NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 24, 2012): The Cat is Away: Since I'm not going to be around to comment on the puzzle, I'm putting this week's puzzle on "auto-pilot". Please play nicely and don't give the puzzle answer away.Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any hints that could lead directly to the answer (e.g. via Google or Bing) 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.
You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't give the answer away. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the Thursday deadline. Thank you.
Edit: From my comment, We just reached our destination (goal line). After the family got settled here inside... (go all in)
A: GO ALL IN + E --> GOAL LINE
Think of a familiar three-word phrase that might be used in poker and add an "E" at the end and you'll get a two-word phrase that's common in football. What phrases are these? (The spaces in between the words changes in the two phrases but the letters stay in the same order.)
ReplyDeleteThose who complain that they are handicapped due to not knowing football terms can substitute ultimate frisbee.
ReplyDeleteI sat through one football game when I was 8 or 9 and paid little attention and hated it. I don't know much about poker and far less about Frisbee. I think I will sit this one out and be content.
DeleteI have figured it out and am amazed since I know nothing about these terms. Never heard of the poker term/phrase, but I figured it out logically working backwards from what seemed like a logical point. It worked and when I checked the term it was there. Sorry, but I have no clever hint as of now.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I have a hint. One of the words is an extremely popular game, but you are unlikely to think of it.
ReplyDeleteSDB - likewise I had heard of the football term but not the poker phrase - turns out there are several variations of web site with that name and they all relate to poker, so I think that's it.
ReplyDeleteI tried looking at lots of lists at first and gave up in disgust mostly due to my extreme dislike for football and everything connected with it, including Jerry Sandusky who is now going from Penn State to the state pen.
DeleteI then decided I would not even work on this puzzle and went to watch a DVD movie. Something a bit later caused me to revisit it and I solved it in moments working in reverse, so I am now pleased with what at first I hated. Well, I still hate sports puzzles, but I like the fact I could work it out even though I would not have understood the phrase if you had said it to me.
One of the easier puzzles. Speaking of sports, did you hear that "I'll Have Another" got scratched from the Belmont Stakes? That line was relevant for two weeks, but not this week.
ReplyDeleteSeems that the prosecution exerted all their effort in the Sandusky trial, but his defense was weak.
Speaking of Sandusky's defense strategy. I thought it was lame and that in such a slam-dunk situation he should have used something outrageous like the Twinkie Defense Dan White used. I though he might have tried to use a dyslexia defense/excuse and insist he got confused by the term: towel boy. Play with that one a bit.
DeleteI immediately thought of a phrase ending in -e that applies to both poker and football. That can't be it, though; it's two words in both cases, with no change from poker to football.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand puzzles like this....i hope there isn't one more like it.
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ReplyDeleteThat was a spoiler.
DeleteHugh, Thank you for being careful to avoid revealing the answer. Actually, I thought it was a nice anagram and probably not a spoiler.
DeleteI just thought of an hilarious hint befitting today, but I'm afraid it would say too much.
DeleteI regret having missed the original comment.
DeleteWe just reached our destination. After the family got settled here inside the cabin, I was surprised to find we had wi-fi. Anyway, once I figure out the puzzle, I'll post a hint.
ReplyDeleteI think you may have hinted before you solved. Wow.
DeleteLet's not underestimate Blaine. I suspect he does have the answer!
DeleteLet's not misunderestimate Tommy Boy. I think I detected a hint of sarcasm in his comment.
DeleteHear, hear!
DeleteLet's not descend into sarchasm. (sic)
DeleteWhen someone points out that a post has a clue, it kind of defeats the purpose of trying to be subtle with my hints. :)
DeleteThe two-word phrase applies to American football, and the football (soccer), that the entire rest of the world plays.
ReplyDeleteCurtis took my comment. This phrase applies to a whole host of sports, not just American football.
ReplyDeletePeople are conspiring against me but I’ll try this one or two more times before I rest awhile.
ReplyDeleteChuck
time-out let me put my game face on (or should that be my poker face?) outcomes the same
ReplyDeleteReminds me of "W."
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean "H"?
DeleteI'm getting tired of this.
ReplyDeleteAs well you ... might.
DeleteHint: The punch line for why one might not want to fly Virgin Airways.
ReplyDeletehmmm...bad food? ;-)
DeleteExactly, you're too young to understand this one, Brooke.
DeleteFairly easy puzzle. Not a lot of posts here. I'd bet the farm most everyone has figured this one out already.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Last week, we had a veritable legion of posts compared to this week.
DeleteI just hope no one gets overconfident a la Leon Lett.
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ReplyDeleteStrange how certain combinations of words will forever conjure up negative feelings about a former fake would-be suitor who professed to do this but was just playing.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am puzzled about the relative inactivity on this week's puzzle blog.
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ReplyDeleteAren't you early or did I miss something?
Deletebenmar, I think it may not be too late to remove the answer.
Deletebenmar12001:
DeleteYou certainly let Blaine and all the rest of us here down. Thanks for nothing.
Yeah, the deadline was early a few weeks ago, but not this week. It's still 3PM ET (12PM PT).
DeleteI apologize. Problem being, I was on vacation, there being a 3 hour difference, which I forgot to consider.
DeleteForgive me!
@benmar12001, How were things there in Greenland?
Delete100 degrees plus!
DeleteBenmar - A little premature I think. The deadline is 3PM Eastern
ReplyDeleteBenmar's early and I'm late once again. The new puzzle's ready.
ReplyDeleteWatch your step
GO ALL IN and GOAL LINE
ReplyDeleteMy hints:
"One of the words is an extremely popular game, but you are unlikely to think of it."
GO is a very popular Chinese board game played with white and black stones. Go is over 2500 years old and almost as popular as Chess.
So my grumble about this week's puzzle was already hinted at by SkyDiveBoy and DaveJ and others. ALL IN isn't really a poker term, but one specific to Texas Hold Em.
ReplyDeleteTexas Hold Em seems to have a better PR firm than five card stud, seven card stud, down the river, shove it with a switch, or any of the other terrific ways to play, none of which really have GOING ALL IN as a part of the action.
So it is almost like calling LET or DRAFTING a sports term, rather than a tennis or cycling term, respectively.
But Will did call it a term "you might hear" playing poker, or something like that. So my answer went in, but alas no call from Will. Sigh.
-- Other Ben
Yes, and as to your last paragraph: Where else would one use this phrase? I've never heard it. Go all out, but not go all in.
DeleteWould you want to fly on an airline that didn't go all the way?
ReplyDeleteMy clue - "I can't stand puzzles like this....i hope there isn't one more like it." was reference to a goal line "stand" and that if you cross the goal line, you usually go for "one more" as the extra point.
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, somewhat clumsily, “People are conspiring against me but I’ll try one or two more times before I rest for a while.”
ReplyDeleteGo all in --> goal line. After my crossing the goal line, though the other team will be trying to stop us, my team will try for one or two more extra points before being replaced, going to the bench and resting awhile while our defense takes the field.
Chuck
New puzzle just came up and I believe I have the answer already. I think I could make a connection to last week's puzzle as a hint if I were so inclined.
ReplyDeleteSDB, nicely done!
Delete:)
DeleteIs Blaine still killing time on his vacation somewhere?
ReplyDeleteDidn't Blaine say he was going some place cold?
ReplyDelete