I wouldn't have put these brands together otherwise.Q: Think of a well-known brand name in 8 letters starting with H. Change the H to an M and drop the last letter. You'll get another well-known brand name in 7 letters. What commercial names are these?
A: HEINEKEN --> MEINEKE
For NPR puzzle posts, don't post the answer or any hints that could lead to the answer before the deadline (usually Thursday at 3pm ET). If you know the answer, 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 assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.
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.
ReplyDeleteYou 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.
The answer appeared in Joseph Young's Puzzleria! within the past few years.
ReplyDeletejan,
DeleteWhat do you have, man -- some kind of total recall or photographic memory!? I had no memory of this puzzle/answer on my blog.
Because Puzzleria! is not really that "search-friendly," it took me until yesterday to find your reference. The puzzle is not one that I created. It is the work of a person who is a pretty regular Blainesville poster.
(I am curious to discover if this person him/herself even remembers posting it! I'll post more tomorrow after deadline.)
LegoWhoHasTroubleEnoughRememberingEvenLastWeek'sPuzzleria!
Quicker if you had simply typed the two brands (in quotes) and "puzzle" into a duckduckgo search (or Google if you want to have your info sold!). Result #2.
DeleteWow, that worked! Thanks, eco.
Delete(I used the duckduckgo search engine, as you did. But now I am going back to type the two "brands" and "puzzle" in to the Google search engine. If Google is indeed selling my info, I trust they will do the right thing and send me a check.)
LegoWhoWillThenTryTypingTheBrandsAndPuzzleIntoHisInternalCombustionEngine
Yes, that's how I found it, too. I generally do that to see if Will is recycling puzzles again. If I had to rely on my memory, I'd be lost.
DeleteIn this 8/4/17 edition of Puzzleria! I led off my "puzzle menu" with an "Appetizer" cooked up by my friend Nikki Rajala:
DeleteWhat brand name for a particular part of an automobile, if you change its last two letters, creates the brand name of a beer?
Answer: Michelin, Michelob
Paul, a charter Puzzlerian!, wrote the first comment in that week's Comments Section:
"I haven't solved the first one yet, but in the meantime:
What brand name for a particular part of an automobile, if you change its first letter and add a letter at the end, creates the brand name of a beer?"
The answer to Paul's variation of Nikki's puzzle was, of course, Meineke [mufflers (or shocks)] >> Heineken
Good going, Paul!
This coincidence provides us, however, with an opportunity to reflect on how common it it for creative people (like Paul and Steve Baggish, creator of this week's NPR puzzle) to come up with puzzle ideas (or other bursts of inspiration) independently.
Did Steve Baggish get the idea for his Heineken/Meineke puzzle by reading the August 4, 2017 Comments Section of Puzzleria? Of course not! That is an absurd notion. He likely has never even visited Puzzleria! Indeed, Mr. Baggish has submitted numerous puzzles that Will Shortz has deemed worthy to use as his Sunday challenge. He is obviously quite creative. And creative people do not need to plagiarize; they simply need to create.
LegoAmidstAllThisHeineken/Michelob/Meineke/MichelinTalkRemindsUsAllNotToDrinkAndDrive
Plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize.
DeleteLego,
I agree with you, but I consider myself to be a creative person, and I just now felt the "need" to plagiarize, which I did above. Yes, I admit it, I plagiarized!
I had forgotten my August 2017 post to Puzzleria!, so I wasn't "maddened" by notions of possible plagiarism. My encrypted hint, below, can be decoded here by using the letter "e" as the key. Actually, you can repeat that "e" as many times as you like. You can also use E10, E15, even E85. But if there's any chance your BAC is outside these limits, better follow Blaine's example and turn your key over to a designated driver.
DeleteDamn good puzzle! And it has a strong connection to last week’s puzzle!
ReplyDeleteBlaine - I think some users of the first brand may find themselves using the second brand.
The M brand wasn’t at all familiar to me. If you take the H brand and substitute one letter for the last four letters, you get a far more famous brand name.
ReplyDeleteExcellent clue...
Delete. . . or miss out!
DeleteWell done, Senator!
DeleteXlmw mw qehhirmrk.
ReplyDeleteIt’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Gold star if you solve this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteOr looking for a haystack in Iowa. Not to hard to find, even if your search is completely aimless.
DeleteHeineken got into the beer-making business by buying another brewery, called De Hooiberg, or The Haystack. Which of course reminds us of Fred Hoiberg, one-time star and later coach at Iowa State, located in Ames, Iowa.
DeleteAnd I'm a stockholder.
ReplyDeleteCARTOONS OF THE WEEK. You may need the first brand when you view these...
ReplyDeleteYou may also need the H brand after reading this letter:
DeleteLetter to My Boss:
I have enjoyed working here these past several years. You have paid me very well and given me benefits beyond belief. Have 3-4 months off per year and a pension plan that will pay my salary til the day I die and then pay my estate one year salary death bonus and then continue to pay my spouse my salary with increases until he (or she) dies and a health plan that most people can only dream of having--no deductible whatsoever.
Despite this, I plan to take the next 12-18 months to find a new position. During this time I will show up for work when it is convenient for me. In addition, I fully expect to draw my full salary and all the other perks associated with my current job. Oh yes, if my search for this new job proves fruitless, I will be coming back with no loss in pay or status. Before you say anything, remember that you have no choice in this matter. I can, and I will do this.
Sincerely,
Every Senator or Congressman running for re-election.
Touche’
DeleteThe H brand I thought of right away, first one. Had to check the M brand to make sure it was spelled like that, but I got it for sure.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm really confused. He didn't say if the dropped letter is dropped to the left, right or just flopped over.
ReplyDeleteTrump's tweets in response to the Mueller report are a hint to this puzzle.
Gone fishing.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad Blaine wouldn’t otherwise put these two brands together, although I think unfortunately many people find themselves making use of the latter after they or someone else has made use of the former.
ReplyDeleteI first thought about giving this puzzle a gold star, but realized that would be a rookie mistake.
ReplyDeleteConcurrent use of the products of both brands is ill advised.
ReplyDeleteInsert Darth Vader "All too easy" GIF here:
ReplyDeleteOverdue for the second, too early for the first!
ReplyDeleteFinally after not getting the answer to the last 2 puzzles, I can celebrate the fact that I finally got this one. L'chaim!
ReplyDeleteA votre sante’
DeleteMusical clue: Divertimento for the PianoForte.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteLa aŭtoro forigis ĉi tiun komenton.
DeleteMi komprenas vin!
DeleteMi ĝojas, ke mi ne komprenas ĉi tion!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteНаверное, лучше поздно, чем никогда!
DeleteThe world is full of coincidences and similarities. For example Turkey has Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and our country has President Merd o' Gain.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is obvious. WS did not say where the brand is well-known.
ReplyDeleteHerrells is a famous chain of ice cream shops in Massachusetts and NY, based in Northampton Mass.
Wolverine Worldwide bought from Karhu the Merrell brand of shoes established in 1981.
Thu works, but I am sure it is not WS' intended answer.
What! Herrell’s brings back fond memories. There was one about a block away from my first off-campus apartment in Allston, MA. The original shop was known as “Steve’s”. Sadly, the apostrophe will probably DQ that answer.
DeleteIndeed, Renople, having lived near the mothership at Smith College, Herrell's brings back great memories. I also chuckled at the apostrophe "Dairy Queening" that answer. . .;-)
DeleteInteresting, but to one who lived many years in New England, the term, "Visiting the Mothership," meant a trip to Freeport Maine, to shop at LLBean's flagship store.
DeleteAnother disappointing Puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI hoped to find Nabil Tamer's (on-air contestant) challenge of 20 years ago to compare the quality of this pastime. All my sources for that long ago have dried up, so I used Blaine's report of ten years ago this week.
It is easy to find from the side bar and the offering was:
" Q: Here's an example: Take the letters I, L, R and T. Insert a trigram (three-letter group) twice into these letters to complete a familiar 10-letter word. If you add S, P and O, you would get the answer, 'spoilsport.'
Now, take R F E and R. Insert a trigram twice somewhere in these letters to complete a familiar two-word phrase. What phrase is it?"
I think it may be a better puzzle, but interesting are the fewer comments, the fact that answers apparently waited til Sunday and that maybe Natasha was the only player from then who is still around.
We do still occasionally hear from Lorenzo and phredp.
Were you that Natasha, Natasha?
t
Mendo: I just looked at the post and recognize it as mine. Still around and no call to this day. Strange that no others on here were posting at that time.
DeleteThanks for the memories.
Ring Finger
DeleteThese two products must go well together; I've seen them both in the same bowl.
ReplyDeleteRevisiting last week's puzzle: Take the letters S Y T O Y. Replace two of the four letters by the letters 16 positions ahead of them in the alphabet. The result, phonetically, is a common four-word phrase.
Take the letters S Y T O Y. Replace them with Z I P A Z. Rearrange the five letters to form a popular food. What is it?
Delete"The internet is a bunch of tubes."
ReplyDeleteAnother variation of last week's puzzle:
ReplyDeleteQ: “What do you call a deer with no eyes?”
A: “No-eye-deer!”
Q: And what do you call a dead deer with no eyes?
DeleteA: Still no-eye-deer.
Q: “What do you get if you cross an elephant with a rhinoceros?”
DeleteA: “Elephino.”
Q: "What do you call baby deer droppings left on your lawn?"
DeleteA: "Fawndoo."
Q: "What do you call a fish with no eyes?"
DeleteA: "Fsh."
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Seattle library finally received their copies of "FREE SOLO" and I got mine today and just finished watching it. I began rock climbing over 43 years ago and knew parts would probably be difficult for me to watch because I know how intents climbing El Capitan solo is. I finished watching it now and I have to admit that I had to pause a few times even though I knew he made it okay. It is a film I would highly recommend to anyone to watch. It was filmed by the incredible Jimmy Chin and a team of very experienced climbers. It takes a lot to make me at all nervous watching any film, but this one sure did.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of anyone climbing El Cap in tents.
DeleteI've watched from below, the only good thing is they only look like little dots, so you can (sort of) make their experience a vague abstraction.
You must be confusing tents with Tenzing Norgay.
DeleteTenzing Norgay was not happy with the wages payed him by Sir Edmund Hillary, when they climbed Mount Everest in 1953.
DeleteTenzing complained so often that Edmund finally had to remind him that he was being "payed to scale".
That is correct. Tenzing Norgay wanted higher wages.
DeleteNot sure I could watch that.But will keep a lookout for it.
ReplyDeleteRussia and SHHHHHHHHH
ReplyDeleteChanneling SDB: Do audacious opticians who get too involved in their work make spectacles of themselves?
ReplyDeleteOnly with their close contacts.
DeleteGiven all the puns you folks have been doing lately, does anyone remember the "Tom Swifties" from the 1960's? The only one I can recall is: "I dropped my toothpaste," he said, crestfallen.
ReplyDeleteMy personal favorites were:
Delete"This pizza place is great!" Tom exclaimed saucily, and,
"I love hot dogs," said Tom with relish.
Thanks for your reminder about this great form of wordplay, Clark a pseudonym. The "crestfallen" one and SuperZee's "hot dogs with relish" are also two of my favorites.
DeleteA few others I like:
Don't you love sleeping outdoors," Tom said intently.
"I'm wearing my wedding ring", said Tom with abandon.
"I just swallowed a fishing lure", said Tom with baited breath.
If you want to spend an hour or two smiling, chuckling and occasionally growing here is where you can go.
"I'mAPalOfMr.Peterson"LegoSaidNormally
"Occasionally growing." Yes, that happens many days, Lego ;-).
DeleteAnd let us not forget the (probable) father of them all, "I'm in a hurry," said Tom Swiftly.
Delete"What was Will thinking this week!?", asked Tom quizzically.
Delete"Occasionally groaning!"
DeleteThanks, Word Woman. Without the likes of you and Violin"Tedditor" over on Puzzleria!, My voluminous literary defects would go undetected and uncorrected.
LegoWhoAsAGroanManOughtToKnoeBetter
"I'm a fan of Victor Hugo," said Les, miserably.
Delete"Who knew this was a topic for scholarly research?", asked Tom collegially.
DeleteAlso, check out the acrostic in Sunday's New York Times.
This late in the week, and still no good clue has bubbled out of me. So, I'll just head to work and keep quiet about this one.
ReplyDeleteCurtis, don't forget your keys!
DeleteYeah, I couldn’t even get my rear into the car without those...
DeleteHEINEKEN, MEINEKE
ReplyDelete“Gone fishing” refers to the red star on the HEINEKEN bottle.
>>>
Antares, a red star, is the fifteenth-brightest star in the night sky, and the brightest object in the constellation of Scorpius, also called the fishhook constellation. Distinctly reddish when viewed with the naked eye, Antares is a slow irregular variable star that ranges in brightness from apparent magnitude +0.6 to +1.6.
"Curtis, don't forget your keys!" >>> Meineke >>> Mine a KEY.
Heineken → Meineke
ReplyDeleteAt the end of last week I wrote "Some puzzles grow old, some start out that way." Older, Budweiser.
HEINEKEN, MEINEKE
ReplyDelete> Put a sock in it.
As a muffler.
> The answer appeared in Joseph Young's Puzzleria! within the past few years.
In August, 2017.
> Musical clue: Divertimento for the PianoForte.
By Christopher Meineke (1782-1850), dedicated to C. H. Heineken, Esq.
Christopher Meineke (1782-1850) was organist at St. Paul's Church in Baltimore. One of his publications was "A New Instruction for the Piano Forte."
DeleteIn 1825, one could purchase (at Willig's Music Store on Market Street in Baltimore) Divertimento for the piano forte, with an accompaniment for the violin or flute ad lib, in which are introduced the favorite airs of Pipe de Tabac, Di Tanti Palpiti and the Drunken Sailor or Columbus, dedicated to C.H. Heineken, Esqr., by C. Meineke.
This is one of my all-time favorite hints on Blaine's blog. Bravo, jan!
LegoSays"HeyMr.HeinekenThisMeineke'sForYou!"And"HeyMr.janThisBud'sForYou!"
Heineken > Meineke
ReplyDeleteMy Hint:
“Trump's tweets in response to the Mueller report are a hint to this puzzle.”
The media reported Trump’s tweets right after the Mueller report whitewash report came out and described them as being very unlike his usual tweets, and were referred to as being “muffled.”
HEINEKEN → MEINEKE
ReplyDeleteIf you take the H brand and substitute one letter for the last four letters, you have a far more famous brand name: HEINZ.
And Paul authored the same puzzle. See comments on Lego's Puzzleria of August, 2017!
I was unable to post earlier...
“Damn good puzzle” as in Amsterdam where Heineken is headquartered.
ReplyDeleteThe connection to last week’s puzzle is that there are once again six E’s in the answers.
HEINEKEN, MEINEKE
ReplyDeleteSorry about being late to post. Yesterday, I decided to visit a local park with a 4.7 mile lakeside trail. At about the 2 mile point, the trail was washed out - but I thought, if I was careful, I could just get around the worst of the mud. I was wrong - but muddy or not I finished the walk. By the time I got home, washed the mud out of my shoes and socks, hosed off my jeans, put them in the washer, and showered...I'd totally forgotten it was Blaine Day.
ReplyDeleteIf I hadn't forgotten, here is what I would have posted:
Heineken/Meineke My comment advising against concurrent use of these products, requires no explanation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIf you have 15 minutes to spare you might want to hear an interview one of my brother-in-laws had on PBS several days ago. It is about a book he has written regarding executions at Fort Leavenworth in the late 50's & early 60's ...
ReplyDelete"Between 1955 and 1961, a group of white and black condemned soldiers lived on death row at Fort Leavenworth military prison. Although convicted of equally heinous crimes, all the white soldiers were eventually paroled and returned to their families. The black soldiers were executed. Today, we learn about the disparity in capital punishment, one that was cut strictly along racial lines."
Anyway, it's a good listen, even considering the horrifying subject. The actual interview starts at about the 28:51 mark. Just double click a little bit to get there.
Didn't even suspect that. Thanks 68.
DeleteFrom deathpenaltyinfo.org:
"According to Dwight Sullivan (see above), "While the number of servicemembers under death sentence is fairly small, the racial disparity in military death penalty cases has been distressingly persistent. During World War II, African-Americans accounted for less than 10 percent of the Army. Yet, of the 70 soldiers executed in Europe during the war, 55 [79%] were African-American. After President Truman ordered an end to the armed forces' segregation in 1948, this racial disparity actually increased. The military carried out 12 executions from 1954 until the most recent one in 1961. Eleven of the 12 executed servicemembers were African-American."
BTW, it was on NPR, not PBS.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Elizabeth Warren trying to get rid of the Electoral College when Betsy DeVos is the one who is most known for being against education?
ReplyDeleteDeVos wants the Electoral College to be run as a private for-profit enterprise. Getting closer every day.
Delete...and she could be the recess disappointment.
DeleteThe only person less qualified for their position than Betsy DeVos is the person who nominated her.
DeleteWill Betsy DeVos be competing in the Special Olympics this year?
DeletePerhaps fearless leader needs spiritual help!
Deletejan:
ReplyDeleteIs EXPUNGE a medical term most surgeons would rather we, the public, did not know?
This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Joe Krozel of Creve Coeur, Mo. Name something you see when going to the movies, in two words. Change the sixth letter to an R, and you'll get something you might buy at a grocery, in three words. What things are these?
ReplyDeleteI'll be eating some of this tonight, but it certainly isn't something I'd eat at the movie theater! --Margaret G.
ReplyDeleteIt's frequently sold at certain movie theaters I've been to.
DeleteInteresting... --Margaret G.
DeleteIt's in a highly processed form. Naming the type of movies shown might give it away.
DeletePopcorn in movie theaters isn't universal. I once watched a film in Israel, where sunflower seeds are more commonly eaten. After the lights come on, there are piles of sunflower seed shells on the floor to be swept up.
Delete"More than 1320 responses" this week.
ReplyDeleteGot it. But some things that came to mind:
ReplyDelete- Sticky floors
- Loud people
- Strewn garbage
- Automatic weapons
Of course you got it...
DeleteIt was a snap.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete