, phonetically (using the same pronunciation rules as in this week’s puzzle), will be a verb describing what water does. What words are these?"<br /><br />Answer: "Ferries", take out "er", you are left with "fries", pronounced "freeze", using the same rules as the Sunday Puzzle.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03267575912220886002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-49290966698469300612013-03-22T11:03:41.458-07:002013-03-22T11:03:41.458-07:00Duh. And I'm a friggin' scientist! This ...Duh. And I'm a friggin' scientist! This is what I submitted: Galoshes, take out "law (of the seas)", and you're left with "gushes". I bet that not a lot of people get this one!Uncle Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13769784532885433156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-86661128423476433162013-03-22T08:04:42.613-07:002013-03-22T08:04:42.613-07:00Happy World Water Day 2013, everyone!
~Word Woman...Happy World Water Day 2013, everyone!<br /><br />~Word Woman~Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-16458526170280771242013-03-21T16:52:06.256-07:002013-03-21T16:52:06.256-07:00I see now that I forgot to explain my hint above. ...I see now that I forgot to explain my hint above. Heavy Metal = metal from iron ore = oar.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-52039841103008204932013-03-21T16:04:54.515-07:002013-03-21T16:04:54.515-07:00Chlorine - or (oar) = chline (clean).
"Put i...Chlorine - or (oar) = chline (clean).<br /><br />"Put it all on the table. Period." A nod toward the periodic table.<br /><br />17 pale green iris shoots referred to the atomic number of chlorine and its color.<br /><br />Mechanic, technical, Christmas: all other words with silent h's.<br /><br />"I don't know, bro. Mine are on when I swim" referred to the alternative bromine used in some swimming pools.<br /><br />Legolambda, enjoyed your phonetics explanation almost as much as your clever name. It's got schwagger.<br /><br />Jan, the fluoride stuff is interesting. A doctor friend in NH sees many people with horrible teeth; most people are on well water. She gave her kids fluoride drops.<br /><br />A puzzle with phonetically spelled words is pretty interesting. You could say "phone net tickle, Lee" to your friends with that name. ;-)<br /><br />Off to have some ghud chline fuhn!<br /><br />Word Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15491300694641304112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-82274578225399761262013-03-21T15:35:30.550-07:002013-03-21T15:35:30.550-07:00I had 2 answers. One was Will's sbd the other ...I had 2 answers. One was Will's sbd the other was wrong on so many levels.<br />Fluorine-urin=floe.<br />Urine works fine depending for whom the koolaid is made.<br />Hints: just go with it-flow.<br />Dealer says YOU'RE IN.<br />DEPENDS on the mood YOU'RE IN.<br /><br />Chlorine- or=chline.<br />Hints: sans paddle-oar.<br />Billy the Mason-Mason Williams-Classical gas.<br />St. Patrick's Day puzzle on chlorine-chlorine means pale green.<br />Sam the Sham and the Pharraohs-shamrock.<br />Referral to L7 with Sam does not have to pretend-the group L7 had the song Pretend we are dead.zeke creekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12559686966843380823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-18653284408349318212013-03-21T15:11:03.321-07:002013-03-21T15:11:03.321-07:00My sham of a solution was 'life vest'. It...My sham of a solution was 'life vest'. It provides insurance against drowning, but I'm afraid it has to be two words. A LifeVest™ insures against SCA, but I doubt it's intended to be used in water.<br />Can E(a)VES be 'phonetically removed' from 'life vest'? I dunno; who wrote the book on 'phonetic removal'?<br />Archimedes knew a lot about <b>*something*</b> water does(just like Wojciehowicz), but I doubt if either Archie or Wojo knew <b>*what*</b> water does. I certainly don't.<br />Adding an 'R' to 'FEVE" gives you a certain type of malady.<br />Someone on this blog used to encourage people to solve puzzles without consulting a LIST. I was thinking it was Lorenzo, but it might have been Blaine, or someone else.<br />An old nickname for 'life vest' is 'Mae West'. Mae had a famous line about 'institutions'.<br />I'm ready anytime Flo is.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114786604125384958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-27148824240263842522013-03-21T14:31:44.748-07:002013-03-21T14:31:44.748-07:00Speaking of Linda Lovelace, her co-star, Harry Ree...Speaking of Linda Lovelace, her co-star, Harry Reems, died yesterday. Please don't re-use those hankies, though...janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-88981369367749024422013-03-21T13:02:47.535-07:002013-03-21T13:02:47.535-07:00Unless Blaine has already worked it out how about ...Unless Blaine has already worked it out how about we keep 195-200 open for the guys who get the jump on the new puzzle?zeke creekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12559686966843380823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-59839842219128348152013-03-21T12:58:00.536-07:002013-03-21T12:58:00.536-07:00Oddly enough, March 17 was also the anniversary of...Oddly enough, March 17 was also the anniversary of the 2007 chlorine gas bombing by insurgents in Anbar, Iraq. Musical clue: "And the green gas blew all around"janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-53233499862977959102013-03-21T12:48:03.674-07:002013-03-21T12:48:03.674-07:00my "Blaine deleted" clue:
If I had 4 d...my "Blaine deleted" clue: <br /><br />If I had 4 daughters, I would name them Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine & Iodine & if I adopted one, I name her Astatine (the hot one).<br /><br />In my view, the hard part was to extract the oar and clean out of chlorine.benmar12001https://www.blogger.com/profile/02721420444783718903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-70885171526163600492013-03-21T12:35:31.133-07:002013-03-21T12:35:31.133-07:00Of course, there can be too much of a good thing (...Of course, there can be too much of a good thing (Dorothy Parker notwithstanding). E.g., see this week's New England Journal of Medicine: "Skeletal Fluorosis Due to Excessive Tea Drinking", http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1200995.<br />Who knew that "brewed tea has one of the highest fluoride contents among beverages in the United States"???janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-76960214925545910062013-03-21T12:27:13.191-07:002013-03-21T12:27:13.191-07:00A dirty puzzle with even dirtier clues, if I ever ...A dirty puzzle with even dirtier clues, if I ever swam in one. Epic fail, Will. Ruthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08414999868454070433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-37811073676295029642013-03-21T12:25:19.798-07:002013-03-21T12:25:19.798-07:00> jan Sun Mar 17, 11:39:00 AM PDT
> We have ...> jan Sun Mar 17, 11:39:00 AM PDT<br />> We have an elementary yet timely puzzle on the table today.<br /><br />CHLORINE is atomic number 17 on the periodic table.<br /><br />> When I moved to NJ, I was amazed to learn that the 8-letter word is NOT often used in water here.<br /><br />This refers to legolambda's clever alternate puzzle answer, FLUORIDE. Yeah, NJ's is one of those backwards states that sees floridation as a commie plot, gotta preserve our Purity Of Essence, as Jack D. Ripper sez. Not to mention keeping our dentists employed.janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05927176621372532733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-1479897163890181822013-03-21T12:08:34.731-07:002013-03-21T12:08:34.731-07:00Very funny!
Lorenzo, have you been up in Victoria,...Very funny!<br />Lorenzo, have you been up in Victoria, B.C. lately? Perhaps to visit Mr. Floatie.skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-68613892232395982072013-03-21T12:02:58.580-07:002013-03-21T12:02:58.580-07:00floaties - "tea" = "flows"floaties - "tea" = "flows"Lorenzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08116815111532628378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5730391.post-75164973417760296332013-03-21T12:00:11.202-07:002013-03-21T12:00:11.202-07:00CHLORINE –OR = OAR > CHLINE (CLEAN)
My hint:
...CHLORINE –OR = OAR > CHLINE (CLEAN)<br /><br />My hint:<br /><br />"Musical clue: Heavy Metal"<br /><br />In my opinion there is nothing CLEAN about this puzzle.<br /><br />When I first read the puzzle the word, SAILBOAT came to mind. I saw that it didn't work and then noticed the puzzle said "something used in water." It did not say "something used in THE water." That told me the eight letter word most likely was something added to water and not an object. <br />skydiveboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174073226290431753noreply@blogger.com