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.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.
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
Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any hints that could lead directly to the answer (e.g. via a chain of thought, or an internet search) 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.
I love your quality of mercy.
DeleteAre we there yet: you ought to try the Koala Tea of Mercy, Australia.
DeleteDear Woman,
DeleteI'm constrained to admit that I have never tried that brand of tea. How does it work for microscopic muscular tears, of which I am suffering due to a rockclimbing maneuver.
I'm not sure of the tea's help in that regard but, I most assuredly wanted, at first, to throw a Shakes peare at your clue. However, I've now gotten to the gentle rain phase ;-).
DeleteArea, retake, streaked
DeleteOh shit now I see that doesn't work, I dropped a friggin' "a", damn dyslexia!
DeleteThe THREE-syllable word has an anagram that is not three syllables and the word is not aria.
ReplyDeleteMy brain sometimes... yes, I meant to say THREE not FOUR. :)
DeleteI'm also trying to find another 4-letter word that works, but I think I pulled a muscle in my brain...
ReplyDeleteI think I've said this before but I think the NPR puzzles are getting too easy. I came up with several solutions but must say I have never used the 9 letter word.
ReplyDelete9 letter word, Phredp?
DeleteMeant 8. Must be the dysgraphia or dyscalcula kicking in.
DeletePhredp, if you are suffering from dyscalcula, perhaps you forgot not to drink alcohol while working on a calculus problem. . .In other words, Don't drink and derive! ;-)
DeleteYeah, or you might cause a conclision.
DeleteI was hoping you were not speaking of last weeks puzzle. TMI. :-)
DeleteInterestingly: I was not able to find the 8-letter, one syllable word on any of my searches.
DeleteI have a 4 letter word that works that does not anagram into any other word that I am familiar with.
ReplyDeleteDo I have your word on that, David?
DeleteVowels are the name of the game here. And by the way let's ferret out SKB.
ReplyDeleteYo Blaine, what's with the give away hints? Of the 15 (or so) 4-letter-words in the English language that have 3 syllables, there aren't that many that have anagrams. Just saying...
ReplyDeleteMy 1- and 3-syllable words have no anagrams, but there are 2 for my 2-syllable word.
ReplyDeleteWe have different solutions, for my 1 and 3 syllable words have exactly one anagram and my 2 syllable word has exactly none.
DeleteMy favorite 3-syllable word has 1 anagram, the 2- syllable word has 1 anagram, and the 1-syllable word has 2 anagrams.
DeleteThere are at least 3 other syllabic triplets.
I too started with a certain 4-letter word that, while it almost made me want to stomp around the house in frustration, eventually enabled me to wearily explore multiple avenues on the way to divergent solutions.
DeleteWhat a coincidence! Mondays are my laundry day and I found myself on the way to detergent solutions.
DeleteMy 2 syllable word anagrams into at least three other 2 syllable words.
ReplyDeleteI found 7 word chains that meet all requirements. I consider all but one word to be reasonably common. It, however, is recognized as a word in Dictionary.com. I also note that there is no stated requirement that a word be common.
ReplyDeleteChuck
All I know is that it takes lots of effort for all of my three words.
ReplyDeleteidea tirade and strained I'll take great effort with me.
DeleteIt finally came to me in a flash after considerable sweat and strain and I finally calmed down.
ReplyDeleteWTF? Just a thought.
DeleteYou can't buy a vowel for the second and third words.
ReplyDeleteEnough letter scrambling, time to scramble eggs.
One o dem jes stays put in my little world.
ReplyDeletethe letter A stays in the same place for idea tirade in strained.
DeleteGot it bright and early this morning. Reminds me of when I bartended and had to ID a guy who was clearly underage.
ReplyDeleteHi, a NOOB here. I wanted to post a clue for this puzzle with a play on the recent spoonerism puzzle. "Bitter twerp writes Twitter burps." THX KAC
ReplyDeleteSorry all, the Spoonerism should read: Bitter twerps write Twitter burps. I hope in the future I can keep up with your crypto-amazingness. I have had fun hopping through previous posts. Everyone involved deserves to be pubished. The puns are consistently amusing, then amazing.
DeleteAs carefully explained to me by Word Woman, the fourth sentence should read: "Everyone involved deserves to be pubLished." I would rather not know what might be involved in the activity I spelled.
DeleteFlyOverBlue, glad you found the "suttlety' in my recent post. The bloggers here may be interested in said activity, though.
DeleteWhat's behind your FlyOverBlue moniker?
I (relatively recently) relocated to Oklahoma from New Orleans. There are times when I "fly over" certain topics. There are (given this area's moniker) times when everyone gets a chance to view it from above. I simply combined the two. There are plenty of times I wish I wasn't in "RED-dirt" country. One step at a time...
DeleteIs there a private venue for posting for later information to anyone who is interested?
DeletePlease elaborate on "RED-dirt" country. I have not heard this term before. What, exactly is it's meaning?
DeleteThanks.
skydiveboy (or again as I have seen SDB), "Red-dirt" is actually a genre of alt-country from North Texas and Oklahoma. OK is considered a fly-over (read as "red" state.) While we here in Oklahoma we do have "red dirt" due to the amounts of crushed granite. I was using it as a metaphor for leanings (politically). I'd rather not go further. Sometimes I get overboard with it. I WILL say that I'd prefer blue-, or even settle for purple-dirt. Hope that helps.
DeleteThanks, I didn't even consider the political connection. Strange for me! On the other hand as an old rock climber, we tend to take things for granite.
DeleteI am training to be a wind tower climber; we are not allowed to take anything for granite, granted, or otherwise. Were I to rappel into anything exceptionally sparkly, though, I would not repel it by any means! Cheers!
DeleteI think the occupation of wind tower climber is a bit overblown.
DeleteFlyoverblue, I'm wondering how long you've been lurking here in Blainesville...and are there many more of you out there?
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your spoonerism...and welcome! You're making us blush.
And I will lend you an 'L' for your next post :-).
Dear WordWoman (or WW as I have seen) ,Thank you for the welcome. I stumbled upon this merry band of punny and funny solve-isticians a few months ago(5?). Once in a while (after creating a "close but not quite" submission to Mr. Shortz) I would see what the gang here had to offer. Inevitably, I would re-think any number (okay three) responses. The wit and wisdom deposited on this blog has been enjoyable. I look forward to continuing.
DeleteThank you again for the welcome.
having a blush at my local pub is always good for whatever ails me. @Flyover as you may have guessed by my previous quips, they are all more punishable than those of my fellow puzzle assisters (and brothers) but like you I just try to enjoy the ride with as little effort as possible
DeletePlum wonderful, RoRo.
DeleteOkay NPR listeners. How many here noticed on today's NPR national new broadcasts, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing say, "We've got to better communicate that to people and let them know that the Calvary (sic) is coming."??? I just looked at Yahoo News, and the print version is corrected to "cavalry." Poor reporting in my opinion. If reporters keep correcting stupid, ignorant errors from the mouths of our politicians, how are we to know just how stupid they are?
ReplyDeleteIf the mayor meant Calvary (Golgotha, "Place of the skull," etc.) we should start recalibrating our calenders to read END TIMES, supposedly. If he meant Cavalry, the children may be charmed by the sight of mounted soldiers, temporarily.
DeleteBut now I can't even find where I tossed my Mayan colander (sic). And my Chilean pasta is suffering no end. I thought END TIMES was the magazine Depends users subscribed to. Wow! I am learning things here! Reminds me of David Niven's second memoir, "Bring On The Empty Horses."
DeleteHard to get a handle on this, there may be many answers from this educated group. A hint might lead to abuse, so no mercy.
ReplyDeleteYes, I went to dictionary.com and tried all possible anagrams and came up with nothing.
ReplyDeleteSorry for my recent sporadic posting, I was hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park and out of internet and cell range for much of the time. Back now
Honest Injun?
DeleteReally.
DeletePaul, I suspect we have different 4 letter words. If the 4 letter word is ABCD, what do you think the anagram is?
Depending which word you start with, I think the anagrams would be either BCDA or DABC (i.e. move the first letter to the end or last letter to the front)
DeleteMine would be DABC.
DeleteRoger that, Zeke Creek, Hugh, and Dave Taylor.
DeleteI apologize, David; I have two answers. The 4 letter word of one of them has no anagram that I can see, although I didn't research it as thoroughly as you did. The other 4 letter word anagrams as the other commenters have indicated. All of my comments on this puzzle, including this one, contain tongue-in-cheek references to one of the 4 letter words. I might also point out that I find an interesting connection between my 8 letter words(by removing one letter from one of them, no rearrangement).
DeleteAgain, please accept my apology. It was boorish of me to attempt to dupe anyone. Maybe I can talk my way out of this labyrinth on Thursday.
Paul, no need to apologize, I wasn't offended. I have been sometimes less than completely honest here before.
DeleteDavid, you should never have to apologize for being out of cell phone range, especially in RMNP! I try to get up to the mountains regularly to get a chance to think. Hope you had a chance to frolic in the wildflowers!
DeleteBetween Blaine's 4 letter/3 syllable start word, and my chosen 8 letter/1 syllable end word, I found what I think are 3 common 6 letter words that Merriam-Webster says are valid 2 syllable words (your pronunciation may vary).
ReplyDeleteI think this was challenging - guessing under 500 entries this week (no prizes here, just word-nerd glory !)
DJ, sign me up with 700.
DeleteSame results as Dave. Method of solution quite similar to last week's puzzle. Last week's first word determined by a guess; this week's used logic from start to finish. Only the last step was different.
DeleteRon's post pointed to the same word as Blaine.
I, like David, have been really sporadic about posting lately. I don't think I've posted in a few weeks. Not ignoring this blog, but just not feeling like I have anything to unique to contribute lately.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see you checking in, Curtis. We have missed your clever, Mile High wit. I have also wondered about Peter in St. Paul, ABQ in Provo, Laura (out on the prairie?). I'm sure vacation time will factor in, I ought to say.
ReplyDeleteperhaps Simon Saiz is fasting us infidels for Ramadan.
DeleteI realize I haven't weighed in yet this week, but I thought I'd drop some clues to an acceptable answer that I don't think anyone else has thought of yet.
ReplyDeleteI thought of one 4-letter-long, 3-syllable word that's a brand name, but typing it into dictionary.com reveals that it DOES have a meaning, thus making it more than just a brand name.
I then thought of one way to add 4 letters to make an 8-letter-long, 1-syllable word which is the title of a movie comedy from many years back. (It stars a former SNL cast member.) Entering IT into dictionary.com reveals IT ALSO has a meaning, making it more than just a movie title.
I hit a snag when I entered what I thought should've been a valid 6-letter-long, 2-syllable word which would happen to end in ER. Dictionary.com says "no dictionary results"; but if you omit the R and just enter the 5-letter-long, 1-syllable word ending in E, you get multiple meanings. This 5-letter word is usually used as a noun, but it can be a verb. (See meaning #9.) Since it can be a verb ending with a silent E, I protest that you should then be able to add an R at the end to get a 2-syllable-noun meaning a person who goes around doing... <meaning #9> -- Some would say that I ought to replace "doing" with "committing".
Anyway, I've come up with an alternate 6-letter-long 2-syllable word which can go between the also-a-brand-name and the also-a-movie-title. Although it's 2 syllables, it's almost a homonym (or should I say "homophone"?) of yet another brand name!
This other brand name is only ONE syllable, though. And besides the shared letters and the fact that both products are ingested, the two brand names have nothing else in common.
I have learned that with lots of margarine you can just slide some of these clues on through.
ReplyDeleteButter not.
DeleteThat clue: I can't believe it's not butted right out here!
DeleteReally? @ 7/21 before noon wasn't?
Deletelearned and lots of margarine.
Deleteschooled and noodles of oleo.
Evidently, no special schooling required.
ReplyDeleteI was on my own (oh so lonely) after the 7th grade, but it was the best three years of my life.:-)
Deleteoh so lonely and 7th grade.
Deletesoloed and schooled
For a transplanted New Yorker like me,the four-letter word is not always pronounced in three syllables.
ReplyDeleteKinda like how "khakis" are something that you would wear and start your car with in Boston?
DeleteLo
DeleteHow is it that my NY friend says, "Be a deah and get me some coffee."?
A deah response to Los idear.
DeleteMy 8 letter word can arguably describe us.
ReplyDeleteMy 6 letter word does NOT, although those who are not puzzle affectioniados may think otherwise.
Professor, I like affectioniados even better than the more proper aficionados. It's an egghorn (?) that might make its way into the dictionary over time.
DeleteHmmm, we use over time often... but under time is a phrase I've not often seen.
Thanks for the spelling correction. As I typed the word in question, I was guessing at how it was spelled. Now I know why I was being alerted to a possible spelling error,
DeleteOnly 1 hour 45 minutes until Will makes The Call and Blaine and friends reveal their solutions (I'm sure that there are many).
Is there a confirmation message to receiving puzzle ideas as there is for the reception of puzzle answers?
ReplyDeleteYes, there is.
DeleteNo, there is not.
DeleteThere used to be, but I have last week sent and resent again this week a puzzle suggestion I made up, this time with a note re: getting a response. Still no response. So, we don't even know if it was recognized as a puzzle suggestion by the minion who dealt with it.
SDB, My guess is that you resent this state of affairs. (I expected a WW comment.)
DeleteI so, so resent this state of affairs that I'm thinking about walking the Appalachian Trail. I always thought New York was the state of affairs.
DeleteIf you so resent it, SDB, your course of action might have been to have it resent once more ;-)!
DeleteOh, what a tangled web is woven with modern, computer jargon. . .
I didn't want to be resentful.
DeleteI didn't want to be resentful.
Delete(I thought I should resend that, but now I'm thinking I should rescind it.)
I resent all this indecision. I feel like a novice surgeon with incision indecision. I hope that is incisive and doesn't garner resentment.
Which format did you use? I used the reply to the puzzle answer confirmation, and received nothing in return.
ReplyDeleteZeke Creek, I also replied to the puzzle confirmation about a 3 weeks ago. The standard reply of "We received your puzzle and will contact you if we need more information" ensued.
Deleteww: Should I have prefaced the entire deal with something like, "This is a puzzle you might like to use..."
DeleteTook the words right out of my keyboard. Yes.
DeleteNone of that worked for me lately.
DeleteI also put " New Puzzle Suggestion " in the subject line. That way they don't have to open it to see what it is.
DeleteNone of this is helping. Although, I have found that if I stop thinking about it, it comes to me. Mama always told me that perseverance and determination go together like peas and carrots. Think I'd better stop thinking about this before I get to frustrated. The tall ships are coming and I can't be all bent out of shape for the fun weekend.
ReplyDelete0x1DC69CE
ReplyDeleteIDEA >>> DETAIN >>> STRAINED was the answer I submitted.
Delete"Can't buy a vowel" referred to adding only consonants for the second and third word.
"Plum wonderful" referred to the power of dried plums or prunes to alleviate straining in the bathroom.
The quality of mercy clue was a give-away, methinks.
SDB, I so enjoyed your colander clue pointing to straining.
I forgot about that clue.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePremature notification ?
DeleteNo Dave. This blog or Google has a nasty habit of requiring me to CHOOSE A PROFILE just prior to noon on Thursdays, so I hit the space bar and post that as a message in order to be prepared to post my solution at noon.
DeleteLurkers choose to keep a low profile (and take the high road ?)
DeleteIDEA
ReplyDeleteTIRADE
STRAINED
My Hints:
"It finally came to me in a flash after considerable sweat and strain and I finally calmed down." It should now be obvious how this refers to the three answer words.
idea + lr = derail + bl = brailled
ReplyDeleteidea + lr = redial + bl = brailled
idea + lr = dialer + bl = brailled
idea + pr = diaper + st = traipsed
idea + pr = repaid + st = traipsed
idea + rt = tirade + ns = strained
idea + rt = tirade + ps = traipsed
Last Sunday I said, “I found 7 word chains that meet all requirements. I consider all but one word to be reasonably common. It, however, is recognized as a word in Dictionary.com. I also note that there is no stated requirement that a word be common.” In my opinion, idea --> tirade --> strained is the hands down winner for simplicity.
Chuck
idea/tirade/strained
ReplyDeleteMy clue: lots of vowels. Seems like 3 of the 4 letters of a four letter word with 3 syllables will be vowels.
OLEO
ReplyDeleteSOLOED
SCHOOLED
Oleo
ReplyDeleteoodles
schooled
Most solutions start with IDEA, the 4-letter, 3-syllable word having one anagram (AIDE).
ReplyDeleteTwo possible 8-letter, 1-syllable words containing the letters of IDEA are SPRAINED and STRAINED.
Possible in-between 6-letter words (the 1-syllable ones in all caps) for:
1) SPRAINED: pained, darien, draine, rained, DIAPER, paired, REPAID, AIDERS, raised
2) STRAINED: darien, draine, rained, DANITE, DETAIN, AIDERS, raised, TIRADE, SADITE
More solutions start with OLEO and OREO.
OLEO can conclude with SCHOOLED, while OREO can conclude with SCROOGED or SCROOPED.
Possible in-between 6-letter words (the 1-syllable ones in all caps) for:
1) OLEO --> SCHOOLED: cooled, OODLES, loosed, SOLOED
2) OREO --> SCROOGEG: COOERS, rodeos, (GOOSER? - Dictionary.com gives "no dictionary results")
3) OREO --> SCROOPED: COOPER, COOERS, POODER, rodeos, POROSE
So I've found 8 solutions with IDEA, 1 with OLEO, and 6 (arguably 7) with OREO. 15 (perhaps 16) total.
Seeing from another post that I had missed TRAIPSED, and also spotting three embarrassing mistakes I made in my previous post, I'm resubmitting. I would've deleted my earlier post myself if I could.
ReplyDeleteMost solutions start with IDEA, the 4-letter, 3-syllable word having one anagram (AIDE).
Three possible 8-letter, 1-syllable words containing the letters of IDEA are SPRAINED, STRAINED, and TRAIPSED.
Possible in-between 6-letter words (the 2-syllable ones in all caps) for:
1) SPRAINED: pained, darien, draine, rained, DIAPER, paired, REPAID, AIDERS, raised
2) STRAINED: darien, draine, rained, DANITE, DETAIN, AIDERS, raised, TIRADE, SADITE
3) TRAIPSED: DIAPER, paired, REPAID, AIDERS, raised, TIRADE, SADITE
More solutions start with OLEO and OREO.
OLEO can conclude with SCHOOLED, while OREO can conclude with SCROOGED or SCROOPED.
Possible in-between 6-letter words (the 2-syllable ones in all caps) for:
1) OLEO --> SCHOOLED: cooled, OODLES, loosed, SOLOED
2) OREO --> SCROOGED: COOERS, rodeos, (GOOSER? - Dictionary.com gives "no dictionary results")
3) OREO --> SCROOPED: COOPER, COOERS, POODER, rodeos, POROSE
So I've found 13 solutions with IDEA, 1 with OLEO, and 6 (arguably 7) with OREO. 20 (perhaps 21) total.
I STILL blew it! the final concluding line should've read:
DeleteSo I've found 13 solutions with IDEA, 2 with OLEO, and 5 (arguably 6) with OREO. 20 (perhaps 21) total.
OLEO
ReplyDeleteLOCOES (which we're NOT, but some might belive we are)
SCHOOLED
also, what is the 8 letter of the movie (or is it a "film"?)
I meant "8 letter TITLE of the movie...."
ReplyDeleteI had OLEO/OODLES/SCHOOLED, but I still can't believe 'oodles' is a real word, even if dictionary.com promises that it is.
ReplyDeleteBlaine and john brown pointed me to IDEA and STRAINED, and I chose DETAIN as the connector. TIRADE never occurred to me.
I think TRAINED and SCHOOLED are nearly synonymous.
I'm impressed by the variety. I had OLEO, OODLES or SOLOED, and SCHOOLED.
ReplyDelete"Scrooged"
ReplyDeleteOver an hour since the last post?
ReplyDeleteDid I really list ALL 20 (perhaps 21) solutions?
NOBODY can find any others?
Jonathan
ReplyDeleteHow about:
Oahu
Huambo
brougham
And to think I was concerned about one word being only a brand name and another word being only a movie title! So all this time, place names were OK!?
DeleteAnd I looked up brougham on dictionary.com. It shows three pronunciations, only ONE of which is just one syllable. It reminds me of one of the last posts on last week's thread from Blaine, about one of the six-letter words being debatable as to whether it was 2 or 3 syllables, and that he avoided that by reversing it. Of course I realized at the time he was referring to DIAPER and REPAID.
OREO – The suggested word chains meet all the requirements and, unarguably, OREO is a real, albeit slang, word. But if you look it up, Dictionary.com notes that it’s disparaging and offensive. I don’t think it’s likely Will would consider actually using it as a puzzle answer on NPR.
ReplyDeleteChuck
I did not include the solutions beginning with OREO out of ANY expectation of any of them being the solution Will gives over the air Sunday morning. I included them ONLY for completeness; in an effort to try to find and count ALL POSSIBLE solutions.
DeleteJonathan's post above, despite it's eligibility questions, (place names, and debate as to whether or not BROUGHAM is a one syllable word), nevertheless adds one to the count of ALL POSSIBLE solutions, bringing it to 21 (perhaps 22) so far.
I suppose my use of the term 'Injun' may have offended some, and I apologize. I didn't mean it disparagingly; 'Honest Native American' just doesn't 'roll trippingly', that's all.
DeleteI hesitate to take the rototiller to the corn maze. Messing with human nature is so unpleasant.
AREA/GARAGE/AARGGHED
Me think Paul speak with forked tongue. Me no like. Me now go into snit in peetee and not speak with Paul. Peas pipe is now broken. Political Correctness is bad for thinking peoples. Think for self and not pay attention to what people tell.
DeleteHere is what I had come up with last Sunday. I will leave to to others to count all the permutations and thereby establish the actual number of acceptable solutions to this week's challenge...
ReplyDeleteIDEA + (RESAID) (AIDERS) (IRADES) + (SPRAINED) (STRAINED) (TRAIPSED)
IDEA TIRADE STRAINED
IDEA DETAIN STRAINED
IDEA AIRTED STRAINED
IDEA + (PAIRED {only one syllable, but an anagram of the others}) (REPAID) (DIAPER{2 or 3 syllable variants}) (PARDIE, an obsolete oath) + (SPRAINED) (TRAIPSED)
OLEO + (OODLES) (SOLOED) (LOCOES{variant spelling}) + SCHOOLED Evidently, no special “schooling” required.
I definitely missed AIRTED and PARDIE, but I had tried RESAID and dictionary.com recognizes neither it nor any form of RESAY.
DeleteAnd while I also didn't know about IRADES, upon looking it up I see it definitely has three syllables.
I don't know what website authority recognizes LOCOES as a variant spelling, but I know it's not dictionary.com.
Anyway, adding AIRTED and PARDIE, the count of all possible solutions rises to 25 (possibly 30), as AIRTED works with STRAINED and TRAIPSED, and PARDIE works with SPRAINED and TRAIPSED; while I suppose LOCOES and RESAID should have just as much of a chance at legitimacy as GOOSER. LOCOES would work only with SCHOOLED while RESAID would work with SPRAINED, STRAINED AND TRAIPSED.
For LOCOES try: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loco
DeleteFor RESAY/RESAID try: http://thesaurus.com/browse/resay
For IRADES, yes 3 syllables, my error.
Funny.
Deletehttp://thesaurus.com/browse/resay gives results, but http://thesaurus.com/browse/resaid DOES NOT!!
Now if you could kindly show me a website that recognizes GOOSER?
RESAY/RESAID try: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/resay
DeleteGOOSER try: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gooser
DeleteI guess I'm a little slow today, but I do not understand why all this posting concerning six letter words that are 2 and 3 syllables. The puzzle is calling for six letter words with only 1 syllable.
DeleteNo, SDB, it's EIGHT letter words with only 1 syllable. The six letter words are supposed to go between the four letter word of 3 syllables and the eight letter word of only 1 syllable. The in-between six letter words are all supposed to have exactly TWO syllables!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRight. So soon I forget. I think the 3 syllable six letter words threw me off. Or then again perhaps it was the delicious wine I've been sipping (okay gulping) outside on the patio with this great weather we are having.
DeleteMerriam-Webster lists it both ways online, with one syllable first. But, I want to know is it a fork with 3 or 4 tines? Oh fork it, I really don't care.
DeleteHow many syllables in 'forked'?
DeleteNow Paul, that is beneath you!
DeleteAs a matter of fact, it is!
DeleteIf we become all agreeable people will talk and we can't have that.
DeleteDon't you just pity the newbies who happen upon this blog and ask themselves, "What in the world are these people on about anyway?"
DeleteWhat, do you suppose, is halfway between pity and welcome?
Deletecf. Shirley Jackson, 'Come Dance with Me in Ireland'
DeleteI didn't claim that place names were OK. The answer above is the one I sent to NPR because it was the only one I could come up with, and I thought I would contribute it to the blog because it is quite different from the ones that had been suggested previously. I am encouraged by Chuck's saying that "The suggested word chains meet all requirements," but, since I was not the lucky (?) person to receive a call from NPR around 3:00 PM Eastern, I guess I may never know whether my submission would have qualified.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I want to note that articles in Wikipedia say that the "brougham" carriage is pronounced "broom" or "brohm" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brougham_%28carriage%29) and the name of Henry "Brougham" who designed it is pronounced "broom" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brougham_%28carriage%29).
Also, when I checked "Huambo" at "http://www.merriam-webster.com/", I got a message that there had been a marked increase in inquiries about that word in the last seven days, so I imagine that a number of other people must have also thought of this solution.
My most up-to-date (so far) tally of ALL the solutions to this week's NPR puzzle we've all found thus far: (Since my first reply to Ron, {in that long thread seen just above Jonathan's post above,} I've since moved his solution <Oahu ==> Huambo ==> brougham> from the definite tally to the arguable tally.)
ReplyDeleteMost solutions start with IDEA, the 4-letter, 3-syllable word having one anagram (AIDE).
Three possible 8-letter, 1-syllable words containing the letters of IDEA are SPRAINED, STRAINED, and TRAIPSED.
Possible in-between 6-letter words (the 2-syllable ones in all caps) for:
1) SPRAINED: pained, darien, draine, rained, DIAPER, paired, REPAID, AIDERS, SARDIE, raised
2) STRAINED: darien, draine, rained, DANITE, DETAIN, AIDERS, SARDIE, raised, AIRTED, TIRADE, SADITE
3) TRAIPSED: DIAPER, paired, REPAID, AIDERS, raised, AIRTED, TIRADE, SADITE
Note: If RESAID were to be considered a legitamite word, then it would be added for ALL OF THE THREE 8-letter words above.
More solutions start with OLEO and OREO; while if we allow place names and consider BROUGHAM to be a 1-syllable word, then there's one more solution still.
OLEO can conclude with SCHOOLED, while OREO can conclude with SCROOGED or SCROOPED.
Possible in-between 6-letter words (the 2-syllable ones in all caps) for:
1) OLEO --> SCHOOLED: cooled, OODLES, loosed, SOLOED, (LOCOES? - Dictionary.com gives "no dictionary results")
2) OREO --> SCROOGED: COOERS, rodeos, (GOOSER? - Dictionary.com gives "no dictionary results")
3) OREO --> SCROOPED: COOPER, COOERS, POODER, rodeos, POROSE
And then possibly:
Oahu --> Huambo --> brougham
So we've found 17 (arguably 20) solutions with IDEA, 2 (arguably 3) with OLEO, 5 (arguably 6) with OREO, and arguably 1 with OAHU. 24 (perhaps 30) total.
What happened to PARDIE? It has been said & resaid several times above and the link (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/resay) shows clearly that the word exists.
DeletePARDIE, my grandmother used this word. See: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pardie
DeleteYou're right. I thought I had counted them all, but that brings the total to 26 (perhaps 32).
DeleteI have always thought it a great shame people in this country never understood Khrushchev's warning that he would berry us. Most everyone thought he said, "We will bury you." No! He was way ahead of his time and was fully aware of impending global warming and realized this meant his country would eventually become the prime wine region of the planet. Such a waste of money on weapons.
ReplyDeleteFeeling grateful this morning....The quality of Merci is not strained.
ReplyDeleteAlas, no Tine for the forked discussion.
Anyone have success with Olio as the starting word?
This is a bit obscure, but I was trying to come up with something other than idea and oleo: UDEA (a moth genus) UNLADE and LAUNCHED.
ReplyDeleteNothing to add.
ReplyDelete0x1DC69CE: Hex number = 31222222. Indicating what proved to be an easy order of solution. To continue is pointless and pedantic.
Shouldn't the original poster of hints and clues abstain from explaining their own posting? Rather, have others decipher them? Mine, pedestrian and heavy handed as they are, not included.
ReplyDeleteThe new puzzle is up. Hmmm,... Before 1am PDT this time. Anyway.....
ReplyDeleteNext week's challenge: In three words, name a product sold mainly to women that has the initials N-P-R. The answer is a common phrase.