Sunday, June 13, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 13, 2021): Famous Woman with a Three Part Name

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Jun 13, 2021): Famous Woman with a Three Part Name
Q: Name a famous woman in American history with a three-part name. Change one letter in her first name to a double letter. The resulting first and second parts of her name form the first and last names of a famous athlete. And the last part of the woman's name is a major rival of that athlete. Who are these people?
I just noticed something about her initials.

Edit: Lady Bird Johnson (LBJ) and Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ).
A: Lady Bird Johnson --> Larry Bird, (Magic) Johnson

286 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. Another Oscar movie connection this week

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  3. Nice puzzle, Sandy! Solvers must be careful with that second sentence in the instructions, as it's easy to assume too much.

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    1. 'Twas not the second but the first sentence that did me in until I read and reread the puzzle.

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    2. Interesting. And that just made me realize that there is a connection to another recent puzzle -- not the Oscar connection that David (above) mentioned...

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  4. When I first read this puzzle I groaned. When I calmed down a bit, I got the answer and even understood Blaine's clue! Now I can fly off back to bed which is what Sunday mornings are for.

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  5. This extraordinary woman contributed much more to the US than most people know. I hope this puzzle generates great interest in her accomplishments.

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  6. This puzzle involves a little sleight of hand.

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    1. Wmfowknvt zlv zztk xf rixk wfrm srmguiaz vvrieq.

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    2. Sorry, but your encryption defeats me.

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    3. The password is FINGER (which is a slight portion of a hand ... and a bird in the hand ...).

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  7. Blaine thanks for the photo of my great hero. The first name is a last name of a great athlete. If you change one letter in my hero's second name to a double letter, you get something the athlete was famous for using. But these are not really the answer to this week's puzzle.

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  8. Her born name has interesting initials, too.

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  9. The first two names of the woman are a reminder of a tale of domestic tragedy.

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  10. I have it... Compare monograms...

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    1. I think that is what Blaine noticed

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    2. Don't stop there. They didn't.

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    3. Lyndon Baines and Lady Bird's two daughters were named Lynda Bird and Lucie Baines. But y'all knew that.

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  11. One of my Google searches brought back to mind the old saying, "Behind every great man there is a great woman."

    Way, way behind, in this case.

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    Replies
    1. I should say, though, maybe that was really me pulling a fast one on Google with that particular search.

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  12. If you take the three names (involving the athletes) and you remove the middle name, you get a somewhat related result.

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    Replies
    1. Nice one, but only a fan of the sport (such as myself) would make that connection.

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  13. Understanding the somewhat awkward wording of the puzzle helps.

    Musical clue, appropriately enough: America.

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    Replies
    1. Indeed, the awkwardness of the phrasing is like my attempting to code using AWK. (I am not a programmer).

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  14. This puzzle reminds me of a childhood friend.

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    Replies
    1. I recently reconnected with a girl that I knew when I was 5. She moved to Texas and attended Lady Bird Johnson High School in San Antonio.

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  15. I won’t be submitting this week because my GF got the answer before I did – no clue just fact. However, one of the answers has a connection with a northern state.

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  16. I was baffled for a little while...but ultimately, the answer wasn't *too* hard to spot. Weirdly confusing wording in the clue, though!

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  17. Sorry I’m a bit late to the party this week, but I’m just coming off a 2-day migraine.

    That said and still recovering, here’s an oblique, if personally painful, clue: 34.

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    1. So you're thinking of a number between 33 and 35, huh? I don't understand how that could possibly be a clue.

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    2. Probably not what you're thinking. Though given the possibility of unintended consequences...

      Will explain Thursday.

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  18. Solving this one quickly made me feel like the king of my particular hill

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  20. Replies
    1. Tennis was my first thought. Along with Louisa May Alcott. Both wrong.

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  21. Musical clue: The Lovin Spoonful

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    1. Musical Clue: Electric Light Orchestra
      pjbKnowsTheFamousWomanInQuestionWasNoEvilWoman

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  22. Music Clue: Willie Nelson. Also a Billy Joel song.

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  23. Ahhh, got it...not a sport I follow regularly but I am certainly familiar with both the player and the player's rival.

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  24. As I posted earlier this morning at the end of last week's posts:

    Some might call this one a toss up.

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  25. SDB, I wondered where you were. My clue to this puzzle is SDB

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    Replies
    1. I posted that it was "Too easy!" at 5:10 AM today. I spent both all day yesterday and all day today on a Zoom conference, attended by people from all over the world, on near death experiences (NDE's), reincarnation, including past life regressions (which I do) and other spiritual experiences of this kind. The speakers, many of whom were shrinks, were very informative.

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    2. Natasha, It was said that segments would be released later. It was all free. Maybe you can Google for more information.

      Spiritual Awakenings International (SAI) online Conference 2021

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  26. SDB./TSI did you get your"joint for a jab" yet."? What a nutty place is the Emerald city, Not sure i want to move back.

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    1. "Joint for a jab" is just a toke-n of their appreciation for one getting vaccinated.

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    2. It seems our pundit has punned it.

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    3. What a punny place is Blainesworld.

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    4. Then there was the one about the geometry major who smoked marijuana. He had a sign on his door that said, "High---pot in use."
      pjbBelievesNoMatterHowChildishYouMayAct,ABadPunCanMakeYouGroan!

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  27. SDB/TST- I'll see you in the green room.

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    1. Just noticing that even the word "awkward" is awkward!

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    2. Or what a British hawk might scream while in flight.

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    3. This is the first time someone's clue actually served as a clue for me. Led me straight to it.

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  29. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  30. This puzzle is coincidence without consequence.

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  31. In a way, the Ma Rainey puzzle was worded better.

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  32. I also noticed something, I wonder if it's the same thing.

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  33. Punster. “ A noun. Mirriam -Webster - a person who is fond of making puns, esp one who makes a tedious habit of this.” Notice the word Tedious.

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    1. Yes, I cannot help but "Notice the word Tedious" every time I read one of your inane posts.

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  34. Hey guys, "Life is too important to be taken seriously" as written by Oscar Wilde. So let's keep our senses of humor...otherwise it just ain't worth it. Its better to laugh than to get pissed off. I now make a solemn promise...no more platitudes...at least for today.

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    1. Cap,
      Oscar was right about that observation, but speaking of observations, it might be worth keeping in mind that conflicts are not always equal. You may recall that Germany attacked Poland, without provocation, which began WWII. I do not recall anyone ever suggesting that both those countries should knock it off. Sometimes ignoring repeated attacks is also encouraging escalation of the conflict.

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    2. C a p, thanks!

      And some fun pun talk from The Atlantic. Spoiler Alert: we have a Humor Research Lab in Colorado!

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    3. WW, A serious article about puns? Surely you jest...Response from "Airplane"..."I'm not jesting and don't call me Shirley" And so it goes. Thanks for the article.

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    4. C a p, serious AND jesting: after all, the acronym for the Humor Research Lab is HuRL. ��

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    5. I too enjoyed reading the article. I have long thought that those who degrade puns and the punster are probably disappointed in their inability to see what the punster saw so clearly and they missed. It might also be well to remember the "fool" of olden times who the king kept around to help keep things in a more balanced perspective. So who was the true fool? Perhaps it was the lowly fool who was the smartest person in the room.

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    6. As the grand old man (clown prince?) of American letters once put it, there is "high magic to low puns."

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  35. Hopper makes a good point.“They’re usually deployed by people who know you’ll think the pun is annoying. Which is annoying. …
    Fun article

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    1. What nonsense! Charlie Hopper is obviously a moron. I can easily understand why you would quote him.

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  36. Hey guys, enough with the potshots...or is that what you're smoking? (pun intended)

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    1. Well i am not the one in Seattle. Home of joint for a jab.

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    2. I wish you guys would kiss and make up. It really is enough already.

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    3. And while I am not a fan of bribery to get idiots to what should be common sense, it at least is working so far; not so in Georgia where idiots shoot and kill clerks for adhering to mask restrictions, but then you moved there; I did not move to Seattle.

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    4. "Aisle B, back," said the grocery store clerk when I asked where the mustard was located.

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    5. You're killing me. You think murder is funny?

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    6. Maybe not right now, but it's in the offing.
      pjbSaysLessManslaughter,MoreMan'sLaughter!

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  37. This puzzle is beautiful, in a way.

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    1. Ah, yes, the puzzle! Back where we started. . .

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    2. It took me this long to get the answer. When I came upon the name of the famous woman quite a while ago, I thought it did not qualify, but I eventually realized otherwise.

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    3. WW This is a puzzle blog? Surely you jest as well!

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    4. C a p, hence your puzzled look?

      Nodd, a sentence 1 issue took me down that road earlier also.

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    5. WW, I believe your sentence 1 issue, which I believe some others here also have commented on, is different from mine. I suppose we'll find out Thursday, FWIW.

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    6. Or we could just ask Vlad. . .

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

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  39. Surprisingly, this subtle hint clinched for me.

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    1. ^^^ Yes, 'tis a bit too specific for me as well.

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    2. Nothing's worse than a subtle hint that's too specific.

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  40. Cap,
    Do you happen to know what it is called when a frog is killed while crossing a highway?

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    1. Sir punalot. Please refrain from attacks on my faith- Catholic, i.e. a pedophile cult. And may i remind you our newly minted CIC is a devoted follower and could this very minute be at Mass. Please show a little respect.

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    2. Without meaning disrespect, why do faiths deserve respect? Do you respect all beliefs? Do you respect a Satanist, Wiccan, Druid, Pastafarian, Scientologist, Animist or Cargo Cult follower as much as you do a Christian? If not, why not? All religions were invented by people for their own purposes.

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    3. "My religion is kindness."

      --Dalai Lama--

      And all this pinging back and forth between frogs and religion is a leaping wild ride.

      So, I'll throw in weather. We are set to reach 100 degrees F before noon. Glad my swamp cooler is working!

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    4. I do love Pasta. I was not aware there is a pasta cult-but think i will join. I too would like to be known as a Pastafarian.

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    5. Kindness is an admirable aspect of many religions. Rohingya might disagree with the Dalai Lama's characterization.

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    6. In answer to Weedsmith:
      NO, I will not stop criticizing a religion/cult I have no respect for and feels it has the right to criticize me and others who are not members and goes on to try and control our rights and humanity. I see it as a destroyer of lives. Also, I did not attack "your" church when I posted the joke I made that you took as an attack, which it wasn't. As to Biden being a RC disturbs me and he is not who I wanted to be our president.

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    7. jan, so true. I was unaware of the situation with Rohingya; helpful to learn more. Kindness, do unto others, live and let live, etc --all part of being human for me. No religion needed.

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    8. You will oft find me as a happy resident of Blainesville and rarely up in arms towards any of my fellow Blainesvillians.

      But I beseech thee not to make fun of Pastafarianism. We are no pasta cult.

      Those who treat us as a comic religion shall be struck by His noodly appendage and shall surely be put to death. DeCecco Penne Rigate 41:13

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    9. Thus spoke Al Dente. Now let us hear from the Antipastofarians.

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    10. Yea weedsmith seems to fit after you and your compatriots have turned my home town into a Weed factory with a stoner pharmacyon every corner.
      I am curious who you might entertain for president -probably your buddy in crime Kshama.

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    11. Ben! Please! That is not the Way of the FSM. The Monster is not a monster. His appendage is a loving appendage.
      (I am an ordained FSM Minister.)

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  42. SDB, Or maybe Croaked road kill...which sounds poetic somehow.

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  43. SDB,

    Would you call a member of the Russian Psychiatric Society a Pink Shrink?

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    1. C a p, I'd like to hear your shrink rap.

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    2. I don’t know about the Psychiatric Society, but I recall a Russian Commissar named Rudolph, who was challenged by his wife about the weather forecast.
      He replied, “Rudolph the red knows rain, dear.”

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    3. Depending on his point of view I might call him a Red Square.

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  44. Cap,
    When a frog is killed while crossing a highway it is commonly referred to as when the rubber meets the toad.

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    1. SDB, I liked my answers better. But yours is clever.
      WW, I enjoyed your "Shrink rap"

      Fun is so much better than getting ticked off at each other. I hope I don't sound too Polly Anna-ish. Gee SDB,that almost sounds a bit Pennsylvania Dutch

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    2. Frog and toad are not synonymous, or so I'm told.

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    3. I knew the moment when I coined this joke last night that someone would most likely post a pedantic response pointing out that fact. Would you rather I backed off and not posted the joke? I also knew everyone would immediately get the joke and accept it for what it is, which is a joke.

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    4. ...and my joke? Or so I'm toad.

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    5. I enjoyed your shrink rap joke. Now, let's move on an try and find a way to indict a ham sandwich.

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    6. You took a giant leap on that joke.

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    7. I just discovered this and now feel so much better:

      "Image result for what are frogs and toads classified as
      Frogs and toads are both amphibians and they are similar in many ways, but they are also different in a few ways. To be completely accurate, toads are actually a classification of frog. That is to say that, technically, toads are a kind of frog. Generally, frogs spend most of their lives in or near water."

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    8. A giant leap for an amphibian, but not a giant leap for a man. BTW are amphibians liars?

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    9. SDB: Could you please post where you found that information?

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    10. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=what+are+frogs+and+toads+classified+as

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    11. From Penn State News:

      https://news.psu.edu/story/141230/2010/03/23/research/probing-question-whats-difference-between-frogs-and-toads

      "All toads are frogs," says Bill Hamilton, assistant professor of biology at Penn State's New Kensington campus. "But not all frogs are toads." True toads, to parse it out, are members of the family Bufonidae, which in turn falls under the order of amphibians commonly called frogs, and known officially as Anura, meaning "without a tail." The order includes some 5,000 species, members of which can be found on every continent except Antarctica. "Frogs are called ëtoads' when they have a thicker, drier skin," Hamilton adds. A toad's skin is often covered with bumps and gland openings, which is probably why some people think you can get warts by touching them. Hamilton says that while this is a myth, frogs and toads alike can secrete any number of toxins through their skins.

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    12. I will ask a professor at u. Of conn.

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    13. Natasha, That is not in any way definitive. What do you back it up with? Who toad you this? What did he actually say and what are his credentials? Let us not leap to erroneous conclusions lest we be admonished by Miss Piggy. We must ponder on.

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    14. I will find the source..they cannot produce viable offspring. I am a zoologist. But i will find you proof.

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    17. SDB: I have written to my friend at u. of Conn. a biology professor there with whom I went to U. of Michigan with. He will know the answer.

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    18. Removed other post as too many spelling errors!

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  45. I found that frogs and toads are in the family Bufonidae. There is a lot of misinformation about the distinction between the frogs and toads.

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    1. I think we need to get to the bottom of this and discover the truth, warts and all.

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    2. Sdb: I agree. I learned something though.

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    1. No, they are not the same species. Frogs and toads share a clade, an order or even a family...but there are over 6000 species of frogs and toads.

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    2. Oops, make that 4810 species.

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    3. Glad to know that, WW. can you post a reference? That site needs to be corrected.

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    4. I deleted that post of misinformation. Sorry.

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    5. If frogs and toads were same species, a frog and toad could produce offspring.

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    6. To step back from this debate with a personal anecdote. My father was very fond of frogs, so fond that he bought the album of frog calls that Folkways put out in the 1950s. Our family cat was intrigued by both this album and the one of African bird calls that my father liked to play.

      The Smithsonian has released the frog call album as a CD, which you can download or purchase here: https://folkways.si.edu/sounds-of-north-american-frogs/science-nature/album/smithsonian. I plan to listen to it while driving up into the mountains a few days from now. If you would rather access a few calls for free, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7rCzSoSkA4.

      Sad to say frogs are another group that has not been able to survive the assaults of Homo sapiens suburbiensis, as we gobble up their habitats and poison the environment in which they live. So enjoy their music while you can.

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    7. Correct. Here are a couple of sources as you requested about frogs and toads:

      types of frogs and the Wikipedia article: Frogs. There are varying numbers of species reported from 4810 to over 7000.

      I'm happy to be talking about Frog and Toad Together today.

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    8. ^^^In reply to Natasha.

      Itala Svevo, thank you for the links!

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    9. Italo Svevo, you say your father was very fond of frogs. But, was it love?

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    10. jan, that was frognomenal! Thanks!

      I went to a Peter, Paul, and Mary concert at Red Rocks in a pouring rain. Worth every wet moment. Totally felt like a frog!

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    11. Responding to Jan: when my son Josh was in kindergarten he told me that the joke circulating on the playground was, whenever someone said he or she loved something, you were supposed to say "Well why don't you marry it?" I spent a couple of months trying to maneuver him into saying he loved something until he eventually, in an unguarded moment, said he loved Godzilla movies. I then asked him, "Well why don't you marry them?"

      He looked at me with disdain mixed with pity and said "Finally."

      If you haven't been condescended to by a six-year-old you haven't lived.

      (End of excerpts from my memoirs)

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    12. That is a wonderful story. It is also very revealing in my opinion. While I believe the human species to be rather stupid, I have for some time now observed that there are a great number of people being born who are far more evolved than when I was growing up. Have you noticed this too? This gives me hope for the future of mankind.

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  47. Where I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, both frogs and toads were in seeming surplus.
    They often appeared on the streets during wet periods or at night and we discovered them on our way to school or at play, flattened but still gooshy.
    As days went by, they got flatter and drier, moving one way or the other up or down the block depending on which side they were and the direction of the vehicle traffic.
    When they were plate size and thoroughly desiccated they became SAIL FROGS, precursors to Frisbees and their range expanded dependent on the strength of the boys (pretty much) throwing arms in the neighborhood.
    When I moved where I live now fifty years ago my ranch was still in the surplus stage of amphibians.
    Now the old choruses of frogs are mostly quiet and the warty toads under old boards and such are no more.
    With their thin moist skins they (and salamanders) are are no match for herbicides, pesticides and air pollution.
    I miss them.

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    1. I think there are one of the canaries in the coal mines? Not doing well.

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    2. Will Shortz reminds us at the top of today's NY Times crossword that they were a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt.

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    3. That' a good question about respect someone's beliefs. Why? Why not?
      Like Bob Dylan says,"Everybody got to serve somebody."
      i.o.w everyone has a religion- even if they don't know what is. They do.

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    4. Also to use a dessicated frog as a frisbee seems very disespectful -not only to the frogs but also to our Buddhist friends. I am also half Buddhist.Well maybe a third.

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    5. P...: I think if one had objected, we would have stopped.

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    6. Good point.Actually i think i remember doing this in my childhood.

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  48. As far as I can tell, Galt MacDermot got it wrong.

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  49. I finally got it and enjoying some bluebonnets is the best clue I can give

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  50. LADY BIRD JOHNSON >>> LARRY BIRD, (MAGIC) JOHNSON

    "Novak Djokovic" is 34 years old. LBJ (FLOTUS) died 34 years after LBJ (POTUS), though they weren't widely known by those terms then.

    "Indeed, the awkwardness of the phrasing is like my attempting to code using AWK. (I am not a programmer)." >>> In deed refers to a Lady Bird deed, a way of transfering property after one's death.

    "Nodd, a sentence 1 issue took me down that road earlier also." >>> It took me down a road enhanced by the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, spearheaded by Lady Bird. My issue there was thinking the original letter in Lady was doubled, rather than replaced by two other letters.

    "Or we could just ask Vlad. . ." pointed to the incorrect road I took from Lady to Laddy.

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  51. Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson & Larry Bird & Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr.

    My Hint:
    "Some might call this one a toss up." 3 points perhaps?

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  52. LADY BIRD JOHNSON, LARRY BIRD, [MAGIC] JOHNSON

    > ... and a lake in Colorado.

    A wide spot in the Colorado River (no, not THE Colorado River) in Austin Texas is named for the former First Lady.

    >> here’s an oblique, if personally painful, clue: 34.
    > 36.

    She was the 36th First Lady of the U.S.

    > As far as I can tell, Galt MacDermot got it wrong.

    The IRT never stopped at 4th Street, so LBJ couldn't have taken it there.

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  53. LADY BIRD JOHNSONLARRY BIRD and Magic JOHNSON, NBA basketball rivals.

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  54. LADY BIRD JOHNSON, LARRY BIRD, EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON


    My “oblique, if personally painful, clue” (especially for an aging hoopster like myself): 34.

    In one of the 2 Final Four semifinal games of the 1979 NCAA Basketball Tournament, the University of Pennsylvania (my alma mater) suffered what was then the worst semifinal defeat in the tournament’s history. It was at the hands of the tournament’s ultimate champion, Michigan State University, led by Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The margin of victory (or defeat) was 34. As I said, painful.

    And, of course, in the National Championship game two days later, MSU went on to beat Indiana State, led by Larry Bird.

    It was not my intention to hint at either Bird or Johnson’s uniform numbers, although 34 is contiguous to Bird’s college and pro numbers and to Johnson’s college number. (Bird’s uniform number was 33 in both college and the pros, and Magic Johnson’s numbers were 33 in college and 32 in the pros.)

    There were several good musical clues posted, but overall there was a profusion of possibilities—titles, artists, lyrics, etc.—many of which I thought would be tmi.

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  55. More servings of delectable puzzles are piled high on our table at Puzzleria!, starting at Midnight tonight, Pacific Daylight Time.
    This week, we feature a pair of "dangerous" conundrums baked up by our friend Mathew Huffman, both dealing with risky business. Attempt solving them at your own risk!
    Also on our menus:
    * a Schpuzzle of the Week testing you knowledge of presidents and prose,
    * a double-edged silver-tongued devil of a puzzle slice,
    * a Dessert that has Peter, John and Jesus surfacing in Surf City, and
    * six "Lady Bird, French Lick & Lansing" NPR riff-offs, the best one courtesy of our friend Ecoarchitect...
    That's 11 puzzles, a stingy-puzzle-baker's-dozen...
    But still very tasty... indeed, Magical & Legendary!

    LegoJoeBird(LBJ)

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  56. “The first two names of the woman are a reminder of a tale of domestic tragedy.” This refers to the nursery rhyme, “Lady bird, lady bird, fly away home / Your house is on fire and your children are gone.”

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  57. LADY BIRD JOHNSON
    LARRY BIRD
    MAGIC JOHNSON

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  58. Think of the money saved on the Monogramming shared bath towels.

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  59. Lady Bird Johnson->Larry Bird, Magic Johnson

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  60. Lady Bird Johnson; Larry Bird; Magic Johnson. My clue said the puzzle was beautiful, in a way. Lady Bird Johnson was quite involved in beautification, and one of her pet projects was the Highway Beautification Act. (Initially I thought this answer did not qualify, because the puzzle called for the famous woman’s “name” and Lady Bird was not her actual name.)

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  61. Well, the best I could come up with this week was Eleanor Holmes Norton, with the athletes being Larry Holmes and Ken Norton.
    A loss. Eager to see other responses.

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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.