I'm not up to saying anything more.Q: Take the name BUENOS AIRES, remove one letter. The remaining letters can be rearranged to name two things many people wish for around this time of year. What are they?
A: Drop the E --> BONUS + RAISE
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 Wednesday 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 Wednesday deadline. Thank you.
Note the earlier deadline for Christmas.
In case they don't update the page, here's a link to Submit Your Answer
DeleteBlaine, I never even noticed that you put that link in. I'll have to pay better attention to the blog in the future.
DeleteBah humbug
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA bowlful of jelly...
ReplyDelete....or a jowlful of belly???
DeleteOr should one be thinking of Rudy Giuliani, perhaps a bowel full of deli...plplplpl
DeleteI remember being offered a choice.
ReplyDeleteAs an old friend used to wish, may we all have a new year filled with good food, good wine, good friends, and time to enjoy them.
Easy
ReplyDeletePhoebe from Boise did a good job.
ReplyDeleteAgreed , but a tad slow on Little Sock :)
DeleteSo easy...
ReplyDeleteFunny how it worked out.
ReplyDeleteIt would be in the spirit of the season if all to whom these two things apply would get both.
ReplyDeleteReally, Will? Whatever happened to peace on Earth?
ReplyDeleteI'll take peace on Earth.
DeleteI always appreciate getting some beano after eating too much Brie.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I was expecting something more Christmassy.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that some BDSM aficionados out there are looking for ABUSE and IRONS.
ReplyDelete.....these are a few of my favorite things!!!
I'm hoping for no NOISE ABUSE
DeleteI'm wishing for a SERIOUS BAN on maskless gatherings.
DeleteTell ya what, suppose everybody got a living wage and a minimum standard of living. Now wouldn't that be nice?
ReplyDeleteI second that. And affordable housing & healthcare, too
DeleteInterestingly, if you use several of the letters in Argentina, you’d get a nice clue!
ReplyDeletemake it so.
ReplyDeleteAn anus soiree really isn't my scene, but(t) to each his own.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBon Jovi
DeleteWouldn’t it be nice to get the two things wished for and then head for a vacation to a beachy/touristy destination?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI get why everyone wants a NOSE, but who wants RABIES?
ReplyDeleteMusic Clue: Bruce Springsteen
ReplyDeleteThe anagram solver was tied up for a while this AM. Gee, I wonder who did that? It couldn't have been us or...?
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredibly insensitive puzzler today. People are sick,dying, out of work, in line at food banks and being evicted. The answer is insulting to each and everyone of then.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
DeleteSeven.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAlthough I agree that the conditions you are talking about exist, it's not something that just applies during pandemic. It's always been so. We're just paying more attention now.
Delete"let them eat cake."
DeleteThe folks who like to offer their own "extra credit" puzzles in the comments need to be careful this week. I bet there won't be many calls for this one.
ReplyDeleteSolution was delayed by hour+ of erroneus puzzling until I re-read the clue. Playing with wrong answers has been rampant in the US for 4 years.
ReplyDeleteSadly, it seems Santa won't have these in his bag for me this year.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great time of year to support public radio with a gift. So many have not had the means to share this year.
ReplyDeleteNPR has now posted the transcript of TODAY'S PUZZLE.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I've updated the link at the top.
DeleteThis would be a good puzzle to do a riff on Puzzleria!
ReplyDeleteThat is a bonus puzzle.
DeleteI think something more appropriate could have been chosen for the puzzle this week.
ReplyDeleteNo audio of this week's puzzle yet?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is there now.
DeleteWhere? I can't find it on here. There's no LISTEN part to click on, for some unknown reason.
DeleteJust go to the NPR website. It is all there now. Maybe for you this will be your real Sunday puzzle.
DeleteThe reason for cranberry's confusion is that the first webpage, Sunday Puzzle: State Capitals In Christmas still exists, even though it's no longer being pointed to. The newer webpage, Sunday Puzzle: Christmas Capitals has everything we've come to expect.
DeleteNo, EaWAf, even the updated puzzle page lacks the usual audio and transcript links.
DeleteWorks just fine for me, jan. Maybe you are looking at an earlier incarnation.
DeleteUh, what I now notice currently is the following:
DeleteThe Sunday Puzzle page in general first lists and links to the newer web page, and jan is right, no links there to either the usual audio and transcript links.
But scrolling down the general puzzle page, at the top of the list of older puzzle page links, you see the original web page link, which in my post above I said was no longer being pointed to.
This page does have the audio link, which is available now, but even it does not have a transcript link.
I am getting everything as usual each time I look:
Deletehttps://www.npr.org/series/4473090/sunday-puzzle
Does anyone else see the transcript and audio on that page?
Deletejan, When you open that link you must then open the puzzle with one more mouse click to get the full Monty.
DeleteYes, I did that, and then I see the presentation of the on-air puzzle and the new puzzle, but I do NOT see a link for the transcript of the puzzle segment (including everything said by Lulu, Will, and the on-air player), nor do I see a link for the audio of the segment. All the previous weeks' puzzle pages include these.
DeleteActually, now I find the transcript and audio links on the old page (https://www.npr.org/2020/12/20/948315508/sunday-puzzle-state-capitals-in-christmas), which doesn't have the other info.
DeleteIt is now gone for me too. Yesterday I was able to listen again and see everything. Obviously the person who was running the Sunday Edition this week does not know what he is doing. I suspect he will now be promoted.
DeleteTRANSCRIPT
DeleteAUDIO
I posted the following yesterday, but due to the LOAD MORE issue some may have missed it:
ReplyDeleteBREAKING NEWS! (pun intended)
President Trump has just announced that it may be China who is responsible for causing Rudy Giuliani to fart in court. He has ordered a full investigation, promising to get to the bottom it.
Kayleigh McEnany, current press bimbo for the Trump Administration, said that since it is such a pressing issue there will shortly be results showing up in a white paper. In the meantime Giuliani is being kept fully briefed.
When asked by a reporter why Giuliani would do such a thing in a courtroom, she replied, "Depends on what absorbs his attention."
I think this may put an end to any more songs that refer to the eerie canal.
We had it in ten minutes and submitted our answer. But they never call. NPR Sunday Puzzle is like a bad boyfriend. They never call.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Dallas has eked out a victory even without Elliott in the backfield, giving them at least a breath of hope.
ReplyDeleteMore obscure than necessary: since I couldn't come up with a clue for "raise bonus," I used "raise bones" instead, which leads to Ezekiel 37, in which Ezekiel, with a little divine afflatus, reanimated the bones of the dead. And, by the way, the Cowboys won 41 to 33, which averages 37.
DeleteI had a dream the Will actually had a Spanish language anagram, but I guess not.
ReplyDeleteI think that 3000 entries for last week may also be somebody's dream.
A sueño
DeleteYou can get NEUROSES from BUENOS AIRES, but I doubt anyone would wish for those at this time of year. REASON might be a good thing to wish for after this past four years. Maybe BEER or ROSE, whatever you prefer. BUNS, perhaps? RUBIES? ROBES? Some people may need BRAINS!
ReplyDeleteI am looking for UBER SEASON, removing I, but I doubt that this is correct.
DeleteYou could also get A RUBE'S NOSE with the same letters.
DeletePossible anagrams using all the letters:
A RUBE'S NOISE
SENIOR ABUSE
SERIOUS BANE(or BEAN)
SO URBAN, I SEE
SNUB A SOIREE
REASON I BE US
A ROBE'S IN USE
A-ONE BRUISES
SO SEE A BRUIN
RUIN AS OBESE
U.S.A. IS ON BEER
A BRINE SOUSE
SO BASE URINE
SUE IS NO BEAR
ONE IS A REBUS
ISSUE A BONER
BEE, AS IN OURS
AROUSE IBSEN
NO, ABE IS SURE
SEE SUB ON AIR
SEE NO AIRBUS
SURE IS A BONE
INSURE BEA SO
BONE IS A RUSE
Rest assured neither word in the answer was used in these anagrams.
pjbTheHonestAnagrammer
For this puzzle, a careful review led me to the answer. I liked the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIn a cruel twist of fate I actually got one of these things right before becoming the type of person who is not amused by this puzzle.
DeleteRevealing clue - should be removed.
DeleteAn anagram of "no defeat" describes my impression of this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteDo You Know THIS?
ReplyDeleteWe were given 26 letters with which to use
in order for us to make up words
but also admonished not to abuse
such that they may cause discomfort to the herds
of people who hide behind the ruse
of pretending to be affronted by certain words
which tend to make clear to me and yours
that the way they are behaving is absurd
and bestows such inordinate power over us
to what is little more than the assembly of a word.
Still some of us have even dared
to resort to using merde
and I have occasionally been heard
allowing myself to utter turd
while others have had the enterprise
to freely get their way using scheiß
but don’t expect to get a guffaw
should you be so bold as to say kaka.
And while I don’t intend this to be a thesis
on the history of our relationship with feces
an example of what I am saying is THIS
and I am sure when I end they will wish
all the time reveling in their bliss
that I had not been so brave as to mention HITS
or that I might stop too soon and diminish
by not including the archaic term HIST.
So now searching for a word that leads to my finish
and not wishing to leave you in the mist
without first mentioning the Jewish word TISH
I will simply conclude and insist:
that you don't know SHIT!
Skydiveboy (2020)©
Tone-deaf puzzle. Bad form, Will. My wish is that Will would replace this puzzle with a better one. But since it's here:
ReplyDeleteMusical clue: The Carpenters
Can't use the usual term for an extra puzzle, but another thing that would be a nice thing for many people this Christmas is:
ReplyDeleteTake a state capital instead of country's, drop one of the repeated letters and (I hate to say it) rearrange the rest to get the answer.
When you get it don't wait, blurt it out.
Could it be a talley stick? Or a toymonger (help for Santa)? Or nuptials? Or a condor or cordon (for Covid-19)? So many possibilities!
DeleteI haven't done New Year's resolutions for years, unless you count TV quality, but if you do I would suggest including the resolution not to allow KGB agents to do your laundry.
ReplyDelete1932
ReplyDeleteNice! Though I might have saved this clue for the spring.
DeleteI could have said around St. Patrick's Day in 1932.
DeleteFeliz Navidad. Próspero año y felicidad!
ReplyDeleteMay we all receive Buenos Aires. A blessed Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteBuenos Aires ("good air") is much better than malaria ("bad air"). Or Covid. Happy holidays to all.
Deletejan,
Delete"Bad air" may also refer to being in a courtroom with Rudy Giuliani.
Speaking of Giuliani's courtroom offense. Isn't that about as close as he has ever come to Defecation of Character? All factory workers should raise a stink.
Delete<<< Anyone else see Jupiter, 4 moons, and Saturn?
ReplyDelete<<<4 moons!
See four moons? Never drank that much.
DeleteHaha. Four moons of Jupiter (but you knew that).
DeleteThis is all I saw.
DeleteSaw and identified three moons of Jupiter and two moons of Saturn.
DeleteSaw and identified two cumulus clouds and one stratus cloud.
DeleteI at first thought that vehicle that is backed in off the road might be a Saturn. Astronomy, and gastronomy, can be so difficult these days, and nights too, of course.
DeleteBy Jove, you've got it right!
DeleteAstronomers believe they are above everyone else.
DeleteWhat kind of telescope?
DeleteI had clouds after watching for months.
DeleteThey appear to be separating more quickly than they approached; reminds me of an old joke about rabbits.
Mort Canard: Four and one much more likely.
Relentless sunshine.
ReplyDeleteRSTLNE are the letters given to contestants in the BONUS round on Wheel Of Fortune.
DeleteSUNSHINE = "RAYS"
The West Point Mendacity Academy got caught again. What a surprise.
ReplyDeleteHey, they're only cadets. With experience, they'll get better at not getting caught.
DeleteGood point, jan. I remember how dishonest the military is from my 3 years army experience, but had forgotten just how clever they can be as they progress.
DeleteReminder: If you buy an Advent calendar the day after Christmas, when they're heavily discounted, you can count down the 25 days until Inauguration Day with chocolate.
ReplyDeleteJan - great idea!
DeleteOnly problem is that the chocolate (taken with several hypothesized intermediate events) may cause indigestion.
Please forgive me for stealing your idea.
DeleteUh, no.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI solved this Sunday. Monday received the notice that there would be no bonuses this year.
DeleteThe Covid Relief Bill contains several add-ons including one having to do with the Dalai Lama's next reincarnation. While I am all for discussion of reincarnation, I think there may simply be a typing error here in this bill. I suspect when they look closer they will discover it is actually having something to do with an attempt to rein [in our] car nation.
ReplyDelete...What Oona's boyfriend's carpenters were told to do...
ReplyDeleteLegoWhoWillBeUploadingPuzzleria!ADayEarlyThisWeekSoYouWillHaveAllChristmasEveDayToGetAHeadStartOnSolvingAWholeSanta'sBagfulOfShinyNewPuzzles!
Hmmm ... is Elaine Joyce related to James Joyce?
DeleteBONUS, RAISE
ReplyDelete> Doesn't apply to me.
I'm retired.
Ditto.
DeleteBUENOS AIRES -E = BONUS & RAISE
ReplyDeleteBonus, Raise
ReplyDeleteMy comment about being offered a choice was based on my time in the Federal Civil Service, where, if your annual rating is high enough, you can be offered the option of a salary increase in lieu of a bonus.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBUENOS AIRES (-E) → "2 things many people wish for this time of year" → BONUS + RAISE.
ReplyDeleteBUENOS AIRES (-E) --> BONUS + RAISE
ReplyDelete“Bonus” from “Buenos” jumped out at me almost immediately; “raise” from “Aires” was not far behind.
If only…
And in the words of Linus (quoting Luke), “[O]n earth peace, good will toward men.”
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all.
bonus, raise
ReplyDeleteRemove an E from Buenos Aires.
Puzzleria this week features a "magnum opus..." a great work of puzzletry created by our friend Ecoarchitect.
ReplyDeleteIt is a "2020 Holiday Dinner Menu" blockbuster filled with 43 (yes 43!) puzzling entrees that you might pass around on the holiday dinner table.
All are "rebus" puzzles, and they are addictive.
It is, as eco says,
"a cornucopia of confusion,
a feast of falderol,
a delight of derangements,
and a meal of malarkey."
And, it is just delightful!
Note: Puzzleria will be uploaded a day early this week (tonight at midnight PST) so that you all can start unwrapping our holiday delights a day early
Also on Puzzleria!s regular menus this week:
* A Schpuzzle of the Week" that links Christmas toys for boys with the national pasttime played by "the boys of summer,"
* a puzzle with advice on "Managing your Manger,"
* a "No Room at the Inn" Dessert. and
* EIGHT riff-offs of this week's NPR "Bonus/Raise" puzzle, titled, "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas."
My hint this week was:
"...What Oona's boyfriend's carpenters were told to do..."
Oona O'Neill Chaplin (playwright Eugene O'Neill's daughter) used to date J. D. Salinger before she married Charlie Chaplin. "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" was a novella Salinger wrote.
Paul's wonderfully astute reply to my hint: Hmmm ... is Elaine Joyce related to James Joyce? alluded to actress Elaine Joyce who was married to Bobby Van and Neil Simon, and who also once dated Salinger.
LegoReJoycing!
BONUS, RAISE
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all from pjb!
RAISE, BONUS
ReplyDelete"Agreed." A greed >>> more money in the form of a RAISE or BONUS this year while others suffer.
"Seven." A BONUS foul in basketball after six fouls.
Celebrating here with a plumbing leak. Hope your Festivus is better!
Merry Christmas and Happy holidays!
I forgot about the deadline being today. Of course RISE BONUS. My clue about eh root of all evil was removed by an administrator. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteShowing your British roots?
DeleteClark: Don't you mean raise, bonus?
DeleteYup. Twas a typo The night before Christmas
DeleteWhen the Proud Boys, and other racist groups, demonstrate in favor of Trump with all their vile yelling, is that the evil of all roots?
ReplyDeleteBREAKING NEWS!
ReplyDeleteAll the telephone lines to the White House have been overwhelmed and shut down. It seems they have been deluged by calls from thousands of naughty little boys calling in for pardons so they may receive gifts from Santa tonight.
My clue-
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, if you use several of the letters in Argentina, you’d get a nice clue!
You can get to the word “earning”.
Snipper-
DeleteI had thought that you pre-opted my similar idea:
Take the words of ARGENTINA. Add a faucet manufacturer or a town in Alaska. Rearrange to give two French words related to the puzzle solution.
ARGENTINA + MOEN or NOME => ARGENT, MONNAIE
Good one geofan!
Delete(What does pre-opted mean?)
Merry Christmas everyone.
ReplyDeletebonus, raise
ReplyDeleteSorry I forgot about posting yesterday. ‘Tis the season, etc. Last Sunday I said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to get the two things wished for – a bonus and a raise – and then a third, heading for a beachy/touristy destination?” Merry Christmas Blainesvillians all.
Mele Kalikimaka! Don't you wish you were all celebrating in Hawaii?
ReplyDeleteWe were on Kauai last December. Can’t wait to go back.
DeleteMeanwhile, best wishes for happy, healthy, holidays to all.
BUENOS AIRES - E = BONUS & RAISE
ReplyDeleteFor my clue, I wrote that "a careful review led me to the answer." Because most bonuses or raises follow an employee review.
I gave two bonuses yesterday, but without any review. Because we've all been busy.
This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener David Curren of Arlington, Mass. Think of a familiar two-word phrase (5, 2). Replace the last letter with the next letter of the alphabet. The result will be a palindrome (the seven letters will read backward and forward the same). What phrase is it?
ReplyDeleteThis week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener David Curren of Arlington, Mass. Think of a familiar two-word phrase (5, 2). Replace the last letter with the next letter of the alphabet. The result will be a palindrome (the seven letters will read backward and forward the same). What phrase is it?
ReplyDeleteOnly the well mannered will solve this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThe one on-air puzzle item which I had not figured out before-hand was also the only puzzle item that was ommitted!!
ReplyDeleteHey, SDB. If you're having trouble with this week's puzzle, there's a local TV station which might help you figure it out when their local news gets into the sports section.
ReplyDelete