NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 30, 2016): Name in the News

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 30, 2016): Name in the News:

Q: Think of a name in the news that has a doubled letter. It's a person's last name. Change that doubled letter to a different doubled letter, and you'll get the commercial name for a popular food. What is it?

A: (Evan) MCMULLIN --> MCMUFFIN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 16, 2016): Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Blast-off!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 16, 2016): Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Blast-off!:

Q: This is a two-week challenge. Take the digits 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, in that order. Using those digits and the four arithmetic signs — plus, minus, times and divided by — you can get 1 with the sequence 5 - 4 + 3 - 2 - 1. You can get 2 with the sequence (5 - 4 + 3 - 2) x 1.

The question is ... how many numbers from 1 to 40 can you get using the digits 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 in that order along with the four arithmetic signs?

You can group digits with parentheses, as in the example. There are no tricks to this, though. It's a straightforward puzzle. How many numbers from 1 to 40 can you get — and, specifically, what number or numbers can you not get? Will Shortz will reveal his solution in two weeks.

Enjoy the two-week math challenge. Feel free to post *how many* numbers you can create, but just not specifics on which ones and with what expressions.

Edit: A bit of a trick here. You can create 39 numbers, but not 39. :)

A: Without resorting to tricks, you can write expressions for all but number 39.

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 9, 2016): Grabbing a Bite to Eat Before the Movie

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 9, 2016): Grabbing a Bite to Eat Before the Movie:

Q: Name a famous actress of the past — first and last names, 10 letters altogether. Change one letter in the first name and one letter in the last. The result is a two-word phrase naming a food item often found in a kitchen cabinet or refrigerator. What is it?

I was looking into the yard and the answer came to me.

Edit: Obviously I was looking out the "Rear Window"

A: GRACE KELLY --> GRAPE JELLY

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 2, 2016): What Do You Do?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 2, 2016): What Do You Do?:

Q: Name an 11-letter occupation starting with H. If you have the right one, you can rearrange the letters to name two things a worker with this occupation uses — one in six letters and one in five. What occupation is it?

I came up with curtains and a towel, but that isn't right.

Edit: My clues were to shears (curtains) and a drier (towel).

A: HAIRDRESSER --> SHEARS + DRIER