Thursday, September 03, 2009

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 30): Take me to your Leader

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 30): Take me to your Leader:
Q: Name a famous leader in world history — the name by which this person is usually known. Change the first letter of the leader's name to the previous letter of the alphabet, rearrange the result, and you'll name what this person was the leader of. Who is it, and where was this person the leader?
I haven't a clue, yet... sorry, I'm no real help at the moment.

Edit: Here's the hidden hint "I'm no real help..."
A: NERO --> ROME
at

35 comments:

  1. BlaineSun Aug 30, 10:14:00 AM PDT

    Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any outright spoilers before the deadline of Thursday at 3pm ET. If you know the answer, click the link and submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. dumpsterdiveladSun Aug 30, 10:24:00 AM PDT

    Last week there were 1500 answers submitted. They didn't say how many were correct! More this week, of course!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LorenzoSun Aug 30, 10:29:00 AM PDT

    The big news here in Southern California concerns the raging brush fires that are threatening 10,000 homes. We had a close call 5 years ago when we were evacuated and several homes in our neighborhood were destroyed. Thankfully, this time we are not in danger, but our thoughts go out to all who are suffering through this nightmare.

    We had an eerie experience last week, listening to an outdoor concert at the Hollywood Bowl while the hills burned in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ChezedogSun Aug 30, 10:32:00 AM PDT

    Finally got it, after fiddling around for 3 hours...

    ReplyDelete
  5. BlaineSun Aug 30, 10:48:00 AM PDT

    The clues above have left me more mixed up. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. NatashaSun Aug 30, 10:59:00 AM PDT

    I am fired up about this one. Thanks for the clues.

    ReplyDelete
  7. BenSun Aug 30, 11:06:00 AM PDT

    Was Chairman Mao ever in charge of AOL?

    Or did he miss the internet completely?

    -- Other Ben

    ReplyDelete
  8. CurtisSun Aug 30, 11:15:00 AM PDT

    Something about this puzzle makes me hungry for a good salad.

    ReplyDelete
  9. phredpSun Aug 30, 12:19:00 PM PDT

    After pondering about this weeks puzzle and staring at my computer desktop for an hour, the answer was apparant! Now I have to burn a dvd of my Vegas Elvis wedding for a friend.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvXgQfdArmQ

    ReplyDelete
  10. geriSun Aug 30, 01:08:00 PM PDT

    Thank all of you for the clues. This time I concentrated on them and, wow, I got it.

    ReplyDelete
  11. RickSun Aug 30, 01:26:00 PM PDT

    The clues helped. Dang. Burns me up.

    ReplyDelete
  12. LorenzoSun Aug 30, 01:31:00 PM PDT

    Did anyone notice that with a bit of wordplay, this week's answer can be derived from each of two recent puzzle answers?

    ReplyDelete
  13. JenJenSun Aug 30, 02:05:00 PM PDT

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. BenSun Aug 30, 02:21:00 PM PDT

    JenJen, that one is a bit much, I think.

    Anyway, I figured it out. It isn't Mao and AOL. I had forgotten the wisdom of Ted Stevens that the Internet is, in fact, a series of tubes.

    -- Other Ben

    ReplyDelete
  15. dumpsterdiveladSun Aug 30, 02:30:00 PM PDT

    L-zo,

    You are absolutely right!

    ReplyDelete
  16. JenJenSun Aug 30, 03:32:00 PM PDT

    Sorry, Other Ben, I deleted it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. dave sSun Aug 30, 05:20:00 PM PDT

    Clues are a complete give away this week...

    ReplyDelete
  18. DaveSun Aug 30, 07:24:00 PM PDT

    David, I have to agree with you, the clues gave it away.

    Here's another one for you to ponder. Dave's Puzzle Number 12:

    Take the name of a country. Replace the first letter of the country's name with the two letters immediately preceding that letter, i.e., if it's z, replace it with x and y. Rearrange the letters to get the name of a leader of that country.

    ReplyDelete
  19. LorenzoSun Aug 30, 10:23:00 PM PDT

    Dave: Re #12. Great performance by B.K.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Eddie YuMon Aug 31, 12:19:00 AM PDT

    Dave's #12 is much better than this week's NPR puzzle. But I'm sorry E.T. didn't win the Oscar for best picture.

    ReplyDelete
  21. DaveJMon Aug 31, 07:47:00 AM PDT

    OK, so it's pretty easy one this week, no hints from Suze though ? Anyone else think the on-air 6>5 letter backwards word puzzles were tough ? I only got one right

    ReplyDelete
  22. BenMon Aug 31, 10:01:00 AM PDT

    They should have used TREBEK and EBERT. Although I guess it would have have to be KEBER.

    ReplyDelete
  23. DaveMon Aug 31, 06:00:00 PM PDT

    Lorenzo and Eddie, nice job! I've submitted some of my puzzles to Will but he hasn't chosen any of them yet. I'll submit this one and keep my fingers crossed.

    ReplyDelete
  24. bigmikeh94Mon Aug 31, 09:50:00 PM PDT

    can someone please help me just a tad more. Im REALLY eating myself up trying to think of this.

    ReplyDelete
  25. DaveTue Sep 01, 11:03:00 AM PDT

    bigmikeh794, sometimes answers can't be figured out in one day.

    ReplyDelete
  26. dumpsterdiveladTue Sep 01, 11:40:00 AM PDT

    bigmikeh794,

    "More"? I think are already very close!

    ReplyDelete
  27. DaveJTue Sep 01, 01:24:00 PM PDT

    Even the blog owner obviously hinted - Blaine is a hero methinks !

    ReplyDelete
  28. My Little Family:Wed Sep 02, 07:34:00 PM PDT

    The hints here this week make it too easy ;) Been traveling and haven't done the puzzle since the waitress in the coffee shop and I didn't submit that one because it was so simply I didn't think it could possibly be right.

    ReplyDelete
  29. JenJenThu Sep 03, 03:49:00 AM PDT

    Yes, they do make it rather simple. But only the new(ish) gal here gets chastised for her clue. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  30. bigmikeh94Thu Sep 03, 10:17:00 AM PDT

    Sorry guys. I ended up getting it shortly after i posted that comment :).

    ReplyDelete
  31. DaveJThu Sep 03, 02:47:00 PM PDT

    Obligatory post-deadline explanatory posting:

    Even the blog ow[ner o]viously hinted - Blaine is a he[ro me]thinks !

    ReplyDelete
  32. BlaineThu Sep 03, 05:02:00 PM PDT

    My prior post: "The clues above have left me more mixed up. :-)" MORE unscrambles to ROME.

    ReplyDelete
  33. geriThu Sep 03, 08:58:00 PM PDT

    Dave, When will #12 be revealed?

    ReplyDelete
  34. DaveSat Sep 05, 10:05:00 AM PDT

    Geri (or anyone else), would you like a clue to Puzzle #12?

    ReplyDelete
  35. geriSat Sep 05, 03:36:00 PM PDT

    Dave, YES, please

    ReplyDelete

For NPR puzzle posts, don't post the answer or any hints that could lead to the answer before the deadline (usually Thursday at 3pm ET). If you know the answer, submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.

You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.