Q: Name a world capital. Add the letter R, and rearrange the letters to name two U.S. presidents. What is the world capital and who are the presidents?I'm primarily thinking of countries in Africa, maybe Chad?
Edit: The flag of Chad has the primary colors of blue, yellow and red in 3 vertical stripes. This matches exactly with flag of Romania which has the same tricolor pattern (with cobalt blue instead of indigo, but you can't tell me they look that different). The capital of Romania is Bucharest
A: BUCHAREST + R --> BUSH + CARTER
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.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a day in my life I'd prefer to forget when I was maniacally roaming our planet alone on a three month long vacation and, in a case of mistaken identity, was arrested, fingerprinted and booked in this city. I could go on and tell you more about this sad experience, but let's just move on. Now I'm wishing I had not solved it so quickly. Next puzzle, Will, please! Everyone else: enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the new week is here; I need a rest.
ReplyDeleteBlaine:
ReplyDeleteTook me a moment, but I got your clue. I should have got it sooner because I used to work with that stuff when I was in the army.
Take something to read, Ken.
ReplyDeleteHow'd you find the new puzzle already?
ReplyDeleteKen, if you really need a rest, perhaps you should reserve one
ReplyDeleteNow there's a puzzle for you. Sleep on it.
ReplyDeleteNow that he's retired, Mubarak should be able to relax and take it easy, but personally I think he will find it difficult since he will no longer have his mummy to comfort him.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively, take the correct country, add the capitals of Blaine's hint and rearrange the letters to name a well known U.S. athlete.
ReplyDeleteMight be the answer to a past puzzle. An argument could be made that one's feeble & the other's feeble minded. With that said, I will vote for the Count!
ReplyDeleteBlaine, I thought you might give a clue like: "There are lists you could search but try it without using them."
ReplyDeleteI've got a world capital to which I can add the letter R, and rearrange the letters to name THREE U.S. presidents.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that one Jan. I'm so happy I got it, I'm doing an Irish jig. Blood or Whiskey might cure this malady.
ReplyDeleteAm I correct in assuming that the puzzle is looking for surnames?
ReplyDeletePretty stoked that I was able to solve this one so quickly.
ReplyDeleteThe man was no Gorbachev and got his just deserts.
ReplyDeleteChuck
Reminds me of the time I went to the summer Olympics in Canada--I had the best time!
ReplyDeleteI solved this right away because Will has used it before about 7 years ago. By the way, the recent Thoreau / Author puzzle of Dec.25 was used back in April of 2000. Should I also mention that I have a lot of time on my hands?
ReplyDeleteHey Al,
ReplyDeleteDo you have a lot of time on your hands?
I came up with a new one for him to use and will send it in later this week.
Thanks
Banje - Yes, the answer to this puzzle is the presidents' surnames.
ReplyDeleteSurnames! Really? I guess I got the wrong answer then. I thought it was middle names.
ReplyDeleteI got it. U?
ReplyDelete-- Other Ben
Al, so I guess that rules out Obama being one of the names...
ReplyDeleteAny takers on the U.S. athlete? (see above)
ReplyDeleteJan, I got a third president too after reading your comment--thanks!
ReplyDeleteAl, it burns me up that Will is re-using an old puzzle!
Hey Tommy,
ReplyDeleteThe athlete's name rhymes with a European country. (This rhyming was mentioned in Blainesville sometime in the past; I don't remember when or why.)
That's one small country, Ken, much like its neighbor to the south.
ReplyDeleteAs far as re-using old puzzles goes, Will is nothing like those Car Talk guys, who almost always use recycled puzzles lately. They've even sometimes announced the same winner that they had years before. Seems pretty fraudulent to me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and do you think they sent the $26 gift certificate to the former winner who they "chose" again? I doubt it. I solve most of their frequently inane puzzles but never send in my answer since I would not use the "prize" anyway.
ReplyDeleteKen, yes,within the past two years one of the Blainesville regulars (possibly Dave?) posted a "bonus" puzzle something like: "Take the name of a country, change one letter to get the name of a well-known athlete." (or vice versa.)
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, both of the named US presidents visited this capital during their terms of office.
ReplyDeleteThere should probably be a landslide of correct answers submitted this week. By far one of Will's easiest challenges. More amazing than how fast I got the answer is that I figured out Blaine's clue. Count that as a first for me.
ReplyDeleteHey, Gang. I'm a day early this week. You can have your dollar back!
ReplyDeleteA New Challenge for Y'all
My hint = find(B$1,$A2,1),find(C$1,$A2,1),sum(B2:C2)
ReplyDeleteBut don't look for any #VALUE in the results.
I excel at gambling, so I'll bet $2 I got the right answer.
Lorenzo, good memory. I totally forgot about that puzzle I posted and it took me a few minutes to figure it out. You could also change Niger to Tiger.
ReplyDeleteTommy Boy, it would have been easier if you had written, "Take the capital letters," rather than, "Take the capitals." That THREW me for a loop.
Dave, Will is in charge of the easy puzzles. I prefer loops. Try my puzzle this week.
ReplyDeleteClick Here, Dave
I don't know if janeabelle was hiding a clue with "It burns me up...", but I read that as a clue to "pyromaniac". The country of Romania is found within the word pyROMANIAc.
ReplyDeleteI hope it was intentional.
Blaine, missed your clue again, but Bush was involved in the hanging CHAD mess and Carter made many well publicized trips to Africa.
ReplyDeleteBlaine only named one country in his hint. Chad's capital is N'Djamena. So the capitals in his hint are N and D. Romania + N and D = Dan Marino.
ReplyDeleteand what capital is it that you can get three president's names out of??
ReplyDeleteI am beating my head against the wall - I completely misunderstood the puzzle. I thought the goal was to arrange the letters (capital + R)to get the name of one president, then arrange them AGAIN to get the name of *another* president. And I couldn't get even ONE.
ReplyDelete[thud thud thud]
In my attempt to emulate Blaine, the words SEARCH BUT appear consecutively.
ReplyDeleteMy clues:
ReplyDeleteI made up a phony story with "maniacally roaming" which was a clue for Romania—the country which contains the capitol city of Bucharest.
"booked and arrested" are clues for Bucharest. "Buch" in German means book.
I was tempted to add another line but felt it was giving away too much: "Fortunately, not too long after I was carted away to the jug, the police aprehended the actual suspect in a park, hiding in some shrubery, near where they found me."
The clues to that line are "carted" referring to Carter and "shrubery" referring to Bush.
PS I also emailed Will a puzzle I made up a few days ago. It is more difficult than what we have been getting lately, but more fun, I think. If he uses it (Probably not) I will let you all know, but will not provide further clues for solving it.
My clue; I'm doing an Irish jig. Blood or Whiskey might cure this malady referred to the Irish band Blood or Whiskey who did a song called Bucharest (but you had to Google both the band name and the capital to come up with the song in the search results)
ReplyDeleteok. I'm good, although Linda, I believe the clue should have been three presidents since Bush covers two. Blaine, I thought sure you were hanging a chad. Sooo Barnes - Durco, please enlighten us on your hint.
ReplyDeleteLinda:
ReplyDeleteI believe those who found three presdents in one capital found them, as I did, in the correct answer: Bucharest. Arthur is the answer. A hint could have been: I have a clue, but I am keeping my cards close to my chest.
Chester Arthur.