Sunday, January 27, 2019

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 27, 2019): Getting from Here to There

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 27, 2019): Getting from Here to There:
Q: Name a vehicle in two words, each with the same number of letters. Subtract a letter from each word, and the remaining letters in order will spell the first and last names of a famous writer. Who is it?
I'm generally pretty good at puzzles like these...

Edit: A lot of U.S. tanks are named after generals (Sherman, Patton, Abrams, etc.)
A: ARMY TANK --> AMY TAN (author of "The Joy Luck Club")

Sunday, January 20, 2019

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 20, 2019): What a Feeling

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 20, 2019): What a Feeling:
Q: Take the name of a classic song that became the signature song of the artist who performed it. It has two words; five letters in the first, three letters in the second. The letters can be rearranged to spell two new words. One is a feeling. The other is an expression of that feeling. What song is it?
Alternatively, you can rearrange the letters to spell two items that can be eaten.

Edit: The two foods are MANNA and POI.
A: Billy Joel's PIANO MAN --> PAIN, MOAN

Sunday, January 13, 2019

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 13, 2019): Keep Left

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 13, 2019): Keep Left:
Q: The challenge is to make a 9-letter word meaning left using only a B and one D. Can you do it?
This can literally be solved in under one second.

Edit: Just follow the directions, literally.
A: "a B and one D" --> ABANDONED

Sunday, January 06, 2019

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 6, 2019): What's Old is New Again

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jan 6, 2019): What's Old is New Again:
Q: Name a major U.S. city in 10 letters. If you have the right one, you can rearrange its letters to get two 5-letter words that are synonyms. What are they?
I have a sense of déjà vu — more than a decade's worth.

Edit: An easier version of this puzzle was presented back in 2006
A: SACRAMENTO --> SCENT + AROMA