Is a piano involved?Q: Name two things that many houses are built with: "[blank] and [blank]." Drop the first letter of the first thing. Change the last two letters of the second thing to a "Y." And you'll name a popular TV show, "[blank] and [blank]." What show is it?
Edit: A piano has 88 keys. The Delorean in Back to the Future will time travel at 88 mph. Doc and Marty are the inspiration for Rick and Morty.
A: BRICK and MORTAR --> RICK and MORTY
Answer submitted, once again no confirmation email. Why they did away with this instantaneous internet capability is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteI haven't received any responses from them since 9/4/2022. How do I know that my answers have even been getting through?
DeleteWell, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've received no confirmation since September, either. A certain amount of my feeling of ego renewal depends on this puzzle. A small, small amount, mind you, but frankly, I feel dissed. By the way, there was NO "eureka" moment with this puzzle.
DeleteEasy. The first thing that came to me...
ReplyDeleteYeah same here, darn it. 3 to 12 hours is what is ideal for me.
DeleteWith the housing materials, there is a connection to tumbleweed.
ReplyDeleteNot Robin Williams.
ReplyDeleteNever saw the show but still not much of a challenge...
ReplyDeleteFewer than 150 correct answers to last week's puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThis week's puzzle, on the other hand, is so easy, I am sure by now already there are 153 correct submissions.
DeleteI keep telling myself the puzzles can't get worse. But they do.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteFewer than 150 correct answers last week. Will apologized to people in states where beer isn't sold in supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, Will acknowledged beer is not sold in many grocery stores.
ReplyDelete^^^supermarkets
DeleteWhile beer is sold in many/most supermarkets here in Colorado, I can't say that I've notice Michelob amongst all the craft beers filling the beer cooler.
DeleteAnd, too be honest, I've been a Goodyear tire fan for so long that I wouldn't know where to get Michelins
I'm still skeptical that MICHELIN can really be considered a product name, but I seem to be the only one.
DeleteIt's a Brand name.
DeleteJoshua and Ben, I agree - Michelin is a brand name. And Michelob has several variations, such as Michelob Ultra
DeleteUse the 3 dropped/changed letters to spell another item that may be made from the two things that many houses are built with. --Margaret G.
ReplyDeleteThe 3 dropped letters also spell something that is related to Will's apology.
DeleteToo easy.
ReplyDeleteThe on air contestant has never been to Walmart, and does not shop in Target. I have only been to McDonald's a few times, and never liked it.
I had never heard of the show, but the second word of the answer is related to the subject of a recent and timely Sunday puzzle.
ReplyDeleteNever even heard of the show, but not much of a challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe internet was not helpful.
ReplyDeleteEasy peasy. Even my better half, not much of a puzzle aficionado, got it immediately:
ReplyDeleteAt least it's not a tricky, random puzzle like last week.
ReplyDeleteApparently the difficulty of the on-air puzzle is tied to the difficulty of that which was solved to win. So...150 entries engenders a devilishly hard response.
DeleteI honestly think this is the fastest solve in my puzzle solving history.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm going to have to wait until Thursday to figure out how "piano" figures in to this.
ReplyDeleteThe key is to be quick!
DeleteI get Blaine's clue.
DeleteIf you have the answer google it and piano. I didn't know it either.
DeleteI thought Blaine's clue referred to a brick and mortar music store where musical instruments are sold.
DeleteI'm on a roll—a personal best on the Saturday crossword, and solved this one in about 10 seconds!
ReplyDeleteA Rick-roll, that is.
DeleteTwo "firsts" regarding this week's NPR puzzle: 1.) one historical, 2.) the other personal.
ReplyDelete1.) I'll wager this may be the first week on NPR that Will Shortz played the on-air challenge with a woman, and presented a "next week's challenge" composed by a woman.
2.) I know that this is the first NPR puzzle ever that I ("The World's Slowest NPR Puzzle Solver") have solved before Will Shortz was done reading it on-air!
Here is a perhaps more challenging puzzle that appears on this week on Puzzleria! It is our "Schpuzzle of the Week":
“The sun went down, causing Sioux tents called wigwams to become less warm, which, thanks to five words in this sentence, makes this puzzle worth a dime and three pennies.”
What are these five words?
In what way do they make this puzzle worth a dime and three pennies?
Hint: The five words are not “a dime and three pennies.”
LegoLousySolverButThisTimeLucky
Lego, wasn't there a previous Puzzleria! offering that incorporated the exact same bit of wordplay(and answers)in this week's challenge? BTW I don't watch the show either, but I have heard of it. Was part of a question on "Generation Gap", and one of the older contestants had a hilarious answer upon seeing a still from said program. Won't go into any further detail after that.
DeletepjbWondersIfThereAreBuildingMaterialsNamedSmorkAndMinder?HeCertainlyNeverHeardOfRaytheon(FromTheOn-AirPuzzle)!
Thanks, cranberry. I can't recall if we ever ran a Puzzleria! puzzle that used the wordplay the current NPR puzzle uses... but, then again, we have run a multitude of puzzles on our blog, and they all get jumbled together in my tattered gray matter. And, unlike Blaine, who provides a nifty search engine here on his blog, I provide no such convenience. Puzzleria! is, alas, pretty much unsearchable. What's more, I keep lousy archives.
DeleteNote: Regarding my "Dime and Three Pennies" puzzle, above, you may post hints to the answer, but please do not post your answer here until after Noon PDT on Wednesday. Thank you."
LegoWhoSuspectscranberry'sMemoryIsMuchSuperiorToHis
There wasn't much satisfaction to be had from solving the NPR challenge this week (I knew what the show had to be without having heard of it), but thanks to Lego for a clever and satisfying schpuzzle to fill the void!
DeleteThanks, Lancek. You have made my day. And, congrats on solving my little "three-coins-In-the-puzzle."
DeleteLegoWhoNotesThatNatureAbhorsAVacuumAndThatBlainesvillianHumanNatureAbhorsAPuzzleVoid!
Cute puzzle for Indigenous Peoples' Day, Lego! But you have an unfair advantage this week!
DeleteI meant to include my non-hint: two of these and three of these.
DeleteThat looks about right.
DeleteBeautiful hint, jan!
DeleteLegoLambDoubloonsOnASpoon!
Spoonerisms:
Deletesun went <-> one cent
Sioux tents <-> two cents
sentence <-> ten cents
You got it, jan. Nice solving.
DeleteLegoWhoIsAFanOfSpoonerRailsHighSchoolSportsAndItsGreat"LogomotiveLoco!"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHmm - I didn't realize I crossed a line...
DeleteIt takes a certain amount of experience and skill to use the materials with precision. I know – I’ve tried and the result certainly lacked precision.
ReplyDeleteI don't think NPR is sending out confirmation emails anymore. I've not received one for the last few entries I've submitted
ReplyDeleteMe too. I don't know how we are supposed to know that their servers are working or that we have been heard. #WeakenedEdition
DeleteBen,
DeleteHave you considered the expense of having an intern sitting there 24/4 in order to monitor the automated response equipment, not to mention the health care insurance and vacation costs? And don't forget the Xmas party.
I haven't received any responses from them since 9/4/2022, and (as they have yet to call me) I can only hope that my answers are getting through.
DeleteSDB, "an intern sitting there"? I build marketing delivery systems for a living. It takes little work to make a verification and auto reply system and nobody needs to watch it. They just need to care.
DeleteBen,
DeleteDid you really think I was being serious?
I got SDB's clue.
DeleteI never heard of the show. Had to look it up on a list. Guess I'm out of touch.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIt was the first thing I thought of, and although I have never seen the show, I have certainly heard of it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete???
DeleteI'm confused as to why post was deleted.
DeleteMy first guess was 'lathe and plaster' but that didn't work. I actually don't think of these two things as material for houses so much as for buildings in general.
ReplyDeleteAlong with lathe and plaster, my house is made out of these two things. Very common at the time and place it was built.
DeleteMy first thought was of wood frame houses, so Joist and Girder, maybe. The difference, of course: Joist wrote Ulysses, while Girder wrote Faust.
ReplyDeleteConstruing "things that many houses are built with" a bit differently, you could say that Hammer wrote "The Homecoming," while Saw wrote "Pygmalion."
DeleteThat's hilarious, Jan.
DeleteThanks; it's not original.
DeleteChange the first letter of the first word of the show to two letters to get the 1-word name of a famous movie. The last word in the show is the name of a character in that movie.
ReplyDeleteI know the movie and I'm a big fan of the star. Especially his most recent stuff.
DeleteThe movie is Click. Morty was in the movie Click.
DeleteThis puzzle has nothing to do with E commerce
ReplyDeleteThe second word (in the first pair of words) might be considered an auto-antonym.
ReplyDeleteI got this one in my head before the program ended. Along with hundreds of others. I may be wrong, but I think one part of the answer was eluded to by the host, Ayesha.
ReplyDeleteI found this puzzle half as interesting as some of the weapons used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
ReplyDeleteIn bird culture, puzzles this easy are considered a dick move
ReplyDeleteMusic Clue: Jethro Tull
ReplyDeleteI was considering another artist as my own music clue but thought it might be TMI per se. (You can probably guess who.) Adding it to your music clue would definitely be. Two points make a straight line.
DeleteA very timely one too, in view of the upcoming midterms.
DeleteI haven't seen Proud Parent of Cats around lately, but I know an insane one that loves this sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSometimes the obscure answer is too obvious. Sometimes the generic is too specific. I learned a
ReplyDeletelot from Atlas and from Charlize Theron.
I learned a lot from Charlize Theron and from the Atlas
ReplyDeleteWas still listening at home on app when wife texted from car before she left work. She'd figured it out immediately, as did I once streaming caught up to radio.
ReplyDeleteI'd already solved the puzzle when we and our dogs walked over to the Skeleton House. One skeleton wore a name tag with a punny name that was very close to the show name.
ReplyDeleteWas the third letter of the skeleton's first name four letters later in the alphabet than the third letter in the show name?
DeleteNo, it was closer than that to the show name. I don't want to give too much away. I'll add the name on Thursday. The Skeleton House displays skeletons with pun names and situations.
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Skeleton-House-St-Charles-Ave-New-Orleans/1423085067740968
Is the Skeleton-House a bare bones operation?
DeleteA bear bones operation.
DeleteI was thinking something like "Rigor Morty" for the skeleton.
DeleteYou're on the right track, but he is named "Rick A. Mortis", so even closer to "Rick and Morty".
DeleteWould you believe that after shaving I sawdust and lumbered on just as bored?
ReplyDeletePutin apparently was a little miffed by his expensive bridge being blown up. So he had the brilliant idea of sending a few missiles into Kyiv last night to get even. Great idea, don't ya think? Oh, wait. Didn't Hitler do something similar against London that didn't pay off?
ReplyDeletesdb, my thus far favorite quote about Vlad the Impaler:“Vladimir Putin has gotten himself into an increasingly ridiculous situation, holding a gun to his head and saying, ‘Meet my demands or the idiot gets it.’”
DeleteIn chess isn't that called the Cleavon Little Defense?
DeleteI suspect a little bullet could lead to Putin' the Kremlin in its place.
And we'd live happier ever rafter.
DeleteThink of a classic attired pose from a well orchestrated photo of Putin - 9 letters. Remove the 4th letter (an R) and you get an adjective describing the type of leader and human being Putin is.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of the show. All too familiar with the materials.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Amazon sells the building materials?
ReplyDeleteApparently they do now.
DeleteR.I.P. Angela Lansbury, she had "Something for Everyone."
ReplyDeleteYou call this a puzzle?
ReplyDeleteBack to the Future
ReplyDeleteThe exact answer to this puzzle turned up in a podcast episode in the not-too-distant past. Ain't gonna say which podcast or when it aired.
ReplyDeleteMany of us, myself included, are probably wondering why, and hoping, someone close to Putin will take him out. I keep thinking of all the attempts on the life of Hitler though. I have always suspected he was protected by higher dimension beings. I know this makes no sense to most of us, myself included, but I still believe it is the case. Look at the statistics:
ReplyDeleteThis is an incomplete list of documented attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler.[1]
All attempts occurred in the German Reich, except where noted. All attempts involved citizens of the German Reich, except where noted. No fewer than 42 plots have been uncovered by historians.[2] However, the true number cannot be accurately determined due to an unknown number of undocumented cases.
The above reference is from: List of assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler via Wikipedia. Apparently there were others as well that are not included.
I do not pretend to understand why Hitler was being protected, as I believe others, such as Patton and MacArthur,were too. I believe we were meant to have to deal with this outrage for whatever reason I do not understand, but it must be true. The same is true for others as well. Consider Ronald Reagan not dying after he was shot. Why is Trump happening?
I am raising this question because most likely you and I are both hoping Putin will be taken down, and wondering why it has yet to happen. Do you now see the parallel? I wish I understood what exactly it is we are supposed to learn from what is now happening. I also think it is important we understand that we must confront and defeat Putin now, and not put it off as we did with Hitler. The similarities are amazing.
Can't believe so many people are saying this puzzle was easy. It took me forever to remember that my parents' old house was built out of scagney and lacers. Solid as a rock, too.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteMy parents' old house was made of smork and minder.
DeleteI already did that one. Maybe you mean rozzie and harriell.
DeletepjbHadHisChildhoodHomeBuiltWithShardcastleAndMccormicin,AsWellAsALittleCholmesAndYoyax
On a separate note: If you could listen to Vladimir Puten's prayers what is it you'd never hear?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: A CRIMEA CULPA
The Salhyr is a Crimea river.
DeleteWhat seems like luck in survival is actually a major reason for the success of tyrants.
ReplyDeletePutin grew up in a perfect environment to learn from Stalin and Hitler.
It is still to be seen if he might be the best of all at removing obstacles to his power.
"Donald Trump said reading "Mein Kampf" in college had a profound effect on him and he has tremendous respect for Adolf Hitler as a leader."
DeleteMJ: I hope you did not intentionally leave out this great leader in your above post.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
ReplyDeleteBRICK & MORTAR, RICK & MORTY
ReplyDeleteIt was the first pair of words I tried and was one of my fastest solves, even though I've never watched the show.
BRICK and MORTAR → RICK and MORTY
ReplyDeleteBRICK and MORTAR — RICK and MORTY
ReplyDeleteMy clues:
No confirmation email. Why they did away with this instantaneous internet capability is beyond me.
That’s the internet…as opposed to a brick-and-mortar setting.
Not Robin Williams.
“Rick and Morty” sounds a little like “Mork and Mindy,” which starred Robin Williams.
Fewer than 150 correct answers to last week’s puzzle. This week’s puzzle, on the other hand, is so easy, I am sure by now already there are 153 correct submissions.
When you take all the letters in the [blank] words like this: BRICKMORTARY, and add them up by their numbers in the alphabet (A=1, B=2, etc.), the sum is 153.
"Mork and Mindy" didn't occur to me, but I did think of an old show called "Spin and Marty".
DeleteBRICK & MORTAR >>> RICK & MORTY
ReplyDeleteMy Hints:
"...in order to monitor the automated response equipment..." You can use a mortar monitor to check failing brickwork.
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" The main character's name is BRICK.
Brick and mortar --> Rick and Morty
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “It takes a certain amount of experience and skill to use these materials with precision. I know – I’ve tried and the result certainly lacked precision.” You should see the brick wall I repaired :)
RICK AND MORTY (<—BRICK AND MORTAR)
ReplyDeleteAs I’m sure many others experienced as well, “brick and mortar” was the first thing I thought of, but I had never seen or even heard of the show. When I showed the puzzle to my wife (who is not especially a fan of puzzles and who neither likes tv nor watches it very much), her immediate response was, “Is there a show called ‘Rick and Morty’?” Pretty easy. Likely to be many correct submissions.
The music hint I was considering was Elton John ( —> “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”), but when I saw Leo’s Jethro Tull clue, I thought better of it.
Maybe I missed them, but were there any (necessarily oblique) The Wizard of Oz/Yellow Brick Road hints?
In reply to your clue, I said your musical reference was very timely "in view of the upcoming midterms," referring to the PA race involving "Dr. Oz."
DeleteI also thought Blaine's "piano" clue referred to Elton John and "Yellow Brick Road," but it turns out it didn't.
DeleteI thought that the other musical act was the Commodores, with "Brick House."
DeleteI wrote, “With the housing materials, there is a connection to tumbleweed.” This refers to the Elton John album, “Tumbleweed Connection,” whose track “Son of Your Father” includes the lyrics, “With blood and water bricks and mortar / He built for you a home.”
ReplyDeleteBRICK AND MORTAR -> RICK AND MORTY
ReplyDelete> I was about to put a comment here remarking on your size and morality, but Blaine would never allow it.
Big Bad Wolfgang knows about building houses with bricks!
> At least it's not a tricky, random puzzle like last week.
Anagrams to RICK AND MORTY.
> The second word (in the first pair of words) might be considered an auto-antonym.
Mortar is a word for something that can be used to build a house or reduce it to rubble.
> I haven't seen Proud Parent of Cats around lately, but I know an insane one that loves this sort of thing.
Lil Ainjil!
> I wonder if Amazon sells the building materials?
Oh, the irony!
> Cute puzzle for Indigenous Peoples' Day, Lego! But you have an unfair advantage this week!
Lego knows bricks!
The word for an auto-antonym is contronym.
DeleteNice anagrams, Jan! I missed that one.
DeleteAha, jan! I was wondering why I had an advantage. But of course... I, Lego, are a brickologist!
DeleteLegoJustAnotherBrickInTheWallWhisperingToHimself
Two months ago Puzzleria! debuted "Tortie's Slow But Sure Puzzles," a new feature by a creative woman named Laura, screen name "Tortitude."
ReplyDeleteWell, Tortie Is back! This week's Puzzleria! proudly presents three new Laudable-and-worthy-of-Laurels puzzles by Laura, titled "Double-Billboards/All aboard the Mystery Train!"
Puzzleria! is uploaded early on Friday, just after Midnight Pacific Daylight Time.
Our menus this week also include:
* a Schpuzzle of the Week that involves Mussina, McLaglen, Rose and Doherty,
* a Puzzle Slice about castng... casting not aspersions, but bread upon the waters,
* two Desserts titled "Spoonerism River Enigmatology" and "Two fruits of one’s Herculean labors,"
* and nine riff-offs of this week's NPR Puzzle titled "Brickbats and mortarboards."
That's Sixteen Sweet puzzles. What not drop by, have a seat, partake in a puzzle-feast?
LegoAJuniorMemberOfTheLawFirm"MussinaMcLaglenRose&Doherty"
Yay! I hope you all enjoy the puzzles.
DeleteBRICK AND MORTAR, RICK AND MORTY
DeleteBTW Tortie, I must apologize for saying on P! that I was looking forward to seeing your DEBUT puzzle this week. I'd already forgotten you had debuted with your previous puzzle. I'm so sorry.
pjbMustAdmitWhenYouDoAsManyPuzzlesAsSomeOfUsDoEveryWeek,ItCanBeHardToKeepTrackOfEverythingSometimes
BRICK AND MORTAR; RICK AND MORTY. I said “the second word of the answer is related to the subject of a recent and timely Sunday puzzle.” The answer to the July 3 puzzle submitted by Lego was “Mickey Mouse.” One of Mickey’s nephews is “Morty.” The puzzle was “timely” because some people wear Mickey Mouse watches.
ReplyDeleteNot that I am a "mickeymouseologist" or anything, but Walt Disney's original name for his mousey character was "Mortimer Mouse." Walt's wife Lillian convinced her hubby to kill "Mortimer," and Mickey was born.
DeleteLego&LillianWhoProclaim"MortimerIsDeadLongLIveMickey!"
Thanks, Lego! Your post sparked my interest and after some research on Disney.fandom.com it seems that Mortimer Mouse later morphed into Mickey's "longtime rival." (It's curious Disney would then choose "Morty" for Mickey's nephew.) And apparently Minnie's "wealthy rancher uncle" was also named Mortimer.
DeleteIf Mickey had remained Mortimer it certainly would have made the "Mickey Mouse Club" theme a lot less mellifluous.
"I have only been to McDonald's a few times, and never liked it." It was in the news a few years back that McDonalds offered Szechuan sauce again, and they grossly underestimated the demand, leaving many Rick and Morty fans disappointed.
ReplyDelete"I found this puzzle half as interesting as some of the weapons used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict." Half as Interesting is a YouTube channel, and Sam (the host) has started multiple videos talking about bricks, usually as a joke to throw off "government censors" or the algorithms. In Ukraine, of course, mortars are one of the weapons used.
I had considered making a reference to a pickle, but figured that might be ruled TMI. I also considered joking about a show called Lywood and Dryway, but I didn't want to remove two obvious house-building materials, so instead I opted to wait until now.
I had never heard of Rick and Morty, but I immediately thought of Brick and Mortar and then had to look up Rick and Morty. I had never heard of the show.
ReplyDeleteMore than 4300 correct answers last week.
ReplyDeleteNext week's puzzle (from memory): Think of two 2-syllable words that are pronounced the same, except that one is accented on the first syllable, the other on the second. The first word is associated with confrontation, while the second with cooperation.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of answers that might work.
ReplyDeleteThis week's challenge comes from listener David Edelheit of Oyster Bay, N.Y. Think of a pair of two-syllable words that are pronounced the same, except one is accented on the first syllable while the other is accented on the second. The word that's accented on the first syllable is associated with confrontation, while the word that's accented on the second syllable is associated with cooperation. What words are these?
ReplyDelete