I got stuck on "beer gut" but I should have used the resources at hand sooner.Q: Think of an informal term for part of the human body that consists of two alcoholic beverages, one after the other. What is it?
A: NOG + GIN = NOGGIN
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.
This answer will be sure to lift your spirits after the holidays.
ReplyDeleteBeer gut? And there I thought it was Fuzzy Navel!
ReplyDeleteTMI?
ReplyDeleteEasy. Doesn't require any elaborate thought...
ReplyDeleteWe are now thinking of either Monday, June 15, or Tuesday, June 16 (slight preference for the 16th but we can make either day work.) Show of hands as to whether there is a strong preference for 6/15 or 6/16 to meet in Brewster, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Time, TBD. Mid to late morning? Lunchtime? Evening? Both days are wide open at the moment.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting some of you!
I vote for lunch on Tuesday, 6/16, but other days and times can work, too.
DeleteJan - That's exactly what I was about to post!
DeleteIs this a meeting of people on Blaine's Blog? Can I please come? Could the meeting be on a weekend? I would love to come to meet some of the people on this website. Thank you.
DeleteYes, everyone is invited!
DeleteThe way my time East is working out, I will likely have both June 13/14 and 20/21 booked up. There is still a small possibility that the 20th might work; I will let you know.
I know for certain the 15th/16th will work at this juncture.
So, it sounds like lunchtime on Tuesday, 6/16, may be our best option. Does that sound good?
I propose we gather on the benches in front of the Brewster General Store at 11 a.m. that day, 6/16.
We can then figure out a lunch place. I will scope that out when I'm there.
If we are going to be lots of folks, I may make a lunch reservation somewhere in Brewster.
Details to follow.
And, anyone can make plans to meet-up on a weekend. I likely cannot be there this time, but you and others may, of course, meet up any time. . .
Perhaps, with enough notice, you can plan a day off on Cape.
We could pick up a sandwich on the way, in Sandwich. Unless it's a ham sandwich, 'cause Sandwich is west of Brewster, but there's no Westham, only Eastham, to the east, of course.
DeleteYes, haha...and seriously, folks, we could easily also bring sandwiches/whatever to eat on the benches.
DeleteMake my sandwich lobster, please.
jan, Am I getting it wrong here? Aren't you supposed to end up in deep doo doo one day in the future should you consume a ham sandwich? Oh, and if so, I will gladly provide a positive reference and beg for leniency. I mean, come on, it's only a friggin' sandwich.
DeleteWW, we have made tentative plans to be in Brewster on the 15th and 16th. Lunch on the 16th would be great. Looking forward to meeting you in person.
DeleteWonderful news, Lorenzo! I am looking forward to it as well.
DeleteMy mom suggested this place in Brewster:
Deletehttp://www.jt-seafood.com/
It has indoor and outdoor seating.
Open to other suggestions, too.
I intend to eat seafood at every meal while on Cape.
SDB, I have no problem with ham sandwiches. I used to be a vegetarian, and ate only vegetables. Now, I'm a humanitarian.
Delete... and you need to brush up on your digestive physiology: If I consume a ham sandwich, it's the ham sandwich that ends up in the doo doo.
Deletejan,
DeleteI suspected you do not follow that kind of nonsense. I have no such restrictions, but do not enjoy ham sandwiches. Also, being a logical thinker, (yes, even though I have a different take on some things than you) I have long argued that I am a vegetarian because I subscribe to the theory that we are what we eat, and I eat cows, and cows eat grass, and therefor cows are vegetable. I may be wrong about this, but I do love the argument.
SDB - The decision to observe, or to not observe, the dietary rules and traditions of one’s faith is a highly personal one, as is the decision to wear or not wear traditional garb. As members of a multicultural society, it is important that we respect these decisions, and their underlying traditions.
DeleteReferring to any of them as, “nonsense,” is inconsistent with the spirit, and camaraderie of Blainesville.
SZ.
DeleteYou certainly do have a point. I did not post that in order to cause a problem, but I don't see why we all have to pretend we accept ridiculous beliefs when we don't. If we cannot discuss these things, then how will we evolve? I find these kinds of blind beliefs in all religions and society in general. I know we are expected to not say anything about these things, but I would ask you how you think this policy is working? I don't think it works at all. I realize I am swimming against the tide with this attitude, but I think it must be done if we are to evolve as a species.
Following my own rule, I will neither denigrate you, nor your beliefs. I simply ask that we treat our differences with respect.
DeleteIf religion, vegetarianism, yoga, body building, Tae Chi, classical music, or stamp collecting, brings a person joy, and helps that person live a more fulfilling life, I say bravo. They may or not be my choices, but I respect every individual’s right to their choices. All I ask is that we all treat everyone’s else’s choices with the same respect we wish for our own.
There is a sign, proudly posted in my front yard, which reads:
Love your Neighbor
who doesn't
Look like you,
Think like you,
Love like you,
Speak like you,
Pray like you,
Vote like you.
Love your Neighbor
No exceptions p.
Got it?
While I grew up in a Seattle that was highly segregated, it has now changed, and my neighborhood is populated with many nationalities and religions, and I love this diversity, but I still do not consider it to be rude or disrespectful to joke about what seems strange and humorous or not to want to discuss these things. Most people today still believe we get colds from the cold, when we have known for a very long time that colds are contracted via viruses. I see this in my everyday life and also frequently in movies. I do not respect this kind of ignorance and am not reluctant to express my dismay at those who refuse to wake up to reality. I do respect their right to believe whatever they want, but it should be acceptable for us to challenge their outdated, and disproven, belief. It has always seemed to me that the majority feels they have the right to insist we respect their outmoded thinking and be silent.
DeleteThere are aspects of religious belief that I, personally, disagree with...while finding comfort in aspects of the rituals and law.
DeleteWhether or not one believes the Ten Commandments were handed to Moses at Sinai, does not impact the wisdom of building a society where killing, stealing, lying, and committing adultery are shunned, and taking a day off every week to recharge, and honoring ones parents is encouraged. In the world I hope to leave to my children, an individual may accept or reject the concept of a Supreme Being, but still earn respect for living an honorable, ethical life.
A person who stops what he or she is doing, to help a stranger change a flat tire, is doing something good, regardless of why.
If an individual finds the discipline of keeping kosher, or only eating halal foods, helpful, I’m ok with it. I may, or may not, do the same, but I will neither denigrate the individual nor the practice.
Personally, I'm a non-observant Jew who eats shellfish like it's nobody's business. I base my diet on health and what I like to eat, and with no reverence for dietary traditions.
Delete(I'm also unable to attend the June "Manifest Blainesville" weekend, but even the idea of a trip to Brewster makes me long for the Lobster Rolls at Arnold's in Eastham.)
I'm also an oddball in that I don't eat meat or chicken, yet I cook meat and chicken every day. My family likes.
Why am I typing all of this here? Because I have a distinct lack of faith in anything, really, but also a reverence for Jewish spiritual practice, and especially Jewish music, and I play bass behind my Temple's choir.
And, in that, there's my clue to this week's puzzle.
Oh, by the way, to get my clue, you have to read it backwards. (Cause I'm sneaky like that.)
Deletesdb, describing Jewish traditions as "nonsense" and "ignorant" is offensive to me, an ally to Jewish people.
DeleteConflating scientific research on colds and viruses with these traditions and practices is comparing apples to oranges.
Practice what you will, as long as you are not hurting others along the way. . .
WW,
DeleteWhile I respect your right to your opinion, I would expect the same consideration in return. I have a right to my opinion that all humans and all religions are full of nonsense and ignorance as well as more positive beliefs, and I reserve the right to express my opinions. I was not attacking anyone's religion or any person, and to accuse me of hurting someone by what I said is absurd.
"I suspected you do not follow that kind of nonsense." Because it does not make sense to you does not mean it does not make sense to others.
DeleteI stand by my original statement.
I did not make any statement saying ridiculous beliefs and traditions do not make sense to others.
DeleteAs a Jew so far from perfect that I don't even practice, I posit that the kosher diet actually made sense when it was created. In fact it was pretty good public health policy:
Delete- pigs can carry a variety of diseases, including trichinosis. Camels are also not kosher, which may also indicate their value in the desert. Plus they're good smokes. I suspect Muslims came to similar conclusions.
- birds of prey might be bio-accumulators, and thus potentially hazardous.
- a ban on shellfish, which are bottom feeders, often near river outlets, makes a lot of sense for people who don't have sewage treatment facilities. I say no more.
- never figured out the ban on meat and cheese at the same time, except Jews have pretty lame digestive systems, and maybe it was to preserve the peace and scents of dignity.
That is interesting to me because many years back I used to say that I suspected the Jewish ban on pork was probably a common sense rule at the time it was decreed because of trichinosis. However, one day a practicing Jew informed me that that was not the case at all, which surprised me, but I do not remember what his argument was for the decree. I still suspect that I was at least partially right.
DeleteMaybe it's a litter problem, but not the kind you're thinking.
DeleteThou shalt not litter! The eleventh commandment?
DeleteIt always comes down to sex when religion is involved, doesn't it?
Did you know that litters are sometimes used in mountaineering rescues?
I guess according to that essay Yahweh wasn't opposed to a little pork now and then as long as it was first born, of course.
Many of the rules of kashrut are understood as being based on ethical considerations.
DeleteNot mixing meat and dairy follows from the idea one should not eat the flesh of a calf while consuming the milk it’s mother would have used to nourish it. (The prohibition on eating poultry with dairy is a relatively, “modern,” interpretation, based on the potential confusion allowing such mixtures might cause.)
We are not allowed to collect eggs from a nest within sight of the hen, as seeing her eggs taken is cruel to the hen.
The rules of kosher slaughter, which are paralleled by the rules for halal slaughter, require the animal to be killed as quickly, and painlessly as possible.
These ethical considerations are timeless. No amount of sanitization, or antibiotic treatment, intended to minimize the risk of disease transmission, trumps these considerations.
The power of keeping kosher comes from the mental discipline it enforces. A kosher keeper is reminded, three times a day, that there are limits to acceptable behavior. If you remember that there are rules governing what you can eat, it is easier to remember that there are rules about what you can do.
It also elevates the simple act of eating from an animal act, to a thoughtful, human, deliberate act. A dog cares not where it’s food came from. Keeping kosher requires one to consider where your food came from, and at what cost. If the meal you are about to eat, required the taking of a life, eating it should require some level of thought and deliberation.
So I guess it always comes down to thoughtfulness.
DeleteRepeat one of the letters in the word, and put it at the end of the word. You get an architectural term.
ReplyDeleteI actually solved this before Will finished announcing it on air, and I gave my better half a clue that's probably TMI for this brainy crowd.
ReplyDeleteI can see where this puzzle and the comments are heading, but what typically ails me most is the frequent tendency of bloggers to whine about the weekly challenge. Can’t wait for next week’s new delivery from Will.
ReplyDeleteI too expect the ongoing series of complaints about easy puzzles to continue this week.
DeletePlace two other alcoholic beverages side by side. Change one letter in the one on the left and stir it a bit. Leave the other one "neat". The result is another informal term for a part of the human body.
ReplyDeleteI almost forgot to give the answer! Ward's comment below reminded me.
DeleteMEAD RUM > EARDRUM
Suggested puzzle: Name an alcoholic beverage that is a homophone for the first three words of a famous novel/movie.
ReplyDeleteAdd watermelon cubes, a slice of jalapeño, lime juice and agave syrup, and you've got the whole title.
Deletejan: LOl!
DeleteNo matter how dark, remember that the sun also rises.
DeleteWhen I was growing up my parents were not always sure the son always rises.
DeleteYour handle suggests falling rather than rising.
DeleteIs the last part of the title also the name of a song recorded by a husband and wife who teamed up for it, but are both known as solo artists in their own right?
DeleteHere's to you, Natasha!
DeleteThe trouble with this puzzle is that one of the beverages is not necessarily alcoholic.
ReplyDeleteMy six pack?
ReplyDeleteI could not get to sleep last night which caused me to coin what I think is my best puzzle in a long tine. It by coincidence is a similar construct to this week's NPR puzzle. I made it up prior to this week's puzzle being published though, so it is not a riffoff. Some may get the answer easily, but others won't. Please do not post the answer until the Thursday deadline. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSay the surnames of two world leaders out loud and you will have phonetically named a food associated with one of their countries. Who are the leaders, and what is the food?
Diver of Skies,
DeleteBecause it is your "best puzzle in a long tine," I am assuming that the food associated with one of the countries can be eaten with a fork?
LegoWhoEnjoysFoodsFlorentine
It can.
DeleteAnd I did proofread that first before I hit Publish. Damn spellchecker.
DeleteAre you referring to the Auto-Mangle?
DeleteDo you mean Auto-corrupt?
DeleteDo the countries share a border?
DeleteThat is a good question, jan.
DeleteThat isn't a good answer, SDB.
DeleteDepending on one's point of view, of course.
DeleteIs this a food that NASA struggled to adapt to spaceflight?
Deletejan,
DeleteI think you are on to something here. I did not know that before though. Did you enjoy the puzzle?
Yes, though I'm not sure the pronunciation of the second world leader's name matches the corresponding syllable of the food.
DeleteIt matches perfectly here where I live and it is the way they pronounce it here.
DeleteThey? The phoneme in question belongs to the leader of one country and the food of the other, yes? And neither country includes Seattle. Wikipedia says the phonemes are different.
DeleteI haven't heard it pronounced that way, and I worked for a guy from that country once. Close enough either way, I would say. Congratulations for solving it!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deletesdb - believe I also have the answer, but have the same issue as noted by jan above with that syllable.
DeleteIMO there is also an alternate answer with either (1) a nearly-neighboring; or (2) a non-neighboring country to the larger country in the intended answer. Alternate solutions (1) and (2) (with the same "larger" country) have the same syllables, hence the same food. The leader of country (2) might say that his country borders the larger country but de facto it does not.
Finally there is a "near-miss" with a distant country and the same "large" country that misses only an 'S' at the end to name yet another food that is popular in yet a third country.
TMI?
I thought there might be a second answer. Not TMI.
DeleteCorrection, end of 2nd paragraph: "...The leader of country (1) might say..." [correction from (2)]
Deletejan, I just now did a little exploration on the pronunciation and I found both yours and mine. Maybe it is like so many of our words which we cannot agree on the pronunciation of, and then, perhaps it is my long standing hearing problem. Anyway both are very close.
DeleteOn a more profane note, you can also think of an alcoholic beverage that consists of two informal terms for parts of the human body, one after the other.
ReplyDeleteBellini?
Delete"Belly, Knee"
More profane.
DeleteLancek - I think of that term as more describing a class of beverage than any specific beverage.
DeleteTrue enough, SuperZee, although the same could be said about one of Will's beverages.
DeleteSchmear and now. . . . this one. Another word learned. Fewer gaps in my lexicon, Rob. Lots of bootleg education on this blog.
ReplyDeleteI began my morning, like most Sunday's, working on-line puzzles and waiting for Will's puzzle. On hearing it, I did a mental inventory of my liquor cabinet and the contents of my (home-brewed) wine and beer collection. No joy.
ReplyDeleteSince it was too cold to enjoy walking outdoors, I headed downstairs, lifted weights and did an hour of aerobic exercise - hoping the increased blood flow would help. It didn't.
I headed for the showers. As I was shaving, the answer hit me. Facepalm time!
Sdb: Had to reread to find that. By the way, Congratulations! I gave up.
ReplyDeleteNatasha,
DeleteDo you mean you have already given up on the puzzle I just posted above? I hope you work on it again, because you will love the answer, and it should not be too hard to solve.
Sdb, I gave up last week. I considered JT last week but used only first letters of name and discarded. May try today's
DeleteThis is the third one I've gotten in a row. Prior to that I'd missed 3 in a row. So I'm batting 500. The thing that's most aggravating for me is when I can't seem to get one that you all say is easy. Fortunately, I'm not in that spot this week. Think about it. I don't like feeling like a loser! Do you?
ReplyDeleteSo wrap that around your brains.
So try mine above. It should be easy if you know your world leaders.
DeleteI don't know what kind of food a trumpootin is but it makes my stomach turn!
DeleteBefore I got up this morning, and was thinking of how best to present my new puzzle, I thought of giving PootinTrump as an example. Later, when I saw today's NPR puzzle, I realized I would not need to give an example, as both puzzles work the same way. TrumpPootin kinda sounds like a Canadian food, wouldn't you say?
DeleteClark, I know exactly how you feel. There have been many that I couldn't get right away, and then you read this blog and they're all acting so coy about it because they got it so damn fast. But if and when you finally solve it, you feel a lot better. And some of their comments actually start to make sense, too.
DeleteTV Clue: Sesame Street and the Electric Company
Deacon Blues" Steely DAn.
DeleteClark AP, just remember that (as far as I know) Blaine has never played on the air. That's BLAINE I'm talking about!
DeleteHe faithfully posts the puzzle each week, hints at the solution, yet has never gotten the call.
So you have to have faith, somehow.
I am pretty sure that Blaine posted in the past that he does not submit answers to the Puzzle.
DeleteI very occasionally submit an answer just to make sure Shortz has it in front of him to ignore. I avoid "the call" in those cases by using a false phone number.
I think Blaine has said he does submit, though as I recall once he (and the rest of us) learned that the selection is by random time, not random entry, he changed his habit of submitting early Sunday morning. I recall he mentioned that a few weeks ago, though I might be conflating that with the "Night of the Long Eucalyptus Branches."
DeleteI can honestly say I never submit (plenty of dictionaries, no interest in Sudoku books) except occasionally on creative challenges.
I used this body part a lot today.
ReplyDeleteI used my noggin to solve this puzzle.
DeleteYou were in church sitting? I also came across Euretha Franklin-don't ask me where.
ReplyDeleteThursday is my birthday! I just solved and submitted. Wish me luck!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone notice how the host: Sarah McCammon seemed to get next weeks answer almost instantaneously? And then gave a giveaway hint at the end?
ReplyDeleteJim: I just listened to it again and heard the clue. Did not recognize it as a clue until I solved the puzzle and read your post. TKS.
DeleteIt may be too early to celebrate, but supposedly Mike Pompeo will not be running for the soon to be open U.S. Senate seat in Kansas. I will be keeping a close eye on this especially as the election season grows nearer.
ReplyDeleteEco...the meat and cheese things has to do with eating a mother and then eating the mother’s milk, ie., could be her young. What always got me was how eggs are considered parve!
ReplyDeleteEggs? What about fish?!?!
DeleteJan-the practice of separating meat and dairy comes from the Torah’s prohibition in seething a kid in its mother’s milk. As poultry does not produce milk, the question of whether it can be eaten with milk has long been a subject of rabbinic debate. The Mishnah, (C 220 CE) records the disagreement and notes different communities observed different practices. By the time of the Babylonian Talmud, the practice of not eating poultry with dairy had become dominant. The Shulchan Orech (1586?) codifies the restriction while noting it is a rabbinic rule.
DeleteAs to fish. Traditionally, quadrupeds and poultry were considered of the land, and fish of the sea, which justified why there are no rules governing how fish are to be slaughtered. They are merely gathered. As such, the prohibition on mixing meat and dairy has not historically been applied to fish.
At the same time, there is a school of thought that says that if there was a Sanhedrin today, it would likely follow the vegetarian convention and rule that fish is meat, and that it can no longer be mixed with dairy. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy my McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish.
Ah, but marit ayin says don't be seen eating something out of a McDonald's wrapper.
DeleteAnd don't argue halakha with an atheist.
I hope my tone was informative, not argumentative.
DeleteAs to atheism, I categorize myself as an observant agnostic. I enjoy many of the traditions and practices of Judaism, while considering Genesis stories of creation, and the patriarchs, cultural myths.
What I am totally fascinated by is how Torah became a framework for so much of Civil Law, and how these practices evolved through Mishnah and the Talmud.
And, as I have said elsewhere in this series of exchanges, I make no judgements about other people’s beliefs. What religion, if any, one practices is far less important to me than what one does and how one treats his or her neighbors.
Shalom
You sent me to look up "Halakha" which "is often translated as "Jewish Law", although a more literal translation might be "the way to behave" or "the way of walking". The word derives from the root that means "to behave" (also "to go" or "to walk"). Halakha guides not only religious practices and beliefs, but also numerous aspects of day-to-day life."
DeleteAnd that led me to this article:
https://www.thejc.com/culture/music/the-batmitzvah-girl-who-walked-like-an-egyptian-1.18911
I've been to the bar mitzvah of two young men and the bat mitzvah of one young woman. I've enjoyed several Passover and Hannukah rituals. I sat Shiva for my son's best friend's grandfather.
Each ceremony was deeply rich in meaning and connection. Every ritual was soothingly intentional and we felt very included.
The words of Ram Dass "We are all just walking each other home" fit well with this "way of walking," yes?
Joe - only unfertilized eggs are kosher and parve, as their consumption does not entail the taking of a life. (Same as any fruit.) An egg with a blood spot (fertilized) is not kosher. An unlayed egg, as one might find inside the body of a slaughtered hen, is considered meat as it can only be obtained from the body of an killed animal.
ReplyDeleteI remember one day in the lunchroom in junior high and my friend, sitting across from me, cracked open the hard boiled egg his mom had put in his lunch sack, and it turned out be be a chicken fetus. Needless to say, none of us wanted a bite.
DeleteFor Colorado Folks:
ReplyDeleteJews do the Trinity
Very cool.
DeleteAll the 8th Graders turn a shade of Soylent Green, sdb?
ReplyDeleteGB,
DeleteThe book came out in 1966, and the movie in 173. I was in jr. high in the 1950's. Therefore we were unaware of Soylent Green, and ignorance was bliss, as we went about our lives unaware there was a Soylent Green plant only about 12 miles away. We just didn't know.
I wish Will Shortz would give his millions of listeners more care in his preparation.
ReplyDeleteIt has been pointed out that one beverage is not necessarily alcoholic, but not that the other needs a never-used pronunciation.
...no matter drunk one might be.
DeleteAh, the good old days. Back in school, a few lifetimes ago, there was a fellow who everyone could tell was drunk because he would begin reciting The Cremation of Sam McGee - to prove he wasn't drunk.
ReplyDeleteMy parents had a friend who was a roaring drunk and lost everything he had including his family. He turned up a few years later looking for a "loan," which my parents were smart enough not to give, but he too could recite that poem.
DeleteThere is no such thing as a co-inky-dink.
ReplyDeleteI hope there are cooler heads in the White House tonight!
ReplyDeleteOn the down side, we're at war in 4 adjoining countries, spanning over 2000 miles and with a combined population of 180 million people.
DeleteOn the bright side, we won't have to worry about crossing borders any more.
Vladimir is popping the good vodka tonight.
Just heard "Vlady" is in Syria tonight!
DeleteBonus Puzzle (did you miss me?):
ReplyDeleteSay the brand name of a product you might see in the grocery story. Say it again and it is the name of an actor (male or female, we're not gender specific here) recently in the news. Hint: the two names have no etymological linkages, but they are homophones.
Maybe this is too easy, maybe not. I haven't been paying attention. Clues welcome, no shout outs until Thursday 12 noon PST.
And of course that's grocery store. No spellcheck, just fingers wandering aimlessle.
DeleteSchit! I wuz going to slamb you ovur the koals, butt you beet me two it.
DeleteWell, with the not unexpected turn of events, I am frightened out of my mind because, while I thought I knew where I had put it, I cannot locate my entrenching tool. How am I going to protect myself from the noocUlar wholeocost Trump is now about to initiate?
ReplyDeleteIf there are enough shovels to go around, everybody’s going to make it.
DeleteAt least he was shovel ready.
DeleteReminds me of the bumper sticker "So many idiots. So few comets."
If it weren't for Mr. Jones one of my favorite books might never have existed.
DeleteI was on the board of the publishing organization for 20 years, we also had rubber stamps that architects could affix to their drawings that read "Not Designed to Withstand a Nuclear Blast"
DeleteNEW YEARS CARTOONS!
ReplyDeleteI hope Trump doesn't end the world. According to the climate change people, we're supposed to have just another ten years before that happens.
ReplyDeletesplanchnic!
ReplyDeleteSo you subscribe to A.WORD.A.DAY also
DeleteI do.
DeleteI promised my girlfriend I'd take her to a nice Italian restaurant if I got on the air.
ReplyDeleteMaybe have a chianti or two.
DeleteWait until after the recording, or it could be a fiasco...
DeleteAt the restaurant, I might get noodles, a synonym for NOGGIN.
DeleteBut i didn't get the call.
(That straw basket that Chianti bottles come in is called a fiasco.)
DeleteFiasco actually comes from the Italian word for flask/ bottle. My unchecked understanding is the word was derived from mistakes in glass blowing, as in they blew that bottle.
DeleteOne drink I loved when I was younger, but hate it now, and the other is always good on a hot day.
ReplyDeleteI gag when I even smell egg nog nowadays, but give me a gin and tonic any day of the week.
DeleteOne quick thought -- no clues here, just a note posted to the Blainesville Municipality:
ReplyDeleteThis is not meant to take away from the proposed meeting in Brewster MA. Honestly, I wish I could make it but have a family commitment that weekend that precludes travel.
But I saw a show this past Friday called THE ENIGMATIST. It is a combination magic show / puzzle fest / mentalist performance / live crossword puzzle construction by DAVID KWONG, who constructs puzzles for Will Shortz and the NYT and is also famous for having been the "magic consultant" for the "Now You See Me" movies, among others.
It's a good show and I enjoyed it. True to form, you have to solve four puzzles in the lobby before you are even admitted to the show. They come in handy later.
Anyway, I spoke to DAVID KWONG after the show and he didn't know about Blainesville. But he is doing the show in Los Angeles starting next summer. And he said if we assembled a group to go, he would consider inviting us all to the Magic Castle while we are out there.
I'm not in Los Angeles, but maybe that gathering might sate the West Coast folk? Just a thought.
Here is a review of the NYC Enigmatist, which I think closes this weekend (ignore the first two shows on the list, which are less for the puzzle inclined):
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/theater/the-illusionists-enigmatist-speakeasy-magick.html
Ben – Thanks for the suggestion. David Kwong and his show sound fascinating and a visit to the Magic Castle is always fun. Tell us more on how to follow up on Kwong’s offer. If the group need a Los Angeles local to work out the details, Janice and I would be glad help make it happen.
DeleteYes, it is intriguing. I may be interested if it were in June or early July 2021. Otherwise, my schedule is too hectic right now.
DeleteI think the show runs continuously from May 5th to June 14 in 2020.
DeleteOkay to talk politics freely, but be careful when you bring up religion. I lean toward SDB's way of thinking, but I don't think confronting peoples beliefs ever gets anything done. If you die and go to heaven, can you look down and see your loved ones? Can you also see the environmental destruction, the starvation, the senseless killing? How is that heaven?
ReplyDeleteI am gonna go have a cheeseburger and a beer. (Too early for a stiffer drink.)
Well it is 5p.m. somewhere. Guinness usually has a nice head on it, unlike either of these.
ReplyDeleteNog-+gin = noggin
DeleteNOGGIN-->NOG + GIN
ReplyDeleteI really did solve this before Will was finished, but when my better half seemed stumped, I suggested to her, "Use your head," the clue I only alluded to in my post without elaborating because, as I mentioned then, it would be TMI for this "brainy"--my actual clue and not too oblique, either--group.
P.S. I'm probably going to be in Boston in early to mid-June and I'd like to join the June Brewster gathering, but given my obligations at that time I don't think I'd be able to make it to Brewster. Any chance of Blaine folks maybe getting together in Beantown?
I live in Cambridge, so, sure.
DeleteGreat. I'll provide the specific dates when I know them.
DeleteNOGGIN >>> NOG & GIN
ReplyDeleteI wrote, “Repeat one of the letters in the word, and put it at the end of the word. You get an architectural term.” That’s nogging, brickwork that fills in between wooden framing.
ReplyDeleteNOGGIN (head) → NOG (See Def. 2) + GIN.
ReplyDelete“USING YOUR NOGGIN” to solve this one!
I was reminded of a holiday visit, many years ago, to the home of a family friend, at which two types of eggnog were offered. I was too young at the time for the "spiked" variety, so I had the "spiced" instead.
ReplyDeleteI also note that gin is typically flavored with juniper berries, and ginger ale is a "soft drink".
I've never heard of "kider".
noggin
ReplyDeleteBonus Answer: Aqua Fina → Awkwafina aka Nora Lum, the first Asian-American woman to win a Golden Globe for best actress. And Ron will doubtless question the pronunciation ("should be more awk-ward") based on some bizarre listing in a questionable on-line dictionary, but you can hear it in her own words. It is HER name, and thus her pronunciation matters. The name is a composite derived from "I'm very awkward, but it's fine."
NOGGIN -> NOG, GIN
ReplyDelete> It's on chromosome 17.
Noggin is a protein that is involved in the development of many body tissues, including nerve tissue, muscles, and bones.
My clue was the word (o)ngoing in my post.
ReplyDeleteNoggin->nog, gin
ReplyDeleteNOG + GIN = NOGGIN
ReplyDeleteMy, “Facepalm,” comment was a pointer to hitting oneself on the head.
RIP Buck Henry. Would you believe he was 130 years old?
ReplyDeleteSorry about that, Chief.
DeleteI submitted NOG + GIN = NOGGIN
ReplyDeleteMy clue was something about my fondness for playing bass behind Jewish spiritual music (which is true -- I'm performing again in February). A Jewish vocal chant is called a NIGGUN, which I said you need to read backwards.
And NIGGUN backwards is of course NUGGIN
NOG, GIN >>> NOGGIN
ReplyDelete"splanchnic!" >>> I once drank bad eggnog and now have a visceral reaction to even hearing the e***** word.
Interesting how, over the past 48 hours, the consensus on the cause of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crash has gone almost completely from accident to shoot-down. The symmetry with the 1988 shoot-down of Iran Air Flight 655 is noteworthy. With airlines worldwide cancelling flights to Iran and Iraq, I wonder how the economic impact on Iran compares to the new US sanctions?
ReplyDeleteFor some reason (maybe the earlier references to T. K. Jones and his shovels?), I'm reminded of Frank Zappa's quote: "There will be no nuclear war. There's too much real estate involved."
How did the teetotaler describe himself by naming two alcoholic beverages? "Mead rye."
ReplyDeleteAnyone else listening to NPR right now hear the announcer say today is July 9th, not January 9th?
ReplyDeleteI was entering July 9th in my calendar for my next dental cleaning when I heard (I think) her say today was July 9th.
It was weird.
NOGGIN, NOG, GIN
ReplyDeleteA few years ago there was a new cable channel called NOGGIN, which aired educational shows for kids, especially reruns of Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Thus explains my earlier clue. I wonder if the channel still exists.
SDB: Did you post the answer yet to your puzzle?
ReplyDeleteI think he was going for Kim (Jong-un) + Xi (Jinping) -> kimchi.
DeleteSorry Natasha, someone stole the license plates off my car and I have been dealing with that nightmare.
Deletejan is right, and he apparently is also right about the pronunciation of Kimchi, which I always was hearing as Kimshe. Anyway, I think it is close enough for an NPR puzzle. Certainly more accurate than this week's offering.
Xi is closer to "she", and hence not a good answer. A clever puzzle maker would have used the leader of Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi; Kyi is pronounced like Chee.
DeleteBurmese do not have surnames.
DeleteKim sheesh! A clever puzzler could have worded it to work.
DeleteThanks for responses to sdb puzzle.
DeleteMy clues -
ReplyDeleteI can see where this puzzle and the comments are “heading” but....
Can’t wait for next week’s “new del”ivery (noodle, phonetically) from Will.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNatasha, which Jeopardy contestant does your friend know?
DeleteHas anyone here been a contestant on Jeopardy? How was the experience?
Please answer in the form of a question.
What is "that comment was deleted"?
DeleteTook the online test many times (and the in-person test in NYC once, before there was online, when Art Fleming hosted), got called for interview 3 times, never called for show.
Deletejan, are you going to try again?
Natasha mentioned she knew someone who made a lot of money on Jeopardy. I wondered who.
There's an online test coming at the end of this month, but I think I'm ineligible, since it's been less than a year since the last one I took.
DeleteMy friend knows Jerome who was a Jeopardy player.
ReplyDeleteVered is last name.
ReplyDeleteHe did well: picked up $389K against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter in the 2005 Ultimate Tournament of Champions.
DeleteJan: Glad you remember him. I did not. My friend just had dinner with him twi weeks ago. Hope you get on Jeopardy. Are you at Harvard?
DeleteTwo weeks...spelling!
DeleteI didn't remember your friend, just found him on J! Archive. No, I'm retired; we moved to Cambridge to be near our son and his family. A couple of years ago, we were walking through Harvard Yard with him as he held his infant daughter, explaining to her, "This is Harvard. It's a very good school. It's the second best school in the whole city."
DeleteJan: I just watched a video of Jerome being interviewed. Seems like he had a tough time getting on there too. Just keep trying. Last night the question Jennings got about Universal blood type got me researching blood type. Actually 0 negative is universal donor but only 8 % of population can take it. 0 positive is used most because over 30% of population are 0 positive.
DeleteSmall point, I thought it was O (letter) negative, not 0 (zero)? I'm O negative; some say I'm SO negative.
DeleteI've never been on Jeopardy, never intend to make a fool of myself on national TV, but a high school girlfriend was a contestant about a year ago. Haven't communicated with her in many, many, decades.
Jan, what do you consider the best school in your fair city? Sunday School at The Christian Science Mother Church? But that's in Boston.
eco: I should have typed letter o but it was so small when I typed it I used zero 0 instead because larger. How could you tell the difference?
DeleteI am o positive. Have you donated blood because of being o negative and in a small population?
Eco, that huge Christian Science building on Mass Ave flabbergasts me every time I bike past it. (So, for that matter, does Mary Baker Eddy's mausoleum in Mt Auburn Cemetery.) Some day, I've got to learn the story behind that place.
DeleteThe best school depends on the student, the department, financial resources, etc. If you're thinking of applying, I'm sure many here at Blaine's would be happy to provide reference letters for you.
If you are O blood type and you go to MIT, does that mean you are OMIT?
DeleteSorry for the flippancy, eco. It was my son speaking to his daughter that day, and as for which school he considers best, I'm sure he's loyal to MIT. Until Harvard comes up with a better offer, of course.
DeleteJan: I thought I was trying to out-flip you.
DeleteI give MIT credit for hiring Alvar Aalto to design a dormitory (Baker). Aalto was one of the greatest architects of the 20th Century, but only 3 projects exist in the US.
Fun thing to do at The Mother Church: wander off from the directed tour and have nasty ladies with hard shoes chase you around. Most churches let visitors roam, but not this one. They did hire I.M. Pei for the Christian Science Center, some rather brutalist buildings that are rip-offs of Corbusier's Chandigarh capital.
Speaking of brutal, how's that Boston City Hall? Top of the list with the S&M crowd.
I had to look up Aalto and Baker House, to make sure you weren't talking about the monstrosity of Simmons Hall.
DeleteYeah, city hall is ugly. At first, I was confused and thought you were talking about the State House, but you wouldn't dis the Sacred Cod like that.
Charles Bulfinch (Harvard graduate!)/ set the standard for state capitol buildings, and was later the architect for the reconstruction of the US capitol.
DeleteSimmons Hall is unfortunate, the architect for that, Steven Holl, has done some very good work, but I think he's taken an abstraction to an illogical conclusion. I haven't been to it; the interiors seem more intriguing than the exterior.
There's a special place for MIT's Stata Center, aka Building 32, by Frank Gehry (Harvard dropout!). Reminds me of the old days when we'd degauss the computer monitor. Or maybe what happens when you hire the grandkids, with healthy doses of meth and Ritalin, as chief designers.
BTW, for anyone thinking of coming to the proposed Blainesville meet-up in Brewster, MA, in June: If you're considering a side trip to the islands while you're on the Cape, be aware that car ferry reservations disappear quickly. You can book a trip to Nantucket beginning January 14, or to Martha's Vineyard on January 21.
ReplyDeleteI thought all the ferries went to Provincetown?
DeleteIt's great being back in junior high school!
We are approaching the 200 comment limit. After that, scroll down to the bottom and click on Load more to load more comments.
ReplyDelete