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.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?
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.
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.
Blaine, we are all wondering what you were thinking. . .
DeleteMaybe add "read upside-down" to your edit, Blaine? Otherwise, it's a bit confusing. Thanks for all you do, Blaine! We appreciate it.
DeleteWow, that's a real good guess. Shoot, I always used to look at my clock upside down and read the numerals as letters. All I can say is 7734!
DeleteWe keep most of our hashishes in our hookah room along with the resulting ashes. Does that count?
ReplyDeleteThese two words are found in "sheepish" which is what this puzzle is.
ReplyDeleteJim,
DeleteClever hint.
ron,
I agree, and I know my sheep (lamb-dads and moms).
At the end of last week’s thread I posted something like:
“If the answer I have come up with is the Presumed Intended Answer (the PIA, a.k.a. “the Zadora“), I believe the wording to this puzzle is somewhat misleading. (No hint, just a comment)”
That said, the “where in most homes” and “the word … right after HIS” can have a connection. That’s a nice twist and bit of elegance, but you still have to get past what I deem misleading.
Hint: Ol’ Dobbin might have better luck solving this puzzle (and those below) than the folks in the carriage holding his reins.
Two similar puzzles:
1. In what section of the newspaper would you see the words HIS and HERS, and what word would you see right after HIS?
2. Where in most homes will you see the words HIP, HOP and RAP? (Also PURE, RUSH, REAM, RAT, RED, RATE, RIND, LEND, ASH, END and EAT)
LegoLambdad...
I have dictionaries in both the living room and the computer room (formerly the dining room), so how do I choose?
DeleteI stand by my vindicatory statement (thanks, lego) that this puzzle is lame (lamb?) and sheepish.
DeleteThank ewe, ron.
DeleteMost homes? No way. More misleading than the aspirin puzzle. And that was a pain. Uh oh, am I starting to sound like sdb (who, I'm sure is secretly watching the you-know-what)? ;-)
WW:
DeleteYou recently told me you were "positive," and now you are telling us you are "sure." Well don't be so certain. I would never be caught watching a football game, no matter what. I see football as symptomatic and a microcosm of most of what I despise about this country. Instead I intend to take advantage of the weather and go for a bike ride. Your team can win for all I care. At least then I won't have to hear cars honking their horns all evening. :-)
I actually thought of you because soprano Renee Fleming sang The Star-Spangled Banner beautifully. Surely. Could be the best part of the day.
DeleteWW,
DeleteWell at least they hired an actual singer with talent this time. I guess Justin Bieber was too wrapped up in his legal problems. Oh, I almost forgot he retired anyway.
WW,
DeleteI just realized that Justin Bieber would not qualify to sing at the game. Breasts are way too small.
Perhaps (without revealing too much), someone on the blog could resolve a disagreement among our family members about the intent of this puzzle. SHE thinks Will is asking for a sequence of three consecutive (written) words (“SHE”, “HIS” plus one other word) each standing along with no intervening words or letters. HIS interpretation is that the letters “S,H,E,H,I and S” must appear in sequence but may be parts of other words as in the phrase “Is he Hispanic?” And the DOG, (if I’m interpreting her comments correctly) says that the letters “S,H,E,H,I and S” can be embedded in a word or phrase, must occur in the given order, but need not be consecutive.
ReplyDeleteSheesh!
Lorenzo,
DeleteHate to be sexist but I’m more on board with HIS interpretation over the one SHE or your German SHEpherd harbor, at least accoring to my interpretation of Will’s/Sam Williamson’s words. (I’m more on board with your “HISpanic,” less on board with your “iS HE…”)
Lego…
sounds like you've got the braSHEst sopHIStry going on there. That would work, except I don't think you see those words, just the actions.
DeleteWill's intent is words with the letters s-h-e and h-i-s in order and consecutive. And the word with h-i-s is followed by another word.
Thanks, Lego, Eco and Chuck. And Lego, I guess you're telling me no "scrunching" this week.
DeleteBased on the answer I submitted, I suspect that both these items are not in most homes. We don't have either, and we don't have the place in our home for them.
ReplyDeleteNot there yet but I came across "A word after a word after a word is power" by Margaret Atwood. Hmmmm.
DeleteCurtis, how (and what) is your new job?
The new job is doing mortgage industry software support. It's been a very steep learning curve for me, since I know about software, but am a novice to the mortgage industry.
DeleteIt sounds like a steep but interesting learning curve. I just refinanced my home, but that's the extent of the mortgage involvement around our house.
DeleteMusical clue #1: Stevie Wonder
ReplyDeleteMusical clue #2: One of the former members of the Kingston Trio
No clue here but this puzzle bothers me a little with its assumptions and deliberate attempt to mislead.
Chuck
BTW Lorenzo, I'm pretty sure that SHE must appear just like that in the first word and HIS must appear just like that in the second word.
Didn't take too much of a journey around the home to find these words....
ReplyDeleteProbably 2 words containing the letters "she" and "his."
ReplyDeletemashed thistles
Deletebookshelf whiskey
unwashed Buddhist
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deletean astonished anarchist
Deletea published britishism
A possible answer includes one of the above. I have the she word. And they both might be found in the same room.
DeleteSherry & Whiskey both found in the liquor cabinet.
DeleteRon ~ I may be the repeat offender around here, but your posting is criminal.
DeleteEven though the word "key" follows "his," neither "sherry" nor "whiskey" are common "in most homes."
DeleteThere might be multiple correct answers.
DeleteAgree there are likely multiple correct answers, which is befitting a puzzle posted on Groundhog Day. Agree there are likely multiple correct answers, which is befitting a puzzle posted on Groundhog Day.
DeleteRuth,
DeleteClever post alIuding to a clever flick.
LegotYoubabe
I agree with Word Woman that the puzzle could have been crafted in a better way, but I stick by my guns and am fairly certain that the answer has been divulged, or might I say "uncorked." Even Blaine's introductory clue clearly points to this solution. Take another look at the wording. Will did not state that MOST homes have these items (my current residence clearly does not--these Mormon jails are the worst!), rather he seems to be implying (albeit unclearly) that in most homes that DO indeed have these items, they will be found in a specific location. At this point, however, the giveaway clue (i.e., solution) has been left in place for so long that Blaine finds himself in a situation where if he were to remove it, everyone would know for certain that it was the probable solution. I rest my CASE (pun intended). On a related side note, the warden here at Draper compensates snitches with a lollipop. He keeps them under lock and key in his licker cabinet (of course).
DeletePS As I continue to plot my escape, it occurs to me that I am half way there. SHEet and cHIScell.
DeleteAbqG,
DeleteDo you think it wise to post here about plotting your escape? What if the warden, or one of his/her henchmen/henchwomen is a Blainesville blogger or peruser? Many here on this blog have proven to be veritable yeggs when it comes to cracking Will’s conundrums. Perhaps some of us are professional turkeys…, oops, I meant turnkeys!
The only answer to this HisShe puzzle that I have found is the “uncorked” one to which you allude. Is there another possible answer out there somewhere? If so, have there been hints to it that I have missed?
LeyeggoLambda
Buddy Blaine:
ReplyDeleteWinter has me in a foul mood. I'm ready to move on to spring, summer or even fall.
Foul mood...whiskey sOUR
DeletefOUR seasons...Sherry.
Ankara and Pittsburgh hold the answer.
ReplyDeleteThey missed the chance to make the puzzle even better by using a different word. Oh will.
ReplyDeleteIn most college dorms you can find Anarchists and Bolshevists. In some San Francisco neighborhoods you will find sadomasochistic leashes.
I'm going to the toolshed to chisel then shellac some wood. Then some shish kabobs with shellfish. After that, reading "World History Biographies: Hatshepsut: The Girl Who Became a Great Pharaoh"
Andy got paroled this past week, so I got a new cellie on Thursday. I heard the guard's key in the lock and when I rolled over to have a look-see, the door opened and this inmate walked in. The guy was huge. Looked a lot like John Lee Hooker. A real sour puss. The first words out of his mouth were, "Make Room for Daddy!" (Yikes!) He carried only his books and his cassette deck. Turns out he has only a single Frankie Valli tape that he plays over and over. What I wouldn't give for a few of my early Willie Nelson cassettes. If I'd known when I went up the river that music was allowed, I woulda brought me some.
ReplyDeleteHave a swell week everyone! We get to hear the game on the radio! Yay!
7 clues from GuerrillaBoy
jan, hoping you haven't been locked up with AbqGuerrilla...or stuck at a bridge, stadium, or in excessive NJ snowfall.
DeleteNo, I've dug out from one 8" snowfall, looking forward to another one tomorrow night (!), no bridge or stadium involved. Just stuck. Getting nowhere with this puzzle.
DeleteGlad you are merely pondering. Are you sure you didn't end up on Leif's Lucky Bridge on a reconnaissance mission?
DeleteOur mild weather is ending. Down to single-digit temps mid-week. And snow also.
Due to a lack of e this may not work in most European homes.
ReplyDeleteTake the first letter of one of the two words and the last two letters of the other of the two words, in order. That word is a homonym of a related item.
ReplyDeleteWell that does indicate a rather British sense of humour, with an American twist, now doesn't it?
DeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteClever “piggyback puzzling.”
Sdb,
Clever analysis of David’s puzzling.
Lorenzo,
Yes, at least no “scrunching” is involved in my PIA (Presumed Intended Answer), although some posts subsequent to yours are making me question whether my solution really is Will’s intended answer.
BobK,
Your post (Sunday 11:05 PM PST) crystallizes exactly what troubles me about this week’s puzzle.
Lego…
I would have worded the puzzle thusly: It's a two-part question: Where in most of the homes that have these items will you see the words SHE and HIS, and what word will you see right after HIS?
ReplyDeleteMy DI informed me in no uncertain terms that sheets went on thisaway and not that...ever, dirtbag.
ReplyDeleteIs that DIVINE INTERVENTION or a DEPENDENCY INJECTION or your DISABILITY INSURANCE???
Deleteron, I'm opting for Drill Instructor.
DeleteOne answer works with HER and HIS as well as SHE and HIS.
ReplyDeletesHERry and wHISkey as well as SHErry and wHISkey.
DeleteThis puzzle is so sexist!
ReplyDeleteAnybody got a good yin/yang puzzle?
ReplyDeleteThese two Chinese guys, Yin and Yang walk into a Texas bar and.... Oh, you probably already know the rest. They were immediately warmly accepted and didn't have to buy a drink all night.
DeletePaul, they look interesting...
Deletehttp://yinwang0.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/yin-yang-puzzle/
But, no.
My wife finally convinced me to give up and go with the answer that people seem to be hinting at (or posting in plain sight), despite the lameness of that answer, and the laxness on the part of our moderator it implies.
ReplyDeleteIt happens that Sam Williamson of Charlevoix, Mich, is a sailor. I wonder how he swears?
In the spring?
DeleteWow, if you are going to vet us like Sam Williamson, jan. . .
Most likely by the she and his. :-)
ReplyDeletejust a little bit of hillbilly engineering. my dishes say 'this way up' on the food side, and 'other side, dummy' on the bottom
ReplyDeletezeke,
DeleteI can see how that might work for you who are able to read, but what about all the other people who can't? Where is the kumpashun?
From the bar or the liquor cabinet, look for sherry and whiskey!
ReplyDeleteSHERRY & WHISKEY with KEY being the extra word.
ReplyDeleteMy Hint:
"Due to a lack of e this may not work in most European homes."
Other countries, such as in the United Kingdom, spell it, WHISKY, without the E.
I am not a Sherry fan, although I would not turn down a glass of Osborne’s Amontillado, and that’s no toro. My preferences lie just to the West of Spain, in Portugal where Port is made. Why drink Sherry when Port is available?
It is hard to tell if Will is expecting us to also submit Liquor Cabinet in our answers, but I am assuming he only meant the bottles. In any case my experience is that not many people have these cabinets, but either keep liquor and wine in a cupboard or, more likely, on display on top of a piece of furniture, ready for action.
LIQUOR CABINET, "KEY" (?)
ReplyDelete> It happens that Sam Williamson of Charlevoix, Mich, is a sailor. I wonder how he swears?
Like a drunken sailor?
In the BAR containing SHERRY and WHISKEY. The work KEY immediately follows HIS.
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said:
Musical clue #1: Stevie Wonder
Musical clue #2: One of the former members of the Kingston Trio
Stevie Wonder singing My Cherie Amour. After Dave Guard left the Kingston Trio he formed a group called Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers.
Chuck
Chuck,
DeleteI was thinking Songs In The Key Of Life.
It's cold out! I would rather be enjoying songs in the life of Key West.
DeleteThe DICTIONARY is the place in my home where these two words (she & his) are found and the word after “his” in my dictionary is HISPANIC!
ReplyDeleteI do believe that a dictionary is more common in homes than BOTH sherry & whiskey. I do not, however, believe a dictionary can be found “in most homes.” Will needs to do better research about what can be found “in most homes.” I cannot find any statistics on the percentage of U.S. homes possessing a dictionary. Can someone here do better?
My VINDICATORY statement was my clue. Remove the V from “vindicatory” and rearrange the remaining letters to form “dictionary.”
I am still amazed that Bob K.'s post about dictionaries was allowed to stand and also Lorenzo's post “Is he Hispanic?” as both posts appeared to me to be near total giveaways.
I forgot to mention that I at first thought of dictionary, but thought it was too obvious and not the intended answer. I then took a swig of hooch and had the answer.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteRon,
DeleteI feel your pain. I too thought dictionary would work and was going to say something corny about being in a panic but then saw the unchallenged post and said "uh-oh". At one point the sherry (Sherry Baby) crossed my mind but whiskey never did (I prefer wines any way). I was all around key and hook but never quite got it
WW,
DeleteI certainly had my share of Sherry at Smith.
So my mom used to make whiskey sours so I agree with Blaine that "ours" could have followed.
DeleteRoRo, we drank a concoction at Davis called a Jellybean made from blackberry brandy and anisette. I have not had one since then!
DeleteAnisette Funicello?
DeleteNo, but it was a bit Mickey Mouse in that it tasted like a black jellybean. ;-)
DeleteJeepers, what an awful puzzle. I keep thinking that surely the answer can't be SHERRY and WHISKEY. I don't imagine you'd find whiskey in most homes, and certainly not sherry. But really, that's the best that can be done? Rats. ---Rob
ReplyDeleteI disliked this puzzle as well as the hint and instructions. The underlying premise is faulty, as "ron" pointed out in his 2/2/14 comment posted at 19:00 p.m. PST.
ReplyDeleteLIQUOR CABINET OR BAR ROOM WITH SHERRY AND WHISKEY >>> KEY
ReplyDeleteRon, as to "most homes" I think more globally than just U. S. homes. But, with either answer, "most homes" is off base.
If sherry & whiskey is the answer, the blog administrator should have removed my post. I just don't believe that BOTH sherry & whiskey can be found "in most homes." They BOTH must be found in homes for the answer to work.
DeleteA lot of people who don't drink use cooking sherry and keep it in the kitchen. They may also have a bottle of whiskey they keep elsewhere.
DeleteBoth skydiveboy and legolambda responded to my hint of taking the W from whiskey and RY from sherry to get WRY, an anagram of rye which can be found alongside of whiskey and sherry.
DeleteTo continue from last week's discussion, I thought of asking if you can put lox on a bialy, hinting at key.
Rereading the puzzle and the above discussion, I think Hispanic is the intended answer, but there will be more people submitting key.
Ron and David - If "hispanic" is part of the intended answer, one could argue that "panic" is the word following "his".
DeleteI keep thinking that _maybe_ someone has come up with a better answer, but it doesn't look as if that is happening. _Maybe_ Will will surprise us all on Sunday by posting an appropriate answer we have all overlooked. I certainly hope so.
Delete---Rob
Technically speaking, the first word after HIS in my dictionary is PRONOUN. Not sure how Will will handle this issue if, indeed, dictionary is his intended answer.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all agree it gets the award for least fun puzzle.
My answer is about the images on an upside down digital clock.
ReplyDeleteShE is 3:45.
See, now this is clever. I nominate this as the correct answer, no matter what Mr. Shortz says on Sunday. (And it'd better not be the dictionary or liquor names; that's just stupid. The answer could just as well be "the kitchen" and "cat food" if your kitchen contains brand-name products like Hershey's and Whiskas. (Bonus: in this case, the word preceding "she" is "her.") Too easy to come up with a myriad of answers that are equally "correct.")
DeleteThis answer definitely fits with the parameters of the puzzle better and I also nominate it as Will's intended answer. Thank you, Al!
DeleteI find it just about impossible to suggest that saying "dictionary" is a clue to anything when looking for a particular word! They are all in there!
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, I have multiple dictionaries, as I'd bet most of the commenters on this blog do.
But I have no alcohol in the house. It's not that I don't drink the stuff, but I much rather mooch on my friends.
Will we have the official word on what was the intended answer before Sunday? I would hope it is better than what I have sen so far!
Agreed, Bob. Blaine's clue definitely pointed me to sherry and whiskey, especially with the OUR hint. And I must believe there is at least one dictionary in his home.
DeleteBobK,
DeleteRegarding your first paragraph: Exactly!
Regarding my clues etc.:
I wrote: I believe the wording to this puzzle is somewhat misleading. “Where in most homes will you see the words SHE and HIM?” If the words are whiskey and sherry, the word “most” is suspect. Should go with the safer “many.”
Also, it is misleading to call a part of a word, such as HIS within wHISkey, a word, I contend. “His” is a word only if the W, K, E and Y are whisked away, otherwise it is only three letters that go into forming the word “whiskey.”
Thus my “Hint: Ol’ Dobbin might have better luck solving this puzzle (and those below) than the folks in the carriage holding his reins.” Dobbin wears blinders, so would see only the “HIS” not the peripheral “W” and “KEY.”
The “where in most homes” (LIQUOR CABINET) and “the word … right after HIS” (KEY) can have a connection. (Some liquor cabinets require keys to open.)
My two puzzles similar to Will’s this week (which I could have worded better also!)
1. In what section of the newspaper would (I should have used “might”) you see the words HIS and HERS, and what word would you see right after HIS?
Answer: the sports section, with its professional team standings/results.
The NBA’s MempHIS GRIZZLES. The NFL’s Carolina PantHERS.
2. Where in most (should have used “many”) homes will (should have used “might”) you see the words HIP, HOP and RAP? (Also PURE, RUSH, REAM, RAT, RED, RATE, RIND, LEND, ASH, END and EAT)
On a blender: wHIP, cHOP, fRAPpe… PUREe, cRUSH, cREAM, gRATe. GRATE, gRIND, bLEND, mASH, blEND and bEAT.
If a participant/reader of this blog “gets the call,” weigh in to let us know what your answer was.
Lego…
Oh, Lego, the answer to your second puzzle is "in the dictionary, of course!" ;-)
DeleteNever liked rap.
DeletehIS would be 5:14 on the upside down clock followed by SIS
ReplyDelete-- My name's Jack; what's yours?
Delete-- Si.
-- Si?
-- SÃ.
-- Well, that's wonderful. Are you going to Mexico to visit a relative?
-- SÃ.
-- Your mother ... your father ...
-- Sis.
-- Your sister! What's her name?
-- Sue.
-- Sue?
-- SÃ.
I doff my thinking cap to Al. As Planned Chaos astutely noted, if this is not the intended answer, it should be. Excellent solving, Al!
Delete(Now I will assume that Al’s solution is indeed Will’s intended answer.): My cap is now also off to Will and, especially, to Sam Williamson, the puzzle constructor. TomR described this solution as “mildly clever. But I would go so far as to describe the 3:45, 5:14, 5:15 solution as really clever, approaching genius. It sure fooled me, anyway.
And “SIS, which passes the Merriam Webster and Scrabble tests, is “seen right after HIS” not spatially, but chronologically. That’s pretty darn good misdirection. Who knows, perhaps, Sam Williamson and/or Will were aware of the SHErry, wHIS-KEY red herring. If so, I would be really impressed.
(As for the inverted aspect of the answer, yeah, that’s an issue, but no more so than the whole word-within-a-word quibble I had with whiskey and sherry. ShE, hIS and SIS, do exist on, say, a digital clock. Maybe it’s in a house filled with gravity-boots aficionados.)
I suspect many on this blog may be similar to me in the following respect: Low self-esteem is a non-issue. My ego is way too big for its britches. My pride can always stand being taken down a few notches, and the belt girding my pudgy ego taken in a few notches. Please pass me a slice of diet humble pie, with just a smidge of whipped cream to make it go down easier.
Paul,
Thanks for resurrecting one of my favorite Jack Benny/Mel Blanc sketches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DOEDT6XGBk
EgoHumbla
My answer: Most homes have a Bible. Even Jewish and Muslim homes have the Old Testament. The words "SHE" and "HIS" are found in many places there.
ReplyDeleteThe first occurrence of HIS is in Genesis 1, verse 27: "So God created man in HIS OWN image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." -- The word following HIS here is OWN.
The first two occurrences of SHE is in Genesis 2, verse 23: "Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; SHE shall be called Woman, because SHE was taken out of Man.' "
Well, I'm disappointed. I was hoping to surf over here today and find out the *real* answer to this puzzle. It certainly wouldn't be "the dictionary", 'cause that would just be stupid. There are a lot of books that contain the words "she" and "his". Not real thrilled about the Sherry and Whiskey answer either. I mean, seriously, how many people have Sherry or Whiskey in their homes? I don't (but I do have koSHEr dill pickles and herSHEy's syrup). Either we all missed the answer or this is a really feeble puzzle. Guess we'll find out on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteWhen my chocoholic mapping partner and his wife had a baby, he passed out HERSHEY bars that were attached to a paper saying "It's a" followed by the chocolate bar with a cut-out sleeve so it could read HE or SHE. Paul, ever the planner, determined he could change the sleeves further to make HE and SHE, HER and SHE, and HE and HE for the various twin options. Never got to the triplet options. . .
DeleteIt must be the digital clock - at least that is mildly clever. The other proposed answers are lame-o.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wouldn't put it past Will to expect us to stand on our heads. Thanks for the heads up. I mean heads down.
DeleteIf it were a digital watch, it would be a lot easier to view the numbers upside down. But that would greatly lessen the "where in the house?" aspect greatly.
DeleteAnkara TurKEY snd Pittsburgh from the KEYstone stae.
ReplyDeleteBlaine, are you there? I'd like to know what you believe the correct answer is. If you're agreeing that the location was the bar or liquor cabinet within the words SHErry and wHISkey and the word following HIS being KEY, then I must ask you this: Didn't you notice that:
ReplyDeleteron posted on Sun Feb 02, at 03:07:00 PM PST (within replies to a post by benmar12001 on Sun Feb 02, at 11:53:00 AM PST):
Sherry & Whiskey both found in the liquor cabinet.
and AbqGuerrilla furthered that reply on Sun Feb 02, at 03:12:00 PM PST:
Ron ~ I may be the repeat offender around here, but your posting is criminal.
-- I repeat, didn't you notice ron's post?? I notice you did not delete it, as it still remains there NOW!!
I wasn't 100% sure that sherry & whiskey were the intended answers. There was another comment before those that mentioned "whiskey" and I almost deleted it. Then when I saw benmar's post along with his saying that there might be other answers, I figured that either he was right and sherry/whiskey was not the answer, or it was too late anyway as the cat was out of the bag.
DeleteIn reading Al's answer of a digital clock, it fits the clues much better and I think that is the intended answer. So I stand by not having deleted what appeared to be a blatant giveaway.
Yes, I think we all had a nagging doubt about our answers. Al's digital clock answer fits much better and is clever. Kudos! My note to Will would be to say "many" rather than "most," and U. S. homes rather than homes (if that is his intended population).
DeleteNo kidding!? I sent in SHErry and wHIS KEY and just thought it couldn't possibly be correct. I thought a better answer would be SHEets and wHISper to be found in a bedroom.
ReplyDeleteMy reference to "journey around the house" was referring to Journey's hit song: Oh Sherry.
ReplyDeleteINTERPRETATION OF CLUES:
ReplyDeleteAndy got paroled this past week, so I got a new cellie on Thursday. I heard the guard's key (#1 KEY) in the lock and when I rolled over to have a look-see, the door opened and this inmate walked in. The guy was huge. Looked a lot like John Lee Hooker (#2 JLH song: Whiskey & Wimmin). A real sour (#3 Whiskey Sour) puss. The first words out of his mouth were, "Make Room for Daddy!" (#4 Sherry Jackson played Danny's daughter) (Yikes!) He carried only his books and his cassette deck. Turns out he has only a single Frankie Valli tape that he plays over and over (#5 Sherry by 4 Seasons). What I wouldn't give for a few of my early Willie Nelson cassettes. If I'd known when I went up the river (#6 WN's "Whiskey River Take Me Home") that music was allowed, I woulda brought me some.
Another reason for the digital clock being a better answer is the liquor and dictionary options would both work with HER/HIS also, which would be a better pairing than SHE/HIS.
ReplyDeleteIf KEY was the intended answer, the liquor and HIS/HER/OUR triplet would be a better puzzle.
Here is my take on the situation. I think there are up to 3 possible answers to this puzzle that will satisfy some, but not all, of us. I think we will end up not agreeing on which answer is more appropriate. I think this is a substandard puzzle with dubious answers. I prefer the whiskey & sherry answer over the others. The dictionary comes in next and I would agree that the digital clock answer would be best if it did not require turning the clock upside down. For me that is just way too bogus. Come to my house and you would have no trouble locating the words in numerous dictionaries and also a whiskey bottle and a bottle of Spanish Sherry vinegar that I use to make salad dressing. Will can do much better than this pathetic offering, but chooses not to for whatever reason I do not know.
ReplyDeleteZeke questions the validity of a colon inside all three words... but then again his and she both ought to have colons, huh?
ReplyDeleteZeke, I am not understanding your above post re: colons. Could you explain? Perhaps it is because I am still dealing with my problem of a Colon in the Bush Administration.
Delete5:14, 5:15, 3:45. Digital format of course.
DeleteI do not like the digital clock answer for a couple of reasons.
ReplyDelete1. “Digital clock” is not specifically associated with an answer to the question “where in most homes.” It could be in a kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc.
2. You would not “see the words SHE and HIS” unless you or the digital clock were upside down. Neither is a likely occurrence and thus are completely bogus assumptions.
Your mileage may vary :)
Chuck
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deletesdb and David,
DeleteI respect your takes on Al‘s solution, but respectfully disagree. (zeke, I realize you be kinda joshin’ us with your colon comment.)
As to sdb’s objection about inversion and David’s point # 2, even if a word is upside-down, it still exists. It is possible for some people to read a book upside-down, for example. If you look at a U.S. map upside-down, the words Seattle, Utah, Denver and Georgia are all there, just harder to read. (I was just joshing, zeke-like, with my comment in an earlier post about “gravity boots.”)
As to David’s point # 1, I would contend that the “where in most homes” need not be a room; it might be a grandfather clock, calendar, washer/dryer, vacuum cleaner, microwave oven or, as in the puzzle I composed early this week, a blender. Such “things,” I believe, are legitimate “wheres.” Therefore, my mileage varies ;-).
This week has been interesting. Many of us were giving hints to a presumed answer that we thought stunk, while the real answer might have been, for many of us, right under our noses as we scratched our heads! We cannot complain, as we often do, that this puzzle was too easy. Indeed, as far as I can tell, Al is the only one of us who got it right, which leads to the following speculation: Will this puzzle set a record for the fewest correct entries?
Al, did you submit your answer? Get the call? Will Will gloat on Sunday? Will he say “Many people submitted ‘sherry and whiskey in a liquor cabinet,’ but that doesn’t work, of course, because you won’t find liquor cabinets in most homes.”
Good goin’ Al, Sam, Will. Well done.
Lego…
Please note: for the purposes of the above comment only, please read David "upside-down" as Chuck. ;-)
DeleteW,
DeleteThanks for mopping up after me. My apologies to David and Chuck.
Lego...
Thanks again to WW for her “heads-up” on my David/Chuck name mix-up. Just for the record, I have reposted below how the post should have appeared:
Deletesdb, Chuck and David,
I respect your takes on Al‘s solution. I agree with David’s take but respectfully disagree with sdb and Chuck. (zeke, I realize you be kinda joshin’ us with your colon comment.)
As to sdb’s objection about inversion and Chuck’s point # 2, even if a word is upside-down, it still exists. It is possible for some people to read a book upside-down, for example. If you look at a U.S. map upside-down, the words Seattle, Utah, Denver and Georgia are all there, just harder to read. (I was just joshing, zeke-like, with my comment in an earlier post about “gravity boots.”)
As to Chuck’s point # 1, I would contend that the “where in most homes” need not be a room; it might be a grandfather clock, calendar, washer/dryer, vacuum cleaner, microwave oven or, as in the puzzle I composed early this week, a blender. Such “things,” I believe, are legitimate “wheres.” Therefore, I guess my mileage varies ;-).
This week has been interesting. Many of us were giving hints to a presumed answer that we thought stunk, while the real answer might have been, for many of us, right under our noses as we scratched our heads! We cannot complain, as we often do, that this puzzle was too easy. Indeed, as far as I can tell, Al is the only one of us who got it right, which leads to the following speculation: Will this puzzle set a record for the fewest correct entries?
Al, did you submit your answer? Get the call? Will Will gloat on Sunday? Will he say “Many people submitted ‘sherry and whiskey in a liquor cabinet,’ but that doesn’t work, of course, because you won’t find liquor cabinets in most homes.”
I stand behind my answer, colon and all.
ReplyDeleteAl, I think colonizing your answer is a good idea.
DeleteIt sounds kinky to me.
DeleteYes, I submitted an answer but did not get called.
ReplyDeleteNext week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Steve Baggish of Arlington, Mass. 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?
ReplyDeleteWhat part of the body is a Momy?
ReplyDeleteHey! I was going to post that!
DeleteIt is not a character from John Steinbeck.
ReplyDeleteI just got my NPR response in email.
ReplyDeletePrimum non nocere
ReplyDeleteThis isn't his best puzzle, but it's at least the 9th time since 2005 that Steve Baggish has gotten a puzzle on the air.
ReplyDeleteBTW, one reason I rejected the digital clock idea last week is that 3:45 and 5:14 are not SHE and HIS upside-down. They're ShE and hIS. I (incorrectly) took the caps to be significant.
ReplyDeleteAnd who can forget ShELL OIL on our calculators?
DeleteThere's a whole Wiki page devoted to calculator upside-down digit to word jokes and spelling:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3ACalculator_spelling
Everything "old" is "gnu" again?
Eeeek, another hair raising puzzle!
ReplyDeleteperhaps this week's puzzle will garner more correct entries that last since that even a mental midget such as I has gotten the answer so quickly. I'll go with fewer than 50... oops wrong blog :-)
ReplyDelete