NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 29, 2016): Game, Set and Match

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 29, 2016): Game, Set and Match:

Q: What is the most consecutive points a tennis player can lose and still win a best-of-five-sets match? There's no trick. It's a straightforward question. The modern tennis tiebreaker rule does not come into play.

So basically you've got to figure how many sets you can get behind and still be able to catch up?

Edit: You'll be almost ready to lose the 19th consecutive set. Add 57 (hint: Heinz "ketchup") and you have 76 points.

A: 76 points. You start by going up 5 games and 40-love (3 points). Your opponent then needs 5 points to win that game, and 6 more games (24 points) to win the first set 7-5, 24 points to win the second set 6-0 and then another 23 points to be at 5 games and 40-love in the third set

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 22, 2016): Another Household Item

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 22, 2016): Another Household Item:

Q: Name a common household item in 6 letters. Change the middle two letters to a P, and you'll get the 5-letter last name of a famous person who professionally used that item. What's the item, and who's the person?

Is pectin a household item used professionally by Chef Jacques Pépin?

A: CAMERA --> CAPRA

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 15, 2016): Creature Comforts

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 15, 2016): Creature Comforts:

Q: Name a creature in nine letters. The name contains a T. Drop the T, and the remaining letters can be rearranged to spell two related modes of transportation. What are they?

A: BUTTERFLY --> UBER, LYFT

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 8, 2016): Household item

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 8, 2016): Household item:

Q: Name something in 11 letters that's a common household item. You can rearrange the first six letters to form a synonym of a word spelled by the middle three letters. What is the item, and what are the words?

For some reason this was the first thing I thought of today. By the way, if you rearrange the last 6 letters, you can name something else that is a common household item, and something that definitely is NOT.

Edit: Given that Sunday was Mother's Day, Mom was the first thing I thought of. The last 6 letters of the answer can be anagrammed to REMOTE or METEOR.

A: THERMOMETER --> MOTHER and MOM

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 1, 2016): Entrance and Exit

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 1, 2016): Entrance and Exit:

Q: Think of a word that means "entrance." Interchange the second and fourth letters, and you'll get a new word that means "exit." What words are these?

Anyone watch Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

Edit: An episode of the show from 1991 was entitled "Gateway Getaway" where Robocrook steals the St. Louis Arch. It's especially notable for what happened in the final round.

A: GATEWAY --> GETAWAY