Sunday, August 07, 2022

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 7, 2022): Oh I, Oh!

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 7, 2022): Oh I, Oh!
Q: This is the start of a two-week creative challenge. The object is to write a sentence using only the letters of any particular U.S. state. You can pick the state and repeat letters as often as necessary. For example:

  • NEW YORK --> No one knew we were ornery.
  • WASHINGTON --> Sighting a ghost tonight was astonishing.

  • Entries will be judged on originality, sense, naturalness of syntax, humor, and overall elegance. No more than three sentences per entry, please.

    86 comments:

    1. This is a two-week challenge so don't give anything away before the deadline of Wednesday, Aug. 17 at 3pm ET. If you have created a sentence, click the link and submit it to NPR, but don't give it away here.

      You can openly discuss your answer after the Wednesday, Aug. 17 deadline. Thank you.

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    2. There seems to be no explicit stipulation that you must use all of the state's letters, but implicit in the criteria listed for judging entries, especially "originality," is that the more of the letters you use, the better.

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    3. OK! I don't do "creative challenges," preferring puzzles with answers. I am off the hook for two weeks.

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      1. I agree...Time to take a flight. In my case no plane necessary!

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      2. Down from the sky. I sent in a sentence for the hell of it.

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    4. Did anyone else notice (and I had to hear it twice to be sure) but Will Shortz gave the wrong answer to last week's puzzle!!!!
      He started with Norman Lear, but instead of Near Normal, he said, "Real Normal"!

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      1. I did notice that, but shouldn't he have said "really normal" anyway? 😉

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    5. Since it's not ready for prime-time radio, I'll submit it here: "I piss, I miss" is pissimism.

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    6. To state it plainly, this one's not my jam, but I'll be curious to see what others come up with!

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    7. Puzzles like this are not to my liking. You never know when you're done, for one thing. Two weeks off from the Sunday Puzzle for me.

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    8. Clearly, Ohio is the state to use, for the submission of, "Oooooooooooh hi!" is the best entry ever! :-)

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    9. Oh, hi -- I "ho-ho-ho"; hoo I?

      ("You can't fool me; there ain't no sanity clause!"

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    10. I immediately thought of a similar sentence and state, but I'm going to save and perhaps submit it.

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    11. Hey, Word Woman -- for a volcanologist who likes Tex-Mex food:

      All a lass asks: Alaska ʻaʻā à la salsa.

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      1. I am the volcano god. I have noticed that I can manipulate the commodities market by the judicious application of my outbursts. To put it simply: I ERUPT TO PRICE CROP.

        Puerto Rico isn't a state?

        Never mind.

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      2. You are right, Paul, but it is in a rather precarious state at the moment.

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    12. Maybe she's taken up with Peter Sagal, who's still missing from "Wait, Wait" (allegedly with Covid).

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    13. Amarillo Star Journal: 'A Stat Tests State Seat's Set Tea Tax Axe' -say that three times, fast...

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      1. Better...
        Amarillo Star Journal: 'Asset Stat Tests State Seat's Set Tea Tax Axe' -say that three times, fast...

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    14. This is the easiest puzzle ever.
      Just two letters, the answer is short, sweet and contained in at least 15 states.
      I got it as soon as I heard "two week."
      More comment later.

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    15. I have three good ones, move over you all...

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    16. Two weeks without world capitals, famous actors, Roman numerals, synonyms, lists and anagrams How will I ever survive?

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    17. I would be interested if anyone can come up with a sentence from the 4, 5, or 6 letter state names.
      4. Iowa, Ohio, Utah
      5. Maine, Texas, Idaho
      6. Alaska, Kansas, Florida, Nevada, Oregon
      I don't have one but am wondering if a natural sentence can be devised from any of those state names.

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      1. Last I checked, Florida had 7 letters, and all unique at that.

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      2. In terms of unique letters:
        3 (OHIO),
        4 (ALABAMA, ALASKA, HAWAII, INDIANA, IOWA, KANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, TENNESSEE, UTAH)
        5 (ARKANSAS, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, MAINE, MONTANA, NEVADA, OREGON, TEXAS)
        6 (ARIZONA, COLORADO, DELAWARE, GEORGIA, MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN)
        7 (CONNECTICUT, FLORIDA, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, NEBRASKA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, VERMONT, WYOMING)
        8 (CALIFORNIA, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA, NEW MEXICO, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA)
        9 (NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA, WASHINGTON)
        10 (NEW HAMPSHIRE, RHODE ISLAND, WEST VIRGINIA)
        11 (SOUTH CAROLINA)

        So if you want to give yourself a challenge, pick OHIO. If you want to wimp out, pick SOUTH CAROLINA.

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      3. Santa has the Ohio sentence down pat. Too bad he's a fictional character.

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      4. Lord, if I fail...
        pjbSaysDon'tEvenTryToDoItWithHisHomeState(UnlessYouCanSomehowDoSomethingWith"LaBamba"AsWell)

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      5. "Texas taxes sex!" (I'd send it in, but Sunday Puzzle being a family show it would never win, plus the mere submission might give Greg Abbott and the TX legislature some ideas ....)

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      6. Send it in with your other two, but this might be even better:
        Texas axes, taxes sex. OR:
        Texas axes, taxes sex text. OR:
        Texas teases, axes sex text taxes.

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      7. SDB, I like your last one. Go ahead and submit it.

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      8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    18. Finally, Will Shortz did a 2-week challenge. I created a sentence with my home state.

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      1. I'm looking forward to making a sentence or three with my current home state. So many possibilities! I could write "Massachusetts hates Utah", but I don't think Mitt Romney would approve.

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      2. (That's former MA governor Mitt Romney.)

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      3. Haha! I live in MA. That's an awesome pun, well done!

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      4. Now try writing a sentence for Utah!

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      5. "We don't need no stinkin' verbs!"

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      6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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      7. That hat hath a hut at that hat hut.

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      8. At that, Uta hath that Hat Hut hat!

        LegoWhoHathToGivethCreditToGeofanForComingUpWithThatStinkin'Verb"Hath!"

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      9. It is interesting that you mention Massachusetts and Utah. My sister used to live in Massachusetts, and now she lives in Utah.

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      10. I live in Virginia. Will Shortz and I both went to UVA.

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      11. Do you have a law degree, too? His undergrad degree is from Indiana.

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    19. Hey, skydiveboy, what's with the P-51D Mustang that's been flying over Seattle for the past half hour?

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      1. Ah, seems to be part of the Boeing Seafair Air Show. There's a T-2 Buckeye up now.

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      2. I have been outside, but unaware. Seattle is a large area city. My first guess was for Seafair.

        Are you in town now?

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      3. No, I was on flightradar24.com.

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    20. When sending in your carefully wrought "creative" answer is a good time to read the legalities WS and NPR have all ready for you.
      Do you have a first born?

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    21. My children are all on their own as legally consenting adults, but I do have a weekend edition lapel pin…next

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    22. Replies
      1. Against giving in, we strive in rage!
        pjbONJRIP(She'sFinallyReachedXanadu)

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    23. Santa a fictional character? Watchu talkin’ bout, Ben?

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      1. Oh, zeke, Mommy and I have been meaning to tell you, but it just made it so much easier this way to get you to clean up your room. We hope you will understand. Oh, and please clean your room.

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      2. Don’t forget my candy cane Grinchboy.

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    24. So the FBI today raided Mar-a-Lago. I hope this time they got at least two scoops.

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      1. Two words: Garland's Revenge. And on the same day the IRS more than doubles in size. Hang onto your hats, Sports Fans.

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    25. Several two-week challenges ago, I did some digging into some of Will's dozens of books and found more than a few places where he used material that he got from them.
      He certainly has a deep well to draw from considering how few of the thousands of submissions he has gotten we ever hear on NPR.
      Of course, that is only one revenue source of unknown magnitude. The main one that should be public knowledge but that resists discovery is what we (i.e.. NPR) pay him for his weekly hour or so..
      I would be happy to eat crow after finding out that he donates his time.

      Next post: "Judge not, lest ye be judged."

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      1. Yes, Menudo Jim, I for one would like to know more about this enigmatic cruciverbalist.

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    26. I’m using the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

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      2. Our good friend skydiveboy has created a quartet of "turning-your-world-upside-down" puzzles on this week's Puzzleria! They involve: a World War II province, a mythical superhero, a fruit, Sucre in Bolivia, two world capital cities... and a zoo animal! (no partridges, however, or pear trees)
        You can try solving skydiveboy's mind-bending bogglers beginning at Midnight PDT early Friday morning; that's when we always upload Puzzleria!
        Blaine generously provides our Puzzleria! link in his PUZZLE LINKS.
        Also on this week's menus are:
        * a Schpuzzle of the Week — titled “Sacré bleu! Je’n ai marre!” — about some "uncomforting and agitating" non-English expressions,
        * a “Let’s Play Pepper!” puzzle titled "Ailments, aliments & achoos!"
        * a Dessert Puzzle that just so happens to be a recipe (well, kinda) for making a dessert, and
        * about 15-or-so so-so riff-offs of Will Shortz's fortnightmarish creative challenge.
        Why not just drop by for some flopsy-mopsy-tospy-turvy-nervy fun?!

        LegoWhoObservesThatskydiveboy'sAppetizingPuzzlesSeemToBeFallingFromTheSky(NotLike"MysteryMeat"ButRather)Like"MysteryManna"

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      3. In correct French it's "J'en ai marre!" I'm fed up.

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      5. Merci beaucoup, ron. Nice French Correction.

        LegoKingOfTheMisplacedApostrophe

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    28. Go, go, gone, ron, Oregon...

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      1. Darnit Lego, I read all three of those on email to make sure I hadn't missed some important variation.

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    29. With these two week puzzles it sure has been quiet around here.

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      1. Especially when there's no right answer to hint at.

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    30. I have a question: I can understand how most weeks, when there's only one right answer, the NPR crew can, right after the Thursday deadline, quickly pick a random winner. But with a 2-week creative challenge like this, do they really wait until after reading the last entry at 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday before deciding which entry is best?

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      1. On air, Will said the deadline is next Wednesday, to allow more time for judging.

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    31. A sentence for the late Anne Heche:
      Can acne enhance each chance, ace?

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      1. Actually Alina (sp?) said it.
        Ah, judging.
        Last week's puzzle wouldn't have gotten far using the standards Shortz sets for his creative ones.
        In fact, based on twenty years of listening to him, I don't think the Puzzlemaster has shown much facility with any of them.
        And it has always been pretty obvious he doesn't have much staff to help.
        What a jump it must be to go from never seeing submissions (his claim) to having to judge a possible three entries each from some portion of his millions (his claim) of listeners.
        Is the extra day for making sure late arrivals get fair attention or for him to be sure he has ranked the others correctly?

        I often wonder how I missed being issued my pair of rose-colored glasses for Sunday Puzzle viewing.

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      2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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      3. My comment was supposed to go with the previous post. Sorry.

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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.