Sunday, December 22, 2013

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 22, 2013): Going to the SUN-day Matinee

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 22, 2013): Going to the SUN-day Matinee:
Q: Think of a well-known filmmaker, first and last names, add "S-U-N" before this person's first name and last name. In each case, you'll form a common English word. Who is the filmmaker?
This puzzle shouldn't take too long; you just need to rely on a small amount of memory.

Edit: The filmmaker's initials are KB, as in a small amount of memory.
A: KEN BURNS --> SUNKEN, SUNBURNS

133 comments:

  1. 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.

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let's keep the discussion civil this week, shall we? No fighting, kids!

    ReplyDelete
  3. An answer dug its way out from deep in my cerebral cortex while I was still in bed. I hope NPR agrees that it’s right – I’d hate to see hostilities break out because of this.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  4. Another one minute puzzle. Visiting the in-laws in Cleveland. Need to find something to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How about visiting one of the beautiful North Coast beaches? Don't forget to pack your sunscreen

      Delete
  5. Will Shortz may say this person is a "well-known" filmmaker, but I gotta say, not one of her/his films ever played at a movie theater in Provo. And my cellmate, Andy, has never even heard of him/her. Here's the funny thing: They actually showed one of her/his movies in the mess hall last month. It was very well-received (albeit the captive audience and all). Of course, the inmates cheered wildly and flexed their homemade-tattoo-adorned biceps every time Scarface came on the screen.

    BTW: I'm still beating myself up for taking three days to solve last week's puzzle. With the exception of the judicial system, I'm my own harshest critic. Just sayin...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe his films haven't seen many theater releases because so many have been panned.

      Delete
    2. That's a very effective clue, but why would I expect anything less?

      Delete
  6. Isn't there a filmmaker Less Day, which produces a Sunless Sunday?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. Abq, bm may have found a little chink in your armor. btw, how's the food?

      Delete
    2. This morning we had hot bologna, eggs and white gravy. Yum...

      Delete
    3. Just as I remembered it, high in quality as well as presentation.

      Delete
    4. WW spam only on special occasions like watching the World Series. As for me, I let a song go out of my heart, it was the perfect melody. Oh well, at least ABQ came back into my life :) WW, thanks for that video Loved it and loved seeing my old (although brief) schoolmate from Dartmouth. Inspirational on many levels

      Delete
    5. Glad you enjoyed the Meryl video, RoRo. For me, seeing her in a non-scripted setting with a nervous laugh and stumbling (just a little) over words was a treat. Her message was powerful. I am looking forward to seeing her act in "August: OSAGE County" (and will look for Osage Oranges ;-))

      Delete
    6. So ABQ were you hinting toward the film maker "Kneeside Up" like did you have your eggs sunkneeside up at sun-up?

      Delete
  8. I agree with David. This took a minute or two to solve. That gives me more time to listen to a little jazz, and take in a ballgame.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Daughters "Circa:" Valley Boy only from HC.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, apparently the wp author didn't know the precise birthdates of the filmmaker's offspring, but I doubt the same is true of the filmmaker.
      Beyond that, I'm afraid I'm lost; I don't know a hydrocarbon from Holden Caulfield sometimes. Unless ... no, it couldn't pertain to "I’d no sooner abandon print than throw someone I love overboard in a storm-tossed sea." ... could it? That would be spooky.

      I may have just stumbled onto a paradigm for partitioning all of human knowledge into 626 distinct categories ... or not.

      Delete
    2. 676, but it's still just a lame joke.
      Hampshire College -- skipped right over that.

      Delete
  10. Only filmmaker I can think of is Alejandro Jodorowsky, but somehow that doesn't seem to work.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I hate to give you folks the third degree, but has Will reached reached a new low?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I give Will props for this sun puzzle close to the winter solstice yesterday, with the sun lowest in the sky in the northern hemisphere.

      And for the extra time to enjoy the additional sunlight today.

      Delete
    2. This is indeed a dark Sunday, no daylight nor sunlight!

      Delete
    3. Sunny and 50°F. I treasure December days like this one.

      Delete
    4. But, being the eternal optimist, the days are now getting longer! I'm already sick of football and can't wait for the boys of summer to return.

      Delete
    5. I spent my Sunday hiking in my t-shirt in Joshua Tree Nat'l Park. Not a trace of December in the air. Interesting rock formations but no cell service, so I couldn't bug Word Woman for explanations.

      I could make another easy word puzzle with this filmmaker's name, but I guess that would give too much away.

      Delete
    6. Gonzo granite, if you ask me! The quartz dikes in some formations reminded me of earlier discussions of stylolites and iridium layers and Humboldt Fog cheese.

      Delete
    7. As long as you didn't try to take a bite. . .Have fun!

      Delete
    8. you must be talking rock stars. I saw the Chilites and the stylistics on a VERY SMALL stage. BTW saw Ronnie Spector of Ronnie and the Ronettes on Friday. She still sizzles at seventy.

      Delete
    9. There actually is a band called We Are Scientists.

      Whoa.

      Delete
    10. Sure, Paul, you say that here ;-). Thanks for the scoop.

      Whoaloha.

      Delete
    11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=198M9Kgxgso

      Ho,ho,ho.

      Delete
    12. Thanks, Paul. That was fun. With the band leader's views on solipsism and overthinking, they might sing Blaine's Blog's theme song.

      "With wry humor, pens so sharp they could split hairs, and a belief that a romantic relationship is safest when it's static, W.A.S. has white-knuckled their way through several tours of the U.K. and the U.S., and won over a devout following in the process."

      Po,mo,na.

      Delete
  12. When I go to the IMDb's search window and enter <Last name>, <First name>, then six exact-name entries come up. The IMDb as usual uses roman numerals to distinguish them, and oddly enough, there's a (I), (II), (III), (IV), (V), and a (VII). No (VI)!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I notice there is a very strong connection to the answer of last week's puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you perform last week's operation on this week's answer, you can get something that might be seen in the subway.

      Delete
    2. KEN BURNS

      SUNKEN + SUNBURNS



      The Brooklyn Bridge is the “connection” to Manhattan, the answer to last week's puzzle that SDB observed. The Brooklyn Bridge is literally CONNECTED to the island of Manhattan. “Brooklyn Bridge” was Ken Burns' first and oscar-nominated documentary of 1981.


      Is it BUSKER Ward?

      Delete
  14. My cat has been having sneezing fits lately so I took her to the vet. His diagnosis was that she has a touch of asthma. I asked what I could do. “Open a few windows so your house is more stuffy,” he said. I scratched my head at this (just as I do when confronted with NPR puzzles) and said, “…

    Bob K,
    I can empathize. In my case Theodoros Angelopoulos sprung immediately to mind. It’s so frustrating coming so darn close to having an answer that might be lapel-pin-worthy.

    Here is a less elegant version of this week’s NPR puzzle: Think of a prolific filmmaker, first and last names. Add “S-U-N” before this person’s first name and last name. In one case you’ll form the title of a song recorded in the 1960s. In the other case, if you change one of the letters in the filmmaker’s name, you’ll name someplace where you might find mirrors or compact discs. Who is this filmmaker?

    LegoCinema

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If a vet told me to stuff my cat, well I'd hit him in the nose.Not the cat! The vet, for crying out loud!

      Delete
  15. Replies
    1. "he had it coming"

      Delete
    2. Musical clue to Will's puzzle and clue to this week's Partial Ellipsis of the Sun post (up now): Twisted Sister.

      Delete
  16. I very much enjoyed the question the contestant asked Will which allowed Will to elaborate on the duplicate puzzles. I previously had thought he did it on purpose. Now I know better and feel better about his offerings, but I still would like to see more interesting puzzles, at least some of the time.

    ReplyDelete
  17. For the record (in case anyone's monitoring), I was unable to think of anything wittier today.
    It's not the end of the world.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For the record pertains to documentation.

      The Monitor was a Civil War vessel that sank just about 151 years ago.

      In a certain context, "wittier today" is roughly equivalent to "more clever or shrewd tomorrow". Cuter Monday is an anagram of documentary.

      Skeeter Davis recorded The End of the World, but The Worst That Could Happen was recorded by Brooklyn Bridge.

      Delete
    2. Cuter Monday! Ah, the foreshadowing, the restraint, Paul. Terrific clue (and new way to think about Monday).

      Delete
  18. In honor of this week's "sun" puzzle, I would like to suggest to my literary friends (especially WW) the wonderful SUN magazine, an ad-free monthly magazine of essays, interviews, fiction, poetry and photos. I subscribe to this magazine and I highly recommend it to those who are not already subscribers. See their website at:

    http://thesunmagazine.org/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ron. . .I enjoyed the Sun.

      Merry Christmas and Happy Wednesday to all!

      Delete
    2. I don't know if that means you already subscribe, but if not, try their FREE TRIAL OFFER. You receive a free issue and can then cancel: Merry Christmas to everyone!

      https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/SU/TSM/TSM_free_trialoffer.jsp?cds_page_id=50216&cds_mag_code=TSM&id=1387989257352&lsid=33591034173033381&vid=1

      Delete
    3. Ron, yes, I did sign up to try it. . .

      Blaine, thanks so much for your faithful and fun clues, photographs, and diagrams every week. It has been a truly puzzling year. :-)

      Delete
    4. Even though I'm a big fan of this film-maker's early work (seems to have gotten in a bit of a rut), they did not appear in any of the lists I waded through. Coming at it from the other direction I got it in about 5 minutes.

      Delete
  19. Have an abundawonderful Christmas, fuzzler pamily.
    Zeke and Mamaw Creek

    ReplyDelete
  20. Please accept with no obligation,
    implied or implicit our best wishes
    for an environmentally conscious,
    socially responsible, low stress,
    non-addictive, gender neutral,
    celebration of the winter solstice
    holiday, practiced within the most
    enjoyable traditions of the religious
    persuasion of your choice, or secular
    practices of your choice, with respect
    for the religious/secular persuasions
    and/or traditions of others, or their
    choice not to practice religious or
    secular traditions at all . . .

    and a fiscally successful,
    personally fulfilling, and medically
    uncomplicated recognition of the onset
    of the generally accepted calendar
    year 2014, but not without due respect
    for the calendars of choice of other
    cultures whose contributions to
    society have helped make America great,
    (not to imply that America is necessarily
    greater than any other country or is
    the only "AMERICA" in the western
    hemisphere), and without regard to the
    race, creed, color, age, physical ability,
    religious faith, or choice of computer
    platform of the wishee.

    (By accepting this greeting,
    you are accepting these terms.
    This greeting is subject to
    clarification or withdrawal. It is freely
    transferable with no alteration to the
    original greeting. It implies no
    promise by the wisher to actually
    implement any of the wishes for
    her/himself or others, and is
    void where prohibited by law, and is
    revocable at the sole discretion of
    the wisher. This wish is warranted
    to perform as expected within the
    usual application of good tidings
    for a period of one year, or until the
    issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting,
    whichever comes first, and warranty is
    limited to replacement of this wish
    or issuance of a new wish at the
    sole discretion of the wisher.)


    ReplyDelete
  21. Okay if you are all going to play this game, and I especially mean you, ron, then I will post the spoof Xmas form letter I came up with a few years back. I was careful to only send it to a few who I knew would get the joke and not be offended, but perhaps it might offend someone here. :-)


    Merry Christmas Everyone,

    Once again it’s time for me to recap the year now coming to an end. Can you believe we are already nine years into our new millennium? This millennium seems to be going so much faster than the last one.
    First of all my trip to Euro Disney was simply wonderful and the Mouse and all his friends were just so cute. Of course nothing could compare with my expedition to the Himalaya where I solo climbed, without supplemental oxygen, Chomolungma, or Mt. Everest as so many here call it. Should I even attempt to describe the magnificent, expansive landscapes? Perhaps not. Okay, so let’s move on now.
    Then of course there was my air mattress journey down the Orinoco River where I was blessed to encounter a previously undiscovered tribe of aboriginals, and it was only by a miracle that I was able to escape with my life, but I shall not bore you with the details of that story.
    Well, on my return here to Rainville I made a major excursion to Château Ste. Michelle where I found myself overwhelmed by the many delightful things they are able to do with the grape. Everyone should at some time during his life make this pilgrimage.
    I was fortunate to finally obtain my patent for taking some of the contents from vacuum cleaner bags the workers use on our Washington State Ferries and sealing small amounts in Plexiglas vials and marketing them as Genuine Washington State Ferry Dust, with certificates of authenticity signed by Governess Christine Gregoire. I am happy to report that initial sales are simply off the chart!
    Of course my having to undergo a heart-lung transplant last month sort of put a damper on my Autumn activities for a couple of weeks, but it did give me time to complete my latest book, “Comprehending the Secret Sex Lives of the Mormon Clergy.” It should appear on the shelves in about a month, in order to coincide with my upcoming appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show at the end of January. Don’t forget to mark that on your calendars.
    I almost failed to mention the completion last Spring of my digging a three-hundred foot borehole under the house in order to provide cheap thermal heat and then turning the back yard into an organic llama ranch. It was strenuous work, but the rewards have been most gratifying indeed.
    One of the highlights of the year for me was, of course, partaking in the Thanksgiving festivities in Wasilla, Alaska with the former Alaskan First Family. And that Track, what a character! Of course I learned so much about what is really going on in the world from our wonderful hostess, such a fountain of knowledge and insight!
    I’m hoping I’ll manage to get out more during this coming year. Did I mention my upcoming International Space Shuttle trip to Space Lab? Well, more about that in my next Christmas letter.

    Toodles and Happy New Year!

    (My name)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was not offended. Great letter! You've outdone yourself!

      Delete
    2. Mark my words, skydiveboy, I think Toodles is the perfect nickname for you. ;-)

      And while we are roasting, Ron, a toast to Santorini and roast, noted at will and by Will on Sunday.

      Delete
    3. Well I hope not. I did not write the letter in my voice, but in the typically insipid way these awful letters are done.

      There is a sub-story connected with this letter that fits into the category of truth being stranger than fiction.

      After I retired from skydiving I took a job driving a shuttle bus for a hotel here in Seattle. It was fun driving guests around the core of the city and meeting interesting people from all over the world. One of the front desk employees was a young African/American guy who was attending the University of Washington on a full scholarship and seemed motivated to succeed although he had many obstacles in his way. He and I got along well and one day I handed him a copy I had printed out of the letter expecting he would enjoy it, and I even told him it was a spoof I had written, as I handed it to him.

      He read it quietly without comment until he had finished. He was not laughing or smiling, but simply said, "I didn't know you had a heart, lung transplant."

      I could not believe he could be so naïve! I still to this day find it difficult to comprehend, but it really did happen.

      Delete
  22. Can anyone please explain to me what "Good king went to floss" has to do with the holidays?

    ReplyDelete
  23. Perhaps it was a round yon virgin, and why are all of your friends call you who?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess if I were a virgin I would yawn too.

      Maybe this can be put in a better perspective if we consider a husband in this day and age bringing his wife to the maternity ward of a hospital and (did I mention?) she is riding a donkey. Not only that but she insists she is a virgin and hubby is not the father. So, now I ask you, which one is the bigger ass?

      Delete
  24. KEN BURNS ===>>> SUNKEN SUNBURNS

    "Daughters 'circa'" referred to the Wikipedia article (as Paul correctly surmised) noting Burns's daughters were born circa 1983 and 1987.

    "Valley Boy" referred to the Pioneer Valley in central Massachusetts. Having taken the Five-College Bus to meet Hampshire College (HC) boys, I can believe the 'circa' part might apply to Ken.

    "...with the sun lowest in the sky..." referred to the SUNKEN sun.

    "Twisted Sister," my musical clue, referred to heavy metal which pointed to heavy artillery as in The Civil War, the PBS series by 'Ole Mr. Sunken Sideburns.

    ReplyDelete
  25. KEN BURNS > SUNKEN & SUNBURNS

    My Hints:

    “I notice there is a very strong connection to the answer of last week's puzzle.”

    The Brooklyn Bridge was the subject of one of Ken Burns’s documentaries and who can deny that this bridge connects itself to Manhattan? Manhattan was the answer to last week’s puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ken Burns/ my clue referring to NPR's counterpart: PBS where Ken Burns works are generally available. I didn't feel real good about the word: "sunburns." in that sunburn is plural as well as singular.

    ReplyDelete
  27. My comment last week, "This is an historic day, as our Captain Will Shortz sets sail" mainly had to do with the fact that Ken Burns's films are all historical documentaries. And although the Titanic seems to be one of the few subjects Burns has not made a film about, I couldn't shake in my mind the connection between setting sail and becoming sunken. I do of course hope that our Captain Will continues to sail the seas of puzzlery for many more years.

    My reference in this week's thread to Alejandro Jodorowsky was just a meaningless joke. I thought the whole thing had been given away at that point by reference to PBS.

    And we all enjoyed Blaine's hint at The Burns Effect, panning within still photos to jazz up his films.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And when Ken passes on, he can leave The Burns Effects to those Circa Daughters.

      Delete
  28. "May there always be SUNshine," in this unknowable time of the year.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/opinion/its-the-most-unknowable-time-of-the-year.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

    ReplyDelete
  29. Sometime after Ken Burns did his epic Civil War documentary he did a much shorter one: Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony. I watched this as it was presented on my local PBS station and was very surprised when he reported that the Civil War ended on an incorrect date—I think he reported it as ending on April 6, 1865 when it actually ended on April 9, 1865. He, of all people, should have known better!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Ken Burns (sunken, sunburns)

    Last Sunday I said, “An answer dug its way out from deep in my cerebral cortex while I was still in bed. I hope NPR agrees it’s right – I’d hate to see hostilities break out because of this.” Dug it’s way out means it was sunKEN. Hostilities break out as in the Civil War – KEN BURNS’s first big claim to fame.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  31. Benmar -

    While I agree with what you said about the word, sunburns, vocabulary.com, wordnik.com and wiktgionary.org all recognize the word sunburns, too.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  32. My hint:
    My cat has been having sneezing fits lately so I took her to the vet. His diagnosis was that she has a touch of asthma. I asked what I could do. “Open a few windows so your house is more stuffy,” he said. I scratched my head at this … and said, “DOC, YOU MEANT AIRY!” (“Doc-u-ment-ary” is the genre of film in which Ken Burns specializes.)

    In my “less elegant version of this week’s NPR puzzle,” the prolific filmmaker is King Vidor, five time best-director Oscar nominee. The title of a song recorded in the 1960s is “Sun King” from the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Changing one of the letters in Vidor results in “sun visor,” where many people attach mirrors or compact discs.
    LeGodBlessYou…

    ReplyDelete
  33. Lego,

    I followed your thread and I got it!

    Maybe it's just getting to know you all better, but I thought circa 95 percent of this week's clues were quite unburied.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Alright, this has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the puzzle, but I was just perusing the Free listings on Craigslist and came across an item that caused me to make up this corny joke.

    What do you get when you cross a hobo with a jar of petroleum jelly?

    I'll post the answer later unless someone figures it out first.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sdb,
      This is wrong, but fun to write and say: A balmy bum.
      What about when you cross a hobo with an onion?
      HoboLambda

      Delete
    2. I'll bet 'trampoline' is right, lego, but skydiveboy's the authority, of course. As for the hobo and onion ... the island of Bumuda?

      Delete
    3. Just got back in from dinner. Right! TRAMPOLINE is the correct answer.

      Delete
    4. Thanks for the riddle/puzzle, sdb. Hope you had a pleasant dinner.
      Paul, I like the way you think (Bumuda!), and I think I like your answer better than mine. I was looking for BUM'S TEAR.

      Delete
    5. Now I realize that it is not really a winter joke, but better suited for springtime.

      Delete
    6. sdb,
      Or maybe summertime. My initial thought, BUM BALM, an antidote to SUNBURNS, could be a product marketed to British vacationers to European nudist and thong-only beaches.
      LegoLotion

      Delete
    7. That's just thong! Even Long Thong Silver was a pirate.

      Delete
  35. Something about vagabond / vaseline? Beats me. Another day hiking in Joshua Tree, so I missed the usual 3 pm pile-on. But I saw my first jackrabbit! Nothing much to add about Ken Burns, anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  36. When I asked about things to do in Cleveland, I was hoping to get a recommendation to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where several jazz musicians have been inducted. While on the subject of Halls of Fame, there is the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ken Burns has produced/directed/whatevered documentaries on both Jazz and Baseball.

    ReplyDelete
  37. This week's puzzle was submitted by listener Andrew Chaikin, of San Francisco. He has some involvement in filmmaking himself. Here's a film made using techniques a good deal more sophisticated than burnsing, narrated by Chaikin (who also wrote the narration):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE-vOscpiNc

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Calm down! That was awesome, Jan.

      Delete
    2. I'm glad Lovell found the roll of color film. Now it has me wondering if the Earth is actually made of blue cheese.

      Delete
  38. New puzzle just came up:

    Next week's challenge from listener Steve Daubenspeck of Fleetwood, Pa.: The word "wizard" has the peculiar property that its letters can be grouped in pairs — A and Z, D and W, and I and R — that are opposite each other in the alphabet. That is, A and Z are at opposite ends of the alphabet, D and W are four letters in from their respective ends, and I and R are nine letters in from their respective ends. Can you name a well-known brand name in six letters that has this same property?

    ReplyDelete
  39. Now that I have solved it I can relax. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Tough one for me, since I am terrible at anagrams. But having gotten it, with as usual a great deal of helpful hints from others, I might venture that it is a shame to have it solved before Blaine posted his hint. (You could take this two ways, but I only mean it in the official, more favorable, way.)

    ReplyDelete
  41. I skipped right over the answer on a long list of brands, but I kept at it and finally found it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jan:
      I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistake, but even though I had already guessed the last three letters, I skipped over it too.

      Delete
  42. In the word wizard, the pairs are also nicely arranged within the word...first with last, second with second to last, etc. It is not clear from the wording of the puzzle whether this additional property is also expected for the brand name. Any conjectures?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Based on the brand name I found, the letters are not that nicely arranged.

      Delete
    2. The answer I found does not have this additional property, and I don't think it's specified by the wording of the puzzle.

      Delete
    3. Argggg! I've been going on the assumption that had to be the pattern. I was stuck trying to make CLOROX work.

      Delete
    4. Try GERITOL, all you have to do is remove the E to obtain: GRITOL! I do know the answer and my does not have Will's arrangement of letters.

      Delete
    5. I also assume that the usual rules apply, that one can add spaces, punctuation, etc., without violating the rules. I think I'll put it off more work on this until tomorrow, or maybe the next day.

      Delete
  43. Replies
    1. How about shiver, shrive, grivet, shovel, or hovels?

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  44. I would say there is only a remote chance I would have thought of the answer without using a list.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Don't worry Paul; it is not "a well-known brand name."

    ReplyDelete
  46. While some are disappointed that the answer lacks the positional beauty of the letter pairings in "wizard", I've noticed a different interesting characteristic in each of the pairings: their case!

    All three letter-pairs are an uppercase and a lowercase!

    ReplyDelete
  47. I have the answer but can find no way to upload it to NPR. Has anyone else run into this problem or have a work-around?

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://help.npr.org/npr/includes/customer/npr/custforms/contactus.aspx?pz=t

      Delete
  48. It looks as if Ron may have taken the same tack I did in hopes that it wouldn't be necessary to be forced into using product lists. The hope was fulfilled.

    Marian might use it, but Oliver probably wouldn't

    ReplyDelete
  49. Can't be correct but: Clorix(R) antidepressant drug

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll bet Blaine could just spit when he sees that! ;-)

      Delete
    2. I'm not sure if that cheers me up or not, benmar; and, of course, I can't speak for Blaine.

      Delete
    3. No way that that is the "intended" answer!

      Delete
  50. I milled about this morning thinking about the run up to New Year’s Eve. Then I got the answer and was even more inclined to mill about thinking about the run up to NYE.

    Chuck

    ReplyDelete
  51. Oh brother, I have always found searching lists the easy way out. Sure, I have used lists but only as a last resort.

    ReplyDelete
  52. My son has been regaling us with tales from down under. In particular, on a trip to Mercy, Australia, he was served koala hair tea.

    "How was it?"

    "It was awful, all full of hair strands!"

    "Well, of course, the koala tea of Mercy is not strained. . ."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can find Portia in the airport. Such harmony is in immortal souls, but whilst...

      Delete
    2. Whilst, ron, or perhaps whisht. . .

      Delete

For NPR puzzle posts, don't post the answer or any hints that could lead to the answer before the deadline (usually Thursday at 3pm ET). If you know the answer, 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 assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.