Sunday, October 17, 2021

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 17, 2021): Famous Actress (8,6)

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Oct 17, 2021): Famous Actress (8,6)
Q: Name a famous actress (8,6). Change the next-to-last letter of her first name to an S. Then reverse the order of the last three letters, and you'll name a famous ruler. The actress's last name is an anagram of where you would find this ruler. Who is the actress and the ruler?
Her father's name relates to the ruler and the correct pronunciation of her surname is close to the place.

Edit: News stories have said the pronunciation of her last name is closer to "throne".
CHARLIZE THERON --> CHARLES I, THRONE

224 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. The last name also anagrams to a nuisance.

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  3. Ah, Will, the puzzle! How about another?

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  4. Damn, I wish I had won the Puzzle this week. So when I got the last question (Q: Name an NPR Host we will miss in the future?) I could have vamped:

    "Um, Doualy Xaykaothao? No, doesn't work....
    How about Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, from Dakaaaaah? No....
    Oh, I've got it!
    From Nicosia, Cyprus, it's Mike Theodoulou!"

    Abusive? Sure.
    That's what you get for hanging out with PUZZLE PEOPLE, Lulu!

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  5. Nice "Lu/Lou/Loo/Lew" puzzle as a send-off to Lulu. Thanks, Will.

    She's headed to the New York Times to do a podcast.

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    Replies
    1. *Though I believe Maya Angelou pronounced her last name as An-je-low.

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    3. Maya Angelou's son lives nearby. I have spoken to him at length. Very interesting person.

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    4. I had the opportunity to work with and record Dr. Angelou on a musical project, about thirty years ago. Amazing woman, and yes Word Woman is correct about her chosen pronunciation of her name.

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    5. Ben, what a treat to meet Maya Angelou! Would you tell us more what was she like during your work together?

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    6. Well, I was hired as technical help on the project. To a famous person. And Dr. Angelou was was brought in by said famous person to read one of her poems on a recording.
      So when the famous people were friendly, I got a good sense of them. (I was actually living in the home of the famous person for whom I was working, so we were close). But Dr. Angelou was a bit standoffish (and I don't mean that in a bad way). She liked to keep her distance and let you know that she was "Dr. Angelou," so in my entire life I've exchanged two words with her at most.

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    7. What were they? ;-)

      I get the standoffish thing. Just a certain amount of reserve to be able to simply present her poetic license.

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    8. My poetic license got pulled after I was caught doing limericks in a school zone.

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  6. I can't tell from the instructions whether I'll be naming a ruler with 3 letters, 8 letters, or 14 letters.

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    1. It's eight letters, although…no, I can't say any more; that would already be TMI.

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    2. Thanks, Wolfgang. The Rule of Antecedent Proximity had me stuck on 3 letters at first. I now have it solved, and I declare this to be a very fine puzzle.

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    3. That's the only way to get ahead.

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    4. TMI

      Remember Blaine's Rule: "don't post ... or any hints that could lead directly to the answer(e.g. via a chain of thought..." If it led Lancek to the answer, isn't that TMI by definition?

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    5. I'm going to allow it as a clarification, not as something that narrows the set of possible solutions.

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    6. Fair enough. The different ways of reading the puzzle is half of the puzzle. Several of our team members read it incorrectly, also. Thanks Blaine.

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    7. So we change the 7th letter in her first name to an S and then reverse the resulting last three letters of her first name to get the ruler? And separately anagram her last name to get the place?

      It's currently clear as mud.

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    8. Perform the actions on the first name to get the ruler. Perform the action on the last name to get the place.

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    9. Blaine, that's a great clarification I was inching toward.

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    10. Deciphering the obfuscation (nod to Click & Clack) is half the solution.

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    11. And once again, the way the puzzle is worded presents an issue. 🙄

      WS would be well-advised to apply some final touches where necessary. To prevent the puzzle authors from feeling offended by that, he could tell them (in his reply of puzzle acceptance) that this validates their efforts.

      So my edits here might have resulted in something like this:

      Name a famous actress (8,6). Change the next-to-last letter of her first name to an S. Then, in the first name, reverse the order of the last three letters. As a result, the first name will change to the name of a famous ruler. The actress’s last name is an anagram of where you would find this ruler. Who is the actress, and who is the ruler?

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    12. And, as such, once you replace the 7th letter with an S, you are just swapping letters 6 and 8. That seems clearer to me.

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    13. How many puzzlers does it take to word a puzzle? 😏

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    14. Wording puzzles is more fun than crossing words. . .

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  7. I found a clip of her giving pronunciation lessons for her last name. The correct pronunciation is not as close as an incorrect pronunciation. There is a little twist to the first name manipulation.

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

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    2. Well i suppose John Irving might agree.

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  8. I was looking at that next-to-last letter, thinking if you kept it as-is, and then reversed the order of the last three letters (in the first name), the result might make a pretty cool rapper's name. It turns out I wasn't even that far off.

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  9. Are we reversing the order of the last three letters in her first name or last name?

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  10. You either win or die when you play this game.

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  11. With Lulu gone, who will be responsible for the on air banter with Will? Also, Lulu thanked Will for finally working her into the puzzle, but she was herself the puzzle several months ago (Lu-ga-no).

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    Replies
    1. Snipper: I recall that puzzle also. Surprised WS did not point that out.

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    2. Snipper, the on air segment will now feature Will Shortz and be hosted by our own Mendo Jim.

      OK, I'm lying. Just trying to push up the ratings.

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  12. Is the actress current or from way back when?

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    1. Definitely one of those.

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    2. Oh…you mean, definitely not from the future? 🤔

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    3. Actually, I can see with my own two eyes how the ruler could be from the future.

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    4. I can confirm that I have seen this actress acting at some point in the past, on film at least.

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  13. I went straight to an anagram solver to seeking a humorous rejoinder with e first place I tried. I got a pretty good snark but then went to list of actresses and oh oh there's an actress that also anagrams to the same word. so I'll be flying off now my work is done here

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  14. Hmm, yes, the way the puzzle is worded could lead to some pretty epic confusion. Glad to have it on good authority that my answer checks out!

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  15. I have it now. It's a bit tricky, but everything works...

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  16. Replies
    1. This puzzle reminds me of a different mathematician.

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    2. Hello bird, Are you a mathematician? I am trying to connect with a math person for a question. Thank you so much!

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    3. Eileen - I don't know if I qualify since I changed careers 37 years ago, but try your question anyway. I'm sure someone on the blog can be of help.

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    4. Thank you, Lorenzo! I appreciate your kindness and time. Only if you don't mind to email me at Eileen.Abbott@comcast.net or private message on my Twitter:https://twitter.com/newswomaneileen?lang=en, and I can send the math related question. Thank you so much, Lorenzo! You bring much good to this world, and I appreciate your expertise and insight. Kind regards, Eileen

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    5. to Ellen, Yes I plead guilty to doing mathematics. what is your Q? I might be able to answer it. I might not.

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    6. Here is my favorite B.C. Quote- "He has no grasp of world history. He is not up to presidential caliber. Obama is an amateur. A total amateur."

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    7. need an umlaut to make this werk

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    8. Emmy Noether or No(umllaut)ther which anagrams to Theron

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    9. Charles Greathouse IV created many sequences on the On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS). Charles IV is like Charles I.

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  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. Did anyone stumble on Tuvalu? I got it right after Will gave its general location. Since there don't seem to be a lot of 8,6, actresses, today's puzzle was fairly easy. Unfortunately, i can't give any clues without breaking the house rules.

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    1. Given that a recent puzzle had me learning that Funafuti is the largest city in Tuvalu, no stumble here.

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    2. I knew Tuvalu, but mostly because the place is Internet Famous.

      Tuvalu owns the .tv domain extension, which will be their main source of revenue, as climate change plunges their island into the sea.

      I hope their servers are on dry land. That's a great domain extension.

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  20. I find this person to be a bore.

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    1. Some might even go so far as to say a rock.

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    2. Really, Siz? Or is this a "clue"?

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    3. CHARLIZE THERON, CHARLES I - THRONE By a bore, I'm sure Siz was alluding to Boer, or Afrikaner. Calling an Afrikaner as a rock is a less than flattering term used by native English speakers in South Africa.

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  21. 3 degrees of separation music clue "the plight of the humble bee"

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. 1 pun on flight of the bumblebee
      2 theme for old radio program the green hornet
      3 hornet anagrams to theron

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  22. It's not that tricky - pretty straightforward once you get the name of the actress. Just follow the directions the way they are.

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    Replies
    1. Like many of the puzzles, it's easy once you have the right starting name. The hard part is thinking of the starting name.

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    2. And yet, the first list I looked at did not include this person, and I am surprised it did not.

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  23. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuHscMe8dK8

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    Replies
    1. devil : betha can't eat one
      Lahr: "I'll have a 'nother
      nother anagrams to theron

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  24. The ruler is not the last ruler to be found where you would find this ruler.

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  25. Finally got it. Pain in the you-know-what.

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    Replies
    1. Having been convicted of high treason by the "rump" parliament, Charles I was beheaded with "one clean stroke", so the pain in his neck probably didn't last long.

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  26. Nice parting puzzle for Lulu. I do remember she was the answer of puzzle last year. Something involving Lake Lugano

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  27. Liberties taken with this puzzle, IMHO.

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  28. Ah, clever puzzle. I like it. Picking apples in the autumn air helped.

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  29. I tip my cap to Lulu and her infamous singing clues.

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  30. This puzzle reminds me of an alliterative brand of snack food.

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  31. I, for one, found this one a bit tricky. At first I thought the ruler might be a Roman emperor.

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    1. ChARLIZE THERON; CHARLES I; THRONE. ("I for one" and "this one" in the first sentence of the hint referred to Charles "One"; "Roman" in the second sentence referred to the use of Roman numeral I for the number one.)

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  32. Looking back at the actress's filmography, I'm reminded of how diverse her body of work is. Pick a genre and she's likely done it and done it fairly well.

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  33. My first response when I looked at all the steps necessary for an answer to the puzzle. But then I was disarmed by how I felt at answering it.

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  34. PS My first response was to get mad. Sorry I left that out...whoops But that is what I was disarmed of.

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    Replies
    1. I agree - this puzzle made me extremely angry to the highest level.

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  35. Any word on who's replacing Lulu? Is Rachel coming back?

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  36. I have an answer. None of the hints here help me confirm it. So here's my own hint. Combine the last two letters of the actress's first and last name (without rearranging) and it sounds like the name of a god or an element, but isn't either of those things.

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  37. There is a connection between the city this actress was born in and a game loved by the ruler.

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  38. Another easy one that didn't require consulting any lists for God knows how long! And if I may say something that won't be TMI, the actress in question is quite beautiful, IMHO.
    pjbSaysToodle-Oo,Lulu!

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    1. Just lucky I guess. The anagram of her last name must have been the tipoff. It is a common place to find a ruler(if I can be allowed to say that without it being TMI).
      pjbMightEvenChooseToArgueWeMayBeTalkingAboutTheMeasuringKindOf"Ruler"Here,JustToBeAllTheTrickier!

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  39. If it's the name I came up with, simply add a letter in the middle and you have the last name of a now deceased pop singer. He sang something about a certain capital city as I recall.

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  40. I found this one difficult to solve. As I expected, it is an actress I never heard of before.

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    1. Famous is often in the eye of the Puzzlemaster.
      In looking at lists for the famous actress, I have come across an astounding number of others of whom I have not heard.
      I liked last week's offering.

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    2. I did not hear of this actress before either. I was lucky to find her name quickly on a list. I read about her life. You might do the same. Cannot say anymore as TMI.

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    3. My awakening brain gave me a thread to chase this morning.
      So OK, I have sort of heard of this actress, but have never seen one of her movies, only few of which I have heard.
      The unusual spelling does not hurt the puzzle, but the trick renders it crap.

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    4. I am flabbergasted to hear that someone so famous is unheard of. That's probably TMI right there.

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    5. I tend to watch a lot of movies, from the silent era to the current era. So, I knew of this actress, and have seen a couple of her films. Famous depends on one’s frame of reference

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  41. Natasha,
    Last night the Seattle Opera reopened for the first performance since the pandemic shutdown. It was opening night for La bohème. The lead female performer appeared to be suffering from a respiratory illness and we were all required to wear face masks, but apparently it did not help because she died at the end of the opera. Otherwise it was a wonderful performance.

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    Replies
    1. SDB: I heard that she had TB. Should never have gone on stage. I read that the MET is performing La Bohème in November. Hopefully, the lead female singer is in better health.
      Glad you got out mask and all to see the opera.
      I will be seeing the musical My Fair Lady in November. My name is now Giselle.

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    2. Yes, some thought it was sad, but most just applauded and went home.

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    3. The same for Lucia who became insane and died shortly thereafter of a broken heart. Very sad and shmaltzy.

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    4. I think someone is missing the joke.

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    5. Different Puccini opera: in a production of Tosca in Buenos Aires, the director realized that he had forgotten to hire spear carriers (or, more precisely, musket carriers) to act as the guard of the Castel Sant'Angelo for the third act. One of his assistants rounded up some pedestrians, offered them the chance to be paid for a few hours' work and assured them that they didn't have to sing or speak, but just follow after Tosca when she runs to the parapet.

      The assistant director should have been a little more specific. Tosca ran to the parapet, told Scarpia she'll see him in the next world, then jumped off. The soldiers then followed her to the parapet and they jumped off too. Made for an entertaining conclusion.

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    6. Italo: Thanks for sharing. A neighbor friend of mine has starred withe the met. I have been amazed at all the languages she needs to know.

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    7. If I see her. I will share that story.

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    8. Although he didn't jump, I suspect the assistant director was the fall guy.

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  42. I've often gone to where you'd find the ruler

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    Replies
    1. Yeah. When I do, I sometimes need papers. But, those are easy enough to get

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  43. As Curly Howard said more than once, a well-done piece of beef brought straight to your table is far better. But Larry had an even better answer.

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    1. It's the old joke: would you rather be burned at the steak like Joan of Arc or have your head chopped off like Charles I? Easy--a hot stake is better than a cold chop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGIgYYPlHHE

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  44. Perhaps some evidence that Matt Amodio was beaten fair and square, the Jeopardy contestant who did it, Jonathan Fisher, is on a 5-day winning streak.

    Tonight's Final Jeopardy made me smile, as I remember a certain Sarah Vowel piece on This American Life:

    NAMES ON THE MAP

    FROM 1824 TO 1825 THIS HERO TOURED ALL 24 STATES & AN INDIANA CITY WAS NAMED FOR HIM

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    Replies
    1. Jonathan is impressive. I think he won fair and square. Show seems more relaxed and jovial.

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    2. I've never thought to look ahead to find clues and answers to unbroadcast shows, so I'll wait until this evening to find out this one.
      Then you can explain your memory.
      A list of Indiana cities has no Boone or Crockett.

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    3. I found a site that goes into detail about the final jeopardy question's answer. I lived in Indiana and know that place.

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    4. Whereas I always think of another city named after that hero, with a university located there whose initials are appropriate, sort of, to that region.

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    5. Got the equivalent for the series?

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    6. Lafayette, Louisiana only acquired that name later; its original name was "Vermilion." But it is now the home of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which some wags refer to as "U LA LA."

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    7. "Vermilionville" actually. I don't live there now, but I did for most of my life.

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    8. The Jeopardy! wagering is a bit boring now.

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    9. I am losing interest in Jeopardy!.

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    10. Yeah, no one getting 15/60 clues, all those misses in Science, and wimpy wagering. I miss Matt.

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    11. WW: I am surprised at the easy questions they miss, especially Jonathan. Did you see him miss the French dog question? I found out I am related to Mayim through my family. Funny.

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    12. Yes. And formaldehyde and Feynman. Quite basic stuff given the 'F' in Science category, especially.

      Cool about your Mayim connection.

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    13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  45. Somewhat random thought/question: Do you think someone has the job of reading all of the submitted emails to the puzzle each week to tabulate the number of correct answers, or is that something that could somehow be automated? If the former, what a task!

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    Replies
    1. I am sure that the NPR interns have their turn
      at viewing all the puzzler's returns and compiling the return calls.
      BTW: Found the answer by 1 of the clues given above

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  46. judging from comments I read here, the demographic of Blaine's skews older than median age of U.S., while movies are targeted towards 18-25. So it is not surprising that the star in question seem s obscure to many (me) cf Theda Bara v. Uma Thurman

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    Replies
    1. The only fear I have of being part of this age group is outgrowing it.

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  47. Where would you find where you would find this ruler?

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  48. I predict a low number of entries this week for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the ambiguity in the third sentence of the instructions. That's a shame, as it really is a lovely puzzle (with an even lovelier answer). Kudos to Abe Nash-Resnick of Los Angeles!

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    1. I agree with you...It is an elegant puzzle

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    2. I did not enjoy trying to solve this puzzle, but when I got the answer I found it to be a really good puzzle with a fun answer. Nothing was mentioned about the attachment though.

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    4. Natasha: Sorry about the mysterious post; I was just answering your question to skydiveboy.

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  49. Since there are some here praising this puzzle, I obviously have the wrong answer.
    See ya at noon.

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    Replies
    1. doubt it, the twist nec to make this work was questionable. so i figure you deduced the answer

      Delete
  50. Does your ruler measure up?
    Take the test and see how your ruler compares and/or may have feet of clay.
    The test begins below. It is timed and all questions must be answered.
    Click BEGIN to start.
























    Fooled you, didn't I?

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  51. Given below is the answer to my Puzzlreia! riff-off of Kerry Fowler's (and Siz's!) fine NPR puzzle from last week that I posted October 10 here on Blaine's blog:
    Name something you might eat for breakfast, in three words of 5, 4 and 6 letters. Reverse the order of the three words. Add a “G” at the end of the new first word. Replace the second word with a one-letter word. Divide the new third word in two parts, then replace the first letter of the second part with an “FL”. The result is a four-word phrase that is a “no-no” for infielders (even though it may not affect their pitcher’s “no-no”).
    What might you eat for breakfast? What is a “no-no” for infielders?
    Answer:
    Poppy seed muffin; Muffing a pop fly


    LegoWhoThinksThatAnInfieldFlyRules

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  52. CHARLIZE THERON >>> CHARLISE THERON >>> CHARLES I, THRONE

    "Ah, clever puzzle. I like it. Picking apples in the autumn air helped." Heading outside generally helps clear my head, though CHARLES I suffered a different head-clearing.

    "RC" refers to Road Constructionists. Theron's parents were road constructionists in South Africa.

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  53. CHARLIZE THERONCHARLES I. You would find him on the English THRONE.

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  54. CHARLIZE THERON, CHARLES I (+ THRONE)

    Hints:

    “I’m way ahead of you” (posted Oct. 10) —> In 1649, Charles I was beheaded.

    “Ah, Will, the puzzle! How about another?” —> “Ah Will the” is an anagram of “Whitehall,”where Charles I was executed, and “another” is an anagram of “a throne.”

    “That’s the only way to get ahead.” Again, hinting at Charles I’s beheading.

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  55. Charlize Theron and Charles I of England plus throne

    My Hint:

    "I did not enjoy trying to solve this puzzle, but when I got the answer I found it to be a really good puzzle with a fun answer. Nothing was mentioned about the attachment though."
    Charles I was beheaded. His head was reattached by sewing it back in place and his body was embalmed for burial.

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    Replies
    1. I thought that the "attachment" to which you were referring was the "I" at the end of the ruler's name. When Natasha asked "What attachment?" I took the chance to reply with TMI, which in this case meant "The Mysterious I." I was sorry that I led her to delete her post, which, even between SDB's original and my follow-up, was not too much information.

      Delete
    2. Lancek: I thought sdb was referring to the I at end of ruler's name too. Comedy of errors waiting to happen.

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  56. I wrote, “The last name also anagrams to a nuisance.” That’s “hornet.”

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  57. CHARLIZE THERON -> CHARLES I, THRONE

    > The puzzle doesn't specify whether we're looking for a one-foot ruler or a two-foot ruler...

    ... or one who lost nearly a foot from the other end.

    > I can see with my own two eyes how the ruler could be from the future.

    Add two Is to CHARLES I to get Charles III, which might become the regnal name of Charles, Prince of Wales.

    > Any word on who's replacing Lulu? Is Rachel coming back?

    Is Rachel anagrams to CHARLES I.

    > Where would you find where you would find this ruler?

    At The Throne Depot, of course!

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    Replies
    1. And I thought you were alluding to that old chestnut about the gardener at Buckingham Palace who tried to make off with the royal throne, but was caught when it was found in his greenhouse. Which goes to show that people who live in glass houses shouldn't stow thrones.

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  58. Puzzleria! this week presents for your solving enjoyment a wonderfully "fine-feathered" word ladder that has been crafted cleverly and creatively by our guest puzzle-maker “Rudolfo” – our fellow Blainesvillian and fine-minded friend.
    It is Rudolfo's debut appearance on Puzzleria! Let's all make him feel welcome.
    Remember, we upload P! in the wee hours of every Friday, around Midnight PDT.
    Our menus also feature:
    * a Schpuzzle of the Week that explores exactly what happens to drivers who obey a particular traffic sign,
    * a Slice of a Puzzle sprinkled with salty and peppery purloined letters,
    * a Dessert that requires that you not only "talk the talk" but also that you "squawk the squawk!" and
    * nine Riff-offs of this week's NPR puzzle about that actress named Charliiize and the 73-year-old prince who would become King after QE2 either kicks the Buckingham Bucket or is "overTheron" – whichever comes first.

    LegoWhoPleads"RudolfoWithYourBrainSoBrightWon'tYouGuideOurBlogTonight!"

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  59. CHARLIZE THERON — CHARLES I, THRONE

    “It’s eight letters, although….”
    What I was getting at by “although” is that the letter I changes to a Roman numeral I. (Looks the same when capitalized, of course.)

    I also hinted that if you left the z unchanged, “the result might make a pretty cool rapper’s name. It turns out I wasn’t even that far off.”
    I do think a name reading “Charlez I” could be a rapper’s name, and it turns out there is in fact a singer going by the name of Prince Charlez.

    ReplyDelete
  60. "Name a famous actress.
    WRITE HER NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS."
    Did I miss that part?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yet another imperfection in the wording of the puzzle. 🙄

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    4. In many fonts, capital l and lowercase l look the same, so I'm ok with it.

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    5. WW: That is a lame excuse for one of the PM's lamest puzzles ever, and i think you know it. Oops, put that i in one of your fonts.

      Delete
  61. I'm surprised no one alluded as a hint to the Head of the Charles Regatta, starting tomorrow.

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    Replies
    1. Doh! Here in Cambridge, we've been talking about the HOCR all week. I can't believe I didn't make the connection!

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    2. I did wonder about that. I also didn't want to steal your thunder.

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    3. When they named the HOCR race, did they connect the macabre dots to Charles I and his beheading?

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    4. Apparently not. "Head of the [river]" seems to be a common name for rowing regattas (cf, e.g, Head of the Schuylkill, Housatonic, Thames, etc.) The Charles River here was name for and by Charles I himself, who was certainly unaware of the irony to come.

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  62. I wasn't able to solve this one, even with the great clues. I was on the right track, but you know what they say: Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just stand there!

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  63. Charlize Theron->Charles I, throne

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  64. My clue - “who will be responsible…” was a reference to “who will be in charge” , as in Charles in Charge (tv sitcom).

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  65. I wonder if anyone found the clue about the actress posting the correct pronunciation of her name. It was very helpful for me.

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  66. Charlize Theron --> Charles I, throne

    Last Sunday I asked, “Is the actress current or from way back when?” I.e., then or now?” “Then or” anagrams to Theron. The other part of the clue was to introduce the possibility that part of an answer might be found “way back when,” such as Charles I was. I’m not sure that either commenter understood my clues. In any event, I had a much better clue all queued up (hornet) but someone had already used it. :)

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  67. Charlize Theron --> Charles I, Throne.

    I clued Miles Davis. Because he is so prolific that Googling him would offer many possibilities. Sketches of Spain, Kind of Blue, and more. But if you knew Charlize Theron, she is from South Africa, and late in his career Miles Davis released Tutu, an important work.

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