NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 8, 2024): Plants of North and Central America

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 8, 2024): Plants of North and Central America

Q: Name a common tree of North America in two words (three letters, five letters). Rearrange its letters to name a well-known plant of Central America, also in two words (four letters, four letters). What tree and plant are these?

I was fortunate to figure this out quickly.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 1, 2024): The Cat's Pajamas

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 1, 2024): The Cat's Pajamas

Q: Think of a classic television actor — first and last names. Add a long-E sound at the end of each name and you'll get two things that are worn while sleeping. What are they?

Take another item that might be worn while sleeping, increment the last letter so it is one later in the alphabet and move it to the 4th position. Change the first vowel sound and you have the last name of the person's most famous character role.

Edit: BOXERS -> BAXTER

A: TED KNIGHT --> TEDDY, NIGHTIE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 24, 2024): Name that Capital

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 24, 2024): Name that Capital

Q: Name a state capital. Inside it in consecutive letters is the first name of a popular TV character of the past. Remove that name, and the remaining letters in order will spell the first name of a popular TV game show host of the past. What is the capital and what are the names?

The last names make me think of a former School of Journalism.

Edit: The picture of Sesame Street characters above was a hint to Ernie. Ernie Pyle Hall (at Indiana University) used to house the Journalism Department but has been renovated/rededicated as the Office of Admissions.

A: MONTGOMERY --> GOMER (Pyle), MONTY (Hall)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 17, 2024): An American Author's Body of Work

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 17, 2024): An American Author's Body of Work

Q: Think of a classic American author, whose first and last name's are each one syllable. The last name, when said aloud, sounds like part of the body. Insert the letters "A-S" into the first name and you have the location of this body part. Who is the author?

I had to nix my previous hints.

Edit: Nix --> 86 --> Agent 86 --> "Get Smart" rhymes with the answer.

A: BRET HARTE --> BREAST, HEART

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 10, 2024): Panders for Seafood

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 10, 2024): Panders for Seafood

Q: Using only the letters of PANDERS, and repeating them as often as desired, spell a certain entrée at a seafood restaurant (3-6 3 7).

I got the first two words and the last two words. I didn't think there was a dish that put them together. Update: I had the incorrect first two words... no wonder it didn't make sense. As a hyphenated word it makes more sense.

Edit: I initially came up with Red-pepper red snapper.

A: PAN-SEARED RED SNAPPER

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 3, 2024): Experimental Place

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 3, 2024): Experimental Place

Q: Name a place where experiments are done (two words). Drop the last letter of each word. The remaining letters, reading from left to right, will name someone famously associated with experiments. Who is it?

Rearrange the letters in the person's full name and you get a quiet animal.

Edit: NIKOLA TESLA --> SILENT KOALA

A: TEST LAB --> TESLA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 27, 2024): Where in the World?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 27, 2024): Where in the World?

Q: Name a place somewhere on the globe -- in two words. Rearrange the letters of the first word to name some animals. The second word in the place name is something those animals sometimes do. What is it?

I've heard of REED PARK, but I'm not letting any DEER have the keys to my car, red jacket or not.

Edit: I was originally focused on BAY as a sound that canines might make. I was almost ready to dismiss the idea when I saw a (now deleted) comment about Sherlock Holmes which immediately made me think of The Hound of the Baskervilles and thus the answer.

A: HUDSON BAY --> HOUNDS, BAY

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 20, 2024): Greetings from...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 20, 2024): Greetings from...

Q: The city of UTICA, NEW YORK, when spelled out, contains 12 letters, all of them different. Think of a well-known U.S. city, that when its name is spelled out (including the state), contains 13 letters, all of them different. Your answer doesn't have to match Will's.

A typo was introduced when the city name was registered; if that hadn't occured, it wouldn't be composed of 13 unique letters.

Edit: While the name is derived from Fort Caspar and Lt. Caspar Collins, it is officially named "Casper" due to a typo occurring during the official registration.

A: CASPER, WYOMING

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 13, 2024): Have a Drink

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 13, 2024): Have a Drink

Q: Think of something to drink whose name is a compound word. Delete the first letter of the first part and you'll get some athletes. Delete the first letter of the second part and you'll get where these athletes compete. What words are these?

The removed letters form a state abbreviation.

Edit: SD --> South Dakota

A: SCREWDRIVER --> CREW, RIVER

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 6, 2024): Two Word Place Names

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 6, 2024): Two Word Place Names

Q: Think of a place in America. Two words, 10 letters altogether. The first five letters read the same forward and backward. The last five letters spell something found in the body. What place is this?

The first letter of each word is a hint to the answer.

Edit: New England is NE (North East).

A: NEW ENGLAND (NEWEN/GLAND)