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)

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

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 12, 2014): New Year's Resolution - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 12, 2014): New Year's Resolution - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

Q: Name a familiar form of exercise in two words. Switch the order of the two words. Then say them out loud. The result phonetically will name something to wear. What is it?

I feel like I recently heard this on NPR.

Edit: This exact pair was given as the example on the recent Ask Me Another program.

A: TAE BO --> BOW TIE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 5, 2014): Pleasant Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 5, 2014): Pleasant Puzzle

Q: Name something in five letters that's generally pleasant, it's a nice thing to have. Add the letters A and Y, and rearrange the result, keeping the A and Y together as a pair. You'll get the seven-letter word that names an unpleasant version of the five-letter thing. What is it?

I wish you well in the new year.

Edit: I wish you pleasant dreams.

A: DREAM + AY --> DAYMARE

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 29, 2013): A Brand New Puzzle

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 29, 2013): A Brand New Puzzle:

Q: 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?

My mistake has been assuming that the letters must pair up just like WIZARD (e.g. 1-6, 2-5, 3-4). This is not a requirement. My apologies for the delayed post and hint.

Edit: You could attribute my procrastination this week to being a lazy boy.

A: LA-Z-BOY