Sunday, December 28, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 28, 2014): Those Barbarians Ambush Heavier Fiancees

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 28, 2014): Those Barbarians Ambush Heavier Fiancees:
Q: Take the following 5-word sentence: "THOSE BARBARIANS AMBUSH HEAVIER FIANCEES." These 5 words have something very unusual in common. What is it?
You deserve brownie points if you can figure out other words that even broadly fit.

Edit: Brownie sounds like "brow-knee" and also has a hidden body part of BONE. Point hides PIT, and broadly hides BODY.
A: Reading every odd letter you get body parts TOE, BRAIN, ABS, HAIR and FACE.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 21, 2014): Christmas Decorations

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 21, 2014): Christmas Decorations:
Q: Take the first and last names of a well-known actress. Her first name has two vowels. Change them both to new vowels, and the result names part of a common Christmas decoration. What is it?
Will threw a proverbial soft (snow)ball this week.

Edit: The key was "threw a" which anagrams to a "wreath".
A: HALLE BERRY --> HOLLY BERRY

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Christmas Puzzle 2014 - Power of TEN

Our annual Christmas puzzle "Power of TEN" is available now. Every answer is a word containing the letters TEN. For example, if the clue were "These keep your hands warm when playing in the snow", the answer would be mittens.

As in prior years, the reward for solving is a video Christmas card, but you'll need to figure out the password by using the first letter of each word. As a hint, the password could be used to describe an occasion such as the new year.

Note: If you need some help, the full answer is posted here, but try solving it without help first... it's more fun that way.

Feel free to add a comment below to let us know that you successfully figured it out (without giving away the answer to others). We are always looking for new ideas for next year's Christmas puzzle, so submit those too.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 14, 2014): I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 14, 2014): I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight...:
Q: Think of a common exclamation in four letters. Move the last letter to the start, and then add a new letter to the end to get another well-known exclamation. What is it?
My wife and I use this all the time with each other. I can't think of a hint that won't lead to the answer via a search engine, so I'll just stick with last week's clue.

Edit: I suppose I might say "Ahoy, mate" to my wife. The hint of a search engine was obviously a reference to Yahoo. And last week's clue was to Montgomery, AL. But if you use the photo as a hint, it refers to Montgomery Burns of "The Simpsons" who answers the phone with Ahoy hoy
A: AHOY! --> YAHOO!

Sunday, December 07, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 7, 2014): A few Texans come in...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 7, 2014): A few Texans come in...:
Q: Take the phrase "a few Texans come in." Rearrange these letters to name a geographical place. What is it?
I guess it's not "amalgamate my Boron".

Edit: That anagrams to "Montgomery, Alabama" which is another state capital.
A: SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

Sunday, November 30, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 30, 2014): Bertrand Tavernier Word Play

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 30, 2014): Bertrand Tavernier Word Play:
Q: Bertrand Tavernier is a French director of such movies as Life and Nothing But and It All Starts Today. What amazing wordplay property does the name Bertrand Tavernier have? This sounds like an open-ended question, but when you have the right answer, you'll have no doubt about it.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are now controlling the transmission. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical.

Edit: The hint was to the striped shirts that this duo wears, one with vertical stripes (Bert) and the other with horizontal (Ernie).
A: Removing a few interspersed letters, 3 words remain --> BERT AND ERNIE

Sunday, November 23, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 23, 2014): Traveling Cultural Museum Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 23, 2014): Traveling Cultural Museum Puzzle:
Q: The letters in the name of a major American city can be rearranged to spell a traveling cultural museum. What is it? Each name is a single word, and the city's population is more than a half million.
If you haven't figured this out, you are probably getting stuck on the phrase "traveling cultural museum". Perhaps it isn't on a standard list of museums, or is on several you haven't checked. And yes, there is a hint hidden somewhere here.

Edit: If you anagram "or is on several", you get "Orioles Ravens".
A: BALTIMORE --> ARTMOBILE

Sunday, November 16, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 16, 2014): Show me the money!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 16, 2014): Show me the money!:
Q: Name a country. Drop one of its letters. Rearrange the remaining letters to name this country's money. What is it?
By now everyone has figured this out so no clue is necessary.

Edit: The hint was the first word in the sentence; the ISO country code for Belarus is BY.
A: BELARUS (-A) = RUBLES

Sunday, November 09, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 9, 2014): I got Caesar dressing on my clothes!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 9, 2014): I got Caesar dressing on my clothes!:
Q: Name a well-known clothing company. Move each of its letters three spaces earlier in the alphabet and rearrange the result. You'll name something you don't want in an article of clothing. What is it?
I generally enjoy these letter rotation type puzzles, but it took me awhile to figure this one out.

Edit: The two clues were "I general..." (referring to General Zod from Superman) = IZOD and "awhile" from the phrase, "In awhile, crocodile." Though many people thought the animal on the Izod Lacoste polo shirt was an alligator, it was actually a crocodile, referring to tennis player Rene Lacoste's nickname of "The Crocodile".
A: IZOD = FWLA --> FLAW

Sunday, November 02, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 2, 2014): An Apt Time for a Clock Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Nov 2, 2014): An Apt Time for a Clock Puzzle:
Q: Write down the following four times: 3:00, 6:00, 12:55 and 4:07. These are the only times on a clock that share a certain property (without repeating oneself). What property is this?
I guess we all have an extra hour to figure this one out this week...

Edit: Time's up!
A: The intended answer is that the four times given visually form Roman numerals L(50), I(1), V(5) and C(100). (The other Roman numerals (M, D, X) can't be easily formed so are excluded.)

I take issue with the misleading wording (only times?) and that we have to visually view two straight hands as forming a curved letter of 'C'. I'm sure there will be some that call this puzzle bogus and you would be justified in saying so, but remember I'm just the messenger.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 26, 2014): Igor, Fetch me my Brain

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 26, 2014): Igor, Fetch me my Brain:
Q: Name a well-known TV actress of the past. Put an R between her first and last names. Then read the result backward. The result will be an order Dr. Frankenstein might give to Igor. Who is the actress, and what is the order?
We might as well dig up some of our hints from a prior puzzle.

Edit: Clues were "dig up" and a reference to a similar puzzle in July.
A: EVA GABOR --> ROB A GRAVE

Sunday, October 19, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 19, 2014): Time To Flex Those Math Muscles

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 19, 2014): Time To Flex Those Math Muscles:
Q: The following challenge is based on a puzzle from a Martin Gardner book, that may not be well-known. Out of a regular grade school classroom, two students are chosen at random. Both happen to have blue eyes. If the odds are exactly 50-50 that two randomly chosen students in the class will have blue eyes: How many students are in the class?
It's going to be hard to provide hints to the answer this week.

Edit: My hint was "Be" which is the symbol for Berylium, element 4 on the periodic table. While 4 is a technically correct answer (3 blue-eyed children --> 3/4 x 2/3 = 1/2) the intended answer was for a more typical class size.
A: 21 students (15 with blue eyes and 7 without).

The probability the first child has blue eyes is 15/21 or 5/7. Once that child is taken out of consideration, there are 14 children with blue eyes out of 20 so the probability is 7/10. Multiplying that together, we have 5/7 x 7/10 = 5/10 = 1/2

Sunday, October 12, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 12, 2014): Country and Capital Mixup

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 12, 2014): Country and Capital Mixup:
Q: Name a certain country. Change one letter in its name to a new letter and rearrange the result to name another country's capital. Then change one letter in that and rearrange the result to name another country. What geographical names are these?
There's one more thing you can do. If you draw a triangle connecting the 3 capitals from the puzzle, the center of mass of that triangle is very close to the capital of a well-known country. And that country has the same number of letters as the answers to the puzzle.
A: SPAIN <--> PARIS <--> SYRIA

Sunday, October 05, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 5, 2014): Morning Routine

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 5, 2014): Morning Routine:
Q: Take the first four letters of a brand of toothpaste plus the last five letters of an over-the-counter medicine, and together, in order, the result will name a popular beverage. What is it?
I don't suggest consuming what is formed from the leftover letters of the second word, followed by the leftover letters of the first word.

Edit: The leftover letters are R+ODENT.
A: PEPSodent + rICOLA --> PEPSI COLA

Sunday, September 28, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 28, 2014): Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 28, 2014): Best Thing Since Sliced Bread:
Q: Think of a 10-letter word that names an invention of the early 20th century and includes an A and an O. Remove the A. Then move the O to where the A was, leaving a space where the O was, and you'll name a much more recent invention. What is it?
Did one of these inventors come from Chicago?

Edit: The hint was a reference to the song "Mr. Cellophane" from the musical Chicago.
A: CELLOPHANE --> CELL PHONE

Sunday, September 21, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 21, 2014): Go Ahead, Make My Day!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 21, 2014): Go Ahead, Make My Day!:
Q: Name a famous actor best known for tough-guy roles. The first five letters of his first name and the first four letters of his last name are the first five and four letters, respectively, in the first and last names of a famous author. Who is the actor, and who is the author?
Clinton Eastham and Arnolfini Schweiss? They're famous authors, right?

Edit: The hint was They're which contains (Jane) Eyre.
A: CHARLes BRONson --> CHARLotte BRONtë.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 14, 2014): Calculator Geography

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 14, 2014): Calculator Geography:
Q: If you punch 0-1-4-0 into a calculator, and turn it upside-down, you get the state OHIO. What numbers can you punch in a calculator, and turn upside-down, to get a state capital, a country and a country's capital?
It's easier to solve this puzzle than it is to provide hints. Just focus on the letters BEGHILOSZ.
A: BOISE (35108), BELIZE (321738) and OSLO (0750)

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 7, 2014): T is for...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Sep 7, 2014): T is for...:
Q: Think of a word starting with T. Drop the T, and phonetically you'll get a new word that's a synonym of the first one. What words are these?
My apologies to all for not posting the puzzle on Sunday. I never finished solving the puzzle and therefore forgot to put up a post.
A: TWIRL and WHIRL

Sunday, August 31, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 31, 2014): Before and After

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 31, 2014): Before and After:
Q: Think of a word that means "to come before." Replace its last letter with two new letters to get "someone who comes after you." These two words are unrelated etymologically. What words are they?
The anagram of one of the words makes me want to cry.
Edit: The anagram is TEARDROP.
A: PREDATE --> PREDATOR

Sunday, August 24, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 24, 2014): The 1960s vs. the 1990s

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 24, 2014): The 1960s vs. the 1990s:
Q: Name a world leader of the 1960s — two words. Change the last letter of the second word. Then switch the order of the words — that is, putting the second word in front. The result will name a hit song of the 1990s. Who is the leader, and what is the song?
For once I'm up early. Maybe it's a sign I should start my morning routine.

Edit: The hints were up early/morning (a.m. = Alanis Morisette), sign (Burma Shave roadside signs) and morning routine (shaving = Burma Shave)
A: U THANT (Secretary General of the U.N., from Burma) --> THANK U (by Alanis Morisette)

Sunday, August 17, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 17, 2014): Target Practice

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 17, 2014): Target Practice:
Q: You have a target with six rings, bearing the numbers 16, 17, 23, 24, 39, and 40. How can you score exactly 100 points, by shooting at the target.
Finally a math puzzle, but then it has to be one that isn't very challenging. If you are having trouble, just keep firing arrows; you'll hit it eventually.

Edit: You'll need the full complement of 6 arrows.
A: 16 + 16 + 17 + 17 + 17 + 17 = 100

Sunday, August 10, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 10, 2014): What Does the Fox Say?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 10, 2014): What Does the Fox Say?:
Q: Name a well-known movie of the past — two words, seven letters in total. These seven letters can be rearranged to spell the name of an animal plus the sound it makes. What animal is it?


Edit: The hint is the arrow in the picture...
A: LA BAMBA --> LAMB, BAA

Thursday, August 07, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 3, 2014): People, Places and Things

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 3, 2014): People, Places and Things:
Q: Take the name of a modern-day country. Add an "A" and rearrange all the letters to name a group of people who used to live in the area of this country. Who are they?
Shall we debate whether the 4th letter of the country should be included?

A: NETHERLANDS + A --> NEANDERTHALS

Sunday, July 27, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 27, 2014): On Vacation

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 27, 2014): On Vacation

I'm unable to post the puzzle this week, but I didn't want to leave you without a place to post comments on the puzzle. Somebody help me out by posting a copy here. Then feel free to add your hints.

Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any outright spoilers 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. Thank you.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 20, 2014): In Summer

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 20, 2014): In Summer:
Q: Name something in five letters that's nice to have a lot of in the summer. Change the last letter to the following letter of the alphabet. Rearrange the result, and you'll name something else that you probably have a lot of in the summer, but that you probably don't want. What is it? (HINT: the second thing is a form of the first thing.)
What are you waiting for? A clue to this ridiculously easy puzzle?

Edit: My hint was "what are"...
A: WATER --> SWEAT

Sunday, July 13, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 13, 2014): A Watched Pot Never Boils

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 13, 2014): A Watched Pot Never Boils:
Q: Think of a popular TV show about cooking. I guarantee it's a show everyone has heard of. Remove the second and third letters of the first word and insert them after the first letter of the second word. You'll get a phrase for a different kind of cooking. What is it?
The only thing I can bring to the table this week is to think outside the box.

Edit: My hints were table and box. We have the periodic table of elements made up of boxes, and the "Breaking Bad" logo has Br and Ba inside boxes representing elements. Box also refers to a bread box as well as truly thinking outside the box for other ways of "cooking".
A: BREAKING BAD --> BAKING BREAD

Friday, July 11, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 6, 2014): If You Cut In The Middle, Go To The End Of The Line

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jul 6, 2014): If You Cut In The Middle, Go To The End Of The Line:
Q: Name a famous actress of the past whose last name has 5 letters. Move the middle letter to the end to name another famous actress of the past. Who are these actresses?
Or, add T and rearrange to name a famous actor.

This was a variation on a puzzle given in the comments a few months back. Answer: (Humphrey) BOGART.
A: (Greta) GARBO --> (Eva or Zsa Zsa) GABOR

Sunday, June 29, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 29, 2014): If You Don't Want It, Can I Have It?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 29, 2014): If You Don't Want It, Can I Have It?:
Q: Name a boy's name and a girl's name, each in four letters. The names start with the same letter of the alphabet. The boy's name contains the letter R. Drop that R from the boy's name and insert it into the girl's name. Phonetically, the result will be a familiar two-word phrase for something no one wants to have. What is it?
I'm sorry I don't have much of a clue, but you are a resilient bunch and I'm sure you'll manage to figure it out.

Edit: Resilient is an anagram of Listerine.
A: BRAD + BETH --> BAD BREATH

Sunday, June 22, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 22, 2014): Autopilot Engaged

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 22, 2014): Autopilot Engaged

I'm unable to post the puzzle this week, but I didn't want to leave you without a place to post comments on the puzzle. Somebody help me out by posting a copy here. Then feel free to add your hints.

Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any outright spoilers 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. Thank you.

Q: Think of a 10-letter adjective describing certain institutions. Drop three letters from this word, and the remaining seven letters, reading left to right, will name an institution described by this adjective. What institution is it?
Edit: My hints, in the comments were "luau attire" and "smiling". The letters that are removed are LEI leaving a toothpaste brand.
A: COLLEGIATE - LEI = COLGATE

Sunday, June 15, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 15, 2014): Dad, Are We There Yet?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 15, 2014): Dad, Are We There Yet?:
Q: Name a certain trip that contains the letter S. Change the S to a C and rearrange the resulting letters. You'll name the location where this trip often takes place. What is the trip and where is it?
I'd be lying if I said this puzzle was difficult. But if you are out of ideas, consult a list of travel destinations.

Edit: Clues --> "Lying" = Lion. "Out of ..." = Africa.
A: SAFARI --> AFRICA

Friday, June 13, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 8, 2014): No User Serviceable Parts Inside

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 8, 2014): No User Serviceable Parts Inside:
Q: Name part of a TV that contains the letter C. Replace the C with the name of a book of the Old Testament, keeping all the letters in order. The result will name a sailing vessel of old. What is it?
I'm not listening to your complaints on this puzzle. Call it tricky or call it clever, I'm sure there will be grumblings once you solve it.

I've set my V-CHIP to a G rating, so I won't be able to hear your complaints. :)
A: V-CHIP - C + I KINGS = V(IKINGS)HIP

Friday, June 06, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 1, 2014): A Businessman's Lunch

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 1, 2014): A Businessman's Lunch:
Q: Take the name of a well-known American businessman — first and last names. Put the last name first. Insert an M between the two names. The result names a food item. What is it?
I had to look up the businessman's name (thought he was a grooming product) and also the food item. You better figure out the food item before it goes stale.

Edit: The hint was "stale" which is an anagram of Tesla.
A: Elon Musk --> Muskmelon

Saturday, May 31, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 25, 2014): On Vacation -- Autopilot Engaged

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 25, 2014): On Vacation -- Autopilot Engaged

I'm unable to post the puzzle this week, but I didn't want to leave you without a place to post comments on the puzzle. Somebody help me out by posting a copy here. Then feel free to add your *hints*.

Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any outright spoilers 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. Thank you.
A: fir(S)t, s(E)cond, (T)hird, f(O)urth, (F)ifth, six(T)h, s(E)venth, (E)ighth, nin(T)h, tent(H) = SET OF TEETH

Thursday, May 22, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 18, 2014): The Cure for What Ails You

Finding The Answers Within : NPR:
Q: Name a famous actress of the past whose last name has two syllables. Reverse the syllables phonetically. The result will name an ailment. What is it?
I think Will suffers from memory loss, because we have had this puzzle in the last few years.

Edit: The puzzle was previously aired in 2009.
A: Sarah Bernhardt --> Heartburn

Sunday, May 18, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 4, 2014): Two Week Challenge: It's Near the Planet Mars

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 4, 2014): Two Week Challenge: It's Near the Planet Mars:
A: Write a clue for a word that also contains the answer in consecutive letters. For example, "It's near the planet Mars," contains the answer "Earth". The answer word must contain six or more letters. The clue should both define or describe the answer and contain the answer in consecutive letters.
Given the parameters of the puzzle, all we can do is save up our best answers for two weeks from now. But if people want to express their creativity, post clues for words with 5 (or fewer) letters.
A: In cold weather most attempt to keep this set low. (thermostat). Other answers can be found here

Sunday, May 04, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 27, 2014): Actors and Actresses Ending in Double Letters

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 27, 2014): Actors and Actresses Ending in Double Letters:
Q: Name a famous actor or actress whose last name ends in a doubled letter. Drop that doubled letter. Then insert an R somewhere inside the first name. The result will be a common two-word phrase. What is it?
I've got nothing...

Edit: Literally, a "blank card"
A: CATE BLANCHETT --> CARTE BLANCHE

Friday, April 25, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 20, 2014): April Showers

Pink Tree, by Mark oh! (via Flickr)
NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 20, 2014): April Showers:
Q: Name certain trees. Also name something that trees have. Rearrange all the letters to get the brand name of a product one might buy at a grocery or drug store. What is it?
The puzzle went around and around in my head until I came up with an answer.

Edit: The hints were "around" and "came up" as in a drowning person "came up" for air and caught "a round" object.
A: FIRS + LEAVES --> LIFESAVERS

Saturday, April 19, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 13, 2014): An American Company and Two TV Shows

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 13, 2014): An American Company and Two TV Shows:
Q: Name a well-known American company. Insert a W somewhere inside the name, and you'll get two consecutive titles of popular TV shows of the past. What are they?
And if you insert a word starting with 'W', you name somewhere one of the shows takes place.

Edit: The added word is "White".
A: WESTINGHOUSE --> WEST WING, HOUSE

Friday, April 11, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 6, 2014): "Gimme a Cow and Drag it Through the Garden"

NPR Sunday Puzzle (April 6, 2014): "Gimme a Cow and Drag it Through the Garden":
Q: Split pea soup is something that might be found on a menu at a diner. The phrase contains each of the 5 vowels — A, E, I, O and U — exactly once. Name something else that might be served in a diner — also 3 words, consisting of 3, 6 and 8 letters, respectively — that contains each of the 6 vowels (A, E, I, O, U and Y) exactly once.
Sorry, I'm busy connecting the HDTV, Blu-ray player, AV receiver and speakers together so I have no time for a clue today.

Edit: I'm done connecting my Home Theater System and can now provide the answer.
A: Hot Turkey Sandwich

Thursday, April 03, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 30, 2014): Film with Two W's

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 30, 2014): Film with Two W's:
Q: The film Wild Wild West had three W's as its initials. What prominent film of last year had two W's as its initials?
There are several comments at the end of last week's post. I too am wondering whether this is an April Fool's joke.

Edit: Indeed it was... Kudos to Al and anyone else that figured it out.
A: "The Wolf of Wall Street" has TWO WS as its initials

Friday, March 28, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 23, 2014): A World of Instruments

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 23, 2014): A World of Instruments:
Q: Name a capital of a country. Change the first letter to name a familiar musical instrument. What is it?
It's not easy to come up with a thumbnail that doesn't give the answer away.

Edit: My hints were to an alternate answer. The photo is from a music store in Yuba City, California. The word "ThUmBnAil" contains "TUBA" in order.
A: Caracas (Venezuela) --> maracas.
Juba (South Sudan) --> tuba

Thursday, March 20, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 16, 2014): Driving to the Supermarket

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 16, 2014): Driving to the Supermarket:
Q: Take the brand name of a popular grocery item, written normally in upper- and lower-case letters. Push two consecutive letters together, without otherwise changing the name in any way. The result will name a make of car. What is it?
I was having trouble with this, then a light bulb turned on.

Edit: GE trademarked the name Mazda for their incandescent light bulbs with tungsten filaments.
A: Mazola --> Mazda

Thursday, March 13, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 9, 2014): It's All Greek to Me

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 9, 2014): It's All Greek to Me:
Q: Take the name of a classical Greek mathematician and re-arrange the letters in his name to spell two numbers. What are they?

A: DIOPHANTUS --> THOUSAND + PI
P.S. We discussed Diophantine Equations 5 years ago.

Thursday, March 06, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 2, 2014): The Oscar Goes To...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 2, 2014): The Oscar Goes To...:
Q: Take the first name of a nominee for Best Actor or Best Actress at Sunday's Oscars. You can rearrange these letters into a two-word phrase that describes his or her character in the film for which he or she is nominated. Who is this star, and what is the phrase?
You'll need the following list of nominees.
A: SANDRA (Bullock) --> NASA DR.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 23, 2014): Six Words Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 23, 2014): Six Words Puzzle:
Q Write down these six words:
- Cupid
- Yoo-hoo
- Eyeball
- Entrance
- Seafood
- Wiper

The six words have something unusual in common. And when you've figured out what it is, that unusual something will suggest the name of a well-known U.S. city. Name that city.
It made me think of a TV show, instead of a U.S. city.

Edit: The TV show I was thinking of was "Quincy, M.E." with the italicized hint to me
A: The first syllable of each word sounds like a letter. Those letters spell out the name of a city: QUINCY (Massachusetts)

Friday, February 21, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 16, 2014): Entertainer Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 16, 2014): Entertainer Puzzle:
Q: Name a famous entertainer: two words, four letters in each word. You can rearrange these eight letters to spell the acronym of a well-known national organization, and the word that the first letter of this acronym stands for. Who's the entertainer, and what's the organization?
You're not going to get me to give this away.

Edit: I intended this to be a double clue. The first being a reference to the former military policy of "don't ask, don't tell". The other was a reference to playing cards and not giving away your hand because you have a "Poker Face". By the way, according to Wikipedia, the organization is no longer an acronym.
A: LADY GAGA --> GLAAD + GAY

Sunday, February 16, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 9, 2014): Studying the Body of Literature

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 9, 2014): Studying the Body of Literature:
Q: Name a title character from a classic work of fiction, in 8 letters. Change the third letter to an M. The result will be two consecutive words naming parts of the human body. Who is the character, and what parts of the body are these?
This answer came quickly once I switched search engines.

Edit: The hints were quickly (SWIFT) and search engine (YAHOO). A Yahoo is a legendary being in the novel Gulliver's Travels (1726) by Jonathan Swift.
A: GULLIVER --> GUM, LIVER

Sunday, February 02, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 2, 2014): SHE and HIS puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 2, 2014): SHE and HIS puzzle:
Q: It's a two-part question: Where in most homes will you see the words SHE and HIS, and what word will you see right after HIS?
We don't even have these words in our home. If we did, we would use the word after HIS. Anyone think the word OUR might also be next to these two? Good, I thought so.

Edit: The initial answer I came up with was SHErry and wHISkey being in a locked cabinet requiring a key. I hinted at bOURbon (with another clue toward bon=good). But I wasn't completely satisfied with the answer. I'm leaning toward the alternate answer provide by Al in the comments as Will's intended answer.
A: A digital clock with the times viewed upside down as letters. 3:45 is SHE, 5:14 is HIS. The time that follows immediately after is 5:15 which spells SIS.

Friday, January 31, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 26, 2014): Remove a Double S to Get a Synonym

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 26, 2014): Remove a Double S to Get a Synonym:
Q: What word, containing two consecutive Ss, becomes its own synonym if you drop those Ss?
Anyone else feel this puzzle might have been more appropriate in a couple months?

Edit: Perhaps in the Spring?
A: BLOSSOM --> BLOOM (and variants like BLOSSOMING --> BLOOMING, BLOSSOMED --> BLOOMED, BLOSSOMS --> BLOOMS)

Thursday, January 23, 2014

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 19, 2014): Famous Name with Double Letters

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 19, 2014): Famous Name with Double Letters:
Q: Name a famous person whose first and last names together contain four doubled letters — all four of these being different letters of the alphabet. Who is it? For example, Buddy Holly's name has two doubled letters, D and L.
So it would seem that nicknames like "Buddy" are okay if that is what the person was most known by. I have the answer but not before trying to make Annette Funicello and Isabella Rossellini work. Did you know her full name was Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini? That was interesting to find out.

Edit: The last sentence starts "That was..." which has the initials T.W. from my answer.
A: TENNESSEE WILLIAMS