NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 24, 2019): H-Brand and M-Brand

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 24, 2019): H-Brand and M-Brand:

Q: Think of a well-known brand name in 8 letters starting with H. Change the H to an M and drop the last letter. You'll get another well-known brand name in 7 letters. What commercial names are these?

I wouldn't have put these brands together otherwise.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 17, 2019): A Letter to the Editor

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 17, 2019): A Letter to the Editor:

Q: Take the letters S Y T O Y. Add the same letter of the alphabet six times to complete a familiar phrase. What is it?

I'm not going to strain my brain coming up with a hint; it's not worth it. No doubt you guys will outdo anything I would do anyway.

Edit: My hint avoided using the letter E.

A: SEE EYE TO EYE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 10, 2019): Turning Winter on its Head

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 10, 2019): Turning Winter on its Head:

Q: Think of a 4-letter word for something commonly seen in the winter. Write it in lowercase letters. Turn it upside down, and you'll name a device you use with this thing. What is it?

I didn't have this initially because I didn't consider a lowercase 'l' looking like itself upside down since it would have to shift up/down to work. But I believe that is the answer.A: wool --> loom

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 3, 2019): Who Doesn't Love Anagrams?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 3, 2019): Who Doesn't Love Anagrams?:

Q: Name a popular restaurant chain in two words. Its letters can be rearranged to spell some things to eat and some things to drink. Both are plural words. What things are these, and what's the chain?

I could say a couple things, but I'd immediately give it away. I'm pretty sure the food or drink items are not on the restaurant chain's menu.

If the couple things were "pizza, pizza", that would definitely give it away.

A: LITTLE CAESARS --> LATTES + ECLAIRS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 24, 2019): U.S. Natural Landmark Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 24, 2019): U.S. Natural Landmark Puzzle:

Q: I'm thinking of a well-known U.S. natural landmark. Take the two-word name of its location. Then change the first letter of the second word to the immediately previous letter of the alphabet, and you'll get another description of the landmark's location. What's the landmark, and what are the two descriptions of its location?

Edit: I was stuck for awhile this week... but I couldn't say that. :)

A: Rancho La Brea Tar Pits --> LA BREA / L.A. AREA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 17, 2019): One Dozen Four-Score Million

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 17, 2019): One Dozen Four-Score Million:

Q: The numbers one, 12, 80, and million have something in common that only one other number has. What is it... and what's the other number

I'm presently stumped, but I'll eventually get to the root of this.

A: The numbers appear in the Best Picture Oscar-winning movies One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (or It Happened One Night), 12 Years a Slave, Around the World in 80 Days, and Million Dollar Baby. The only other number to appear in a Oscar-winning film title is the Roman numeral "II" in The Godfather Part II.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 10, 2019): I'm Pickin' Up Good Vibrations

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 10, 2019): I'm Pickin' Up Good Vibrations:

Q: Name a well-known rock band in three words. Change the first and third letters to the first and third letters of the alphabet — that is, A and C. You can rearrange the result to name another famous rock band in three words. What is it?

If you change the first and third letters of the new band's name to M and E and rearrange, you get a type of claim.

Edit: If you rearrange the letters, you get MECHANICS LIEN

A: NINE INCH NAILS --> ALICE IN CHAINS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 3, 2019): One if by Land, Two if by Sea

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 3, 2019): One if by Land, Two if by Sea:

Q: Think of a word meaning "a particular body of water." Change one letter in it to get a new word meaning "a particular body of land." What words are these?

I'm finding a clue in a previous puzzle. Oh well.

Edit: I was hinting at "Atlas Shrugged" since Atlantic and Atlantis are derived from Atlas. I got too hung up on the word "particular".

A: Will Shortz accepted INLET --> ISLET or BAY --> CAY

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 27, 2019): Getting from Here to There

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 27, 2019): Getting from Here to There:

Q: Name a vehicle in two words, each with the same number of letters. Subtract a letter from each word, and the remaining letters in order will spell the first and last names of a famous writer. Who is it?

I'm generally pretty good at puzzles like these...

Edit: A lot of U.S. tanks are named after generals (Sherman, Patton, Abrams, etc.)

A: ARMY TANK --> AMY TAN (author of "The Joy Luck Club")

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 20, 2019): What a Feeling

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 20, 2019): What a Feeling:

Q: Take the name of a classic song that became the signature song of the artist who performed it. It has two words; five letters in the first, three letters in the second. The letters can be rearranged to spell two new words. One is a feeling. The other is an expression of that feeling. What song is it?

Alternatively, you can rearrange the letters to spell two items that can be eaten.

Edit: The two foods are MANNA and POI.

A: Billy Joel's PIANO MAN --> PAIN, MOAN