Sunday, October 11, 2020

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 11, 2020): Another Round of Drinks!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 11, 2020): Another Round of Drinks!
Q: Name certain fruits — in the plural. Change the second letter to an L and read the result backward. You'll name two things to drink. What are they?
Here's to solving. Cheers!

Edit: I was making an avocado toast!
A: AVOCADOS --> SODA, COLA

199 comments:

  1. 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.

    You 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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  2. Pretty easy. There should be lots of correct answers. No clue here.

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  3. This fruit has an anatomical connection to a certain flower.

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  4. One of these 3 things is much healthier than the other two. --Margaret G.

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  5. I've seen all three together, but I don't recommend it.

    Blaine's picture has a slight hint.

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  6. Paraphrasing comments from last week’s blog, I periodically wear a geeky tee shirt concerning this fruit.

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  7. I see a connection between the source of the puzzle and the answers to the puzzle.

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  8. Only 500 correct last week. Will be many more this week.

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  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  10. I'd set the over-under number for correct entries this week at 2000. No geography, no celebrities, accessible to all!

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  11. I'd say a high number also, like around 2400. But as Yogi Berra said: It's hard to make predictions. Especially about the future.

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  12. I can think of a bunch of musical clues, but they're probably all TMI.

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    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. I saw your clue before it was removed. I then solved it. Thanks.

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  13. Replies
    1. Add a cup of water, mix well... You've got something which you could have got from the fruit!

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    2. You need a lot of water - a kiloton, maybe.

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  14. Apropos of nothing, I just noticed a connection between the three words and today's on-air puzzle.

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    Replies
    1. All three words have A and O as the only vowels (as does APROPOS, a sort of a link to the P and R consonants in the on-air puzzle).

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  15. The “challenges” lately have been too damn easy.

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  16. Tyler Lipscomb's puzzle this week may be easy but it is clever too. (no hints thus far in this comment)

    LegoWhoObservesThatIfYouTickleElmo'sLettersYouGetAMole

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    Replies
    1. Also, Snipper, we have thirty-eight-divided-by-two less damn easy puzzles currently on Puzzleria!

      LegoWhoAsks:DoesAnatomySeemLikeASubjectThatIsTooDamnEasy?

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  17. Did anyone else think the on air puzzle this week was easier than usual?

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  18. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  19. Got it before coming here, and plotted a clue that is essentially the same as Blaine's, so I'm the one with mud in my eye.

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  20. Change the third letter of the fruits instead of the second, read backward and name two things to drink.

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    Replies
    1. When I try that, I get 3 consonants together that generally don’t go together.

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    2. I didn’t say to change it to an L

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    3. OK, so I try other vowels. It might interest you to know that when I look up your word on Wikipedia, my only selection option is its disambiguation page. There are 8 options there. To find your drink, I have to select the 6th and last option, just before “Other Uses” and “See Also”.

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    4. Interesting! Perhaps I have an alternative answer. The drink is quite well known and, in my opinion, much better than the drink in the original puzzle

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    5. Nice. I like these drinks more than the original.

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  21. Got it pretty easily but I don't classify it the same way so it took us a little longer.

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    Replies
    1. I have a comment on this after Thursday's reveal.

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    2. Where I grew up, Avocado is treated like a fruit. It's even called "Butterfruit". It is sometimes eaten with sugar and/or cream as a desert.
      So when I first had guacamole, it took me some time to adjust and appreciate avocado in this savory, spicy form.

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  22. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    Replies
    1. Would the animal eat the fruit?

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    2. Seems like too much of a hint imo

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    3. There are 6.022*10^23 atoms in a mole. That is Avogadro's number. There are 6.022*10^23 guacas in a guacamole. That is Avocado's number.

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  23. Will said that this quiz was about fruits, but it's really about nuts.

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    Replies
    1. I hope I haven't offended anyone, but my hint had to do with the fact that Nahuatl speakers used the word "āhuacatl" to refer both to an avocado and a testicle. Similar to how "huevos" came to mean more than just "eggs" in Mexican slang.

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  24. There were three clues that did not make the on-air puzzle.
    1) To support, or buttress to prevent from falling or slipping (2 words)
    2) The capital of South Dakota
    3) A fencing sword

    I learned I had been pronouncing the second one wrong most of my life.

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    Replies
    1. Interesting- I never knew that pronunciation either. And interesting that you bring up So Dakota. I wonder how it’s managing Covid these days.

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    2. You are in good company, Neal (like the proper noun as well as the verb) and Snipper. Even erudite Diane struggled!

      LegoWho(ThanksToLivingInANeighboringState)KnewHowToPronouncePierre(JustLikeThatNeanderthalSamKnew)

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  25. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    Replies
    1. Sorry , didn't think about a google search of my comment leading to the answer.

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  26. Not to be confused with a mouthpiece.

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    Replies
    1. Which reminds me of the story my neighbor told about going to have his hearing checked. The put him in a room by himself, gave him a set of headphones to wear and told him to repeat whatever the technician on the other end of the wire said. As it turns out the technician had a lisp, so that when he read the word "mousetrap" it came out "mouth trap"--appropriate for someone who lisps, I guess. As my neighbor said, he thought for a second that he had become a character in "Finnegans Wake."

      No clue here. Possibly no point either.

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  27. I got it! We had the fruit for breakfast.

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  28. Seems odd that growing up we never ate this fruit. My how tastes have changed!

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    Replies
    1. Funny because our kitchen appliances certainly looked like AVOCADOS!

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    2. Thankfully tastes have changed but still have flashbacks to the harvest gold and avocado green kitchens of my youth.

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  29. Well,I just got the answer, not as quickly as some of you...but what the hell!

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  30. Any old timers here recognize the name of the actor, Eric Fleming? I don't either, but we all knew him well by his character's name when he was the trail boss on Rawhide. I'll bet you can remember that name without my saying it. Anyway after he left the show in 1965 he drowned during the shooting of location shots on the Huallaga River on September 28, 1966 in Peru. He was only 41. It was 3 days before the river returned the Favor.

    That is a true story and I came up with the joke 2 days ago, but I doubt there are many who will get the joke because that happened over 50 years ago.

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  31. Definitely an easy one if I got it!

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  32. Replies
    1. AVOCADOS, SODA, COLA
      James Taylor had a song called "Mexico", as in "Avocados From Mexico".

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  33. Anyone else remember Brutus and Nero from their childhood?

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    Replies
    1. I know nothing of Brutus and Nero's childhood.

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    2. Sun Oct 11, 05:15:00 AM PDT
      Hie ps aetvj.

      keyword: PEARS

      See ya later.

      Delete
  34. Easy spin. Take certain fruits. Dont' change anything. Split to get something to do with computers and the first name of a famous guitarist.

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    1. Nice spin-off puzzle, Plantsmith.

      LegoObservesThatAFellowWithTheSameFirstNameOfOurFavoritePuzzlePoserAlsoFamouslySplitThisFruit

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    2. Following in the footsteps of a famous fruit splitter? My cousin can do this with his hand.Not me.

      Delete
  35. I promise I have more difficult submissions. It seems it’s usually my easier ones that get published...

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    1. Congrats, Tyler... your puzzle wasn't that easy. More to the point, it was FUN!

      LegoWhoAlsoLamentsThatIsHis"MoreDifficult"PuzzlesSeemToEndUp(EndDown?)OnTheNPRCuttingRoomFloorButSuspectsThatWillShortzRealizesThatSolvingAPuzzleIsMuchMoreFunThanNotSolvingAPuzzle

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    2. Congratulations, Tyler! Is this your third time?

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    3. Congratulations
      Tyler. Fun puzzle.

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    4. Thanks everyone! I believe this was my fifth puzzle. I always hope that they’re enjoyable even if they’re not the most challenging.

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    5. Congrats, Tyler. I had the same experience.

      He published one of mine a few weeks ago -- and I was honored. But on the air, he said "this one's not too hard." Meanwhile, I submitted one that same week, much more challenging, and he said he didn't think he could use it. (Due to trickery.)

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    6. I have the same experience. He has so far only used one of the many I have sent him, and he dumbed it down, making it even easier to solve.

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  36. In the singular, it rhymes with a musician who had two #1 hits in the mid-to-late 50’s.

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    1. I think I know the name, but if it's the same one I'm thinking of, he had a number one for two months in 1955, and a number two in 1958.

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    2. At least on Billboard. His number on in the U.S. was number two in the U.K. at the same time. Then a month later, on the U.K. charts, the same song by a different artist hit number one!

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    3. I actually still have both 45s from ‘55 and ‘58.

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  37. I've experienced regional issues with each of the three answer words. But none are in demand.

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    Replies
    1. I have a musician i think will work for your puzzle of last week. Can i get partial credit?

      Delete
  38. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  39. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  40. What always amazes me is that although I have the answer to the puzzle, I still don't get Blaine's clue!

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    1. Exactly. I once heard Will Shortz say that even though he knows the answer,he finds it difficult to figure out his clues!

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    2. This was not one of his more obscure ones, I thought.

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    3. It took me awhile to get it. But here's to trying ....

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  41. I think either Paula Poundstone or Rosie O'Donnell had a funny quip about a certain natural phenomenon regarding this particular fruit that their mothers showed them when they were kids. I thought it was hilarious because my mom showed it to me when I was a kid! It WAS like witchcraft!

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    Replies
    1. Please post more about this phenomenon. Thanks!

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  42. Is one of the two things to drink, bleach?

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  43. Lots of TMIs this week. In the original fruit in plural, repeat one of the letters and replace one with a similar sounding letter. Rearrange to get a popular alcoholic combo.

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  44. I find it interesting that Republican traitors to the constitution are accusing Democrats of attempting to pack the Supreme Court, before we take office, (hopefully) in January. It was Mitch who got the Senate to refuse to vote on the nomination of Obama's nominee a year before the upcoming election in 2016. Now he is pushing through his party's nominee just a few months prior to the 2020 election. So, just who is it that is attempting to pack the court? Why are the media not reporting this?

    At least, as far as we know, this time we are not presented with a sexual predator/deviate, but simply a sexual scold. How long will it take for this disgusting Right Wing zealot to have her knee on our necks? What does it take to get the people in this country to wake up and take control?

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    Replies
    1. SDB: I was aware of Mitch's behavior before 2016 election. Few people bring that up when Dems try to postpone the nomination now. Media did report it but not recently. Unbelievable what is happening in politics. I can't sleep!

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  45. Someone I know has tattoos of this fruit (one half on each arm).

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  46. Sure, the polls say the Biden-Harris ticket is in the lead with 3 weeks remaining. A lot can happen, alas, in the days before November 3. Those in power usually stay in power. The soon-to-be 6-3 "conservative" advantage on the Supreme Court is probably baked-in for at least the next decade (Clarence Thomas is 72; Samuel Alito is 70).
    We have elected an "Entertainer-in-Chief" (in lieu of a "boring, serious" president). He is a lying, selfish, egotistical, insecure narcissist. His rallies resemble Kiss concerts. I truly fear for our nation's future sanity if he is re-elected.
    I recall the early 1970s. Nixon resigned; Ford pardoned him. ("Our long national nightmare is over").
    If Trump loses will he resign? Not if the election is even relatively close. He will likely try to get his 6-3 Court to somehow overturn the results.
    This will perhaps fail. If not, we're in for four more years of clownship. If so, he may (as a "lame Donald Duck") attempt to self-pardon, or to resign so that newly fledged lame duck President Pence can pardon him for federal crimes Trump may have committed while in office and as a private citizen. Thankfully, because the president’s power to grant clemency extends only to federal crimes, New York State could prosecute him. And, depending on the evidence of course, this "Lock her up" president may ultimately be locked up himself.
    But perhaps the most dismaying development in the past four years has been the spectacle of sycophantic Senate and House Republicans who have hopped aboard this mad captain's ship of state: Lindsey, Mitch, Ted etc. in the Senate; Jim Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Devin Nunes, etc. in the House...
    Of course, if there is any justice in this world, and hope for this nation, come the morning of November 4, we will see scores of "Republican" rats scurrying to jump this sinking presidential ship captained by a Blighted Queeglike captain.
    Vote!

    LegoWhoShallNowProceedToBrushTheSoapFlecksFromTheSolesOfHisShoes

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    1. Lego, two possibilities that I have not heard discussed anywhere:
      (1) Trump wins (or has the result overturned by the 6-3 SCOTUS). Then Mitch et al. proceed to have the Republicans pack the Supreme Court. Only problem here (equally with Democrat-packing) is that the court-packing could backfire in the future (e.g., a 29-member court after 5 changes in rule, with each party adding 4 new judges); or
      (2) Trump loses (or loses a SCOTUS appeal). Then he runs again in 2024, after (in his view) Biden has failed to fix the country's problems.

      Delete
    2. geofan,
      Interesting possibilities. Neither is likely IMO, thankfully.
      (1): With a 6-3 SCOTUS, Republican packing would be perceived (by all but the most fervent Trumpiest idealogues) as a excessive power-grab. But if that snowball would start rolling, I agree, there would be no stopping it.
      (2) If Trump loses (or loses a SCOTUS appeal) I really believe he is done, and perhaps convicted.

      LegoThinkingWishfully

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  47. AVOCADOS >>> SODA & COLA

    My Hint that was removed by a blog administrator:

    “This could have waited until Father's Day.”

    This is the national day we are told to honor our father, or Pop. I don’t think this hint would lead anyone to the answer, but who really knows? It does make it clear to anyone who already solved it that it was an easy to understand hint after solving.

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  48. AVOCADOSSODA + COLA.

    Yes, the avocado (like the tomato) is a fruit, not a vegetable...

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  49. Because of potential TMI, I did not post the following: Italian industrialist.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gianni Agnelli (FIAT), known as "L'Avvocato" ("Thed Lawyer").

      Delete
  50. AVOCADOS, SODA, COLA

    "Free" refers to the "gratis" in Persea gratissima, an avocado plant genus and species

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  51. AVOCADOS —> SODA + COLA

    As I posted, there were many possible musical clues, based on titles and lyrics, but almost all of them were probably TMI. Besides the obvious New Seekers (“I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing [in Perfect Harmony],” 1971), other possibilities were the Andrews Sisters (“Rum and Coca-Cola,” 1945), the Shells (“Sippin’ Soda,” 1958), the Kingston Trio (“Scotch and Soda,” 1959), the Kinks (“Lola,” 1970, with the reference, depending on the version, to “Coca-Cola” or “cherry-cola”), Mel Tillis (“Coca-Cola Cowboy,” 1979), and, if you additionally take into account lyrics that mention the other kind of “coke,” many, many more as well, both old and new.

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  52. AVOCADOS -> SODA, COLA

    > ... Or one thing to drink?

    Most colas are sodas. And vice versa?

    > I've seen all three together, but I don't recommend it.

    Yuck.

    > Blaine's picture has a slight hint.

    Kiwis (New Zealanders) grow a lot of avocados.

    > You need a lot of water - a kiloton, maybe.

    In Spanish, it's aguacate.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ohhhh, right! That was in reply to my hint:

      "Add a cup of water, mix well... You've got something which you could have got from the fruit!"

      Which was in turn about Charles's "A big number this week." The big number is Avogadro's Number, which is a *mole*. Add a cup of water:
      C.
      AGUA
      MOLE
      to make GUACAMOLE.

      Delete
  53. I wrote, “This fruit has an anatomical connection to a certain flower.” The name “avocado” comes from a Nahuatl word meaning "testicle,” probably due to the avocado's perceived resemblance to that body part. Orchids get their name from a Greek word meaning the same thing, for the shape of their tubers.

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    Replies
    1. And, Rob, tying the tubers renders the avocados ineffectual.

      LegoWhoIsStrangelySuddenlyNotAllThatHungryForAvocados

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    2. Rob, is this your first entry in your life's work: a Nahuatl-Greek/Greek-Nahuatl dictionary?

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    3. Ha! Isn't it amazing how our language has borrowed from countless sources?

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    4. Orchids flowers have more a resemblance to female anatomical features. Some of the terms like lip,speak and especially the labellum have direct counterparts. Very beautiful flowers especially the Catleyas of which I have murdered many.

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    5. To my knowledge orchids do not have tubers.

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    6. Only a man would name the most beautiful flower in the world after his private parts.

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    7. Mea culpa they do have tubers which look like - unfortunately testes.

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  54. AVOCADOS -> SODA, COLA

    I wrote:

    I've experienced regional issues with each of the three answer words.

    SODA
    Certain parts of the country call it SODA, others call it POP.

    COLA
    Most of the US calls it cola, but Atlanta of course calls it COKE.

    AVOCADOS
    I was raised in New York City, went to college in California. I certainly ate AVOCADOS growing up, but it wasn't until California that I learned to eat and prepare them easily and consistently.

    I came home from school once and went to a local deli to get a taste of NYC. I asked if they put AVOCADO on a grilled cheese and the DELI GUY said, without a pause, "How's the weather in California?"

    When I wrote:

    But none are in demand, I was hinting at DEMANDAR, the Spanish word for the verb "to sue."

    And to sue someone, you need a LAWYER, in Spanish an ABOGADO

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    Replies
    1. My alternate for your puzzle involves someone -now dead- who played with Jimmi Hendrix, is British- initials M.M. Excellent drummer who i actually saw live once in Seattle in 70?? Or was it Vancouver B.C.

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    2. That's a near miss. (Also, Jimi is spelled with one m.) Mitch Mitchell does have his first name in sequence in his last name, which is good. But the left over letters ELL do not appear in the words that remain. But I love the music!

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    3. Ell in the words that remain???

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  55. AVOCADOS>>SODA/COLA
    My geeky tee shirt, which I wore Sunday afternoon in honor of this puzzle, reads, "6.0221x10^23 Guacas = 1 Guacamole. Made with fresh Avogadros."

    ReplyDelete
  56. Puzzleria! this week is proud to purvey four fantastically fun-to-solve puzzles by our friend geofan (Ken Pratt), They appear in his "Worldplay" puzzle feature.
    Our menus also offer:
    * Six riff-offs of Tyler Lipscomb's fine NPR puzzle,
    * Our Schpuzzle of the Week, which involves artificial intelligence and automatic teller machines,
    * One Dessert about financiers and foodies, and
    * A puzzle slice entitled "Spice try on beet!"

    In my Sun Oct 11, 07:19:00 AM PDT comment complimenting Tyler on his puzzle, I signed-off with:
    "LegoWhoObservesThatIfYouTickleElmo'sLettersYouGetAMole"
    Tickling (rearranging) the letters in Elmo spells "Mole", which is represented by Avogadro’s number (which is 6.022 × 1023 atoms or molecules per mole). "Avogadro" is easily confused with "Avocado."

    LegoHeIsBurrowingHisWayToTheSunlight(AndWhoWantsATeeShirtLikeSuperZee's!)

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  57. avocados, cola, soda

    Last Monday I said, “In the singular, it rhymes with a musician who had two #1 hits in the mid-to-late 50’s.” Perez Prado’s “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 on 3/5/55. “Patricia” reached #1 on 6/23/58.

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  58. I grew up with four avocado trees in 3 varieties in the back yard. I still like them b,ut I hate to pay two bucks for one the size of a lime (with a regular size seed).
    They are nuts, BTW, not veggies or fruits.

    I'd say all colas are sodas, but not all sodas are colas.

    This was a two or three minute solve generating hours of comments, including Legos's worthy longest ever one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. https://californiaavocado.com/avocado101/avocado-fruit-or-vegetable/

      Yes, the Avocado is a fruit!

      Confirmed: the California Avocado is a nutrient-dense fruit, not a vegetable, belonging to the genus Persea in the Lauraceae family. And did you know? The avocado is actually a berry!* Avocados are considered a fruit because they fit all of the botanical criteria for a berry. They have a fleshy pulp and a seed after all. So next time when you’re presented with the opportunity to have an avocado smoothie, embrace the idea if you haven’t before! Be more open to eating avocados in sweeter applications. Think of them as a fruit from now on. They’re great in smoothies and desserts. And even in baking as a fat replacement or as a key ingredient in avocado chocolate mousse! The versatility of the California Avocado is truly only limited by your imagination.

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    2. (The preceding announcement was brought to you by the Seattle Chapter of the California Avocado Growers Association.)

      Legocado

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    3. Mendo Jim,
      From what I read, sdb's post is correct.

      I had thought that "avacados are nuts" referred to the Nahuatl origin-word.

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    4. I think there is also an Avocado bubble tea drink i saw once but did not imbibe. It reminded me too much of the "Exorcist."

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    5. I have an avocado tree in my yard. They’re not great. I think it’s something to do with correct pollination. All I get is lawn Guacamole.

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  59. Avocados- cola, soda
    My clue Atlanta was banned. I did not think it was much of a clue though of course Coca- Cola- originally containing cocaine was discovered or invented there by a druggist. The secret formula is held in a vault at the downtown Atlanta Coca-Cola museum. Fun place to visit.

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    Replies
    1. To be fair, Atlanta is know for Coca Cola and racists. And we would assume you weren’t using a Trump dog whistle.

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    2. Racists in Atlanta- what gave you that idea?

      M.L. king- John Lewis- Andrew Young- Stacey Abrams--.

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    3. Actually after just seeing today's headline on David Perdue and his comments on Kamala Harris- I have to say you are correct. He is a nasty- nasty.

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  60. I offered the spin-off “change the 3rd letter instead of the 2nd, read backward and name two things to drink.
    avAcados—soda and cava (Spanish sparkling wine)

    Enya: I’m dying to know which more obscure drink you solved for!

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  61. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  62. Said I: “Anyone else remember Brutus and Nero from their childhood?”

    Brutus and Nero are the crocodilian sidekicks of the villainous Madame Medusa in the 1977 animated Disney film *The Rescuers*. They’re an alligator pair.

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  63. My clues:

    I see a connection between the source of the puzzle and the answers to the puzzle. - the puzzle creator is from Georgia which is home to Coca Cola.

    Puzzles lately have been too damn easy - was reference to Amsterdam which is home to the Avocado Story restaurant (all dishes have avocado)

    And mention of So Dakota (re pronouncing Pierre) is almost Avocados backwards.

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    Replies
    1. Very clever clues, Snipper.

      LegoWhoBelievesSnipper'sHintsDeserveAStandingDakovation

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  64. My clue was - In the original fruit in plural, repeat one of the letters and replace one with a similar sounding letter. Rearrange to get a popular alcoholic combo.

    Add D and replace C with K to get AVOKADDOS which ca be rearranged to VODKA SODA.

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  65. Hey folks, I just got an email from Will Shortz. NPR will be using my puzzle this Sunday as the listener challenge. Please don't be too rough on me in re: difficulty or ease.

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    Replies
    1. The least you could do is to let us know the answer so we can sleep in Sunday morning. LOL

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    2. Actually the least That I COULD DO IS SLEEP IN SUNDAY MORNING. But specifically you, SDB, don't skewer me...please. Your wit is to be feared!
      Take the latter statement as a compliment.

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    3. Thank you, I do appreciate the compliment.

      You will NOT be sleeping in this Sunday morning, my friend. You will be up and listening to each time it is aired. Here in Seattle they air it 3 times. About 5:41am; 7:41am & 9:41am. Of course you can always listen again on their website. Then too you could record it and have it played at your funeral. I think it is about time we put FUN back in FUNerals, otherwise they can be such a let down.

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    4. SDB, I'm the retired psychiatrist, but you really do know the human psyche.I will go o sleep Sunday after making sure that the puzzle really got on the air!

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    5. I read the on-air puzzle on the NPR website and just heard it now. I liked it a lot (and missed only two). Congratulations!

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  66. You don't want me to say oh "I got his while i was sleeping?"

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  67. Very good news, Clark. I now especially look forward to Sunday morning. Congrats!

    LegoWhoWarnsThatThereWoillBeRiffOffsOfClark'sNPRPuzzleOnTheOctober23EditionOfPuzzleria!

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    Replies
    1. Plantsmith, SuperZee and lego, thanks for the kind words.

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    2. I, for one, am looking forward to learning what Clark is a pseudonym for.....and the puzzle.

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    3. Congrats, C a p! Do you think it's easy or hard?

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    4. WW I honestly don't know. I'm sure you folks will let me know in your inimitable way.

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  68. I’m rather hoping it’s Kal-El.

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  69. No but I have more Superman shirts than I can count.

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    Replies
    1. Any heavy, black framed, eyeglasses?

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    2. No, I had my cataracts removed and new lenses put in, so I no longer need glasses. Of course the Ophthalmologist had to use a Kryptonite Laser! Even though my vision is now great, I can't seem to find phone booths anymore.

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    3. I won’t ask about red boots, blue tights, and cape.....

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    4. Blue tights of course but no RED Boots or cape

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    5. Remember that the cape does not need to be red as some criminals are colorblind.

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    6. Of course what I really want to know is if, due to advancing age, you are now experiencing difficulty remembering which phone booth you may have left your grey Brooks Brothers suit in? Extra points if you can tell me how many times you returned to discover your fedora was no longer waiting there for you. I will get back to you on the brogues later.

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    7. Yeah, I think remember saying that to my mother back in the mid fifties.

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  70. Superman first came out in July 1938 in Action Comics. My birthday just happens to be in July 1938...honest!

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    Replies
    1. Kal-El, so now we do know what your handle refers to. I guess you don't really miss your parents since they gave you up long before you decided to become a shrink in order to discover why you had all this animosity toward your parental rejection. Some kids just don't understand what their parents did for them. Obviously psychiatry hasn't helped. Why not try Scotch; it works for me?

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    2. The Daily Planet is fake news!

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  71. This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Michael Schwartz of Florence, Ore. Name a world capital. Change one letter in it to D-Y. The result will be two words, one after the other. The first word names somebody you like to be around. The second word names somebody you don't like to be around. What city is it?

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    Replies
    1. John Candy and Yogi Berra were probably both OK to be around.

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  72. Sad to say, puzzles like this only whet my appetite.

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  73. Replies
    1. (That's a clue, not a comment on the puzzle, Cap.)

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  74. Not too bad. Now I can go sleep.

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  75. More than 1400 correct responses this week.

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  76. From the country of the world capital, remove the same letter that was changed and you get a description that you’d rather not apply to you.

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  77. You replace a letter with DY, not D-Y.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Reminds me of the kid who spelled "WATER" "HIJKLMNO" because he heard it's "H to O".

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