NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 29, 2020): April Foolish Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 29, 2020): April Foolish Puzzle:

Q: Here's an April Foolish puzzle. Think of a world capital. Drop the third and fourth letters, and keeping the remaining letters in order you'll name a state. What state is it?

What an appropriate time to post this puzzle — in more ways than one.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 22, 2020): Names with Four Pairs of Double Letters

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 22, 2020): Names with Four Pairs of Double Letters:

Q: Many famous people's names contain three pairs of double letters, like Johnny Appleseed and the actress Jennifer Connelly. But there are two famous fiction writers — one male, one female — whose names have four pairs of double letters. The male writer is Tennessee Williams. Who is the popular female writer?

This took Blaine much longer than expected. We had a TENNESSEE WILLIAMS puzzle back in 2014 with lots of discussion on alternate answers, but I'm pretty sure her name didn't come up then.

The initial letters of "This Took Blaine" are also the starting letters of "The Thorn Birds," arguably her most famous work.

A: Colleen McCullough

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 15, 2020): What Kind of Animal Is It?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 15, 2020): What Kind of Animal Is It?:

Q: Think of a well-known entertainer, six letters in the first name, four letters in the last. You can change the first letter of the entertainer's last name to name an animal. And you can change the first letter of the entertainer's first name to get what kind of animal that is.

Did you know this entertainer is one of 14?

Edit: She is the youngest of fourteen children.

A: CELINE DION, LION, FELINE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 8, 2020): Upcoming Pi Day

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 8, 2020): Upcoming Pi Day:

Q: This week's challenge is something different. It involves Pi Day, which is this coming Saturday, March 14 — commonly written as 3/14. That's been designated Pi Day because 3-1-4 are the first three digits of pi. Well, the letters of "Pi Day" also have a curious mathematical significance. What is it?

A math conundrum!

Edit: The number of letters in each word – A(1) math (4) conundrum (9)

A: The position of each letter in the alphabet is a perfect square: A(1), D(4), I(9), P(16), Y(25).

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 1, 2020): Wrong Trousers

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 1, 2020): Wrong Trousers:

Q: Think of a hyphenated word that describes certain pants. The first half of the word and a homophone of the second half are synonyms. What kind of pants are these?

I could sew burlap together and make the opposite of these pants.

Edit: The hidden hint was "... sew bur..." which sounds like SOBER -- an antonym of the words.

A: HIGH-WAISTED --> HIGH, WASTED

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 23, 2020): Word Operation

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 23, 2020): Word Operation:

Q: Name a well-known game in 8 letters. Drop the 5th letter, move the 1st letter into the vacated spot, and you'll name, in order, a part of the human body. What game is it?

So to verify, 8 for the first part and 7 for the second.

Edit: You spend a lot of time counting cards that add to 15.

A: CRIBBAGE --> RIB CAGE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 16, 2020): Be Quiet!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 16, 2020): Be Quiet!:

Q: What familiar 10-letter word contains a silent B, E, and O — not necessarily in that order. And those three letters don't have to be consecutive in the word.

I hope I don't get called this week.

A: SUbPoENAeD

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 9, 2020): World Traveler

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 9, 2020): World Traveler:

Q: My friend Penelope, who is from La Jolla, went on a world vacation. She stopped in Santa Rosa, Toronto and Casablanca. What European capital did she also visit?

This puzzle shouldn't require much more than a list or an atlas.

Edit: The word "REquiRE" also starts and ends with the same two letters.

A: AMsterdAM follows the same pattern as PEneloPE, LA jolLA, SAnta roSA, TOronTO and CAsablanCA.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 2, 2020): Forwards and Backwards

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 2, 2020): Forwards and Backwards:

Q: The actress Michael Learned, who played the mother on The Waltons, has an unusual property in her name. The last three letters of her first name are the same as the first three letters of her last name reversed. The name of what current celebrity has the same property? Here's a hint: The first and last names each have 6 letters.

I guess I'll just be content knowing I finally have the answer, even if I had to ask family members for help.

Edit: In particular, a younger member of the family. Also her initials are hidden in the word "be".

A: BILLIE EILISH

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 26, 2020): What's My Job

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 26, 2020): What's My Job:

Q: Write down the letter C. Beneath that write ENT. And beneath that write a G. What profession do these letters represent? Here's a hint: It's a two-word phrase — 10 letters in the first word, 5 letters in the second.

I believe the operative word is "write".

Edit: Actually the operative word is "operative" :)

A: Under C, Over a G, ENT --> UNDERCOVER AGENT

P.S. If anyone is interested, an almost identical version of the puzzle was played on-air about 10 years ago.