Bonus puzzle: Take out the vowel that is repeated in the name of the farm animal, rearrange the remaining letters and you have a word relating to Wales.Q: Think of a world capital. Change the third letter to get the informal name of a farm animal. What capital (and animal) is it?
A: MOSCOW --> MOOCOW
I hold my holiday cards close to my heart; you might call them "chest-treasure". Do we need Word Woman's help this week?Q: It's a straightforward puzzle. Think of a place you can find coins, in two words. Put the second word first, and you'll get a compound word describing most holiday cards. What words are these?
A: WISHING WELL --> WELL-WISHING
Let's see where this goes.Q: Think of two words meaning "certain groups of females." If you have the right ones, you can rearrange all the letters to name a famous novel by a female writer. The title has 13 letters in total. What novel is it?
A: DAUGHTERS + GALS --> ATLAS SHRUGGED (by Ayn Rand)
Where's a careless intern when you need them?Q: Think of a word that can go before "table" to make a familiar phrase. Move the last letter to the front, and you'll have a word that can go after "table" to make a familiar phrase. What phrases are these?
A: CRAPS TABLE --> TABLE SCRAPS
My job is done.Q: Think of a common 7-letter word. Drop its second letter, and you'll get a 6-letter word that does not rhyme with the first. Alternatively, you can drop the third letter from the 7-letter word to get a 6-letter word that doesn't rhyme with either of the first two. Further, you can drop both the second and third letters from the 7-letter word to get a 5-letter word that doesn't rhyme with any of the others. What words are these?
A: THROUGH --> TROUGH -> THOUGH --> TOUGH
Edit: No ad needed.Q: Think of a well-known food brand. Add the letters W-O-W. Then rearrange the result to name another well-known food brand. What is it?
A: NESTLÉ --> SWEET 'N LOW
April 2nd, '07?Q: In my trip to Europe two weeks ago I visited a friend in Amsterdam who literally has a puzzle on his doormat. Before you walk into his apartment, there's an original puzzle for you to solve. I was able to do it. See if you can. What number comes next in this series: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 23, 28?
38 (Add the sum of the digits in the prior number, e.g. 16 + 1 + 6 = 23, 23 + 2 + 3 = 28, etc.)
If you take the initial letter of each word, change the last letter to two later in the alphabet, you get another synonym for the last word.Q: This challenge is easy, but elegant. Think of a familiar four-word phrase that means "to be last." Together the first two words are a synonym for the last word. What phrase is it?
A: BRING UP THE REAR
The first list I looked at was no help at all.Q: Think of an article of apparel in eight letters. Drop the last 2 letters. Move what are the now the last 2 letters to the front. You'll get an article of apparel in 6 letters. What is it?
A: MONOKINI --> KIMONO
I've never taken an acting or singing class so I'm probably not much help.Q: Think of a famous Broadway musical in two words. Change one letter in it to the preceding letter of the alphabet — so B would become A, C would become B, etc. Remove the space so you have a solid word. The result will name something that all of us are part of. What is it?
A: MAMMA MIA! --> MAMMALIA
I know I can — can you?Q: Take the 9 letters of BEER MOUTH. Arrange them in a 3x3 array so that the three lines Across, three lines Down, and both diagonals spell common 3-letter words. Can you do it?
A: OHMRUEBET
Across: OHM, RUE, BETDown: ORB, HUE, METDiagonal: OUT, BUM
This took me 3 minutes 10 seconds to solve.Q: Take the 7-letter last name of a famous woman. Drop the letter E. Add an I and an F. You can rearrange the result to get a word that famously describes this woman. Who's the woman, and what's the word?
A: (Gloria) STEINEM - E + IF --> FEMINIST
The prior person had the title for about a year.Q: Think of a title for a particular person — two words, 15 letters in total — in which the only vowel is "I." What is it?
A: MISS MISSISSIPPI
This does seem pretty easy, unless I've misread something.Q: Name a major professional sports team. The first and last letters of the team's name specify something that is an anagram of its interior letters. What team is it?
A: (Boston) RED SOX --> RX (℞), DOSE
This puzzle is driving me batty.Q: Think of an affliction in five letters. Shift each letter three spaces later in the alphabet — for example, A would become D, B would become E, etc. The result will be a prominent name in the Bible. Who is it?
A: EBOLA --> HEROD
You are all very capable students of Will Shortz.Q: These five 2-word phrases have something very unusual in common. What is it? When you find it, think of another two-word phrase that has the same property.
● Property rights
● Land mine
● Sales order
● Color scheme
● India ink
A: The first 3 letters (of the first word) are the start a state capital and the first 2 letters (of the second word) are the state postal code.
PROperty RIghts --> PROvidence, RI
LANd MIne --> LANsing, MI
SALes ORder --> SALem, OR
COLor SCheme --> COLumbia, SCINDia INk --> INDianapolis, IN
A few possible phrases that also work:BOSs MAn / BOSun's MAte --> BOSton, MA
COLlege SCholarship --> COLumbia, SC
DENtal COverage --> DENver, CO
HARbor PAtrol / HARem PAnts --> HARrisburg, PA
INDefinite INtegral --> INDianapolis, IN
LINgual NErve --> LINcoln, NE
LITerary ARts --> LITtle Rock, AR
MADeira WIne --> MADison, WI
PROmise RIng --> PROvidence, RI
RICkets VAccine --> RIChmond, VA
SACral CAnal / SACred CAbal --> SACramento, CA
Not counting mergersQ: Think of two well-known companies — one in five letters, the other in four letters. Write the names one after the other.
The result, when spaced differently, will name a well-known geographical location in the U.S. (in two words). What is it?
A: MOBIL + EBAY = MOBILE BAY
Tesla only has 5 letters.Q: The name of the film director David Lynch conceals the word AVIDLY in consecutive letters, spanning his first and last names. Can you think of a famous film director whose first and last names conceal a 6-letter name of car, past or present, in consecutive letters?
A: GUILLERMO DEL TORO (MODEL T).
Alternate: DENIS SANDERS (NISSAN)
The longer version of the musician's nickname also contains a body part.Q: Think of a well-known musician whose last name contains a body part. The musician has a single-word nickname that anagrams to a different body part. Who is this musician, and what is the nickname?
A: LOUIS ARMSTRONG --> SATCHMO --> STOMACH
It could be Grape Jell-O® but Grape Jelly doesn't involve any rearrangement.Q: Think of a brand name you might see on your breakfast table. Change one letter to a Y and rearrange the result to get a familiar two-word phrase that names something else you might see on your breakfast table. What phrase is this?
A: KELLOGG'S-L+Y = EGG YOLKS
Q: Continuing on from Part 1, here's Part 2 of the challenge.If you are thinking anagrams, you are heading down the wrong path. Personally I don't feel the second property is that uncommon. However some of you may still be wishing the deadline was extended another week.Edit: The hints were "down" and "extended" trying to hint at the missing descenders and ascenders when written in lowercase. And the word "uncommon" was an example of such a word.
These four words have a very interesting and unusual property in common — something about the letters in them (all the letters). What is it?
SCARECROW
SCREENSAVER
CAMERAWOMAN
CURVACEOUSNESS
When you know it, think of a common 7-letter word that shares the unusual properties of both last week's and this week's words.
A: In lowercase, the words have no ascenders and descendersscarecrow
screensaver
camerawoman
curvaceousness
The common words that I found that could both contain a planet and only use these letters were:
aVENUeS -> VENUS
MAnneRS --> MARS
MAnuReS --> MARS
MARacaS --> MARS
MARoonS --> MARS
MARrowS --> MARS
MoAneRS --> MARS
I submitted AVENUES because VENUS wasn't included in last week's planet list.
Q: This is Part 1 of a two-week challenge. You'll need to solve both parts before you send in your answer. So hold your answer for now.Don't get overenthusiastic — be sure to wait until after the two-week deadline. Here's a link to Part 2.
These four words have a very interesting and unusual property in common. What is it?
NEANDERTHAL
EMBARRASS
SATURATION
CONTEMPTUOUSNESS
A: All the words contain planet names
nEAndeRTHal --> EARTHeMbARraSs --> MARSSATURatioN --> SATURNcoNtEmPTUousNEss --> NEPTUNE
Q: Think of a familiar two-word phrase in 8 letters — with 4 letters in each word. The first word starts with M. Move the first letter of the second word to the end and you'll get a regular 8-letter word, which, amazingly, other than the M, doesn't share any sounds with the original two-word phrase. What phrase is it?
A: MAIL SLOT --> MAILLOTS
I could claim credit for this puzzle based on something I wrote several years back.Q: Name two parts of the human body. Say them out loud one after the other. The result, phonetically, will name something delicious to eat, in 7 letters. What is it?
A: BROW, KNEE (BROWNIE)
Technically their first names aren't the same. The actor has played a character in the same occupation as the person from Chicago and possibly based on the person.Q: Name a famous person from Chicago — first and last names. The last name ends in an E. Change the E to an I and rearrange the letters in just the last name to get a famous actor — whose first name is the same as the first person's. Who are these people?
A: AL CAPONE --> AL PACINO
To your pancake, add butter, syrup or whipped cream, as you like it.Q: The word PANCAKE has an unusual property. If you remove its last letter, you get a series of U.S. state postal abbreviations — PA, NC, and AK. Can you name a major city and state that both have this property? To solve this, first think of a state in which you can drop its last letter to leave a series of state postal abbreviations. Then find a major city in that state that also has this property. The city and state names have to be different. What city and state is it?
A: ORLANDO, FLORIDA
It's a pity I live on a rocky hill.Q: Name a woman's title. Drop the first and last letters and read the result backward to get another woman's title. Both titles are common English-language spellings. What titles are these?
A: BARONESS --> SEÑORA (or just SENORA in some dictionaries)
I didn't realize how many commercial names contain X. Trix, Timex...Q: Think of a well-known commercial name in 9 letters. Change both the fourth and ninth letters to X's and you'll get two other familiar commercial names, one after the other. What names are these?
A: CHEVROLET --> CHEX, ROLEX
Q: Think of a familiar hyphenated 7-letter word. The first 4 letters name a prominent American company, and the last 4 letters name a different prominent American company. What word is it?
A: Vis-à-vis (Visa, Avis)
Q: The object is to pitch a TV show idea to one of the networks, either broadcast or cable, in which your TV show's title is just one letter different from an existing show's title, past or present. Name your TV show and summarize it in 15 words or less.
Examples:
AMERICAN I DO'S — Hilarious misadventures of a bumbling wedding planner
YOU BET YOUR WIFE — Trivia contest, with wagering, to determine who knows more — husband or spouse
Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of wording, humor and overall effect. No more than three entries per person, please. The person who sends the best TV pitch will play the on-air puzzle in two weeks
Q: The object is to pitch a TV show idea to one of the networks, either broadcast or cable, in which your TV show's title is just one letter different from an existing show's title, past or present. Name your TV show and summarize it in 15 words or less.
Examples:
N.Y.P.D. CLUE — Manhattan crime investigation in which each case hinges on a single, unexpected piece of evidence
HAVE GUT, WILL TRAVEL — Portly host tours the best all-you-can-eat restaurants in America
Entries will be judged on their sense, naturalness of wording, humor and overall effect. No more than three entries per person, please. The person who sends the best TV pitch will play the on-air puzzle in two weeks
In reverse it's a fish dance move.Q: Name part of the human body. Switch the first two letters to get a two-word phrase for something that is worrisome. What is it?
A: ABDOMEN --> BAD OMEN
As with most things, we can blame Shakespeare.Q: Take the title of a famous Hollywood flop. Change an A to an R, then rearrange the letters to spell a famous box office hit — which went on to spawn sequels. What films are these?
A: HEAVEN'S GATE --> THE AVENGERS
There are a few assumptions being made, but I'll allow it.Q: Think of a two-word phrase a child might shout when walking in the front door. Rearrange the letters and add an "E" at the end, and you get the next two words the child might shout. These are both common expressions. What are they?
A: HI MOM! I'M HOME!
I'm not writing a misleading clue today.Q: Name a certain kind of criminal. Drop the first two letters and the last letter of the word, and you'll name a country. What is it?
A: I'll be interested to see whether PYROMANIAC or VAGABOND was Will's intended answer.
Or perhaps on the way there?Q: Name a famous player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Take a letter out of the last name and move it into the first name. The result will name something you might see at a concert. What is it?
A: ROD CAREW --> ROAD CREW
Don't forget to turn in your answer by Thursday at 3pm ET.Q: Take the name of a famous film director. Drop the first letter of this person's first name and you'll name a fish. Read the last name backward and you'll name another fish. What film director is it?
A: SPIKE LEE --> PIKE, EEL
I can't say this puzzle sounds very new.Q: The letters of SWITZERLAND can be rearranged to spell LIZARD and NEWTS — LIZARD being the singular name of an animal, and NEWTS a plural. Name another country with this same property. That is, name another country whose letters can be rearranged to spell two animals — one singular and one plural. It's a major country. What country is it?
A: MEXICO --> MICE, OX
Reminds me of a puzzle from a couple years ago.Q: Name a part of the human body, insert a speech hesitation, and you'll name a country. What country is it?
A: BRAIN + AH --> BAHRAIN
Not sevenQ: Pick an even number between 1 and 10 that's 1 more than four and 2 more than ten.
A: EIGHT the even number in that range that has 1 more (letter) than FOUR and 2 more (letters) than TEN.
The city may be small, but the populace has large aspirations.Q: Name a small but well-known U.S. city, followed by its two-letter state postal abbreviation. This string of letters, reading from left to right, spells two consecutive words that name distinctive characteristics of bunnies. What city is it?
A: HOPE, AR --> HOP, EAR
Edit: I don't usually like having the picture being my clue but I realized when I picked the photo it was already pointing to a sheep.Q: Think of a popular two-word song title in 7 letters. If you have the right one, you can rearrange the letters to name an animal and the sound it makes. What is it? Here's a hint: The title is in a foreign language.
A: LA BAMBA --> LAMB, BAA
Kudos to the PM for a solid puzzle this week. My hint? I don't care for lime-flavored Jello.Q: Name a common article of apparel in 3 letters and another in 4 letters. Rearrange all 7 letters to name a well-known three-word song title. What is it?
A: TIE + BELT --> LET IT BE
"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."Q: Name a famous singer — first and last names. Change the last three letters of each name to an E and you'll name a well-known landmark. What is it?
A: WHITney HOUSton --> WHITE HOUSE
I was going to provide a crass clue but decided against it.Q: Name a place in the United States that contains a W. Drop the W, and you can rearrange the remaining letters to name two types of mammals, each in the plural form. What place is it, and what are the mammals?
A: NEW MEXICO - W --> MICE, OXEN
PRIOR WEBSITE PUZZLE:Don't miss any of the bright spots in the photo here (courtesy of NASA). If you think Mr. Shortz made a mistake in the population count, he did not.Q: An easy-sounding challenge this week that turns out to be not so easy: Two major U.S. cities, each with two-word names, each have an unusual property: The last two letters of the first word in the name are the same as the last two letters of the second word in the name — like University City, in Missouri, in which both "university" and "city" end in "-ty." But both cities in my answer are much larger. According to the 2010 U.S. census, each city has more than a quarter-million people. What cities are they?
ON-AIR PUZZLE:This one's easier and less controversial. I'm guessing it was inspired by another recent puzzle.Q: Take the start of the name of a country and the end of that country's capital. Put the parts together, one after the other, and you'll get the last name of a character in a very popular movie. It's a character everyone knows. Who is it?
A: KENya + nairOBI --> (obi wan) KENOBI
I went through three ENTIRE lists until I figured out the answer.Q: Name part of the human body in six letters. Add an R and rearrange the result to name a part of the body in seven letters. What are they?
A: Tonsil and Nostril
I used to wear corduroy pants.Q: In English, a short "u" sound is usually spelled with a "u," as in "fun" and "luck." Occasionally it's spelled with an "o," as in "come" and "love." Can you name two everyday one-syllable words in which a short "u" sound is spelled with an "a"?
A: WHAT, WAS
