Q: Take the name of a major American city. Hidden inside it in consecutive letters is the name of a Japanese food. Remove that. The remaining letters can be rearranged to spell some Mexican foods. Name the city and the foods.At least we aren't looking for a pair of synonyms.
Edit: SACRAMENTO anagrams to SCENT and AROMA, a puzzle that has appeared twice now. I was just glad this wasn't the third time.
A: SACRAMENTO --> RAMEN, TACOS
Here's my standard reminder... don't post the answer or any hints that could lead directly to the answer (e.g. via a chain of thought, or an internet search) before the deadline of Thursday at 3pm ET. If you know the answer, click the link and submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.
ReplyDeleteYou may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't give the answer away. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the Thursday deadline. Thank you.
Take the letters of the city in the even numbered positions. Rearrange. You get a type of house.
ReplyDeleteTake the remaining letters, the odd numbered positions. Rearrange to obtain a social system.
DeleteExcellent!
DeleteEasy enough...
ReplyDeleteSeems kinda messy to me. --Margaret G.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to the city. I don't care for either of the foods. I still got it! 😊
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTMI.
DeleteGuess I’ve been moved to the bottom.
DeleteBecause it was TOP, as in Ramen and Taco.
DeleteAfter a long hiatus, the return of the anagram!
ReplyDeleteIt's a little chilly this morning. . .
DeleteThere should be LOTS of correct entries this week. Maybe even more than last week.
DeleteRight on!
DeleteLOTS, as in OODLES of correct answers.
DeleteThe Japanese food anagrams to two other common English words, and the Mexican food anagrams to three. There may be others that are less common.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those puzzles that has me glad we have a world map and a USA map on the wall in the kitchen. No hint here.
ReplyDeleteThe two foods are sometimes combined.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteA similar Asian food always strikes me as unreal.
ReplyDeleteThis one rings a bell. I must tend to a sick friend this week so this will be it for now.
ReplyDeleteLike last week's, this puzzle has the makings of another 2,500+ Affair.
ReplyDeleteCosmic clue: Ursa major
ReplyDeleteThere’s a religious connection here, too.
ReplyDeleteThere is, Chuck. Interesting connection with last week's puzzle, which demanded capitalization.
DeleteSushi Mazda?
DeleteHoley crowns?
Delete..... interesting
DeleteSaving my hint til Tuesday
ReplyDeleteBecause voices carry?
DeleteI think I got your hint already...But I am looking forward to your hint on Tuesday
DeleteThe city anagrams to a certain type of professional and a certain society.
ReplyDeleteIn an astonishing coincidence, the city also anagrams to two other edible foods.
DeleteIf you forego tea you may get love
ReplyDeleteThese foods smell good.
ReplyDeleteSacramento can be anagrammed into "aroma" and "scent". There was a puzzle with Sacramento->aroma, scent on January 6, 2019.
DeleteThe city has been a puzzle answer twice before.
ReplyDeleteYou can get both foods in one restaurant in the city.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI got it, thanks to one or two of the above posts.
DeleteI'm not getting it, but I like the picture because it reminds me of the upcoming Little League World Series.
DeleteAlso, reading Blaine's edit of last week's post makes me wonder if a Mazda in reverse goes Mmmmh.
No hint here (at least I hope not).
An easier puzzle -- I didn't need my usual nine attempts to solve it.
ReplyDeleteThe US bishops might take issue with this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteSweat
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a “B” rated puzzle
ReplyDeleteTwo clues >>>
ReplyDeleteDC
Ghost plagioclase
Offset laminariales, my darling Word Woman.
DeleteDDX, kelp! Drawing a strong connection between offset laminariales and ghost plagioclase is not that easy.
DeleteAbout 2 degrees south and 3 degrees east of your Zany Box Kept Him clue. I enjoy looking up your scientific clues. Especially when I know the answer!
DeleteFind a different Japanese food hidden in order though not consecutively within a famous person's 11-letter name
ReplyDeleteEven though it has the rearranging thing, I like this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteToday's on-air "contestant" was one of the best ever. WS could hardly give the clues fast enough.
Here is a sneak preview of a riff-off of this week's NPR puzzle that will appear this Friday on Puzzleria!:
ReplyDeleteTake the name of a major American city. Hidden inside it in consecutive letters is the name of an Asian island. Remove that. The remaining letters can be rearranged to to spell the name of a European island. Name the city and the islands.
(Please do not post an answer here (or on Puzzleria!) until Wednesday, July 7 at Noon PDT. Hints, of course, are welcome.)
LegoRiffRaffling
I was expecting it to take a while to solve, but I got the answer while still in bed and it was the 5th city I thought of. Way too easy, but not really a bad puzzle.
ReplyDeleteYou may believe you have many friends, but think of all the Menudon't know.
Television clue: Portia de Rossi.
ReplyDelete(Arrested Development fans may remember the nonexistent town of Sacramende.)
DeleteI hope this is not TMI, but this puzzle has 2 connections with last week's puzzle. You can drive to this city in a Mazda and there is probably someone living there named Wanda.
ReplyDeleteIf there was a puzzler named Wanda with a Mazda, she should have been the default contestant. I feel a limerick coming on but the first line should end with Wanda. Hard to rhyme Mazda.
Delete...but ya' can if ya' hasta.
Deletehazda
DeleteBeach Boy Mike Loved (or else was just Fonda)
DeleteCar-crazed groupies named Wanda and Rhonda.
Wanda goofed though and caused a
Bad vibe, bought a Mazda!
Rhonda rode, though, a little red Honda.
Lego(WhoOnPuzzleria!ThisWeek)Asks(AndAnswers!)The(Oil)BurningQuestion:"Why would Wanda want a Honda?"
Two of my nieces live there, and I'm seeing them both this week for the first time since lockdown.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your visit. I saw family 2 weeks ago, after 2 years because of lockdown. I am still teary.
DeleteI haven't seen any of my family since shortly before the pandemic. I don't even know where their "ashes" are.
DeleteI think this puzzle is so cute. Who knew? I think both of these foods can actually be found served in the same meal. Sounds different, but it's a fusion-street-truck thing in my city.
ReplyDeleteNo clue here, but I did just notice that the town of Charlotte, North Carolina contains a prostitute.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they have more than one, especially if you count politicians.
DeleteI am sure you are right about that, but since I am so liberal I thought this once I would try being conservative just to see what it might feel like.
DeleteI can think of an appropriate beverage to enjoy with these foods in this locale.
ReplyDelete27.
ReplyDeleteI like to eat one of the foods, but not the other.
ReplyDeletepjbDoesLike"TurningJapanese"And"MexicanRadio"Equally,Though
e
ReplyDeleteIs that any kind of an actual reply, Ben?
DeletepjbSaw"E"AndThought"WTF?!"
Okay, to be honest, my clue is really "NOT e"
Deletewhat the fudge?
ReplyDeleteNo clue, just a fact. It's almost painful to not get a puzzle answer that most of you think is easy. But, I did say "almost painful" One must be philosophical in these situations.
ReplyDeleteNo shame in continuing to try and work on puzzles and only get half of them, Clark. That's a great way to spend time, in my book.
DeleteI would say something trite like "the journey is the reward," but then I would have to punch myself in the nose -- and it is just too hot today for that.
Thanks Ben
DeleteDon't associate this food with Japanese cuisine. Too fast food. Even for me, a roller coaster man....
ReplyDeleteClarification: I don't think of this as Japanese food.
ReplyDeleteThe Red Wings used to feast on these.
ReplyDeleteRed Wings fans in the 50s started throwing octopuses on the ice when their team was in the Stanley Cup because it took eight wins to win the Cup. Japanese for "octopus" is "tako." You can take it from there.
DeleteI suddenly got the answer. Don't understand why it took me so long. Oh well, better late than...too trite!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHey C a p, a comment similar to yours was blog administrated. So. . .
DeleteGlad you got it, though.
WW,It was a true fact about my son when he was going to CU.
DeleteOf course. But too much of something that is a letter off from tripe, methinks.
Deleteyou mean Menudo?
DeleteWhat you don't know can hurt you, and also hides inside it in consecutive letters the name of a related Japanese food
ReplyDeleteHurt so bad ...
DeleteNYAGHHHH- Someone relevant to the answer.
ReplyDeleteWordsmythe here, here'a another clue:
ReplyDeleteGeorge Carlin's one liners. It's hilarious!
My post near the top was deleted.
ReplyDeleteBecause I used the word TOP, as in both Ramen and Taco.
DeleteSome people put cinnamon on these dishes. Others even use pears.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait, that isn't what you said?
What is Will Shortz's email?
ReplyDeleteSACRAMENTO, RAMEN, TACOS
ReplyDelete"It's a little chilly this morning. . ." refers to yet another anagram of TACOS, i.e. COATS.
"Right on!" refers to a rite or SACRAMENT.
"Sweat" >>> Sweat Bee >>> Sacramento Bee
"DC" >>> SacraMENTO and Diet Coke, a classic science experiment
"Ghost plagioclase" refers to recycled oceanic crust as in the recycled puzzle city that is this week's offering.
"Of course. But too much of something that is a letter off from tripe, methinks." >>> The trope of college students slurping ramen is quite well-known.
Thanks WW for explaining your response to me.
DeleteC a p, no problem. S l u r p!
DeleteI recall buying 20 Maruchan ramen packets for a dollar (on sale). No wonder they are/were so popular for college students. It was dinner for a nickel!
DeleteSACRAMENTO, California.
ReplyDeleteRAMEN (A Japanese noodle soup)
SACTO → TACOS
The two synonyms from the last time this city was used (Jan. 6, 2019) that Blaine was referring to → SCENT + AROMA = SACRAMENTO.
Even-numbered letters anagram to MANOR (type of house) & the odd-numbered letters anagram to CASTE (social system).
Sacramento, capital of the U.S. state of California.
ReplyDeleteYour Submission: Sacramento, capital of the U.S. state of California. Ramen & Tacos.
DeleteI meant to post the foods too, which I submitted, but my cut & paste missed the foods because they were on the line below and I just got back home from camping on the ocean and missed seeing it.
Sacramento --> ramen, tacos
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “There’s a religious connection here, too.” Remove the “o” from “Sacramento” and you have “sacrament.” Remove the “r” from “ramen” and you have “amen.”
My connection was FSM-Flying Spaghetti Monster. Spaghetti, Ramen, colanders, pirates, parrots, rum, and so much more
DeleteI wrote, “Take the letters of the city in the even numbered positions. Rearrange. You get a type of house.” That’s MANOR.
ReplyDeleteSACRAMENTO—>RAMEN, TACOS
ReplyDeleteFor anagram fans:
“Ramen” has two anagrams: “namer” and “reman.”
“Tacos” has three: “ascot,” “coast,” and “coats.”
And “Sacramento” has two other food anagrams: “acorns” (edible if properly prepared) and “meat.”
This week, it's likely there will be many correct puzzle responses.
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ReplyDeleteSacramento; ramen; tacos. My clue said this puzzle had the “makings” (referring to the Sacramento Kings) of another 2,500+ “Affair” (referring to “The Thomas Crown Affair”, another reference to the Kings).
ReplyDeleteSACRAMENTO -> RAMEN, TACOS
ReplyDelete> The city has been a puzzle answer twice before.
On January 13, 2019, and on December 6, 2006.
> You can get both foods in one restaurant in the city.
Or, <a href="sactacos.com/”>both together, at Sac Tacos!</a>
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSACRAMENTO – RAMEN – TACOS
ReplyDeleteMy “clues”:
The city anagrams to a certain type of professional and a certain society.
“Sacramento” anagrams to “actor” and “Mensa.”
I got it, thanks to one or two of the above posts.
That was a reply to a post that was subsequently removed by the author. The reference was to Blaine’s clue, At least we aren't looking for a pair of synonyms. “Sacramento” anagrams to “scent” and “aroma.” I got it after one or two posts made references to the foods smelling good.
Sacramento->ramen, tacos
ReplyDelete"I glided right into this one."
ReplyDeleteA synonym of "glide" might have been TMI.
I wanted to post a straightforward numerical clue, but ... ask a simple question: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=shortest+distance+from+Sacramento+to+the+coast&t=h_&ia=web
Sacramento- ramen, Tacos
ReplyDelete27- my clue as Sacramento Bee is 27th largest paper in US. Who knew.
SACRAMENTO -> RAMEN, TACOS
ReplyDeleteMy clue was "e" but I changed it to "not e"
E is East
Not E is West
California is the biggest of the Western States.
SACRAMENTO is its capital.
We invite you to an Independence Day Picnic tomorrow on Puzzleria!, dished up by our friend Ecoarchitect.
ReplyDeleteEco has prepared a spread of 50 rebuses (one for each star on Old Glory!) and packed them neatly into a picnic basket.
He titles it:
The 2021 [1] Y (6,2,4) [2] Thero (8) Again! Picnic Menu
(The first two rebus puzzles appear in the title [1] and [2], with answers of 6, 4 and 2 letters and 8 letters respectively.)
Ecoarchitect asks: "Is therea better way to celebrate our national heritage than by blowing up small bits of it?"
His answer is a resounding "YES! By doing a Declaration og Rebus Interdependence!
Except for the riff-offs of the NPR puzzle, our other puzzles will also have patriotic themes.
LegoRebitically
SACRAMENTO(capital of Calif.), RAMEN, TACOS
ReplyDeleteI prefer TACOS to RAMEN. The latter tastes too salty.
pjbAlreadyHasTheFirstTwoRebuses,BTW
Sacramento ramen tacos : B rated puzzle - Sacramento Bee newspaper
ReplyDeleteYesterday was the second time in as many weeks when l didn’t get to post. Here is my belated entry. I’ll try to do better next week…
ReplyDeleteHere is what I want to post, but couldn’t…
Sacramento/Ramen/Tacos
The similar Asian food which strikes me as unreal is the Vietnamese noodle soup, pho, often mispronounced, faux.
Wishing all a safe, healthy, and enjoyable Independence Day Weekend!
Here's my belated entry since I was busy this week.
ReplyDeleteRamen, tacos, Sacramento, no surprise.
My hint "This rings a bell" is a reference to the bells rung at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass during the elevation of the host. That's a reference to to the "sacrament" of Sacramento as well as reference to Joseph Young's Taco Bell/Tacoma/Ma Bell puzzle of two weeks ago.
The second clue, the George Carlin one-liner is: Top ramen sounds a lot better than bottom ramen."
There you are, the sacred and the (almost) profane.
Happy 4th!
My clue about an appropriate beverage for this puzzle was a reference to Sacramento tomato juice.
ReplyDeleteWhen I posted a clue about my son eating this Japanese food in college, I didn't realize that it was so generalizable and that it was common to all.
ReplyDeletePlease tell the clue again. I forgot it.
DeleteI had said that my middle son ate this Japanese food all the time.
DeletePS while in college
DeleteThanks. I recall it now.
DeleteHey, this hasn't happened in quite awhile! Minutes to go before the new puzzle is unveiled, and we do NOT have to click "Load more..." and again go to the end after each refresh!
ReplyDeleteThis week's challenge comes from Todd McClary, who's a member of the National Puzzlers' League. Think of a place where a plant might grow, in two words. Spoonerize it — that is, switch the initial consonant or consonants of the two words. The result will name another place where a plant might grow, and a plant that might grow in either place.
ReplyDeleteHappy Fourth, everyone!
This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from Todd McClary, who's a member of the National Puzzlers' League. Think of a place where a plant might grow, in two words. Spoonerize it — that is, switch the initial consonant or consonants of the two words. The result will name another place where a plant might grow, and a plant that might grow in either place.
ReplyDeleteLooking over the list of on-air puzzles, I'm stuck on "brainstorm", and if "San ___, California" is what I think it is, I object ... but I'll probably be overruled.
ReplyDeletePaul, I don't have a problem with San______, CA, and I think I've got "brainstorm," though it's arguable. (Think more generically, and pronounce carefully.)
DeleteWell, I was thinking of "brainstorm" as a verb rather than a noun, and I was suggesting that the California city might be pronounced more like a "low-grade breakfast food" with the sole purpose of casting a shadow of a doubt.
DeleteI may be on to something....
Delete