Sunday, March 13, 2022

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 13, 2022): A Walk in the Park

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 13, 2022): A Walk in the Park
Q: Think of two four-letter words that complete the phrase "___ in the ___." Move the first letter of the second word to the start of the first word. You'll get two synonyms. What are they?
I thought it would be easy to complete the phrase, but after looking through every list I can think of... oh wait, I have it.

Edit: Hints: 'complete' and 'every' are synonyms for 'whole' and 'all'.
A: HOLE in the WALL --> WHOLE, ALL

181 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.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Replies
    1. I thought it would be a walk in the park. But it became a pain in the neck. I thought I'd be searching until I was blue in the face. At the fork in the road, I drew a line in the sand, took a shot in the dark and finally got a foot in the door. You know what they say about a bird in the hand.

      Delete
    2. I'll bet you feel better having gotten that out of your system!

      Delete
    3. Should you realy be doing that with a broken wrist?

      Delete
    4. As I noted in my update to last week's puzzle, it turns out my wrist isn't actually broken. They took new X-rays and there is no fracture.

      Delete
    5. What in the hell?

      Delete
    6. Did you mean "what in the hail"?

      Delete
    7. Cute, ron, but it doesn't ring in the ears. You can argue until you're blue in the face, but I'm not a babe in the wood. If that's the answer, Will's sick in the head; it's a slap in the face.

      Delete
  3. I think I have it, but there might be a "synonym" controversy looming ahead. The words are synonym-ish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The definition of either word contains the other in my dictionary. And they are listed in my thesaurus as synonyms. Maybe we have different answers.

      Delete
    2. Could be. It's just not easy to construct a sentence in which my two words are smoothly interchangeable. By the way, great riff above!

      Delete
    3. Yeah, I agree Lancek.
      In the huge majority of occasions of use, if you try to substitute you don't even get a grammatical sentence.
      But I'm pretty sure this is the intended answer, the one that (I presume) we both have. (And almost sure Blaine has this one too, and a couple of the other clues are clearly hinting at it too.)

      Delete
  4. Remove the last letter from each of the four-letter words. Rearrange. You get a word making something special.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The four letters only? Like Gold?

      Delete
    2. Oh, yes. The total of eight letters, minus the end letter of each word, for an anagramable six letters; "in the" is not included.

      Delete
  5. Got it pretty quickly; mission complete!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No fun. Got it before he repeated it. Didn't even get to the movies.

      Delete
  6. Another literary clue: _A Midsummer Night's Dream_.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great clue, but no fair peeking at the script!

      Delete
    2. And another comedy that features a character with the same name.

      Delete
    3. I S, off the subject, but, since you mentioned it last week, I've kept plugging at Semantle. Good mental exercise, I guess, but the target words can be really elusive.

      Delete
    4. Semantle is an excellent way to lose your entire mind!

      Delete
    5. That is one of the possibilities that crossed my. . . er. . you know.

      Delete
  7. Three movies come to mind (two of which I've seen).

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Make that, "Great arguments have been and are being made concerning one of the 4-letter words."

    ReplyDelete
  10. I solved this one in the middle of having my breakfast.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Kwason as an acceptable alternative makes me weep for hundreds of much better ones over the years.

    With time being out of whack, I had just extra enough to solve this in bed.
    Speaking of which, Ben Franklin had many, many better ideas. I support year 'round Standard Time. Consensus here?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I have said here before, I would very much like for DLST to be permanent. I was born in neither Standard nor Daylight Saving Time.

      Delete
    2. Sure, flying kites in thunderstorms is brilliant. Makes losing an hour's sleep once a year look like nothing!

      Delete
    3. DST makes as much sense as cutting 6 inches from the top of a blanket and sewing the piece onto the bottom to keep your toes warm.

      Delete
    4. Love your analogy, SuperZee! Let's hold on to the waning evening light as long as we can, all year round.

      LegoWhoSuggestsThatAllThisSpringingForwardAndFallingBackIsBadForTheBody(AndPerhapsTheSoulToo)

      Delete
    5. SDB: I'm curious as to how you were born in neither Standard nor Daylight Saving Time. Were you born in one of those weird time zones that are half and hour off of their neighbors?

      Delete
    6. EWF:
      It is a puzzle you should be able to figure out. Here is a clue. I was born in April 1945 in Seattle.

      Delete
    7. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. So, looking at a map, Worldle fans, the whole country is (as usual, politics fans) moving to the right.

      Delete
    8. During World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Saving Time, called "War Time," from February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945.

      Delete
    9. I knew your reference when you posted.
      There is a book I enjoyed "Two o'clock eastern wartime: a novel" by John Dunning who often writes about book sellers.
      The capitalization in the title is correct, BTW.

      My local library has a copy, but there is strange lack of information searching for it on line.

      Delete
    10. I'm enough of a science geek to wonder how we're going to explain to all future generations of school kids that because of the rotation of the earth, the sun appears to move across the sky and always reaches its peak at . . . 1:00 p.m.?

      Delete
    11. Not to worry. Most teachers cannot explain how the International Date Line works.

      Delete
    12. The International Date Line? "Russian brides are standing by"? Who's staffing the phones these days?

      Delete
  12. After trying everything, including "Pain in the Siberia", I realized I had already gotten it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Cruising after church in my crimson Mustang makes me feel like a new man. In Ohio we’re experiencing a minor heat wave. It’s not helping me out on the puzzle, but my mindset definitely is refreshed.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I learned there is a literal meaning between USA vs. British types.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Once again, it just came to me.
    pjbSaysNoCluesHere,Y'allAreOnYourOwn

    ReplyDelete
  16. So, my understanding is you will end up with a new 5 letter word that is a synonym of a new 3 letter word. Is that correct?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Yeah. There are two original 4-letter words.

      Delete
    3. You're looking for 2 words, abcd and efgh, such that eabcd and fgh are synonyms.

      Delete
    4. You just gave the answer in Ubykh. https://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/User:Thefamouseccles

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  17. After many windows opened and discarded it finally came to me without using the Internet, for once.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I deleted my comment before I saw your reply. I was concerned I might have posted TMI without even realizing it. I guess not.

      Delete
  19. My friend offered to take me to breakfast this morning, but I suggested we go Dutch...

    ReplyDelete
  20. I just got it! It may have helped that I put down the phone and looked out at the ocean instead.

    ReplyDelete
  21. That's how it usually works for me too. The answers come out of the ether.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Replies
    1. The song Take It Off by Ke$ha contains the lines "It's a hole in the wall, it's a dirty free for all."

      Delete
    2. I Googled Ke$ha lyric "in the" and immediately was presented with the answer.

      Delete
  23. A farmers night mare: nail in the shoe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A fishing trip straggler: Last in the boat.
      A musclebound man behind bars: Hunk in the cage.
      Get in big trouble in the Navy: Land in the brig.
      A woman where the baby should be: Lass in the crib.
      pjbHopesAllHisPostsGetReadInTheBlog

      Delete
    2. Someone here knows how to write Cryptics.

      Delete
    3. Thanks for the high praise, PS.
      pjbSaysLookForACrypticComingSoonToAPuzzleria!NearYou

      Delete
  24. Any chance pride and ark are synonyms? Or perhaps "pego" might be a word for a place - just as nice of a place in which to ride your bike as a park?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Replies
    1. Thank you for giving me the answer. It has been so many years since I was at university I forgot about that expression and it all came together

      Delete
    2. I can think of one ___in the __ that would fit this clue. But it would be very distasteful.

      Delete
  26. I usually think the puzzles are easy if I solve them while in bed, but not this one. Maybe that's because It was after midnight.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Happy Pi Day, everyone! Today we commemorate the special number that is the ratio of the perimeter of every circle to the length of the segment that is its diameter. Write a name associated with this ratio in upper case, add a circle, remove a segment, and rearrange the result to get three words for something else we commemorate this week. What is the name, and what are the three words? (I suggested this one to NPR, but they passed.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh nice!
      I took a stab at it, and... I have found it!

      Delete
    2. HEB had pizzas for $3.14 with a coupon today. Also $3.14 off of Key Lime and Peach pies. I love pi day.

      Delete
    3. Unfortunately it is Lent so i had to stick some in the freezer.

      Delete
    4. Thursday answer time. The name is ARCHIMEDES. If you add an O and subtract the bottom segment on one of the Es, you can rearrange the result to spell IDES OF MARCH.

      Delete
    5. I said "I took a stab at it" because, well, obviously, there is a stabbing closely associated with the Ides of March. And I said "I have found it!" because that's Archimedes' famous "Eureka!"

      Delete
  28. I spent a day working this puzzle before I realized I'd misread it and was trying to move the wrong letter. Fifteen seconds later...

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yet again, I have spent forever on this puzzle and am still emptyhanded.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Residents, past and present, of a certain New England town will smile when they solve this puzzle. I did.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I was going to pass on this week’s puzzle because I was exhausted from cleaning up all the arboreal debris from the storm with accompanying dangerously high winds a couple of days ago--I actually watched the persimmon tree in front of the house sway from the base of the trunk and held my breath--but today I feel like a new man, so I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.

    ReplyDelete
  32. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Pi Day, all!
      Let me second the Pi Day greetings Lancek posted early this morning. (Also, kudos to Lancek on composing an excellent Pi Day puzzle.)
      I have just solved Tyler Hinman's fine "BLANK in the BLANK" NPR puzzle. And if I have been able to solve it, that means all other Blainesvillians have also been able to solve it!
      I suspect you are all hankering for another puzzle...
      So, here is the current Schpuzzle of the Week over on Puzzleria!:
      This week’s Schpuzzle of the Week involves Pi Day, which we celebrate today, March 14, commonly written as 3/14 (3-1-4 are the first three digits of pi).
      But why might Hall-of-Fame ballplayers Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt and George Brett wait until October 1 to celebrate Pi Day?

      You may post hints but please do not reveal your answers before noon on Wednesday PDT. That is when we reveal all our answers on Puzzleria!

      LegoWhoProvidesThisLinkForThoseWhoWantToSeeImagesOfBrooksMike&George

      Delete
  33. I hope this is not TMI: anyone who loves boating north of Desolation Sound, in B.C. (as I did for many years) will soon get the answer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was a sailor, not a power boater, if that helps.

      Delete
    2. Hole in the Wall is an narrow channel, constrained by rapids at its western entrance (thus making a sailboat more limited in times to traverse it) that leads from Okisollo Channel to Calm Channel, just north of the main part of Desolation Sound, in B.C.

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

    ReplyDelete
  35. This puzzle brings Austin TX to mind. We got the answer in about an hour. I was floundering and my spouse began writing every 4-word "in the" phrase he could think of. He had it in 10 minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  36. my usual search methods crapped out completely. so we went for a 2 hour hike at the intersection of the Ruth Kees big tree trail and the swamp trail an idea came to me. but I thought I had to have two sets of matching synonyms.re-reading the puzz. I sent in a plausible answer. not that it matters, I never carry my phone with me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is that(Ruth Kees) close to Rattlesnake mountain/ lake? Never been there.

      Delete

    2. Tiger Mtn, closer to Issq

      Delete
  37. Anymore clues? I am coming up with nothing even with the clues of Midsummers Night Dream, Cobain, Sail boating, and a New England Town.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The clues are not supposed to help you solve the puzzle, but to show that we have to others who also have solved. Please read the Standard Reminder above.

      Delete
    2. E H Harriman of the Union Pacific Railroad

      Delete
    3. This is a tough one to clue without breaking the rules. But rules are made to be broken and even to give a half clue would probably be too much.But a third might work.

      Delete
    4. I come here for clues and inspiration for when the answer alludes me but those TMIs are removed so quickly! 😁

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  38. There are rumors Putin believes many in his army have Covid 19, which explains why they have lost their taste for battle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, but, they still smell.

      Delete
    2. Yes, but the stink comes from the top. Have you ever noticed that Putin, if you switch the syllables, be comes Tinpoo?

      Delete
    3. Isn’t a Poo Tin is where you put the bags after cleaning up after your dog.

      Delete
    4. I don't have a dog, but everyone else in Seattle does, and they leave their little gifts in my garbage container when they are too heavy for them to carry back to their Putin.

      Delete
    5. At least they're putting the bags in trash container. There is someone, as yet unknown, who leaves his dog's bagged gifts on a local park's trails.

      Delete
    6. Perhaps you should send in-Put to Ronco. Pu-Tins would sell faster than oligarch's yachts. Put-in your poo and worthless Rub(b)le.

      Delete
    7. I have seen them left on park trails here too a couple of times. What I am now doing is saving them in a back yard plastic storage bin and will offer them to the kids on Halloween.

      The mega-yachts will not be sold. They will be tied up in courts for many years.

      Delete
    8. Better they tie them up at some dock.

      Delete
    9. Well that is exactly what happens when they are seized. Then all the crooked lawyers get involved and they cannot be sold for years as they "proceed" through the courts.

      Delete
    10. Exactly why the FOV are trying to sell them before they're seized. If you hurry, you might be able to get a good deal on one.

      Delete
    11. I already put a down payment on a huge one. I don't understand why the offer was in my spam folder though. I can't wait to get it.

      Delete
  39. Cui bono?
    Oil companies and the golf industry love Daylight Saving Time and lobby heavily for it.
    Can you think of others?

    ReplyDelete
  40. I really enjoy puzzles that make me go THAT'S NICE when I finally solve them. (Reference: Mrs Brown's Boys)

    ReplyDelete
  41. OK, this proves it:

    World War I began 7/28/1914
    7 + 28 + 19 + 14 = 68

    World War II began 9/1/1939
    9 + 1 + 19 + 39 = 68

    Invasion of Ukraine began 2/24/2022
    2 + 24 + 20 + 22 = 68

    Any questions?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Are you always this optimistic?

      Delete
    2. jan:
      June is a 6 and not a 7.
      WWII began Sept. 3 not 1.

      Delete
    3. Nope. WWI began July 28. WWII began September 1. Just ask Wikipedia.

      Delete
    4. Timeline of World War I | Britannica
      https://www.britannica.com › List › World History
      World War I begins when Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. August 1–28, 1914. Germany declares war on Russia, France, and Belgium.

      OR

      Witness the beginning of World War I with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914
      Overview of the start of World War I, including details of the June 28, 1914, assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

      Wikipedia is NOT a reliable source.

      Also from Britannica:

      Great Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939 at 11:00 am and at 5:00 pm, respectively. World War II had begun.

      Delete
  42. Music Clue: Marshall Tucker Band

    ReplyDelete
  43. Ugh! After not thinking of the correct phrase for a few days, I took to slogging through a list of 4-letter words for inspiration. I did finally get it, but this one was a pain in the neck!

    The only good news is that now I have a bunch of "in the" phrases, and one or two of them might turn into a puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Replies
    1. Farmers were always against DLS time, and still are, because they have to get up when the cows get up. I never heard of anyone ever saying farmers like DLS. The article is incorrect too in saying Washington State has introduced legislation to get rid of it. This is nonsense. Washington, Oregon and California all introduced legislation to make it permanent, but we have to wait for Congress to approve it. Back a hundred years ago farmers were a majority, but now they are a minority.

      Another thing that bothers me is why if they are going to approve it that we must wait until next year. FDR implemented it immediately in 1942 to save fuel in the war effort. So why can't it begin this year? If there is a good reason, I would like to hear what it is.

      Delete
  45. “Damon; Do te know... that a talpa on the neck means you’ll be wealthy?”
    L. J. Smith; The Vampire Diaries; 1991-2014.

    Mole, mole, mole, or mole?!

    ReplyDelete
  46. No good arguments for "Saving Time" that I can see.
    Sleep science says it is dangerous.
    The Senate only debated about the changes, not which one to use year round. Hope the House and Pres have better sense.
    I like such concepts as meridian, zenith, noon etc.
    We now have DST for eight months and three before the Summer Solstice.
    Time, so to speak, to drop the silly idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As you noted, we are already on DST for a majority of the year. Why not just keep it there?

      Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. - Ford Prefect

      Delete
  47. I posted this Puzzleria! Pi Day puzzle posted at Mon Mar 14, 03:04:00 PM PDT:
    This week’s Schpuzzle of the Week involves Pi Day, which we celebrate today, March 14, commonly written as 3/14 (3-1-4 are the first three digits of pi).
    But why might Hall-of-Fame ballplayers Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt and George Brett wait until October 1 to celebrate Pi Day?

    Tha answer: is:
    Robinson, Schmidt and Brett are still-living Major League Baseball Hall of Famers who played "3RD BASE." The first four digits of pi written in "BASE 3" notation are 1-0-0-1. Those four digits, when written as a date, are 10/01, or October 1.

    LegoWhoObservesThatPieTraynorWasAlsoAHallOfFamerWhoPatrolledBase3!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Blaine
    Thanks so much for always coming up with great clues and Answers!!!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Puzzleria! is celebrating an anniversary of sorts this week... We are publishing the 25th Cryptic Crossword Puzzle created for our blog by our friend Patrick J. Berry (screen name, cranberry) over a span of five years.
    Here is Patrick's first Cryptic Crossword on P!, published five years ago. (Patrick has also created several NPR-style puzzles for Puzzleria!)
    We upload Puzzleria! tonight, just after Midnight PDT.
    Our menus this week also feature:
    * a Schpuzzle of the Week about golden boys, golden men and golden ages,
    * a Slice of Puzzle that is topped with "Argumentative anagramming,"
    * a Surf ‘n’ Turf Dessert, and
    * a dozen riff-off of this week's NPR puzzles (three created by our friend Ecoarchitect) titled "Hidin’ out at the “Hole (in the Wall)” with Sundance & Butch."
    Come celebrate with us!

    LogoWhoObservesThatIfSupermanHailsFromKryptonThenPatrickJBerryMustHailFrom"Crypton"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HOLE IN THE WALL, WHOLE, ALL
      pjbThanksLego(OrLogo,AsItSaysInHisSignoff)ForTheTeaser(Puzzleria!ShouldBeReadyTonightAt2:00amMyTime)

      Delete
  50. HOLE IN THE WALLWHOLE = ALL

    I used the Merriam-Webster “in the” list which quickly provided the answer...

    A Hole in the Wall restaurant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Man, I wish I had known about that list!

      Delete
    2. I had no idea, and looked, but couldn't find, a list like that. I wanted one because I was having no joy with this puzzle until after I went to bed Sunday evening. I solved it then by more thinking about the letters that might be involved. So, it is more satisfying the way I finally solved it, but also more frustrating.

      Delete
  51. HOLE IN THE WALL—>WHOLE + ALL

    My comment, the bulk of which—the storm and winds, the trees, the debris—was true, had several buried hints (at least I hoped that they were sufficiently buried to avoid removal by Blaine): “PASS” alluded to the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Johnson County, Wyoming, which was the home of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. “NEW MAN” was a reference to Paul Newman, who played Butch Cassidy in the film, and “I’LL GIVE IT EVERYTHING I’VE GOT” was another way of saying, “I’ll give it my ALL,” one of the solutions.

    ReplyDelete
  52. HOLE IN THE WALL >>> WHOLE & ALL

    ReplyDelete
  53. Hole in the wall --> whole, all

    Last Sunday I said, “Great arguments have been and are being made concerning one of the 4-letter words.” Of course, I was referring to the political disagreements concerning a wall along our southern border with Mexico.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Hole in the Wall; Whole/All

    This puzzle made me smile. From 1980 to 1993 my family lived in East Lyme, Connecticut. Access to the town beach was by via a tunnel under a stone railway trestle. The beach was known as, Hole in the Wall.

    ReplyDelete
  55. PaulSun Mar 13, 06:03:00 AM PDT
    I posted my hint a week ago.

    PaulSun Mar 06, 04:21:00 AM PST
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9KBOhPXhds

    Another movie hint:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABpeLNCuE3w

    ReplyDelete
  56. I wrote, “Remove the last letter from each of the four-letter words. Rearrange. You get a word making something special.” That’s “hallow.”

    ReplyDelete
  57. HOLE IN THE WALL -> WHOLE, ALL

    > Many images of the answer this week.

    Too many pictures of wall with holes in them from Ukraine.

    > Three movies come to mind (two of which I've seen).

    The Three Outlaws, Cat Ballou, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid all involved the Hole-in-the-Wall gang.

    > Erewhon.

    A hole-in-the-wall is a real nowhere.

    ReplyDelete
  58. HOLE IN THE WALL - WHOLE, ALL

    I didn't get the Singing in the Rain reference until I looked up the story behind Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Maybe I should watch that movie again. It's been a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  59. HOLE IN THE WALL=> WHOLE, ALL. My hint said that the answer came to me without an Internet search “after many windows opened and discarded.” A window is, literally, a “hole in the wall."

    ReplyDelete
  60. HOLE IN THE WALL
    Whole/all

    In Britain, they refer to a "Hole in the wall" as an ATM machine.

    ReplyDelete
  61. hole in the wall (whole, all)

    ReplyDelete
  62. My hint was "Hey Gang" referring to the Hole in the Wall Gang from Butch Cassidy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your comment sent me searching the internet for more about them and led me to a fascinating, not to mention poignant, account of their last years: https://www.thedailybeast.com/butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kids-last-tango.

      Delete
  63. Hole in the wall -- whole, all

    I said I stopped looking at the phone, and looked out at the ocean. That was an attempt at a reference to looking at the big picture (or the "whole," in "all" of its entirety).

    ReplyDelete
  64. My blog:

    “I solved this one in the middle of having my breakfast” - my breakfast included a bagel and donut, each with a “hole” in the middle.

    ReplyDelete
  65. My answer: HOLE in the WALL ==> WHOLE & ALL

    And now, two colorful, possible alternate answers:

    If I'm feeling less than 100%, I might say that I... AIN'T in the PINK ==> PAINT & INK
    Or if I pull some gray clothing out of the dryer, I might find a little... LINT in the GRAY ==> GLINT & RAY

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Creative alternatives, Enya_and_WeirdAl_fan, but I fear the Puzzlemaster "ain't" gonna bite!

      LegoWhoPrefersPinkElephantsToGrayElephants

      Delete
    2. Whole -All. Clue: Lent is a Holy time.

      Delete
  66. Well, this was my week to be defeated by the puzzle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cap, you may want to make note of Ron's post above. I played around with the Merriam Webster site, and I'm filing that away for future reference. They have lists of "in the", "of the", etc.

      Delete
  67. to my mind somewhat less satisfying to have the answer just pop into your head than to have an algorithm that inexorably grinds out the solution. time to put puzz aside and start the inexorable tax grind

    ReplyDelete
  68. Hole in the Wall, Whole/All. Not much in the way of a hint but "mission complete" was a reference to "complete" being somewhat of a synonym for "whole."

    ReplyDelete
  69. When Dr. Awkward brought up "A Midsummer Night's Dream," I started looking for Shakespeare quotes about "whole" and "all" on the internet and found "All's Well That Ends Well," where the King announces that "All is whole." That play also involves a Helena who creates a lot of trouble by meddling.

    ReplyDelete
  70. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Hole in the wall / whole all
    My somewhat misleading clues were Robert (crimson mustang) Redford and Paul (new man) Newman. They both starred in a movie as part of the gang called the Wild Bunch. Paul Newman later in life started a young people’s group he named the Hole in the Wall Gang.

    ReplyDelete
  72. This week's challenge: This week's challenge is based on an idea by listener Jeff Lande, of Minneapolis. If a BOY is 5,839, and a COW is 6,874, how much is a FISH?

    ReplyDelete
  73. Blaine--your comment about "looking through" lists is also a reference to a "hole in the wall," which you can look through, even if you didn't intend it as a clue. As Joyce wrote, "A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery." So I proclaim you a man of genius, as others have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At least I didn't say there's a place in France. :)

      Delete
    2. That last comment went over my head--which is not a clue or even a reference to a clue.

      Delete
    3. I guess you are unfamiliar with the song.

      Delete

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.