NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 26, 2023): It Doesn't Add Up

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 26, 2023): It Doesn't Add Up

Q: Take this equation: 14 + 116 + 68 = 47. Clearly this doesn't work mathematically. But it does work in a nonmathematical way. Please explain.

It makes about as much sense as 22 + 11 = 26 + 39.

Edit: My equation turns into Ti + Na = Fe + Y, referring back to the recent chemical elements puzzle where Tina Fey was the answer.

A: Looking at the periodic table and replacing the numbers with the chemical symbols, we get Si + Lv + Er = Ag

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 19, 2023): Make Like A Tree and Get Out of Here

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 19, 2023): Make Like A Tree and Get Out of Here

Q: Name a tree. In the very middle of the word insert a homophone of another tree. The result will be a new word describing what everyone wants to be. What is it?

What everyone wants to be? Not me.

Edit: "Not me" would be "you" which is also a homophone for the letter U.

A: POPLAR + YEW(U) --> POPULAR

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2023): Under Pressure

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 12, 2023): Under Pressure

Q: Name a popular rock band — one that everyone knows. Add a "B" sound at the end, and phonetically you'll name a place where you might hear this band play. What band is it?

I believe they've been touring since the '50s.

Edit: Clearly the band hasn't been around that long, but U-2 spy planes have been flying since the 1950s and require a special pressurized suit.

A: U2 --> YouTube

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2023): Would You Like Fries with That?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Feb 5, 2023): Would You Like Fries with That?

Q: Name a food item you might order at a fast food restaurant. The first, second and last letters in order name another food item. Remove those letters and the remaining letters spelled backwards name yet another food item. What foods are these?

Hint: 65003

Edit: In the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences (OEIS), A065003 contains the Not McNugget Numbers. Back when McDonald's only sold McNuggets in boxes of 6, 9 or 20 the question arose as to which quantities of McNuggets you could or couldn't buy. It turns out that 43 was the highest possible Not McNugget Number.

A: NUGGET --> NUT, EGG