NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 30, 2023): Azure and Beige

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 30, 2023): Azure and Beige

Q: The "zh" sound can be spelled in many different ways in English — like the "s" in MEASURE; like the "g" in BEIGE; like the "z" in AZURE; like the "j" in MAHARAJAH; and like the "x" in LUXURY as some people pronounce it. The "zh" sound can also be spelled as a "t" in one instance. We know of only one common word this is true of, not counting its derivatives. What word is it?

Change the penultimate letter to an S and rearrange to name things that some people might treasure.

Edit: Rearranging the letters you get ANTIQUES. My thumbnail image also had horizontal lines reminiscent of an equal sign.

A: EQUATION

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 23, 2023): Complaint Department

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 23, 2023): Complaint Department

Q: Think of a five-letter word for things a lot of people complain about. Add a letter and rearrange the result to get an example of these things. Then add one more letter and rearrange to get a remedy for these things. Five, six, and seven letters, respectively. What words are these?

Add one more letter and rearrange to name something used for thousands of years.

Edit: Add an H and rearrange to get HAIRPINS.

A: PAINS, SPRAIN, ASPIRIN

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 16, 2023): Topsy-Turvy

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 16, 2023): Topsy-Turvy

Q: Think of a common 8-letter word, in which the first three letters spell a word, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh letters also spell a word. These two little words mean the same thing. The fourth letter, when rotated 180°, becomes the eighth letter. What word is this?

Drop the second and eighth letters and rearrange to get a word. That word could describe an item that was taken to a place also described by the word by someone whose name sounds like the original word.

Edit: Alan Shepard hit a golf ball (sphere) on the moon (sphere).

A: shepherd --> she, her, p/d

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 9, 2023): How Does Your Garden Grow?

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 9, 2023): How Does Your Garden Grow?

Q: Name some things you might grow in a garden. Move the middle letter to the beginning. Phonetically the result sounds like part of the human body and an article of clothing that covers it. What words are these?

Sorry no time to work on the puzzle; we're too busy getting ready for Easter.

Edit: We were probably "planting" eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt!

A: EGGPLANTS --> LEG, PANTS

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 2, 2023): Musicians and Writers Wanted

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Apr 2, 2023): Musicians and Writers Wanted

Q: Think of an eight-letter word for a certain musician. Switch the order of the second and fourth letters and you'll get a word for a certain writer. What words are these? The answers are words, not famous people.

Add three letters and rearrange to name a person who might work on a movie.

Edit: Add H, L, Y and rearrange to get HAIRSTYLIST.

A: SITARIST, SATIRIST