I'm pretty sure it's not a Quartermaster in Qatar.Q: Name a profession in 13 letters that is associated with a particular 5-letter country. The letters of that country appear in left-to-right order, although not consecutively, in that profession's name. What is it?
Hint: The profession is a single word.
A: HIEROGLYPHIST --> EGYPT
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.
Careful, Blaine!
DeleteDo you have what you think is the intended answer?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI was wondering how long it would take for our blog administrator.
DeleteI see that the comment of 08:36:00 am was removed by the author. That is conscientious; at least the blog administrator didn't have to do it for you.
DeleteIt didn't come up in my initial Google search. Sorry about that.
DeleteNot sure how you'd use Google for this. I used the Moby list of single words and grep.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePretty sure it is. Please delete your post.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteI have two, but I don't think they're right.
DeleteTry Stipendiarian. I am sure these are common in India.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePretty sure it is.
DeleteGood grief. I thought my answer was too silly to be taken seriously. Maybe not!
ReplyDeleteNobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room.
ReplyDeleteA friend caught cholera when he joined many humanitarians, but I don't think that's the answer.
ReplyDeleteAnd when you hear "sheepshearing", you don't immediately think of Spain, nor does "industrialist" invoke India (my TTFN post at the end of last week's blog referred to Tata).
DeleteI had industrialist, individualist, and indoctrinator in my India collection.
DeleteAnd not HOUSEPAINTERS in SPAIN
DeleteA sherpa is NONEXPENDABLE in NEPAL
Deletejan:
DeleteSpanish Merino wool became such a valuable commodity that up to the 18th century the unauthorised export of Merino sheep was a crime punishable by death. Today, Spanish Merino wool is still regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep.
That'll probably remind Will that it's time to re-run the puzzle that asked us to change one letter in the name of a country to get the name of a (now former) football player.
DeleteYour memory for past puzzles is much better than mine, but who needs to remind Will to re-run a puzzle?
DeleteEver since then, I've always thought of the football player as Serene.
DeleteSeems like one (maybe more) took a pass this week over a clue to this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteCue the music.
DeleteI think this is literally the first time that I get a clue posted here.
DeleteI hope it wasn't mine; as I was driving to a meeting I realized that part of my comment was wrong....
DeleteWW: I like the old 45's.
DeleteWhen visiting Italy could one act viticulturally?
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know someone in this profession?
ReplyDeleteI know many a congratulator from the CONGO.
ReplyDeleteThese are professional congratulators who praise you for not spreading or contracting the Ebola Virus.
DeleteDo they have congresswomen in the Congo?
DeleteNo, Kinshasa and Brazzaville have Parliaments, not Congresses.
DeleteSenator Ève Bazaiba.
DeleteIt took me this long, but I finally have come up with what I am reasonably certain is Will Shortz's intended answer. This is a great puzzle, in my opinion. Fewer than 100 correct entries is my prediction.
ReplyDeleteThere are no intentional hints in this comment.
LegoWhoIsNowFreeToWorkOn"RiffingOffShortz"PuzzlesForNextFriday'sPuzzleria!
The country was recently crossed by a recent topic of discussion here.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid this will be yet again another week of my not getting the puzzle, so I'll take the opportunity to say something to you all. I don't usually blog, but I wanted to say that the great majority of you are not only smart, but more polite than I was expecting having seen how people drop civility when they're anonymous. I'm sorry we can't get together and meet in person. Obviously no clues in this. message.
ReplyDeleteF$%& you, Clark.
Delete(I'm sorry, the setup was just too perfect.
Also, I'm a native New Yorker, so that's just how we say "nice to meet you.")
I cannot top Ben's LOL comment, Clark, so I'll shoot for sincerity...
DeleteI agree with you that we are a pretty polite and bright bunch generally. I believe Blaine gets much of the credit for setting that intelligent and civilized tone. I agree that a get-together would be great... but maybe it's better this way.
LegoWhoAlwaysAppreciatesCommentsPostedByClarkapseudonym
The hail was even more effusive in the real Blainesville this morning and early afternoon.
DeleteProbably a ho-hummer for those who live with real weather, but very unusual around here, especially this late in the year.
I certainly hope it was not miserable in northern CA.
DeleteJust rained in Berkeley. No hail that I know of. Echo might have seen hail though.
DeleteOr heard it. . .;-)
DeleteSaw and heard, it did echo off the roof; I was about 20 miles east of Berkeley, I think in the real Blainesville.
DeleteEcho:I heard it hailed nearby..I think san jose. Were you there?
DeleteI was in Concord; my GPS doesn't include San Jose.
Deleteeco,
DeleteYou are probably right about that, but have you considered the remote possibility that San Jose is rejecting your GPS?
Eco and Natasha, are you affiliated with or did you attend UC Berkeley?
DeleteNope. I've been a guest teacher there but that's it.
DeleteDave, I worked there and took classes there. Have alumni membership. First school was U. of Michigan.
DeleteIT seems to me that Will gave two different puzzles.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if that allows two different answers.
It also seems to me that the on-air players have done really well the last two weeks.
The letters DO NOT appear consecutively, according to WS, which foils my (obvious) answer of EGYPT and EGYPTOLOGISTS.
ReplyDeleteGuess I'll have to sleep on this one.
Read or listen to the challenge.
DeleteEGYPTOLOGISTS could be considered a valid answer (i.e. nonconsecutive letters) if the second T is used in place of the first one.
ReplyDeleteThere is a better answer though. However, depends on how the rule is interpreted. May need a supreme court liberal judge for this puzzle.
DeleteBen,
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised in Brooklyn so I got the East Coast humor...and the horse you rode in on.Everyone on the West Coast is so... NICE!
I have no idea, reading the blog is no help, and I'll probably have no idea if I actually come upon the intended answer. Another week when this whole thing sucks, no thanks to anyone here.
ReplyDeleteIf there are few correct entries, it will be in part because of the infrequent use of the name of this profession. If I am correct on the solution, I visited this country and saw places where one might practice this profession. However, I had never heard the term I am also reasonably certain WS is after.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been there but one of my friend’s has - he’s a chiropractor (that’s only 12 letters!).
DeleteI'd keep that under wraps if I were you, Snip.
DeleteOne of my friends was a lepidopterist, but he flew the coop.
Deletea chimneysweepa. ?Woops two words
DeleteVeggies
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have made CONQUISTADORS work.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing. Also I thought of EKSPLORATIONS (sic), INQUISITION (needs an S and a P).
DeleteAnother not-so-nice possibility for SPAIN:
DeleteDESPOLIATIONS. Putting a letter before EXPLOITATION yields yet another not-so-nice possibility.
Of course, INQUISITION needs also an A along with S and P.
CONQUISTADORS is a capital answer!
DeleteLike! But mine are equally as good.
DeleteI couldn't make La tauromachia work either.
DeleteThe key to the profession is 3500 km northwest.
ReplyDeleteYou are now in Berkeley?
DeleteThere’s nothing quite like the grace and beauty of a SUmo-DANcer
ReplyDeleteor CoaStgUarDsmAN.
Delete14 letters.
DeleteCoaStgUarDmAN
DeleteIs FussySeattler an occupation?
Yes, and filled already.
DeleteThis profession is rarer and weirder than I knew and is tied to another arcane branch of study.
ReplyDeleteBlaine folks will have an advantage over NPR Puzzlers as a whole.
A Google search for the term only gets 17,500 hits.
DeleteIt appears that other solvers are having the same problem I am with this puzzle. There is a great answer that makes it a great puzzle, but I can't find reliable evidence that the profession is actually a word. I did find some unreliable evidence, and I think it deserves to be a word, but is it?
ReplyDeleteAccording to my OED, it's been a word since 1829.
DeleteYou're right; my bad. Yet another reason to mistrust a web search: Make a spelling error, and you get confirmation of your error from erroneous sources.
DeleteMerriam-Webster Dictionary also says it is a word.
DeleteMight this profession possibly involve using a drum set?
ReplyDeleteAn animal lover who looks for ways to honor harsh traditions, mi amigo Matt adores Bullspanking
ReplyDeleteTo honor a colleague and friend who passed away last month, he would profess to being one of the many sWAshbuckLErS and WhALEwatcherS, while having the WhimsicALnESs found in the land of Dylan Thomas.
ReplyDeleteI came up with swashbucklers too. There is a connection with Long John Silver.
DeleteWith over 1100 delicious locations and 1300 delicious calories I'm not surprised. Yum!
DeleteI was thinking of the one with the parrot shit on his shoulder.
DeleteThey call it tartar sauce.
DeleteWith that knowledge I may never enjoy fish and chips again.
DeleteMost consider chips the #2 item.
DeleteGoodbye, Mr. Chips.
DeleteWashington Governor Jay Inslee today signed into law legislation making us the first state in the union permitting human composting. So again I say, Goodbye, Mr. Chips.
DeleteNobody Loses All The Time
DeleteCARTOONS OF THE WEEK !
ReplyDeleteDr. Seuss!
ReplyDeleteIs a male exotic dancer in Guangzhou is known as a Chippendalist?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI really think this post could have waited until the deadline Thursday. I say this because I found this to be a very difficult one to solve, but I did it without any help from lists, but by coining the answer myself.
DeleteI guess I felt some sympathy for those who've put a lot of hard work into this puzzle, only to face nothing but frustration.
DeleteI thought that by mentioning a helpful tool, which STILL requires A LOT OF HARD WORK to find the answer, those that are still willing to put in that hard work may have a sporting chance to have their hard work pay off.
I don't disagree with you at all, but your post is not adhering to the blog conditions in my opinion. Also I would add that for me the enjoyment of solving this very hard puzzle was in doing so without the tools that I tried without success. I found the puzzle very frustrating, but when I finally did solve it by using my thinking alone, I found it lovable.
DeleteAfter the Thursday noon Pacific Time deadline does come, I would greatly appreciate you posting your thought process which got you to the answer without any tools. Had you at least heard of the name of that profession before?
DeleteI had never heard of this word before.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYour secret is safe with me.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly certain I solved it, though the profession seems obscure. I'll be holding out until Thursday afternoon to find out if I was correct.
ReplyDeleteFinally...
ReplyDeleteCould we say that this profession is a dying art?
ReplyDeleteLike batik?
DeleteThanatologist (13 letters) is the word for those in the profession of Thanatology which is indeed a dying art.
DeleteIf you get the chance, watch the 5 part HBO mini-series about "Chernobyl", it's quite a watch.
ReplyDeleteSo is a Rolex, I'm told.
DeleteI meant to add in there, that it was spooky seeing the firemen showing up at the scene of the explosion and not knowing what had actually happened or what they were looking at. Some firemen were picking up pieces of the radioactive core thinking it was kind of "neat looking".
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGiven the high number of removed comments this week, would all of you censored speakers like to come back after the deadline tomorrow and restate what it was that got removed? Those of us who still haven't found the answer might get some satisfaction thinking what might have been if we had only seen what we aren't supposed to see.
ReplyDelete(Previous comment removed for lack of clarity.)
Quote of the day:
ReplyDelete"The truth unquestionably is, that the only path to a subversion of the republican system of the Country is, by flattering the prejudices of the people, and exciting their jealousies and apprehensions, to throw affairs into confusion, and bring on civil commotion. Tired at length of anarchy, or want of government, they may take shelter in the arms of monarchy for repose and security.
Those then, who resist a confirmation of public order, are the true Artificers of monarchy—not that this is the intention of the generality of them. Yet it would not be difficult to lay the finger upon some of their party who may justly be suspected. When a man unprincipled in private life desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper, possessed of considerable talents, having the advantage of military habits—despotic in his ordinary demeanour—known to have scoffed in private at the principles of liberty—when such a man is seen to mount the hobby horse of popularity—to join in the cry of danger to liberty—to take every opportunity of embarrassing the General Government & bringing it under suspicion—to flatter and fall in with all the non sense of the zealots of the day—It may justly be suspected that his object is to throw things into confusion that he may “ride the storm and direct the whirlwind.”"
- Alexander Hamilton, 18 August 1792
Nailed it, didn't he?
DeleteThis weeks answer just came to me like BANG! Lesson learned.
ReplyDeleteSo let it be written, so let it be done.
ReplyDeleteHIEROGLYPHIST, EGYPT
ReplyDelete“Cue the music.” >>> CUNEIFORM
“Veggies” >>> WEDGE Salad
“I certainly hope it was not miserable in northern CA.” MISR is the Arabic name for EGYPT.
HIEROGLYPHIST > EGYPT
ReplyDeleteMOTHERF***ERS > I tried, I really tried, but I just could not make this one work. Sorry.
I wrote in reply to someone who said that the answer was not Egypt, “I am sure the intended answer is not Egypt, but.... I am not going to hunt any more.” This was when respondents here were first citing Egypt, and all such posts got deleted. While HIEROGLYPHIST / EGYPT works just fine, it seemed too frivolous to be the answer; I’ve heard of Egyptologists, of course, and can even think of some names of people in the category, but who knows a hieroglyphist, or even the word? I will enjoy seeing what other, perhaps more substantial, answers people have come up with.
ReplyDeleteHIEROGLYPHIST (EGYPT)
ReplyDelete> Musical clue: Walk This Way
I’m surprised Blaine deleted this. I didn’t say “like an Egyptian”.
> The country was recently crossed by a recent topic of discussion here.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group traversed Egypt via the Suez canal last week, enroute from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. (I’ve always thought it must drive them crazy to be stuck in the canal like that, unable to maneuver or launch planes. Any current/former Navy people able to confirm that?)
> The key to the profession is 3500 km northwest.
The Rosetta Stone is on display at the British Museum in London.
> Dr. Seuss!
One of Theodor Geisel's other pen names was Rosetta Stone, used for Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo!!, in honor of his wife, Audrey Stone.
Good thing you didn't link to this song.
DeleteHiEroGlYPhisT
ReplyDeleteSeems like one (maybe more) took a pass this week over a clue to this puzzle. Architect I.M. Pei passed away last week, the Pyramid entrance over the underground Louvre is perhaps his most famous work. I misremembered the Rosetta Stone (the clue to solving hieroglyphics) as being in the Louvre; while Napolean's army originally brought the translation of hieroglyphics to France, it was surrendered to the British in 1802, and is in the British Museum.
WW: I like the old 45's. The Rosetta Stone is 45" tall.
Ah, the granodiorite of the Rosetta Stone: be still my heart!
DeleteThe Rosetta Stone's okay, but Plymouth Rock, in my soon-to-be home state, is also a grandiorite. A much bigger one, too.
Delete^granOdiorite^
Deletejan, I enjoyed that, though I was hoping for more geology. You say Plymouth, I say Plimoth?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBy stepping off their boat onto Plymouth Rock, did they Dodge getting their feet wet in the surf?
DeleteNo, but they could Ford the rest of the way.
DeleteDid Tesla provide the lighting?
Delete.....so they wouldn't fall and Nash their teeth.
DeleteDo you only do this when you have an AUDIence?
DeleteWell I've always been a Rambler and it is my Fiat plus they all have Maybach.
DeleteIt's our Civic duty to be in Accord on this.
DeleteI think it is our Triumph.
DeleteTriumph? "Both the Arabic name Rašīd (meaning "guide") and the western name Rosetta or Rosette ("little rose" in Italian and French respectively) are corruptions (or folk etymologies) of a Coptic toponym, Trashit!"
DeleteThis is now giving me the Willys.
DeleteJan: looks more like a Plymouth pebble! Now here's a chunk of granodiorite, and it'll be even bigger when they finish the other half!
DeleteAt lease it's Half Done.
DeleteHeh, I thought you were getting at Passover in your clue to point to Egypt...
DeleteMy clue included BANGLES.
ReplyDeleteMy post showing Keith Moon on a drum set was a play on words of someone using cymbals / symbols as part of their profession.
ReplyDeleteMy reference to my friend the chiropractor was a reference to “Cairo”practor to clue for Egypt.
ReplyDeleteThe answer I mailed in was QATAR/QUARTERMASTER. It is likely not an acceptable alternative answer, although one could argue (as the puzzle's wording stipulates) that quartermasters are "associated with a particular 5-letter country" named Qatar.
ReplyDeleteAnyway NPR did not call me and, if they had, I would have politely declined their offer.
LegoWhoDoesNotNeedToAppearAstheNPRForTheFouthTimeToProveWhatALousyONAirPlayerHeIs!
Sounds like a nightmare.
DeleteHIEROGLYPHIST → EGYPT.
ReplyDeleteSee: HIEROGLYPHIST.
Jan's early post suggested that EGYPT was the 5-letter country... which led me to the answer last Sunday.
[Unable to post earlier]
Nobody tried PETROGLYPHIST ?
DeleteAfter I realized Will wanted hieroglyphist, a term I don't think I had never heard, some searching turned up the website for The Society for Emblem Studies (Google 'em).
ReplyDeleteIt had an issue in June, 2015 on a "Hieroglyphist Prejudice Conference."
Emblems and symbolism have a arcane relationship to hieroglyphics. Emblems represent a whole new world to me.
I wonder where this puzzle came from.
The reason I thought that hieroglyphist might not be a word is that I stupidly searched the web for "heiroglyphist." This took me to the lyrics to a song called "Ancient People" by Damian Marley and Nas, but not much else. I figured that, okay, I could coin that term if they could, but I couldn't shake the solver's remorse. After replies from Jan and WW1 inspired me to try an actual dictionary, I discovered that there was no such word as "heiroglyphics" either. My solver's remorse then became mere shame.
ReplyDeleteLancek, shall we henceforth call you heir to the throne? No shame needed, btw.
DeleteDecided to weigh in on this (just to be neighborly).
DeleteHieroglyphist --> Egypt. My clue was about "holding out until Thursday," like the song "Holding Out for a Hero," or in this case, a "hiero..."
ReplyDeleteI solved this Wednesday, thanks to hints on Sunday that were later removed (Blaine, Jan, Ron). Keep up the good work.I saw the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum many years ago. A memory that is still fresh.
ReplyDeleteI felt a little clueless last week. I did not even know the Rosetta stone is a granordirite??
Deleteoe whatever it is or its function other than the program I bought on line for 200 dollars for immersion Spanish. I guess that early Sunday is a good time to look for things?
I was thinking of posting just "67P", but even that minimal a clue would have been a giveaway.
DeleteIf you say so. I can see there are some right smart folks on this site and a person might get edukeeted if they visited here more than once.
DeleteStudies of ancient hieroglyphics reveal that Donald Trump and his wall were predicted centuries ago.
ReplyDeleteLego might have something to say about that.
DeleteIt's difficult to see how hiEroGlYPhist can work,given the instruction that the letters in the name of the country are not sequential. since YP are. If you can allow two, why not two or three? Is the PM bending the rules again?
ReplyDeleteD.E.
With all due respect, D.E., might you be bending the rules in an attempt to oust the PM?
DeleteThere is nothing rong with how the puzzle is stated. We all know what it meant.
DeleteAll ambiguity would be eliminated if the word "all" were placed immediately before "consecutively" in the clue.
DeleteIt just seems there is ambiguity in the clue -- much better if it had been worded "the letters of the country are not necesseriy consecutive." I thought there should be at least one other letter between the ones in the country.
DeleteAnd heaven forfend I'd ever even consider ousting the PM! He's been there too long!
D.E.
While I in no way agree with you that the puzzle this week is in any way misstated, I do agree that, "He's been there too long!"
DeleteI wonder if Donald Trump will partake in any of the sports offered to him while in Japan this weekend?
ReplyDeleteWell I heard he was going to be not only an observer of the sumo wrestling this evening, but was also going to compete. Then they realized no one sues mo' than Tramp and it was cancelled.
DeleteMy understanding is that the first woman to fall from grace was Eileen Dover Tuffar.
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean Eileen Dover Tuffart?
DeleteI get your drift, but that is ghastly! You are a Truffaut.
DeleteAnother Lego puzzle this week!
ReplyDeleteThis week's challenge is not so hard. It comes from Joseph Young of St. Cloud, Minn. Take a common English word in 3 letters. Translate it into French — also 3 letters. (The French word is one everyone knows.) And between them these two words consist of 6 different vowels and no consonants. What words are these?
Two different English words work.
DeleteNot really. With the English rules of words specific to this challenge. As a Neuhaus reading teacher, I would argue, "Not really."
DeleteReally?
DeleteMe thinks that second answer is really four letters ending in "h".
DeleteTwo unintentional(?) hints were heard in Will's on-air delivery.
ReplyDeleteSounds about right.
ReplyDeleteToo (two?) easy
ReplyDeleteRight. I believe it's so easy that we got it in 2 minutes. I vowel to find that 2nd English word.
ReplyDelete215 correct answers last week, BTW. Will mentioned industrialist/India, sheepshearing/Spain, and quartermaster/Qatar, but rejected them all.
ReplyDeleteFrescopainter- Spain. Another botched puzzle
ReplyDelete