NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 15, 2018): Famous Chicagoan

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 15, 2018): Famous Chicagoan:

Q: Name a famous person from Chicago — first and last names. The last name ends in an E. Change the E to an I and rearrange the letters in just the last name to get a famous actor — whose first name is the same as the first person's. Who are these people?

Technically their first names aren't the same. The actor has played a character in the same occupation as the person from Chicago and possibly based on the person.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 8, 2018): Slicing your Pancake

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 8, 2018): Slicing your Pancake:

Q: The word PANCAKE has an unusual property. If you remove its last letter, you get a series of U.S. state postal abbreviations — PA, NC, and AK. Can you name a major city and state that both have this property? To solve this, first think of a state in which you can drop its last letter to leave a series of state postal abbreviations. Then find a major city in that state that also has this property. The city and state names have to be different. What city and state is it?

To your pancake, add butter, syrup or whipped cream, as you like it.

Edit: One of the characters in Shakespeare's "As You Like It" was Orlando de Boys.

A: ORLANDO, FLORIDA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 1, 2018): Your Title Goes Here

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 1, 2018): Your Title Goes Here:

Q: Name a woman's title. Drop the first and last letters and read the result backward to get another woman's title. Both titles are common English-language spellings. What titles are these?

It's a pity I live on a rocky hill.

My comment was pointing out that Ñ isn't always the same as N. The name Peña means rocky summit or rocky hill. But without the tilde, the word pena means pity. NPR recently had a similar problem with año and ano.

A: BARONESS --> SEÑORA (or just SENORA in some dictionaries)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 24, 2018): X Marks the Spot

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 24, 2018): X Marks the Spot:

Q: Think of a well-known commercial name in 9 letters. Change both the fourth and ninth letters to X's and you'll get two other familiar commercial names, one after the other. What names are these?

I didn't realize how many commercial names contain X. Trix, Timex...

Edit: Perhaps a little too obvious -- a cereal and a watch brand.

A: CHEVROLET --> CHEX, ROLEX

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 17, 2018): Four-letter American Companies

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 17, 2018): Four-letter American Companies:

Q: Think of a familiar hyphenated 7-letter word. The first 4 letters name a prominent American company, and the last 4 letters name a different prominent American company. What word is it?

A: Vis-à-vis (Visa, Avis)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 10, 2018): Welcome Back, Potter - TV Show Pitch (Week 2)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 10, 2018): Welcome Back, Potter - TV Show Pitch (Week 2):

Q: The object is to pitch a TV show idea to one of the networks, either broadcast or cable, in which your TV show's title is just one letter different from an existing show's title, past or present. Name your TV show and summarize it in 15 words or less.

Examples:
AMERICAN I DO'S — Hilarious misadventures of a bumbling wedding planner
YOU BET YOUR WIFE — Trivia contest, with wagering, to determine who knows more — husband or spouse

Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of wording, humor and overall effect. No more than three entries per person, please. The person who sends the best TV pitch will play the on-air puzzle in two weeks

Winner:
I Remember MOMA - Each episode focuses on a past exhibit or artist at the Museum of Modern Art
According to Will it was "chosen because of its originality, surprising letter substitution, naturalness of its description, and humor."

Runners-up:
Perks And Recreation
The O.C.D. Couple
Father Knots Best
Star Trek: The Next Veneration
Big Brothel
The Mary Tyler Moose Show
Beverly Sills 90210
Mayberry B.F.D.
The Punsters
The Incredible Hunk
The Incredible Hula
Little Souse on the Prairie
Let's Make a Meal
Saturday Night Jive
Lust in Space
Big Bong Theory
Get Kmart
PR
The Greatest American Herb
Who Waits to Be a Millionaire?
America's Next Top Mohel
As the World Burns
Hawaii Five-K [race]

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 3, 2018): Two Week Challenge - TV Show Pitch

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 3, 2018): Two Week Challenge - TV Show Pitch:

Q: The object is to pitch a TV show idea to one of the networks, either broadcast or cable, in which your TV show's title is just one letter different from an existing show's title, past or present. Name your TV show and summarize it in 15 words or less.

Examples:
N.Y.P.D. CLUE — Manhattan crime investigation in which each case hinges on a single, unexpected piece of evidence
HAVE GUT, WILL TRAVEL — Portly host tours the best all-you-can-eat restaurants in America

Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of wording, humor and overall effect. No more than three entries per person, please. The person who sends the best TV pitch will play the on-air puzzle in two weeks

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 27, 2018): There's Something Worrisome About My Body?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 27, 2018): There's Something Worrisome About My Body?:

Q: Name part of the human body. Switch the first two letters to get a two-word phrase for something that is worrisome. What is it?

In reverse it's a fish dance move.

Edit: Backwards it's NEMO DAB

A: ABDOMEN --> BAD OMEN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 20, 2018): Hit Film with Sequels

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 20, 2018): Hit Film with Sequels:

Q: Take the title of a famous Hollywood flop. Change an A to an R, then rearrange the letters to spell a famous box office hit — which went on to spawn sequels. What films are these?

As with most things, we can blame Shakespeare.

Edit: The phrase was made familiar in Shakespeare's sonnet 29, "my state...sings hymns at heaven’s gate"

A: HEAVEN'S GATE --> THE AVENGERS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 13, 2018): When's Dinner?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 13, 2018): When's Dinner?:

Q: Think of a two-word phrase a child might shout when walking in the front door. Rearrange the letters and add an "E" at the end, and you get the next two words the child might shout. These are both common expressions. What are they?

There are a few assumptions being made, but I'll allow it.

Edit: It's a little dated to expect Mom to be the one staying home waiting for the kids to arrive from school. Can't Dad be there too? And how did the child get home? They didn't walk home alone, did they?

A: HI MOM! I'M HOME!