Sunday, December 31, 2017

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 31, 2017): Wrapping Up the Year

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Dec 31, 2017): Wrapping Up the Year:
Q: Name a famous singer — 3 letters in the first name, 5 letters in the last. Drop the middle letter of the last name and rearrange the result to name a variety of singing group. What is it?
I think it works equally well if you put the letter back in.

Edit: I can't say I care much for a boy band; I'd call them a boy bland.
A: BOB DYLAN --> BOY BAND

183 comments:

  1. 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.

    You 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.

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  2. To this puzzle, the answer, my Blainesville pals, might be found by consulting the Weather Channel.

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  3. A fine puzzle, Cranberry. I am curious - how did you come up with it? You may not want to tell until Thursday. But did you see the singer's name and think about what happens when you delete a letter? Or did the singing style pop out at you when you saw the singer's name? Or what?

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    1. I don't exactly remember which came first in the thought process. I just thought that might be a good puzzle idea, whether Will Shortz or Legolambda used it. Truth be told, Will sort of tweaked the wording a little bit. My original idea was that you wouldn't normally expect this kind of singing group to be performing one of the singer(songwriter)'s songs. At least in my experience I couldn't picture such a group using the singer's material, prolific though HE may be. That's all I'll give you til Thursday. The gender is male. I also have to say it was quite a surprise to see Will had chosen another of my ideas to close out the year. Among other things, it means I didn't have to solve it this week since it's my own idea. But that just goes without saying. Thanks Will, and Happy New Year!

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    2. Good Puzzle! It didn't take too long to figure this one out, congratulations!

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  4. PAT BOONE and that "well-known singing group" the BEANPOT Boys!

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  5. MEL TORME = E-MERLOT?

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  6. Like so many other entertainers, this singer goes by a stage name. The singer's real name contains many more letters.

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    1. Thanks for giving away the answer.

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    2. I don't consider it a giveaway, considering the commonality of stage names in the entertainment industry. If one pulls up a list of stage names on Wikipedia, one will see thousands of celebrities who changed their names for a variety of reasons.

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    3. Not a giveaway - it didn’t help me at all as the vast majority of singers go by a name other than their given.

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    4. Between 12 and 35 letters to be more exact.

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    6. So it's not Johnny Mellancamp????

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  7. I would have had it earlier if I hadn't misunderstood the question. Thanks to the comments here, I now realize it's not Roy Orbit.

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  8. This singer was a member of this variety of singing group, if you apply a loose interpretation of what constitutes such a group.

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    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. @MC, did the puzzle specify the gender of the singer? Consider your posts carefully.

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    3. Gaack. See above @ Sun Dec 31, 02:00:00 PM PST.

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    4. Although not a "boy band", The Traveling Wilburys were a band of old boys.

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  9. I solved this, what am I going to do the rest of the day?

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    1. Liz,
      There must be someplace out in our vast cyberspace that purveys puzzles of this ilk...
      perhaps someplace with a "pizzaria"-type theme...
      perhaps someplace Blaine lists in his PUZZLE LINKS...

      Hearty congratulations to Patrick J. Berry (screen name: "cranberry") for creating this great puzzle. This is the third Berry-Berry-Berry-clever puzzle of Patrick's that Will Shortz has chosen in 2017. I know Will has a number of other excellent "go-to" puzzle contributors that he taps regularly, but I will wager that being bestowed this honor thrice in one calendar year might be a first.
      Keep up your good work, Patrick.

      LegoWhoWishesToHireecoarchitectAndWordWomanToContributeRiffOffPuzzlesToPuzzleria!(SeeTheirHandiworkInTheirCommentsBelow)

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    2. Or maybe she was hinting she could get back to preparing for NYE? 🎆

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    3. Thanks, Legolambda. That means a lot coming from you. Just make sure when you rip off(or "riff off")my idea Friday that you don't make your ideas too difficult for me to figure out. It might be a little embarrassing. BTW kudos to you for your ideas borrowing from my previous puzzle, the HOTEL CALIFORNIA anagram. I believe yours involved REELIN' IN THE YEARS and GOLD DUST WOMAN, and I'm probably forgetting the third song title at the moment, but it was great to see which other classic rock songs also qualify as anagrams. You do learn something doing these puzzles occasionally. No matter how quickly you may solve them(SDB), or how long it may take before the answer finally comes to you, it's worth the trip. Never take it for granted. I may sometimes get discouraged if I don't get the answer right away, but I can't say I didn't have fun. Even if I didn't get the YELLOW PAGES/YELP puzzle a few weeks back, you'll note I still played with that puzzle's concept. Lot of four-letter words that could work according to the directions to that one, weren't there? LOL I hope you all enjoy my puzzle, good solving to all, and of course, Happy New Year!

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    4. Perhaps, Blaine, but, if that is what Liz was indeed hinting at, what better way to prepare for New Year's Eve than to work on solving nine fine Auld Lang Syney puzzles, the first three of which have at least a passing relevance to NYE.

      LegoWhoWondersWhyLizWouldBePreparingForThisGuy...IsHeHerNewYear'sDateOrSomething?

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  10. The hardest thing is trying to decipher these hints.

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  11. I really wanted this to be Lil Wayne....

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  12. Some may need help with the group.

    TAJ MAHAL = JAMALAT? His ex-wife is a friend.

    Bonus Puzzle: Take the last name of a well-known singer, 7 letters. Change the last letter and rearrange to name a variety of singing group. Hint: this group is associated with the singer, though not in the way you might first think.

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    1. Ha ha. Is it OK to hint at the answer if I do so gingerly?
      I hope Maizie is recovering nicely from her recent procedures.

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    2. Paul, thanks for ypur Maizie wishes. She is recovering nicely this weekend.

      Ginger hinting sounds great! It made me smile, too, when I discovered it.

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    3. Paul et al, I decided to send this puzzle in to NPR. Thanks for your ideas. And shhh for now, please.

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  14. This didn't take long to figure out. And as part of my New Year attitude, I won't let the giveaway clues above bring me down. The same way I am going to stop being disturbed by the erosion of our language thanks to smart phones and social media. (They're, their, there Tom, don't be so Petty). Is ty tempo a thing?

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  15. This didn't take long to figure out. And as part of my New Year attitude, I won't let the giveaway clues above bring me down. The same way I am going to stop being disturbed by the erosion of our language thanks to smart phones and social media. (They're, their, there Tom, don't be so Petty). Is ty tempo a thing?

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    1. TR - I have that same problem with the way our language is being DECIMATED.

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  16. I solved this puzzle several hours ago while still in bed after posting it near the end of last week's blog. I would call it TRIPE.

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    1. Can you give us a digest version of your morning activities? We can't stomach and won't be cowed by your gut reaction.

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    2. That deserves some rumination.

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    3. There is no room in this nation for those in charge now.

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    4. Most dine at the cafeteria; you dine at bacteria. I sense this on a gut level.

      Wonder what a Rumi Nation would be like?

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    5. It most likely would be Sunni every day.

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    6. Sunni Reign. A meteorological conundrum. . .

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  17. ATTENTION PLEASE

    I just want to remind everyone there are only a few hours left this year to make a generous non-tax deductible contribution to my most worthy retirement fund.

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    1. Sorry, can't make the deadline. It would have had to be cold cash since it feels like the Arctic Circle here!
      Besides, the dog sled teams are not up to getting to the post office today.

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  18. You called my puzzle TRIPE? What an offal thing to say!

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  19. An appropriate puzzle for the holiday season.

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  20. Following the instructions for the other letters in the last name gives some results that have a different, but to me unmistakable, theme.

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  21. For me, the real puzzle today is why Blaine chose a photo of a Classical String Quartet, since no singing is involved in their performances. I like the pic though and attend many world class performances in this genre.

    Happy New Year everyone, and tomorrow is the official full moon, but I just saw it while driving home, and it is very impressive and appears larger than usual too.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. I think there's a connection between Blaine's photo and this week's answer.

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    3. I so wanted "a capella" to be the answer. eco, your critique verges on a bit TMI for me.

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    4. I am right there with ya, WW, on hitting upon A CAPPELLA and trying REALLY hard to have it work out, with no luck.

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    5. I am right there with ya, WW, on hitting upon A CAPPELLA and trying REALLY hard to have it work out, with no luck.

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    6. WW: I don't think the comment revealed too much, but to honor your desire to not help anyone at this time of year, I've removed it.

      I also thought of "a cappella" at first, but realized any answer wouldn't count. Curious how many started with the singer vs how many started with the group? And how many got the answer from each direction?

      Happy New Year all, it can't be worse than 2017. Or can it?

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    7. Thanks, eco. I feel much better now that your clue has been removed.

      I got the singer early on.

      It was fun to learn that the Latin is "a capella," and the Italian is "a cappella."

      2018 will be better!

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    8. I so wanted the answer to be a Quartet, but I couldn’t find a singer named Art Tesqu

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    10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. Happy 2018 all! And if I may paraphrase T. Swift: "No, I'm afraid 2017 can't come to the phone right now. She's dead."

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    1. "I never said that," Tom said swiftly.

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    2. "The report of my death was not an exaggeration," Tom said pettily.

      Too soon?

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    3. "2018 has to be better than 2017," Charlie said rosily.
      "Trump should tell the truth," Howard said sternly.
      "At first I supported him, then I didn't, then I did," Jeff said flakily.
      "I've got stage-fright," Noel said cowardly.
      "Cooking should be all play," Julia said childly.
      "Some movies are too grand," David said leanly.

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    4. "And how about that adjective-in-the-wrong-place but nevertheless amusing Dead Duck (Mort Canard)," she asked pâté-ntly.

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  23. SAM COOKE = MAS COKE A massive new genre from the 70's to present day!
    Happy New Year to All of you!

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  24. BOB SEGER = BEER SOB? (More a style of singing rather than a group.)

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  25. "No reason to get excited," Buck said repeatedly.

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    1. My inability to comment in the intended thread and to spell correctly is stunning.

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  26. The title of one of the singer's biggest hits includes the first four consecutive letters of his last name, but not the last. The letters preceding those letters, on their own, spell out another song title associated with a famous rock guitarist.

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    1. cranberry,
      Clever hints (for your own puzzle), but you might want to consider a slight rewording. (See Blaine's Sun Dec 31, 12:44:00 PM PST comment.)
      Mendo Jim,
      Same respectful suggestion. Your hint, as worded, verges too much on "giveaway territory," IMO.

      LegoBadCopBadCop

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    2. Cranberry: clever puzzle. Never heard of that variety before. Not sure what letters you refer to in preceding letter hint. I got the first clue and my puzzle answer was verified. Thanks. Do you get a prize from ws?

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    3. The second song is far superior.

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    4. Lego: Would be happy to comply, except neither of my posts were intended to contain hints, nor can I find one in re-reading them.

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    5. I should have said none of my posts.

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    6. Mendo Jim,
      I missed Buck's comment on Monday, so I didn't realize your comment alluded to his. I guess this may just be a case of unintentional hinting. Still, I believe Buck's Monday comment and you allusion to it may lead some people directly to the answer.

      LegoCadBopCadBop

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    7. That post is the villain?
      I will be interested in learning what possible way come Thursday.
      I was trying (very poorly, I should say) to make a Swifty, based on Buck's post's rapid appearance three times in my email notification.

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    8. MJ,
      Now that you have told me the nature of Buck's trio of comments (two which were removed by Buck), your Tom Swifty makes sense to me, and I admire its cleverness.
      I love to read both your and Buck Bard's comments on this space. You both add much to the content of this blog, IMO. But I will maintain that Buck's comment (and your innocent Swifty repetition of it) reveal, albeit perhaps unintentionally, a bit too much information regarding cranberry's fine puzzle.

      LegoBodCapBodCap

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    9. Truly, I can’t see anyone needing a hint at this puzzle. But OK it’s gone.

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    10. Regarding your comment referring back to Blaine's Sunday evening, Lego, I appreciate your concern as to what gender the singer in question may be. I don't really think I'm giving anything away by saying it's a he. It's either a he or a she, so I don't think if you know that much it's going to ruin it overall. Probably more male singers that fit this description than female. Offhand I can't think of any female singers that would fit, and I know the answer. I will add I can actually do a fairly good impression of the singer, but I hope that won't give anything away either.

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    11. cranberry,
      I would love to watch your impression of this singer. Can you put it on youtube? Or, will you soon be appearing at a karaoke bar near me?

      LegoKaraokeyDokey?

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    12. I wish I could, Lego, but I've never uploaded anything on YouTube. I do have a camera app on my Kindle though. But even if I taped a short performance of my impression, I'd still need to upload it, and I'm still relatively new to using this sort of technology. As for karaoke appearances, I have had family members(on my sister-in-law's side)express interest in doing something like that, but we've never actually gotten together to do so. I know at a recent family get-together they started talking about it, and I ended up impressing them with my short rendition of "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac. But you had to be there. And no, I couldn't recreate the USC Trojan Marching Band portion of the song! Nevertheless, it was "real savage like"!

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  27. Happy New Year all! Did anyone find the hidden 800 number in the NY Times Puzzle Mania section from Dec.17? If you do, I think that's Will Shortz on the answering machine when you call.

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    1. Al, care to share the number so we can join in the fun?

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    2. I'd be tickled to tell you the number but that wouldn't be fair.

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    3. Al, no worries. I don't solve the NY Times puzzles but am curious what Will had to say.

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    4. It's a recording congratulating you for finding the hidden phone number. The winner will be called this Friday.

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    5. Ah, I see. I was hoping for another puzzle perhaps.

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  28. I did receive a few emails from the NYT regarding the PUZZLE MANIA supplement on Dec. 17. Unfortunately, I don't have a subscription to the NYT paper. I only have the app on my Kindle and do the daily crosswords. PM sounded interesting though. My mom and I could've shared it, just like my GAMES Magazines.

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    1. I find it incredibly offensive, as a subscriber for over a decade, that this was not digitized for us digital format subscribers. And this after I just got a letter from the publisher thanking me for “continued support in these days of assault on journalism.” It wouldn’t have cost them anything, and they could have easily put it behind the subscriber wall.

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    2. I agree; it should have been available to digital subscribers. As a print subscriber, I was happy to get a copy, which I brought with me on vacation for the family to work on, and promptly left in the hotel dining room the first day, never to be seen again, alas!

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  30. Natasha: I hope all is well at your place after this morning's rude wake up call. It looks like the epicenter was very near your house?

    I had a few books fall off the shelves, though they were stacked in a fashion not approved by my structural engineer.

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    1. Did you Bay Area folks feel the earthquake?

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    2. Shaken, and stirred. No doubt Natasha felt it, as I noted above it was practically underneath (what I believe is) her house.

      Folks I know in SF definitely felt it, I'm curious if those farther afield - Blaine and Buck Bard - felt it. Very unlikely it went up to Mendo Jim land.

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    3. I yelled at the cats to stop wrestling on the bed. 😀

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    4. Let's see, cocktails, cats, and what else, CA folks?

      Hope you easterners are faring ok in the snow and cold.

      We are predicted to be 50 degrees F and sunny here in CO today.

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    5. I made it in to work (along with all the other staff at our practice) with only minor delay this morning, since the slippery roads were balanced by lighter-than-usual traffic. Had a pretty full schedule on my screen, but they decided to close at noon and maybe 2/3 of the morning patients either cancelled or no-showed, so I only saw a few. The trip home in the blizzard was tougher, but I made it in less than twice the usual time. As usual, my block has the worst climate in town. Trying to decide what to make for lunch, I saw we had two unopened jars of peanut butter in the pantry, so a peanut butter sandwich it'll be. But wait, what's that in the back of the fridge, left over from a niece's visit last month? Ah, nothing like a snow day with a fluffernutter!

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    6. Clearly you weren't paying attention at your nutrition classes in med school, if they even offered such things.

      In 5th grade I had a friend who loved peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches - a Southern thing - and yes, it's as disgusting as it sounds.

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    7. I've had that, but Elvis and I prefer peanut butter, bacon, and banana.

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    8. At least we don't have to contend with falling iguanas here in NJ. (When I lived in Miami, I do remember seeing signs near pools warning of falling coconuts from palm trees.)

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    9. And, I don't know about med school, ecoarchitect, but my physician assistant program certainly included a nutrition course.

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    10. And what did they say about fluffernutters? Or did you sleep through that class?

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    12. Cholesterol free? Low in saturated fat? Vegan? Singable lyrics?

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    13. Ecoarchitect: Thanks for thinking of me regarding earthquake. It was quite a jolt but did not last too long. I am a block away from the Claremont Hotel and heard the Claremont was on top of the faut. That was really scary. No injuries or damages. Why do I live here? I went to UCSF yesterday and checked on your architecture there and all seemed fine. Great job!

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    14. Most people are not aware that Seattle, and surrounding area, are in more peril from earthquakes than California. You need to be prepared. I have no worries since I obtained no fault insurance.

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    15. SDB: I was not aware of earthquake danger in Seattle. No fault insurance sounds like a scam. Perhaps you should read the fine print, graphs and between the plates it is written on.

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    17. Some day the magnitude of SDB's humor will cause a real rift.

      What did Stan Laurel say when he learned about earthquakes? "Gee, Ollie, gee."

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    18. I think eco must have meant "...the MAGMAtude of SDB's humor..." I realize this may be a hot topic with more molten than goes on in a rookery, but let's go with the flow.

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    19. Here in Seattle many retailers consider earthquakes to be a brick and mortar issue.

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    20. Magma is for those who don't want to show off their hot lava.

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    21. Do you recommend aEtna as a company for volcano insurance?

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    22. But it will crater if anything happens; they don't lava flow of their profits to Cascade into payments, and they haven't been prepared for Rainier days.

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    23. Allstate it once more. Maybe you should've State on the Farm.

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    24. Speaking of unpredictable, wacky, rumbling, unstable, dangerous, explosive and destructive things with a bald top and lots of slump at the sides, how's Mount St Helens doing this weekend?

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    25. She's been a bit shaky this year.

      https://inhabitat.com/40-earthquakes-hit-mount-st-helens-in-4-days/

      I summited her in the late Seventies, before she blew her top. I haven't been back since.

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    26. So you were there just a few years before the Russian expedition to conquer the toxic blowhard in Washington?

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  31. It takes a bigger earthquake for me to feel at 2:30 in the morning, but apparently no one else in the area did either.

    I finally discovered the reason for Lego's hint squawk.
    It took longer to do so than to solve the puzzle itself.

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  32. Hey, jan:
    You would know about this being a medical man. We all know Trump has small hands. Does this mean he also has a subpoena?

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  33. Bob Dylan > Boy Band

    My Hint:

    "I solved this puzzle several hours ago while still in bed after posting it near the end of last week's blog. I would call it TRIPE."

    TRIPE is the main ingredient of MENUDO, the popular Mexican soup. Menudo is also the name of one of the first boy bands. It is Latin American.

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    1. Weren't The Beatles and The Beach Boys boy bands?

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    2. I guess you could call them that, but I don't think the term existed at that time.

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    3. Probably unfair of me to call Beatles and Beach Boys as boy bands, the term didn't become popular until the 1990's, well after Menudo. But the '60's brought us The Osmonds and Jackson Five, they certainly fit the genre.

      The only thing worse than thinking about this is thinking about the orange boy president.

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  34. BOB DYLAN (-L) = “a variety of singing (???) group” → BOY BAND.

    My hint: The “BEANPOT Boys” was meant to suggest a BOY BAND, a band of hockey players who also “sing” together...

    Yes, we all saw that “Lay Lady Lay” contained what it contained!

    ECO's Bonus Puzzle:
    Ray CHARLES, change the S to an O to yield CHORALE, “a group of singers specializing in singing church music; a choir.”

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    1. Yes on the bonus, with the added bonus that the "other Ray Charles" led a choral group who appeared on Perry Como.

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  35. BOB DYLAN, BOY BAND

    "ulu" >>> Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota.

    "C4H6O2 and SiO2" >>> David Bowie described Dylan's voice as like "sand and glue" (I reversed the order to obscure a bit).

    Fracking sand country includes the Duluth area, to which jan alluded (I think).

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    1. No, I was just taking a guess at those compounds.

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  37. Singer Bob Dylan; group Boy Band.

    My Charlie Brown comment was based Charlie’s inability to fly his kite without it landing in the, “Kite Eating Tree.” This always made me think of Dylan’s, Blowin’ in The Wind.

    Although Dylan wrote, recorded, and released this song in 1962–63, more than half a century ago, its message still resonates.

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  38. BOB DYLAN, BOY BAND

    > [deleted post] I just Googled the singer and group together. Reminds me of Nikita Khrushchev's threat.

    "We Wilbury you!"

    > I gotta stop spending so much time watching Cookie Monster videos on my cell phone.

    I'm stuck inside a mobile with the Muppet's blue again.

    > I think there's a connection between Blaine's photo and this week's answer.

    Well, it is a boy band of sorts. It's the Jerusalem Quartet. Dylan played a controversial concert in Jerusalem on September 7, 1987.

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    1. I saw the Jerusalem Quartet here in Seattle Feb. 17, 2015 and will see them again here March 13, 2018. I cannot imagine them being referred to as a band though.

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  39. I wrote, "To this puzzle, the answer, my Blainesville pals, might be found by consulting the Weather Channel." This is a way of saying, "The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind."

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  40. BOB DYLAN ---> BOY BAND

    > An appropriate puzzle for the holiday season.

    The final answer has no L...

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  41. "Some may need help with the group." - an allusion to a Band Aid.

    I can't remember what I wrote that WW thought was too obvious, I think it was questioning SDB as to whether the group in the answer did any singing. I didn't think of that as a giveaway.

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    1. Most contemporary boy bands are the poster children of bad singing. . .so I thought it a bit too revealing.

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  42. Dynamite puzzle, cranberry!
    (I waited until now to post that comment; I think that was rather noble of me.)
    I wonder if Buck BARD could have posted anything that wouldn't have been considered too much of a hint.

    For some reason, I got it into my head that we were only working with the remaining four letters of the last name, and the only suitable 4-letter word I could think of was TRIO. I managed to find a music video by a guy who calls himself Roy Orbit, knowing that couldn't be the answer. When I realized my mistake and got the correct answer, I figured the Orbit / Orbison / Wilbury connection was a fairly decent hint.

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    1. There are probably less than half a dozen “famous singers” with the letter count 3 & 5, and then we were told exactly which letter to remove for the anagram. And if that wasn’t easy enough someone pointed out it was a “he” which narrowed it even ridiculously further. I suppose we could have been given the clues he was supposed to play at Woodstock or his name rhymed with villain but neither would have made it any easier.

      Or you could have just not taken the time to read it right and made it really challenging.

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  43. BOB DYLAN, BOY BAND
    Thanks to all who solved my challenge, especially those who offered hints after solving(as I know y'all do every week). Special thanks to Mendo Jim for including an actual Dylan lyric from "All Along the Watchtower"("no reason to get excited"). I was a little hesitant myself regarding use of Dylan's lyrics, as I was sure they might be a dead giveaway. But I certainly wouldn't want any of you to hold back with your hints when it's one of my puzzles. In other words, should you have your doubts on future puzzles, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right".
    Whoever submits next week's challenge, most likely "It Ain't Me, Babe".-pjb

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    1. I wouldn't be surprised if WS uses another of your puzzles next week, cranberry. You seem to be on a roll.
      Yes, "No reason to get excited" was what got me all excited about Buck Bard's hint and Mendo Jim's reference to it.

      LegoWhoBelievesTheHendrixCoverOfAllAlongTheWatchtowerMayBeTheBestDylanCoverEver(AndThatIsSayingSomething)

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    2. pjb: It would be a good idea for you to pay a little closer attention to the actual discussion here on the blog.

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  44. "24/496" referred to the roughly 2 dozen Dylans in my daughter's college graduating class. It's the "Sarah" of boys born in the 80's and 90's. {Well, in Minnesota, anyway.}

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  45. Can someone explain Blaine's clue about putting the letter back in?

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  46. Urban Dictionary defines boy bland as "just another boring, manufactured boy band, singing boring, manufactured pop songs." That may have been Blaine's intent.

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  47. This cut&paste customer review of FIRE AND FURY is a one star example from Amazon.com. It is a must read.

    One out of 5 starsFAKE NEWS!!!!! SAD
    ByBrianTon January 5, 2018
    Format: Audible Audio Edition|Verified Purchase
    VERY SAD!!!!!
    I read a lots of books more than anyone and this book is a DISGRACE.Wolff is a loser A TOTAL LOSER and everyone knows it. you know it, I know it, everyone knows it.This book is NOT FOR SMART PEOPLE. Only a very for dumb people would read this TRASH. Only very dumb people like, not the kind of book I would read because I’m one of the SMARTEST PEOPLE. Ask anyone, anywhere in the world—ITS TRUE! If you like to read words, and I like to read words—I read a lot of words, every day. All kinds of words. I know More words than most people know. People are always saying I have THE BEST WORDS!!!. They always asking me about the words I read, because everyone wants to know—so if you want to read really good words then you should read THE ART OF THE DEAL it has tremendos words, really BIG BEAUTIFUL WORDS, you should read that book,It’s a really great book, really fantastic./ just a fantastic a book and one of the best books you can read so you should read that and not this LOSER wolff guy PATHETIC!!!!!!!
    -Ronald

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    Replies
    1. Sdb: i think trump wrote that review.

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    2. I thought it was a former "professor" at Trump University. Either way it's hilarious, thanks for sleuthing that one, SDB.

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    3. No, I think Natasha is right, and I just didn't see it.

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    4. Sdb:Really? Are you serious? I never can tell. DT wrote it or someone is imitating him. Where did you see this or did you write it?

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    5. Sdb: i will see if can find on amazon. I doubt the book is on audio already.

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    6. With 834 characters (1029 including spaces) the review was too epic for those tiny fingers. BrianT deserves plaudits for a humorous, if just a little bit over the top, piece of satire.

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    7. Did anyone else note that the name BrianTon rearranges to BRAIN NOT?

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  48. Next week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Neville Fogarty of Newport News, Va. Take the first and last names of a journalist well-known to NPR listeners. Remove the first letter of the last name. The remaining letters can be rearranged to spell two modes of transport. And here's a hint: The modes of transport have the same number of wheels. Who is the journalist, and what are the modes of transport?

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    Replies
    1. Do you suppose Robert Siegel will now write a RETIREE BLOG?

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    2. CRAWL and EQUINE are two modes of transport that involve going on all fours, with zero wheels involved, but I doubt QUIL LAWRENCE is the journalist we're looking for.

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  49. Almost 1000 correct responses last week.

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