NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 21, 2013): Fun with Syllables

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 21, 2013): Fun with Syllables:

A: Think of a three-syllable word in four letters, add two letters and rearrange everything to become a two-syllable word in six letters. Then add two more letters and scramble them to get a one syllable word in eight letters.

I have several answers that will work, but they all start with the same four-letter word. Each of the four answers meet the puzzle criteria. If I'm correct, the three-syllable word has an anagram that is not three syllables.

Edit: The first and last letters of the first two sentences are I-D-E-A and the anagram is AIDE.

A: A few possible answers:
IDEA --> REPAID --> SPRAINED
IDEA --> DETAIN --> STRAINED
IDEA --> TIRADE --> STRAINED
IDEA --> REPAID --> TRAIPSED

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 14, 2013): Organizing the Clothes Closet

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 14, 2013): Organizing the Clothes Closet:

Q: The phrase "clothes closet" describes a place to keep your clothes. What's interesting about the phrase is that all the letters of the second word are found inside the first one. Think of another two-word phrase that names a place to keep clothes, in which all the letters of the second word are found inside the first. The first word of the phrase has nine letters, and the second word has six. What common phrase is this?

You don't need an additional hint from me since the puzzle provides plenty of clues. The answer is not "roughened ground" or "ephemeral hamper" though.

Edit: My hint was in "You don't" where the initials U.D. are hidden between the words.

A: Underwear Drawer

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 7, 2013): Country Mix-up

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 7, 2013): Country Mix-up:

Q: Rearrange the letters of INDIA + BELARUS to name two other countries. What are they?

The capitals of the resulting countries are about 3,000 miles apart, and neither contains the letter "E".

Edit: The capitals are Monrovia and Khartoum.

A: LIBERIA + SUDAN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 30, 2013): Truck Part / FEMA Spoonerism Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 30, 2013): Truck Part / FEMA Spoonerism Puzzle:

Q: Next week's challenge involves a spoonerism, in which you reverse the initial consonant sounds in one phrase to make another phrase. For example, if you spoonerize "light rain," you get "right lane." Name part of a truck in two words; spoonerize it, and you'll name something FEMA uses. What is it?

Remove the third letter from "something FEMA uses", swap the letters before and after it to describe an action that can result in disaster for some.

The answer to my mini-puzzle was "fold map"

A: MUD FLAP --> FLOOD MAP