NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 4, 2012): 100% Organic and All Natural Puzzle: Q: The words "organic" and "natural" are both commonly seen at health food stores. What other seven-letter word, also commonly seen at health food stores, has five letters in common with organic and five letters in common with natural?They'll probably trademark this answer in Australia.
Edit: According to Wikipedia, "Granola" was originally a trademarked term in the 19th century, but is now only trademarked in Australia. The easiest way to solve this was to notice that both words already share the letters A, N and R. There are 6 ways to pick a couple letters from the remaining letters in organic and 6 ways to pick a couple letters from those in natural. From there it's a simple check to see if those 7 letters anagram to any common words.
A: I was able to come up with 5 words that meet the criteria of sharing 5 letters each with natural and organic. They were cranial, curtain, granola, guarani and languor. Only one of them seems to be a word you would typically find at health food stores:
GRANOLA
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.
ReplyDeleteYou 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.
Laic gout.
ReplyDeleteThis one I got right away. No one likes a stupid puzzle. Come on Will!
ReplyDeleteNot so much stupid as it is nutty.
DeleteYeah, but now you're close to dateing yourself.
DeleteBetter than just pining away
DeleteSimon & Garfunkle song!
ReplyDeleteI meant Neil Diamond. (Above, I was like the person described by Ruth below.)
DeleteJagger said yeah yeah yeah wooo.
DeleteWell - this is not a puzzle for those of you who prefer to crunch numbers!
ReplyDeleteThe Captain approves.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRuth, once again your comment (above) reminds me of my mean-spirited hillbilly cousin in Kentucky. Ruthless and toothless.
DeleteI wish I could remove unwanted facial hair as easily as blog comments. I guess the keyboard is mightier than the (Wilkinson) sword.
But Abq, aren't you glad I remove imperfect posts so the blog reads smoothly? I have excellent teeth, but I admit I can be ruthless. Scorpios are like that.
DeleteAs an adjective, this word describes a person who probably likes the noun version of the word.
ReplyDeleteThe answer word may be commonly seen in health food stores, but it's not common according to the Moby Words list. I wasted a bunch of time trying to cheat this one, before it just came to me over breakfast.
ReplyDelete40
ReplyDeleteTry adding 2 and come up with a reasonable question.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJohnny Carson once commented that the United Jewish Appeal was going to use him in their campaign: either you donate, or he'll eat a tree in Israel.
DeleteCome on, Phred. This is a giveaway. You might as well pheed everyone a big bowl of phree correspondingly named phood. Blaine, are you phine with this?
DeleteAbqGuerrilla:
DeleteTo be fair, I would have to say I think your post is more of a give-away than phredp's is. I was bowled over when I read it.
So you don't like my, post? If I weren't a Quaker, this would be war. BTW, in naturist Raquel Log's book, "Nature's Path," she talks about her bare-naked visit to a factory that makes this product. In the sequel book, "Back to Nature," she revisits the factory with her husband, actor Warren Oates and his 92-year-old grandmother. During the visit, Granny Oates chokes on a spoonful of the product and nearly succumbs. I read this on the Puffington Post.
DeleteActually the above mentioned naturalist is, sadly enough, only known for his endorsement of twigs and trees and a particular product but is more well-known by other naturalists for his writings and lifestyle. He was once given a plaque by Sonny and Cher made of wood and he immediately took a bite out of it. I will delete the post. Phooey!!!
DeleteThanks Phred. You are indeed a phine and phair-minded phellow.
DeletePhondly,
GuerrillaBoy
PS; You gotta be kiddin', Phred. He took a bite outta the plaque? My dentist told me that nothin' creates plaque buildup like munchin' on a plaque. That's pure craziness.
DeleteSpeakin' of Sonny and Cher, CBS cancelled the Sonny & Cher Show in early 1974 due to the fact that the couple was going through a vicious divorce. They still, however, had three more shows to record in order to fulfill their contract which expired in May of 1974. I was just a youngster of a punster at the time, but I wrote the producers a letter suggesting that on the final episode they do a rehashed medley of their hits with fresh lyrics. I recall submitting a few new song titles, such as: "Baby, Please Go" and "I Had You, Babe." Never heard back from them.
If memory serves me, Sonny started out as a conservative and ended up a tree-hugger.
DeleteGood one SDB! Belly rolls from me. I don't think Cher would like it though.
DeleteJoke of the Day honors to SDB! Too-shay, buddy. I will definitely be using that one on my radio show next week!
DeleteNot bad for coming up with that one prior to having my first cup of coffee, huh? She might like it; he was a creep.
DeleteYes, feel free to Cher it with your listeners tomorrow.
DeleteI just want to know what a bunch of Christmas apes have to do with this puzzle anyway?
DeleteOK, SDB. You lost us on the Xmas apes reference. Shudda quit while you were ahead.
DeleteYule Gibbons. So soon you forget. It makes me shudda.
DeleteYou're reachin' on that one, bruddah. But the Sonny Bono joke, now that was tight. Tighter than Mitt's butt in a prison shower. Still laughing!
DeleteThat's the problem with coming up with a zinger. People expect them all to be that funny. I'm still laughing too. :)
DeleteSpeaking of groaners. I just came up with this:
What do you call a single guy in Provo?
A Provo alone.
Quit while you are ahead SDB. Quit on a high note. That was about three puns ago.
DeleteSDB: Another cheesy joke like the provolone groaner, and we're gonna send you back to Monterey, Jack. That was pure velveeta. Make that cheese whiz. BTW, Monterey is where Munster's Home for Aging Punsters is located. A few weeks in the cheese recovery cottage and you'll be making jokes cheddar than ever.
DeleteI knew you'd like it.
DeleteI used technology to solve. There are many words that meet the "share 5 letters with both" requirement (at least 30!) but to find the one that Will is looking for, one that is also commonly seen at a health food store, make sure you use a newer word list. The list I used originally didn't have it. It's a surprisingly "new" word.
ReplyDeleteBruce Willis
ReplyDeleteAs a result of the time change, I was up doing the double stream at 4:45 AM (downloading this week's puzzle on my iPhone as I simultaneously enjoyed my early morning whiz). It was still dark in Provo as I climbed back in bed, bleary-eyed, and snuggled up with Wife #3. As Jim stated (above), not a puzzle for number crunchers. Indeed my brain was crunching overtime and coming up as empty as a Dustbowl refugee's pockets. Much to my chagrin, two hours later #3 woke up and solved the puzzle in three minutes! Turns out that since both "organic" and "natural" are ATTRIBUTES of health food products, I mistakenly limited myself to that angle (e.g., cage free, free range, whole grain, sprouted, etc.). #3, who is a less-complicated thinker than myself, took a broader approach and nailed it quite quickly.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to say that on Sunday morning, we typically a enjoy a roll in the hay (actually we grow oats on our farm), but my male ego was wounded by her adept sleuthing and I shriveled up like a raisin. I insisted, however, that she not tell me the answer. I needed that ounce of redemption that comes with solving it on my own.
I decided to go downstairs to help #1 and #2 fix breakfast. Upon arrival in the kitchen, I was roundly informed that we were having a cold breakfast and that I had to go out to the barn to milk Sophie (not a lactating wife, our cow). The autumn morning air was crisp, as I squirted milk into the metal pail. I was udderly beside myself with frustration and self-doubt.
I finally gave up. Walking into the kitchen with my milk pail, I sat down across from #3 who was drinking decaf at the dinette. "Honey, this puzzle is driving me nuts. I give up. What's the answer?" When she told me, we all had a good laugh and enjoyed our breakfast together. I got over my feelings of inadequacy and suggested to #3 that we go back to bed. She replied, "Hey, you like to travel right? And you enjoy sex, right? Well, why don't you take a f*cking hike!" Her verbal chastisement left me no choice. I took what was left of my breakfast and hit the trail.
In memory of Richard Burton, one of my very favorite actors, whose birthday would have been this coming Saturday, I think I’ll hit a few bars tonight, consume a few whisky and sodas and contemplate Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
ReplyDeleteChuck
Yes, Chuck, a few bars might indeed provide just the impetus some may need to solve this puzzle. Sounds nutty, but it could work.
DeleteAlso. is "Abuela, hello" a cloaked Virginia Woolf vs GoldIIlocks (what big I's you have) reference?
Someone's sure feeling his oats today.
Deletelast week someone could have been booked and this week one could be barred. I think a bunch of Bs are involved in this puzzle.
DeleteThat might be the case if they sold alphabet soup in health food stores, RoRo. Speaking of which, have you tried the new large text variety for seniors?
DeleteI did not have my glasses on that day. Was that Italic Wedding Soup?
DeleteI bought a can of alphabet soup once and considered myself a man of letters.
DeleteItalic Wedding Soup? Gee, RoRo, you sure have a way of putting a different slant on things. Although now I DO get the alphabet reference. Didn't know they still make 'um.
DeleteGetting back to the alphabet soup thread, I've been thinkin'. You know, I could eat a can of tainted alphabet soup and regurgitate a better word puzzle than this one.
DeleteOnce I was dining on a bowl of alphabet soup in a posh bistro and complained to the waiter that there was a fly in my soup. He correctly pointed out that it clearly said ant.
DeleteLuckily, that was just a moment after you consumed the "R" thus forfeiting your chance to segue into one of your long-winded anecdotes.
DeleteGuerrillaBoy
Not bad Gboy. And it wasn't even a pirate joke.
DeleteOh, you want a pirate joke?
DeleteA seaman meets a pirate in a bar, and talk turns to their adventures on the sea. The seaman notes that the pirate has a peg-leg, a hook, and an eye patch.
The seaman asks, “So, how did you end up with the peg-leg?” The pirate replies, “We were in a storm at sea, and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as me men were pulling me out, a shark bit me leg off.”
“Wow!” said the seaman. “What about your hook”? “Well”, replied the pirate, “We were boarding an enemy ship and were battling the other sailors with swords. One of the enemy cut me hand off.”
“Incredible!” remarked the seaman. “How did you get the eye patch”? “A seagull dropping fell into me eye,” replied the pirate.
“You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?,” the sailor asked incredulously. “Well,” said the pirate, “It was me first day with the hook”
Here's a pirate joke I made up 2 or 3 years ago, see if you can figure it out before I provide the answer.
DeleteWhy did the pirate drink his grog way up high on the mainmast?
As the peg-legged swab said, "I'm stumped."
DeleteHe wanted a rum with a view.
DeleteWhen he finished his ration, he called down for rum service.
(I came up with the second part while awaiting your reply.)
And when he was brought his refill, he did not offer a gratuity. The ship tipped for him.
DeleteLike me, it was on a roll.
You should be on stage, SkyDiveBoy. I hear there's one leaving for Sacramento in about an hour.
DeleteAbqGuerrilla:
DeleteWell I just returned home about an hour ago from attending Democratic Election parties at the Weston in Downtown Seattle. Just shy of 8:30 PM it was declared that Obama had won re-election and much later on we (thousands of us) were watching mega-screen TVs and it was announced that Virginia (one of the swing states still in question) had now been declared for Obama. I had to put my fingers to my ears due to the uproar and while I waited for it to die down I came up with another zinger. I don't know how it will play in print, but it worked uber well with those who heard me say: "Yes, Santa Claus, there is a Virginia."
The woman to my right laughed and said I had been waiting to say that. But, no, I made it up as I said. Now I am wondering why I never thought of it before.
Excellent, SDB! May I use that one on my show next week as well? It should go over well with our public radio audience. Promise to give you a shout out.
DeleteOf course, AbqGuerrilla. I thought you might want to use it on your show. Milton Berle always said that once a joke was used it became public domain. He stole openly too.
DeleteAbuela, hello!
ReplyDeletegot this one while READING it online as I missed hearing the show.
Sometimes they are good puzzles, other times impossible, but this one is pretty lukewarm.
I see what you did there, mi amigo.
DeleteWell, aren't SDB & AbqGorilla just a couple of serial jokesters? I expect one of you to start a post with "Two hippies walk into a bar..."
ReplyDeleteCurtis, don't just leave us hangin' out to dry like this. What happened next? Did they order a glass of milk and a splif?
DeleteTwo hippies walk into a bar. One of them is carrying a toothless termite. He sits the bug on the hardwood bar next to a bowl of peanuts and the termite says, "Hey, where's the bar tender?"
DeleteBe careful what you wish for, Curtis. ;-)
I figure any minute now someone's gonna ask, politically incorrectly, how this week's answer is like California...
DeleteWithout a doubt, Jan, you are making a reference to fruits 'n' nuts in California. It just so happens that this morning I watched televangeilist, Pat Roberts on the Christian network. Once again he is trying to blame a major natural disaster on homosexual activity. I used to think this was a ridiculous premise, but I gotta tell ya, a couple of weeks ago, I was at a dinner party here in Provo that was hosted by a very conservative couple. When the subject of same-sex marriage came up, I mentioned that I have a number of perfectly wonderful gay and Lesbian friends...and suddenly, the room got extremely chilly. Golly, now it's got me wonderin'...
DeleteThis makes me wonder what the outcome would be if it were finally accepted that President Abraham Lincoln was not heterosexual. Even Carl Sandberg recognized this fact and he made some comment about lavender in reference. But, of course, it is always much easier for us to ignore the facts and go with the comfortable facade of any situation.
DeleteI have a neighbor in the house behind mine who insists that while there may be global warming it has nothing to do with human behaviour. He is convinced it is caused by undersea volcanic activity.
Actually, we all know that Global Warming is caused by liberal meteorology, SkyDiveBoy. And please don't tell me that you're suggesting we change the five-dollar bill to a three-dollar bill, SDB. We'd all lose 40% of our net worth. Straight or gay, I say Abe stays on the five-spot.
DeleteYes I agree we should leave Honest Abe where he is, but did you know back around that time there actually was a three-dollar bill? That is where the phrase comes from. So, a big high five to Abe!
DeleteSpeaking of Abe Lincoln, I'm pretty sure this gal I dated in high school was a direct descendant. I say that because half the guys in our graduating class tried to take a shot at her in the balcony...
DeleteThat's shocking, AbqG. Shocking! I hope none of them broke a leg in the process.
DeleteLuckily, no one did. However, that reminds me of my first waiter's job at Vincent's Clam House in Little Italy, NYC. Vinnie's specialty was broken leg of lamb. The steaks were so tough they tried to beat up a guy's coffee. And typically, the coffee wasn't strong enough to defend itself.
DeleteSo, I guess my role here is straight man (I mean that in the vaudeville sense)to you two. That fine; as long as I place in the game. Now, who's on first?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSpeaking of lamb, I'm reminded of Mary.
DeleteMary had a little plane,
In which she liked to frisk.
Now wasn't she a silly girl,
Her little *?
Good Morning Curtis! Curious post. You kinda' went out of your way to make sure we knew your straightness was specifically in the "vaudeville sense." You must admit, it kinda leaves other matters open to speculation... As Seinfeld used to say, "Not that there's anything wrong with that." Having said all that, you are "fabulous" straight man and SDB and I totally appreciate your straightness (in the vaudeville sense, of course).
DeleteIn my effort at clarity, I was attempting to not accuse the two of you of anything other than straightness. But, alas, I apparently made things worse. That's the drawback to written communication; it can lead to as much ambiguity as it does to clarity. As a married guy, I don't think there's much ambiguity about my straightness in any sense of the word. I've been married to my first wife for over 14 years, with no reason to think to think there'll be a second.
DeleteMethinks thou dost protest too much. ;-)
DeleteOh, looks like we got a new wise guy on the block, er, make that blog... I was thinking the same thing, Bill, but clearly Curtis does not appreciate the friendly teasing--especially from a newcomer in tights. If you want to cross swords of sarcasm, I offer mine in defense of poor Curtis.
DeleteBetter a witty fool than a foolish wit.
DeleteOkay Bill S. I'll meet you half way on that one.
DeleteWillie of Avon:
DeleteKeep it civil now, Old Timer. Sure hate to see you bard from the blog.
Alas, 'tis a fool who thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.
GuerrillaBoy
I think Will's "five letters in common" is somewhat ambiguous.
ReplyDeleteAs they say in Canada: "EH".
DeleteEven a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.
ReplyDeleteWell this one was pretty easy. You all were right about "thereat", what a bogus word!
ReplyDeleteYes, and that is now where we are thereafterat.
DeleteThe answer word is sooo not specific to health food stores.
ReplyDeleteHey, last week's puzzle's up. See you next week.
ReplyDeleteHere it is
granola
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “In memory of Richard Burton, one of my very favorite actors, whose birthday would have been this coming Saturday, I think I’ll hit a few bars tonight, consume a few whiskey and sodas and contemplate Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” “Bars” was intended to evoke granola bars.
Chuck
GRANOLA
ReplyDeleteMy hint:
"This one I got right away. No one likes a stupid puzzle. Come on Will!"
The initial letters of "got right away. No one likes a" spell GRANOLA.
I also used DATED and BOWLED as hints at using dates in granola and using a bowl for serving.
Will Shortz frequently uses puzzles made up by Merl Reagle and Ed Peg, Jr. I know when I hear him inform us the new puzzle is by one of these people, I will not find it at all interesting. Why oh why doesn't Will use some of the intelligent puzzle suggestions we send in?
This puzzle went against the grain.
Personally I love the crossword puzzles constructed by Merl Reagle and the math puzzles constructed by Ed Pegg, Jr. I've not had issue with puzzles that Will picks from these gentlement either (except when Will fiddles with them and messes them up like he did with the two-letter Roman numerals sequence puzzle.)
DeleteBy the way, I like your initial letters clue in "...got right away. No one likes a...". I completely missed it.
Blaine:
DeleteThanks for telling me that. I was wondering if you, or anyone else, noticed it.
I see nothing wrong with liking their puzzles, but there are several of us who don't and would like to have more intelligent puzzles. As I said before, I frequently do not like the puzzles Will offers, but I enjoy having fun with word play on your excellent blog. Thanks.
P.S. The sequence puzzle was from Henry Hook. Add him to the list of people that Will uses frequently. I somehow mixed him up with Ed Pegg, Jr. but he's also a Crossword Constructor I enjoy.
DeleteI like sequence puzzles most of the time. As to Ed Pegg, Jr., I assume he does alright with math puzzles since Will always states that he runs a math site, but I don't recall his math puzzles being used here. I do remember his frequent word puzzles however.
DeleteLast year there was a puzzle asking for two things found in a mine that would name a world leader. The answer was Helmut Kohl. I thought that was a great puzzle because it required some knowledge of world affairs (sorry Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn, I don't mean your kind.) and he was not even in office at the time. Even though I had the answer as I was reading the question and did not have to work at it, I loved it for its intelligence factor. There was a later puzzle that I also got as I was reading it, but I hated it for its lameness. The one about tent stakes. So, why does Will not use the puzzle I sent in a couple of months ago where the answer is the name of a prominent member of the Obama administration? Instead we are spoon fed silly list puzzles.
Hey, I got my rant for the day done early!
MY 11 CLUES:
ReplyDeleteAs Jim stated (above), not a puzzle for number crunchers (CLUE #1). Indeed my brain was crunching overtime and coming up as empty as a Dustbowl (CLUE #2) refugee's pockets.
I'm sad to say that on Sunday morning, we typically a enjoy a roll (CLUE #3) in the hay (actually we grow oats (CLUE #4)on our farm), but my male ego was wounded by her adept sleuthing and I shriveled up like a raisin (CLUE #5).
I decided to go downstairs to help #1 and #2 fix breakfast. Upon arrival in the kitchen, I was roundly informed that we were having a cold breakfast (CLUE #6) and that I had to go out to the barn to milk Sophie (not a lactating wife, our cow). The autumn morning air was crisp (CLUE #7), as I squirted milk into the metal pail. I was udderly beside myself with frustration and self-doubt.
I finally gave up. Walking into the kitchen with my milk pail, I sat down across from #3 who was drinking decaf at the dinette. "Honey (CLUE #8), this puzzle is driving me nuts (CLUE #9). I give up. What's the answer?" When she told me, we all had a good laugh and enjoyed our breakfast together. I got over my feelings of inadequacy and suggested to #3 that we go back to bed. She replied, "Hey, you like to travel right? And you enjoy sex, right? Well, why don't you take a f*cking hike (CLUE #10)!" Her verbal chastisement left me no choice. I took what was left of my breakfast and hit the trail (CLUE #11).
My reference "barred" had, of course, to do with granola bars. The "B"s were meant to evoke honeybees.
ReplyDeleteSDB,I am picturing bruce willis calmly eating granola in some movie but what was it?
RoRo:
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me; I completely forgot about that. Kurt Vonnegut wrote Breakfast of Champions and when a movie was made in 1999, it starred Bruce Willis in the lead role. I thought it might be giving too much away if I had used Kurt Vonnegut as hint. So Breakfast of Champions is the actual hint, although it was used to advertise Wheaties swill in a bowl, not granola.
Yeah yeah yeah woo, refers to the song, Brown Sugar, an intregal part of granola.
ReplyDelete