Kuantan Port Malaysia or Macomb, IllinoisQ: Think of two common phrases in the form "___ and ___," in which the blanks stand for four-letter words. All four words in those two phrases have different first letters, but the last three letters in the words are the same. What are the phrases?
Edit: Kuantan Port is home to NDWT (New Deep Water Terminal) and Macomb, IL is home to WTND 106.3 FM
A: NEAR and DEAR, WEAR and TEAR
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.
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ReplyDeleteBlaine, I almost posted "Kuantan", but I thought you'd delete it. Then I was going to post a certain number, but your addition of Macomb, IL, made that a giveaway. So, now I'll just go with 292.
ReplyDeleteWe both had the same thought. Sorry to step on your toes. I don't think either give it away though, do you?
DeleteI guess not. But what if I'd posted that number after you mentioned Macomb?
DeleteYeah, people could have put the two together.
DeleteI will note up here, as I did down below, that Macomb is the "perfect clue." It didn't give anything away. And yet, once I got the correct answer, and looked back at the clue, it confirmed I had the right answer. That's precisely what a clue should do. And I once again salute our host, Blaine. (And I can't believe Blaine's never played on the air. No justice, no peace.)
DeleteOne of the pairs has a set of homonyms, whose plurals are familiar to those in retail.
ReplyDeleteYou can lengthen each phrase to end with a five letter word that also shares the three consecutive letters.
ReplyDeleteA rancher might ____ and ____.
ReplyDeletesow and mow.
DeleteBefore I got the intended answer,I was tempted by "town and gown" and "sown and mown."
Deletetill and mill.
DeleteSo was I.
DeleteWeed and Feed is an actual product name. Unfortunately, I can't think of anything that pairs well with "seed".
DeleteHow about Weed & Seed and Need & Feed?
DeleteIt isn't "surf and turf"
ReplyDeleteI am afraid i have to pass on that one. But if you want to wine and dine me, let me know.
DeleteIs that an example of hire and fire?
DeleteI am a vegan.
DeleteIf it's not meat and beat, it must be beet and meet.
DeleteAfraid was an allusion to fear which has that important "Ear" hint.
Deletenear-dear- wear and tear.
I was trying to get Paid and laid to work. Alas.
Sorry.
There's another pleasant surprise that awaits the solver; I'm glad that Will didn't mention it up front.
ReplyDeleteWhen a friend asked where he could get some drugs, I told him that the pill mill will fill the bill.
ReplyDeleteOne pair is desirable, the other not.
ReplyDeleteFor SDB: Michael Moore responds to critics.
ReplyDeleteGood puzzle this week. But I actually enjoyed Paul’s post and SuperZee’s response (on last week’s thread) even better, along w Jan’s noted connection to a recent puzzle!
ReplyDeleteSnipper - thanks for the kind words.
DeleteFor the record, Paul had commented, ”Add two letters to the four initial letters and arrange to get a word that might be associated with the previous week's puzzle.”
To which, I replied, “Great observation. I nominate you for the coveted, “Poster of the Week,” award.
Trump solves our problems!
ReplyDeleteThis comment needs to be remove because it states the absolute opposite.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHaving played the on-air puzzle since back in the postcard days, and having appeared on-air once, I feel very close to the Sunday morning NPR puzzle segment.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Macomb, Ill. But just to stop in at the Post Office.
ReplyDeleteBen...did that hint help you solve this puzzle?
DeleteI think a Post Office stop is tops, really hits the spot. But I'm OK with anagrams.
DeleteI still don’t get the Macomb hint. I might have chosen another Illinois city that also starts with an M.
DeleteThe Macomb hint did not help me to solve the puzzle. But as soon as I did solve the puzzle, and tried to come up with a clever hint, the Macomb hint proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had the same answer as Blaine and Jan.
DeleteSo I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.
All of which also helped me to come up with the Post Office hint.
Neither here nor there...
ReplyDeleteI've read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" too many times to my granddaughters the past few months, during what the 3-year old calls "home vacation".
Delete(Babies seem to agree with dogs, who, according to a recent meme, think we all quit our jobs to spend more time at home with them. Unlike cats, who think we've been fired for being the losers they always knew we were.)
Notwithstanding what others have said. Don't worry; it will come to you.
ReplyDeleteI had my first Zoom meeting this past week. It was with a group of High School pals from long ago. We're pretty spread out now, but we regressed quickly. Not a perfect way to meet, but it does eliminate the hassle of preparation and travel.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI do too; I think it's the correct answer...
DeleteHmm. Mine all rhyme.
DeleteCheck a dictionary. There's a subtle difference between my two pairs.
DeleteI finally got it. I had huff & puff and ruff & tuff, but those really involve fractured spelling.
DeleteTake one of the phases, add a seven-week lockdown, and it transforms into the other.
ReplyDeletePerfect.
DeleteDon't you have a birthday coming up?
DeleteThe answer is like the answer to a recent puzzle.
ReplyDeleteNear, dear, wear, and tear all end in "ear", like the earlobe puzzle. Interestingly, the on-air contestant mentioned "Arlo", which is in "earlobe", and "bear", which ends in "ear".
DeleteI'm willing to go along with this puzzle even though I do think it could be a bit of a stretch.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think I have figured out why I haven't figured this out, I think I'll be able to figure it out.
ReplyDeleteIs that a figure of speech?
DeleteI once saw a figure skating.
DeleteTrue story: Having been up late the night before attending to my ailing better half (no, not the dreaded you-know-what but just one of “the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to”), I was too tired and headachy all day Sunday to solve the puzzle. This morning, with her having recovered, I looked at her and the answer came to me in a flash.
ReplyDeleteWould appreciation and depreciation work?
ReplyDeleteToday, the first mosquito I have seen this season landed on my arm. I guess as a sign of the Covid times we are in, before I could swat him away, I noticed he had pulled out a small alcohol-wipe and was wiping down a little spot on my arm. Guess he was taking my no chances.
ReplyDeleteReading through the comments this week, I am beginning to suspect that there are other answers than mine, although I have yet to discover them. The two phrases I found are both very common, but I can't make them fit some of the posts (including Blaine's).
ReplyDeleteThe inscrutability of Blaine's clues may be part of what makes him precious to us.
DeleteI can't say that I have the right answer, only Mr. Shortz can. But if you have my answer, Macomb Ill. will tell you that you do. Also, I'm not a religious man, but JC's note will also make sense.
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Deletejan,
DeleteAnother part of what makes Blaine precious to us is his cleverness. For instance, his "AlcatraZ/Alphabet" hybrid puzzle-hint last week. Just ingenious!
LegoWhoWagersThatHadBlaineSentThatPuzzleToWillShortzItLikelyWouldHaveBeenBroadcastOn"ThePuzzle"Segment
Hey Everyone!
ReplyDeleteAre we all still meeting for dinner this evening to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at El Pancho's Mexican Cafe and to pop open some Coronas?
Not El Gaucho?
DeleteWhat does El Gaucho have to do with Mexico?
DeleteI meant Puerco Lloron.
DeleteIt closed permanently Dec. 23, 2013.
DeleteAzteca? at south center.
DeleteWhy would I drive for half an hour outside Seattle to eat disgusting food at this awful chain when I can easily walk to one of their myriad locations from my house, but would not do even if you paid me? I have never been able to understand how they manage to stay in business. Sadly, Seattle no longer has any real Mexican restaurants any more. We used to. Decades ago there was one a short drive North of the city that I used to frequent. It had the best Mexican food I have ever found anywhere, including Mexico. It was a dump, run by a Mexican family. They were all extremely fat. The mother must have weighed somewhere between 500 and 600 pounds. I am not exaggerating. I remember always seeing her sitting at one of their tables. It had to have been the most unhealthful food in the Pacific Northwest, but I would pay dearly for just one more meal there. I have tried for decades to find somewhere with such good Mexican food, but have not even come close.
DeleteSad but true. Actually Torreros in REnton was not that bad. Now at the Landing. May be closed.
DeleteI don't yet see the connection to Blaine's clues, but I've got a clue that should let anyone definitely know if they've got MY answer. I listed the phrases alphabetically by their first words. The 2nd phrase works really nice. In Wiktionary's search engine, you can start typing the 2nd phrase and that complete phrase shows up at the top of a pull-down list as soon as you type the "a" in "and".
ReplyDeleteThe 1st phrase is another story, though. You can go to Wikipedia and enter the entire 1st phrase into it's search box, and it asks you "Did you mean: " followed by that 1st phrase with the last word's last letter replaced with a repeat of the 1st word's 1st letter!
So close!
DeleteI get the exact behavior you described for phrase 2 but not for phrase 1. For phrase 1, Wiki's search box does nothing.
I obviously have the answer just referenced above. Google had the first phrase #1 in its pull-down list and the second phrase #2, although I suspect that this reflects the searches inspired by the puzzle. I'm still stumped by the geographical hints; looking forward to tomorrow for Blaine's reveal!
DeleteWayWordy, notice that for my phrase 1, it was NOT WIKTIONARY, but WIKIPEDIA that does that weird replacement that I was describing.
DeleteE&WAF, I tried both wiktionary and wikipedia. No dice on phrase 1.
DeleteLancek, on the google search box, phrase 1 was the second in the auto suggest pull-down and phrase 2 was listed first.
This is on typing the first word and the "a" in "and". I am going with phrase 1 and 2 in alphabetical order.
This particular Wikipedia link should show you what I meant. Do you see how right above 'The page "Near and dear" does not exist.', it says "Did you mean: neal and dean"? It USED TO SAY "Did you mean: near and dean".
DeleteOh, I now finally get Kuantan Port Malaysia!
ReplyDeleteNice work, Blaine.
TV clue: Absolutely Fabulous
ReplyDeleteIt has bothered me all week that the instructions specify that "the last three letters are the same," but not that they are in the same order.
ReplyDeleteIn my solution the last three letters are the same, and in the same order.
DeleteI would also describe how the words rhyme, or rather, whether or not they rhyme, but it seems that Unknown tried to do that and that Blaine nixed his post for that.
I thought that was what Jan's clue was about -as to tops to spot. Alas, the Macomb clue is still a little fuliginous. Speaking of birds.
DeleteNEAR and DEAR + WEAR and TEAR
ReplyDeleteAlternate:
JAIL & BAIL + SAIL & RAIL
Honorable Mention:
HIRE & FIRE + SIRE & TIRE
WOMB & TOMB + COMB & BOMB
WEAR and TEAR, NEAR and DEAR
ReplyDeleteThe plural homonyms, familiar to retailers, are WARES and TARES.
I thoroughly enjoyed the follow-on wordplay this puzzle engendered. Paul’s comment, “Add two letters to the four initial letters and arrange to get a word that might be associated with the previous week’s puzzle,” leads to WANTED. Thinking of WANTED POSTERS, I nominated Paul for the, “Poster of the Week,” award.
But I remain baffled by the Kuantan and Macomb references.
In fact, SuperZee, you described the award as coveted, which is, of course, a synonym of "wanted". There were many excellent comments this week; it was an honor just to be nominated.
DeleteNDWT at Kuantan Port and WTND in Macomb. More detail and links above.
DeletePaul - Not all of my wordplay is intentional. I must admit that the coveted/wanted duality was in that category. The brothers of Serendip, must have been visiting.
DeleteUntil Sunday!
Blaine - Thanks again for hosting this site. You provide much joy to this merry band of misfits.
DeleteWEAR AND TEAR.
ReplyDeleteNEAR AND DEAR.
She LAGS AND SAGS so he TAGS AND BAGS those slow running HAGS...
I submitted NEAR and DEAR, WEAR and TEAR.
ReplyDeleteI noted the beauty of Blaine's clues because as soon as I sought to offer a hint, I thought that I could NOT post anything about EARs because it is a giveaway. Yet as soon as I looked at the first letters, I saw that:
WTND is the local radio station of Macomb Illinois.
And the NDWT is the "New Deep Water Terminal" in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, affirming I had the same answer as Blaine and Jan.
And all of my talk of the POST OFFICE was because -- the first thing you see when you enter the post office is the WaNTeD poster.
Ben
NEAR AND DEAR, WEAR AND TEAR
ReplyDeleteMy “[t]rue story” was true, mostly; as Huck said of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’s author, “[H]e told the truth mainly. There was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth.” Unintended bonus: The word “heir” from the Hamlet quote rhymes with a pair of the puzzle’s answers.
near and dear, wear and tear
ReplyDeleteWEAR and TEAR, NEAR and DEAR
ReplyDelete> There's a strong connection to a very recent puzzle.
EARlobe gave us EARL and ARLO a couple of weeks ago.
> Blaine, I almost posted "Kuantan", but I thought you'd delete it. Then I was going to post a certain number, but your addition of Macomb, IL, made that a giveaway. So, now I'll just go with 292.
Radio station WTND, in Macomb, IL, broadcasts on 106.3 MHz, FM channel 292.
> Neither here nor there...
>> I've read "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" too many times to my granddaughters the past few months, during what the 3-year old calls "home vacation".
I once removed a plug of wax from a patient's ear and found a dead bug behind it. But never a live bird. Every day, from here to there, funny things are everywhere.
> The inscrutability of Blaine's clues may be part of what makes him precious to us.
Near and dear.
Instead of Macomb Il., I would have gone with Moline Il.--the world headquarters of John DEERE
ReplyDeletenear and dear, wear and tear
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “Having played the on-air puzzle since back in the postcard days, and having appeared on-air once, I feel very close to the NPR Sunday morning puzzle segment.” It’s near and dear to my heart.
NEAR AND DEAR, WEAR AND TEAR
ReplyDeleteLots of great wordplay and clever hints this week, my Blainsville friends. What a creative and bright group!
ReplyDeleteTomorrow's Puzzleria! (see Blaine's PUZZLE LINKS) features a really nifty offering from Chuck (see his comment, above) that involves a recording artist and state postal abbreviations. Stop by and give it a solve, if you can.
LegoAddsThatTomorrow'sPuzzleria!WillAlsoOfferAPuzzleAboutWhatToGiveMomOnMother'sDay(AlongWithSevenOtherDeliciousPuzzles)
This week's challenge comes from listener Jerry Heckler of Chardon, Ohio. Name the make and model of a popular car. Change the first and last letters of the make to name an animal. Change the first and fourth letters of the model to name another animal. What car is this?
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how easy that was. I read it, returned to bed and the answer came immediately.
Delete