Blaine's Puzzle Blog

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 26, 2012): The Best Actor Oscar Goes to...

2012-02-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 26, 2012): The Best Actor Oscar Goes to...:

Q: Name a bird. Change its second letter to an E to get the first name of a famous actor. Then name the female of that bird, and double one of its letters. You'll get the last name of this actor. What are the birds, and who is the actor?

Little House on the Prairie?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2012): Two Fictional Characters? Who Says?

2012-02-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2012): Two Fictional Characters? Who Says?:

Q: Name two fictional characters — the first one good, the second one bad. Each is a one-word name. Drop the last letter of the name of the first character. Read the remaining letters in order from left to right. The result will be a world capital. What is it?

By the way, I'm with you - cool puzzle!

Edit: The title of the puzzle was poking fun at Will and whether or not Santa Claus is real. The other hints were By the Way and I'm With You which are albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the word cool which could be a synonym for chilly.

A: Sant(a) + Iago = Santiago (Chile)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2012): A Stern Elk and a Rattlesnake?

2012-02-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2012): A Stern Elk and a Rattlesnake?:

Q: Name an animal. Add the letters "A" and "T," and rearrange the result to name another animal. These are both animals that might be found in a zoo, and the last letter of the first animal is the first letter of the last one.

I was surprised to find the second animal has a longer lifespan than the first and will often weigh more.

Edit: Gorillas have a lifespan of 35 to 40 years while American alligators will live to 50+ in the wild. An adult male gorilla weighs around 400 lbs. while an adult American alligator will weigh around 800 lbs.

A: GORILLA + AT --> ALLIGATOR

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 15 and 22, 2012): Two Week TV Title Challenge

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 15, 2012): Two Week TV Title Challenge:
NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 22, 2012): Two Week TV Title Challenge (cont.):

Q: This is a special two-week creative challenge. Combine the titles of some TV shows, past or present, into an amusing sentence or statement. Here are 3 examples:
"TODAY / SISTERS / NAME THAT TUNE / FATHER KNOWS BEST,"
"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES / BEWITCHED / MY THREE SONS / ONE DAY AT A TIME,"
"I'VE GOT A SECRET / MURDER, SHE WROTE / THE F.B.I."
Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of syntax, humor, originality, familiarity of the TV shows named, and overall effect. No more than three sentences per entry, please.

Not much to say, but here's list of television shows that might be useful.

Edit: Feel free to discuss your submissions in the comments.

A: "The Nanny / Lost / All My Children." (Will's pick submitted by Patrick B. of Jasper, AL)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 8, 2012): Make a Game of Finding Car Parts

2012-01-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 8, 2012): Make a Game of Finding Car Parts:

Q: Name four parts of a car that are also terms used in a particular game. One of the parts is spelled in three letters, two of them in five letters each, and one has six letters. Two places a car might go are also terms used in the game. What game is it, and what are the terms?

Musical Hint: Wake Up Little Susie

Edit: Wake Up Little Susie is a song by the Everly Brothers. Another song (their last top 40 hit) is "Bowling Green."

A: Car parts: Pin, Frame, Spare, Bumper
Places: Lane, Alley
Sport: Bowling
Note: Will may accept alternate words or answers.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 11, 2011): Mixed up animals

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 11, 2011): Mixed up animals:

Q: Think of an animal whose name contains an O. Change the O to an H, and rearrange the result to name another animal. What animals are these?

Hint: Beautifull Desaster

An image search for "Antelope Elephant" came up with this image on DeviantArt by BeautifullDesaster.

A: ANTELOPE -O +H --> ELEPHANT

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 4, 2011): Forget this music, let's get some food!

2011-12-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 4, 2011): Forget this music, let's get some food!:

Q: Name a style of music. Change the middle letter to a B, and you'll name a style of cooking. What are the style of music and the style of cooking? (There are several ways to spell the cooking style, but the answer is one of them.)

Hint: Bert Lance

Edit: Bert Lance, Jimmy Carter's Budget Director, is credited with popularizing the colloquial southern phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

A: Baroque --> Bar-B-Que

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 30, 2011): This Singer Keeps Company with a Logo?

2011-11-04T01:18:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 30, 2011): This Singer Keeps Company with a Logo?:

Q: Name a well-known singer. Drop the first and last letters of the singer's first name and you'll get the letters of a well-known company. Drop the first and last letters of the singer's last name, and you'll identify the logo that the company is classically known for. Who is the singer and what's the company?

Musical clue: Adele & Lil Wayne

Edit: There were two clues in my answer. First I had an ampersand (&), hinting at the additional symbol needed in the company name. Second if you combine Adele and Wayne you get "Adele Wayne". Patti LaBelle played Adele Wayne, the mother of Dwayne Wayne on A Different World.

A: Patti LaBelle --> AT&T + A Bell

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 23, 2011): Retail Store to Electronics Manufacturer

2011-10-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 23, 2011): Retail Store to Electronics Manufacturer:

Q: Think of a two-word name of a nationally known chain of retail stores. Insert the second word of the name into the exact middle of the first. The result will spell the name of a well-known electronics manufacturer. What are these names?

Edit: Time to reveal the answer.

A: Pier One (Imports) --> Pioneer

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 9, 2011): A Group of Twelve and a Group of Nine

2011-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 9, 2011): A Group of Twelve and a Group of Nine:

Q: Name something that is part of a group of twelve. Change the first letter to the next letter of the alphabet to name something that is part of a group of nine. What are these things?

Now that I have the answer, anyone care to have a discussion on whether there are eight or nine in that last group?

Edit: My comment was an attempt to mislead people into thinking the group of nine was planets (8 now without Pluto). My hint was "answer" which rhymes with the answers. The starting letters were hidden in care and discussion.

A: Cancer (from the 12 signs of the zodiac) and Dancer (from Santa's 8 reindeer plus Rudolph).

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 2, 2011): A Meal Composed of an Entrée and a Dessert

2011-10-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 2, 2011): A Meal Composed of an Entrée and a Dessert:

Q: Think of a common one-word entrée and dessert. When you insert the name of the entrée into the dessert's name, it will read as a certain meal. Name the entrée, dessert, and meal.

To everyone that appreciates this blog, I say, "Thank you, thank you very much!"

Edit: My hint was a reference to Elvis Presley who starred in the 1967 musical film Clambake. Incidentally, a version of this puzzle appeared back in August 2007

A: LAMB + CAKE --> C(LAMB)AKE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 25, 2011): Occupational Study Puzzle

2011-09-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 25, 2011): Occupational Study Puzzle:

Q: Think of a ten-letter occupation ending in "er." The first four letters can be rearranged to spell something that person would study, and the next four letters can be rearranged to spell something else that person would study. What is the occupation?

This week I'm going to put my feet up and let everyone else come up with the obvious clues.

Edit: You put your feet up on a footstool or ottoman. The flag of the Ottoman Empire had both a STAR and a MOON.

A: ASTRONOMER --> STAR, MOON

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 18, 2011): College Campus Mix-Up

2011-09-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 18, 2011): College Campus Mix-Up:

Q: Take the name of a well-known university in two words. Switch two letters in the respective words; that is, take a letter from the first word, put it in place of a letter in the second word, and put that letter where the first letter was. The result will name something you might take on a camping trip. What are the names of the university and the camping item?

To tell the truth, while the two-week challenge was interesting, I'm glad we are back to our regularly scheduled program with a weekly NPR puzzle.

Edit: The original host of To Tell the Truth was Bud Collyer. On radio (and later TV and film) Collyer supplied the voices of both Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent.

A: KENT STATE --> TENT STAKE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 21, 2011): Certain Amphibians Need Not Apply

2011-08-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 21, 2011): Certain Amphibians Need Not Apply:

Q: Take the name of an aquatic animal, in two words, six letters in the first word and four letters in the second. Remove the first letter of each word, the remaining eight letters in order, will spell a word that might describe an animal that is not aquatic.

This seems to be a common problem for me. I should know this answer, but instead it is right on the tip of my...

Edit: My hints were "common" as in the "common seal" (also known as the harbor seal) and "tip of my..." referring to the way a trained seal can balance a ball on the tip of his nose.

A: HARBOR SEAL --> ARBOREAL

So, would a tree frog be both arboreal and aquatic?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 14, 2011): Dog Breed and Animals Puzzle

2011-08-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 14, 2011): Dog Breed and Animals Puzzle:

Q: Name a breed of dog that starts and ends with the same letter of the alphabet. Drop that letter at both ends, and if you have the right dog, the remaining letters phonetically will name some animals. What's the dog and what are the animals?

It's a bit of a stretch to say that the remaining letters are pronounced exactly like the name of some animals.

Edit: My clue was "stretch" referring to the shape of this dog. The puzzle also reminded me of this Sprint commercial

A: Dachshund --> "achshun" --> Oxen

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 24, 2011): Female Animal and Bird

2011-07-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 24, 2011): Female Animal and Bird:

Q: Name the female of a certain animal, add the name of a bird, say these two words out loud one after the other, and phonetically you'll name a country. What country is it?

This reminds me of a puzzle from last year, and the weather forecast in Europe.

Edit: In the discussion on a similar puzzle, ewe + crane was given as a possible alternate answer. And my other hint was "U.K. rain(e)".

A: EWE + CRANE = UKRAINE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 10, 2011): Classic TV Show and a Well-Known Writer

2011-07-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 10, 2011): Classic TV Show and a Well-Known Writer:

Q: Name a classic television show in two words with eight letters. Remove one letter from each word. The remaining six letters, in order, will spell the last name of a well-known writer. Who is it?

Musical hint: btmiihlsihhwbwr

Edit: Back in November we had a discussion about how there were actual lyrics written by Gene Roddenberry for the Star Trek theme. The clue above would be the first letter of each line.

A: STAR TREK
Remove T from the first word, K from the second word
Jean-Paul SARTRE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 3, 2011): Famous Film Director Puzzle

2011-07-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 3, 2011): Famous Film Director Puzzle:

Q: Think of a common four-letter adjective. Then take its opposite in French. (It's a French word that everyone knows.) Say the two words out loud, one after the other, and you'll name a famous film director. Who is it?

It's déjà vu, all over again.

Edit: I used the comment "déjà vu" recently on the post entitled Same Puzzle: True or False?. In addition, a very similar form of this puzzle appeared back in January 2007.

A: TRUE + FAUX --> François TRUFFAUT

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 19, 2011): Things You Might See in a Mine

2011-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 19, 2011): Things You Might See in a Mine:

Q: Think of a former world leader whose first and last names both sound like things you might see in a mine. Who is the leader, and what are the things?

Now that this blog has been mentioned on the NPR website, we can expect great things. Here come all the new visitors looking for the answers to last week's hat puzzle. For the rest of us, this week's puzzle shouldn't be too hard.

Edit: The hints this week: "Expect Great Things" is the slogan of Kohl's Department Store. "...come all the..." anagrams into "coal helmet". And the references to "hard" and "hat" should also get you to helmet.

A: HELMUT KOHL --> HELMET, COAL

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 5, 2011): TV Series and Famous Actor

2011-06-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 5, 2011): TV Series and Famous Actor:

Q: Take the two-word title of a TV series. The first word contains a famous actor's first name in consecutive letters. The second word is a homophone for this actor's last name. Name the series and the actor.

My hint: 80% of Ararat in space... figure that one out.

Edit: In the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, there is an asteroid with the designation 96205 Ararat. If you take one figure (digit) off the end you are left with 9620 (80% of the original). That asteroid has the designation 9620 Ericidle

A: American Idol --> Eric Idle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 8, 2011): Happy Mothers' Day

2011-05-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 8, 2011): Happy Mothers' Day:

Q: Think of two common girls' names that are seven letters long and that start with the same four letters in the same order. Drop these four letters in each name, and mix the last three letters in each name to come up with another common girls' name in six letters. What names are these?

We were out all day in the sun celebrating Mothers' Day; I got a tan. By the way, is the six-letter name Barbie?

Edit: My hints: "a tan" reverses to be the first 4 letters of both names. "Barbie" referenced the phrase "put a shrimp on the barbie" which was popularized in ads for the Australian Tourism Board. Colloquially in Australia, a girl or woman might be called a "Sheila".

A: NATALIE and NATASHA --> SHEILA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 1, 2011): Transferring Universities

2011-05-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 1, 2011): Transferring Universities:

Q: Take the name of a well-known U.S. university. One of the letters in it is a chemical symbol. Change this to a two-letter chemical symbol to name another well-known U.S. university. What universities are these?

If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you'll know I sometimes complain about the puzzles Will picks. This time, since it was submitted by a regular visitor (Dave Taub), I'll try to be not so critical. I will say I like how the chemical elements are related, but I feel one of these universities may not be as "well-known" to some.

Edit: All of my hints referred to the chemical elements. Both are radioactive hence the comments about "critical" and being related. Also the post started with "...you are a..." = U, Ra.

A: DUKE (University) - U + Ra = DRAKE (University)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 10, 2011): Weight Weight... Don't Tell Me

2011-04-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 10, 2011): Weight Weight... Don't Tell Me:

Q: Name a unit of length in the plural form. Rearrange the letters to spell two units of mass, also in the plural form. What units are these?

Don't worry. My memory may not be the best, but I wasn't going to forget to post the puzzle. On that note, I was thinking of a couple award-winning hints, but they were too obvious. Instead, I'll just point out that technically the puzzle should have asked for units of mass, not weight. I've made the correction above.

Edit: My first hints were worry/memory which were a clue to angst/rom. My second hints were note and award-winning which should have pointed to music awards, specifically the Grammy and Tony Awards.

A: Angstroms --> Grams and Tons

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 3, 2011): Moby Dick scores an 82

2011-04-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 3, 2011): Moby Dick scores an 82:

Q: Assign every letter of the alphabet a numerical value: A=1, B=2, C=3 and so forth. Think of a classic work of literature that has eight letters in its title. When the letters are given a numerical value, they add up to 35. What's the title? Clue: The title has two words.

Clue: 12,672

Edit: First hint was 12 as in Adam-12, second hint was 672 as in the birth year of Venerable Bede

A: ADAM BEDE, the first novel by George Eliot

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 27, 2011): This Puzzle is Rated PG for Mild Language

2011-03-31T12:58:00.000-07:00

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 27, 2011): This Puzzle is Rated PG for Mild Language:

Q: Take the word 'calm' and flip the letters A and L to get 'clam.' Take the last name of a film director known for using profanity, and flip two pairs of letters in place to get a word used as a substitute for profanity. Who's the director, and what's the word?

Have I ever used profanity? I plead the fifth.

Edit: The name Quentin comes from the Latin quintus meaning "the fifth"

A: Quentin TARANTINO (swap AN and NO) --> "What in TARNATION!"