Sunday, May 30, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 30, 2021): A=1, B=2, C=3, ...

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 30, 2021): A=1, B=2, C=3, ...
Q: Name a famous city in 10 letters that contains an "S." Drop the "S." Then assign the remaining nine letters their standard value in the alphabet — A = 1, B= 2, C = 3, etc. The total value of the nine letters is only 25. What city is it?
Now that I've solved that, I can go back to watching sitcoms.

Edit: I was thinking of "I Love Lucy" which hints at the fossils of Lucy (Australopithecus) found in Ethiopia and housed in a museum in the capital city.
A: ADDIS ABABA

Sunday, May 23, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 23, 2021): In a Quandary

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 23, 2021): In a Quandary
Q: Think of an eight-letter word in which the third and sixth letters are "A." Remove the A's. The remaining six letters start a common series. What is it? And what comes next in that series?
Edit: I was in a quandary because the reminder that I post at the top of the comments each week has the word directly. Do I change the word? Or do I just leave it as is?
A: "standard", remove the A's and you have "st nd rd" which is part of the series of ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd, ...) so the next item in the series is "th" (4th)

Sunday, May 16, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 16, 2021): It's not Cher, Sting or Prince

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 16, 2021): It's not Cher, Sting or Prince
Q: Name a popular singer — first and last names. Change one letter to a "P" and read the result backward. You'll get what many people do around this singer. Who is it?
Am I the only one that thought the singer was using a stage name?

Edit: I actually thought her name meant "two lips".
A: DUA LIPA --> APPLAUD

Sunday, May 09, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 9, 2021): 11 Letter Word with 6 Syllables

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 9, 2021): 11 Letter Word with 6 Syllables
Q: Think of a word with six syllables that's spelled with only 11 letters — and the four middle syllables have the same vowel. What word is it?
I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a hint.

Edit: I was questioning my eligibility.
A: ELIGIBILITY

Sunday, May 02, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 2, 2021): Singing the Blues

NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 2, 2021): Singing the Blues
Q: Name a famous blues singer — first and last name as this person is generally known. Change the first letter to a "B," and phonetically you'll get a nationality. Who's the singer, and what's the nationality?
Today I learned two things

Edit: Ma Rainey is a real person and someone from Bahrain is Bahraini.
A: MA RAINEY --> BAHRAINI