Sorry no time to work on the puzzle; we're too busy getting ready for Easter.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?
Edit: We were probably "planting" eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt!
A: EGGPLANTS --> LEG, PANTS
Seems somehow appropriate...
ReplyDeleteNearly 900 correct entries last week.
ReplyDeleteLast week I predicted 1000+. I'll go with that again this week. (How long until we can bet on this number via one of the all too many betting sites? Or whether Ayesha chooses to tell us? :)
DeleteIn another language, the name of the item grown in the garden, also ends (phonetically) in a covering for the body part.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes!
DeleteWell, its name in yet another language also designates clothing articles.
One foreign name for the "garden item" sounds like an article of clothing at the end when pluralized. Are either of you referring to this?
DeletepjbIsStardust,Golden,AndHasGotToGetHimselfBackToTheGarden,HoweverEmpty(AccordingToJoni,SirElton,Etc.)
AUBERGINES(sounds like JEANS at the end)
DeletepjbKnowsNothingComesBetweenHimAndHisCalvins(Wranglers,Actually)
Happy Easter to you know who!
ReplyDeleteInsert a space after the third letter of the garden things to name some places that have seen hard times lately.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteNice one!
ReplyDeleteOoooh. Appropriate in several ways!
Also, I like the fact that there is a way to approach this one logically.
That is how I solved it while still in bed several hours ago.
DeleteDitto.
Delete🙄
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteYeah; I deserved that.
DeleteThis week's puzzle submitted our own Legolambda. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAnother "No Blainer" Sorry.
DeleteEaster Teaser
DeleteTV clue: Stranger Things.
ReplyDelete(leggo my Eggo)
DeleteGot it quickly, it was the second thing that came to mind. Coming up with a clue that is not TMI is taking me longer.
ReplyDeleteRemove one letter from the answer, and rearrange to get something that is disappointing.
DeleteTake 4 consecutive letters from either answer to get something you don't want in your garden.
ReplyDeleteNot true, I believe.
DeleteNot the red ones.
DeleteThis is strange. I posted my hint here, and got an e-mail notification that the comment was posted. Now the comment is not here, nor is any mention that it has been removed. I'm pretty sure it wasn't TMI. Do I repost?
ReplyDeleteHuh. Yeah I saw it, and no I don't think it was TMI... and it's vanished. (It involved slang, right?)
DeleteTry reposting!
There was something in your prior post that was unintentionally TMI. I thought I marked it as removed, but it seems it accidentally went to full deletion.
DeleteHmmmm... Well, I am greatly surprised that my comment had any chance of leading to the answer, but I must be wrong. My apologies.
DeleteRead your first sentence.
DeleteYour comment started, "Take another name for the plant" when the answer is eggplants. I just thought "plants" was a little too TMI, though clearly unintentional.
DeleteLOL! It took me a long time to realize this. Thanks, Blaine.
DeleteI'm so happy to see everyone here this morning!
ReplyDeleteI am too obtuse to get it. Sorry. More Thursday.
DeleteWell, I can't argue with this.
DeleteI'm stylish from my head tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteIt's thyme to lettuce turnip the beet!
ReplyDeleteWe've bean here before. Let's squash this!
ReplyDeleteNot chicken this time, said Mario and his brother
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to think of a safe clue.
ReplyDeleteThe puzzle made me think of a tree and something that might be on this tree sometimes. What I am thinking about will fit nicely in the blank spaces and become a hint:
ReplyDeleteThere is something that sometimes a ___-____ ___.
It is great that Joseph Young has a puzzle this week because I am on Puzzleria!
ReplyDeleteJoseph Young is Legolambda, which has "leg" in it.
DeleteAnagram the scientific term for the answer, and get two fruits and a body part.
ReplyDeleteI just sent in a puzzle idea to NPR. Hope WS likes it. I like it a lot!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThis is the response I got. "Thank you for sending your puzzle suggestion to NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday. This reply acknowledges that we have received your submission. Should we have any questions, or require additional information, we will contact you.
Please note that all entries become the property of Will Shortz and NPR, and will not be returned. Each contest entrant consents to the use of his or her name, voice, statements, and puzzle answers, or any portion thereof, in connection with the puzzle, over the air and in any and all media and manner, now or hereafter known, in perpetuity without compensation. NPR is not responsible for any damages or losses relating to the puzzle or acceptance/use of any prize.
We appreciate your ideas.
Sincerely,
Weekend Edition Sunday"
See you in court, Natasha.
DeleteMy understanding of a contract is that both parties must agree to it, and signatures are a good idea too. Besides that, both parties are supposed to derive some benefit or reward from the contract. I do not see how this statement, after the fact, BTW, would have any standing in a court of law, if there is any such thing in this country any more.
SDB: Thank you for reacting. I posted the response because it seemed so ridiculous. I was shocked to read it. The word, perpetuity, seemed over the top! I went to law school for a while and contract law is complicated. My puzzle is probably too easy. It is an off"shoot" of today's puzzle. It just occurred to me. I am not sure of the use of phonetically in today's puzzle. BTW I responded to you reply in last week's puzzle. Please read it. La Traviata is on from the MET now.
DeleteYeah, the four corners of that agreement were agreed to only by only one party. It would not hold up in court, even at the intersection of Colorado-Utah-Arizona-New Mexico.
DeleteMaybe in Tennessee though.
DeleteI guess by just entering the contest one is consenting to all those demands. I could withdraw my puzzle I guess.I think they should post this disclaimer before one submits the puzzle to be read. Maybe it is just a joke. They cannot be serious...Surely you must be joking WS!
Delete"Surely you must be joking Mr. Feynman is from the title of a book about quotes from Richard Feynman the famous physicist whom my late husband studied with at Cal Tech.
DeleteWhy would you pay any attention to their ridiculous warning?
Delete:)
DeleteI don't think it's a warning or a contract, really -- it's more like a waiver or assignment. But it's definitely nothing to worry about! It's just some routine thing the NPR lawyers stick in there in case later someone gets all legalistic about using their name in the broadcast, or wants to insist that they have the right to veto Will's rewording, or something like that.
Crito, I guess you have a point. I do think one should see it before they submit, however. I found it disconcerting to see it in the email right after I submitted my puzzle which is probably not going anywhere anyway.
DeleteNatasha, I practiced law for 39 years and generally agree with sdb and Crito; I don't think NPR now has exclusive ownership of your puzzle. BTW the book you reference has a priceless story of how Feynman was asked to "review" science textbooks consisting of nothing but blank pages.
DeleteNodd, I never saw the book. Just liked the title. Thank you for the information. The info about the book said it was about quotes he made. Now I will have to read more about that book. Maybe you could tell WS about ownership. lol.
DeleteNatasha, the book is autobiographical, and a fascinating insight into a true genius. WS has a law degree, so trying to convince him of anything with regard to the law would be fruitless.
DeleteNodd, I completely agree with you, but why are you
Deletestopping at regarding law? I doubt anyone can win an argument with Will. I sure haven't been able to.
sdb, I just said that because lawyers always think they're right even when they're not (including me). I've never dealt with WS as you have but I have no doubt you're right.
DeleteNodd, I knew exactly why you said what you did, but it gave me the opening for my comment on WS. I have no legal training, but have spent time in courts representing Sears and have had the opportunity to question some on the stand and under oath. Also being invited into a judges chambers sometimes for one on one conversations. That was more than fifty years ago and I had not even attended college.
DeleteImpressive. Some people are natural-born lawyers.
DeleteSDB, what about Mike D.? He did pretty well.
Deletehttps://pitchfork.com/news/45089-watch-beastie-boys-mike-d-on-colbert/
Mike D. of Beastie Boys made a guest appearance on "The Colbert Report" last night, but not to perform. Stephen Colbert invited him on to settle a recent disagreement between New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz and blogger Julieanne Smolinski. She accused the editor of pairing the crossword response "illin" with an inaccurate clue: "Wack, in hip-hop." Colbert brought in Beastie Boys "head grammarian" Mike D., because he's "the only authority with a license to ill."
DeleteBen, SDB he still no watcha the TV.
DeleteIt took me a while, but I finally got it. No list that I googled helped with this one, but what I ate this morning did.
ReplyDeleteThere's also another brand name that is a popular children's toy.
DeleteCongrats to Joe! How many is this for you now? BTW, a brand name might help someone who still hasn’t solved the puzzle yet.
ReplyDeleteThe brand was what I had for breakfast today.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor those here who have already solved this easy, but clever, puzzle, you might want to attempt a more difficult puzzle; and that is my hint I posted earlier. But, of course you cannot explain it until the Thursday deadline. I will also have to wait before I post re: Blaine's comment.
ReplyDeleteMusic Clue: Beatles. I think we will have a lot of excellent answers this week.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a lawyer and don't play one on TV, but I advise on literary contracts and I understand that clause as saying that even if you don't hear from WS again, you can't send the puzzle elsewhere. But can you imagine, if they tried to enforce it and the word got out (here, for instance) how awful the publicity would be? We'd all rush to your defense. So I think you'd be pretty safe.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the puzzle were revised a bit and posted on here or elsewhere, could NPR complain.
ReplyDeleteI have posted several of my puzzle creations on this very blog that I had previously submitted to NPR and Will Shortz. Also Lego has used several of them, along with many he has also submitted to WS. This is not an issue, Natasha. It is legalistic BS.
DeleteSDB: Do you submit your puzzles directly to WS? I do not recall your mentioning receiving a message like the one I received.
ReplyDeleteYears back I would submit to NPR directly and they usually acknowledged with that statement and sometimes they did not respond at all. For several years now I email directly to Will and he responds quickly.
DeleteWhat is Wiil’s email address… if you could share please
DeleteI think if he wanted it known he would post it here.
DeleteJust Google "Will Shortz email address" - it's right there.
DeleteWill Shortz's email address is wshortz@aol.com.
DeleteI think Will Shortz email address is noreply@nytimes.com
ReplyDeleteThought I'd go insane, but I finally solved it. Was sweating it there for a while.
ReplyDeleteI never would have guessed New Jersey is a popular place to grow these.
ReplyDeleteIt's not called the Garden State for nothing.
DeleteBusy designing my new house in Cape Town, so it took me a bit longer to solve.
ReplyDeleteA bit longer because in Cape Town, eggplant is called brinjal and pants do not cover your legs, but rather your bum (they are underpants).
DeleteI think they worded the puzzle poorly again this week. "Skullcap" doesn't require any letters moved. /s
ReplyDeleteThis is something I would *never* have in my garden.
Many people have medicinal herbs in their gardens.
DeleteState affiliated MEDIA 💩💩💩💩
ReplyDelete... according to a certain twit.
DeleteBlaine's photo comment is the best part of this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI have often mentioned the ridiculous "contract" supposedly entered into when contacting the Puzzle.
The conditions "apply" in Will's two-weeker freeform offerings where some kind of judging takes place. A few are mentioned with the rest available for his books or whatever.
They (our best efforts) are "his" aren't they?
He makes money from those books and more in another never-to-be-known amount from the show.
The garden thing might be drawn by Barnaby's relative.
ReplyDeleteeggplants --> legg, pants
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “Congrats to Joe! How many is this for you now? BTW, a brand name might help someone who still hasn’t solved the puzzle yet.” The brand name I was thinking of “L’eggs.”
ReplyDeleteEGGPLANTS; LEG, PANTS
"Happy Easter to you know who!" >>> Our resident puzzlemaker, LEGGoLambda.
"Well, I can't argue with this." >>> AUBERGINE anagrams to ARGUE and BIEN, a synonym for well/good.
EGGPLANTS (LEGGPANTS) → LEG + PANTS
ReplyDeleteSince “things grown in a garden” is plural, then which “singular” articles of clothing end in S? A pair of shorts, of pants, of slacks, of trousers, of overalls, etc.
This line of reasoning led me directly to the answer.
EGGPLANTS -> LEG, PANTS
ReplyDelete> If some of today's activities aren't successful, could these result?
Could undiscovered Easter eggs germinate and produce egg plants?
EGGPLANTS & LEG(G) & PANTS
ReplyDeleteMy Hint:
"The puzzle made me think of a tree and something that might be on this tree sometimes. What I am thinking about will fit nicely in the blank spaces and become a hint:
There is something that sometimes a ___-____ ___."
Answer: DOGWOOD DEW
There is something that sometimes a dog would do [and that is PANT.]
Very nice. When I tried to solve it, I thought it might have something to do with a bird nest, which is made of parts of plants and sometimes contains an egg.
DeleteThanks, I knew you would like it.
DeleteEGGPLANTS; LEG, PANTS. My hint was, “Insert a space after the third letter of the garden things to name some places that have seen hard times lately.” (EGG PLANTS)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI wrote in a comment removed for TMI, “Take another name for the plant. Rearrange the letters and you get two names (one is slang) for coverings of a particular body part.” That’s AUBERGINE, BEANIE, RUG. I again apologize for the TMI and to anyone who used my comment to sneak to the answer. It took me a while to realize that including “plant” might be a tipoff.
ReplyDeleteMaybe not directly, but I removed it out of caution, especially with the additional hints here to Easter and thus eggs.
Deleteeggplants->leg, pants
ReplyDeleteThis coming week's Puzzleria! will be a celebration... a Birthday Celebration! The day after tomorrow, April15, is our friend cranberry's (Patrick J. Berry) 53rd birthday. Instead of us giving him gifts, Patrtick is presenting us with a "cryptic gift" – the 30th Cryptic Crossword of his to grace the pages of Puzzleria! His gift promises to be trickier than most to "unwrap," but also promises to be well worth your efforts!
ReplyDeleteWe upload Puzzleria! at around Midnight PDT every early Friday, in the waning hours of cranberry's 52nd year.
Our menus this week are also cause for celebration:
* A Halve your cake & eat it for dessert Schpuzzle of the Week (good advice for our "birthday boy),
* an Auriferous Hors d’Oeuvre titled "Breaking unruly golden rules of engagement,"
* a Trendy Job Title Slice titled "Leisurely cuisine,"
* a Geometric Rage Dessert titled "Anger management for obtuse anglers," and
* Ten Riff-offs of this week's NPR puzzle titled "Plant an egg, reap a chick."
Drop by for some delicious birthday cake!
LegoWhoPutsHisPantsOnOneLegoAtATime!
Eggplants>>Legs/Pants
ReplyDeleteThe French word for Eggplants is Aubergines; and legs are commonly clad in jeans…
I think leg should be single leg not legs.
DeleteMy comment was "Thought I'd go insane, but I finally solved it. Was sweating it there for a while." Eggplants we're once believed to cause insanity. Also, "sweating" eggplants is important before cooking (so says me and a few other chefs).
ReplyDeleteMy TMI was to respond to Paul's rolling eyes emoji with "Let's not start with the emojis this week." Deservedly axed.
ReplyDeleteLancek, deservedly and expectedly?
Delete🍆🍆🍆
DeleteLOL. I am so ignorant when it comes to emojis that your post wouldn't have helped me at all. I had to look up "eggplant emoji" just now to even figure out what the TMI issue was.
DeleteWhen I wrote "The garden thing might be drawn by Barnaby's relative," I was referring to Crockett Johnson's comic strip character, Barnaby. Crockett Johnson also wrote Harold and the Purple Crayon, and a purple crayon would be an appropriate implement for drawing most varieties of eggplant. (I couldn't think of a better word than "relative" to describe Harold's relation to Barnaby. Both were created by the same person, so I figured that "relative" would have to do.)
ReplyDeleteEGGPLANTS —> LEG, PANTS
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Music City or the home currently of what John Lewis called “good trouble,” Nashville.
We’re traveling, so I’m late to the party.
Hint #1: “Seems somehow appropriate…” —> “egg” on Easter / “Easter Egg” Plant
Hint #2: “Anagram the scientific term for the answer, and get two fruits and a body part.”
SOLANUM MELONGENA —>
MANGOES, LEMON (or MELON), and ULNA
Congrats again, Lego!
Nice anagrams, Dr. K. I figured out mango and lemon/melon but not ulna, because it didn't occur to me to use the plural form of mango.
DeleteA mangos bananas if he cantaloupe with his wild cherry when some elderberry every thyme peas fiddleheads off. lettuce pray, shallot we?
DeleteThank you, Nodd. I have to admit the plural gave me pause because of the inconsistency, but I posted it anyway.
Deletesdb, I am peachless.
Aloe it a pears yew fig gourd it out in thyme.
DeleteWikipdea:
ReplyDeleteEggplant can be steamed, stir-fried, pan fried, deep fried, barbecued, roasted, stewed, curried, or pickled.
purple.
The less common white varieties of eggplant are also known as Easter white eggplants [and] garden eggs.
purple? Hmm
DeleteEGGPLANTS>>>>>>>>LEGG(LEG) PANTS
ReplyDeleteThanks to all who commented positively on my puzzle this week: jan, Dr. K, WayWordy, Rudolfo, Bobby, Chuck, skydiveboy. Word Woman, and others who I may have missed. I hope its "wholesome yolkiness" will help remove from your maws the loathsome aftertaste left by my infamous Molson Ale/Semicolon offering from this past December.
ReplyDeleteLeggoPlanto
Lego, have you ever considered a 2nd career as a diplomat? You'd be a natural!
DeleteFWIW, I liked the Molson puzzle, even though I didn't solve it. The anagram was simple but challenging. It was one of the best we've had lately.
DeleteThanks, 68Charger and Nodd. Kind words! Alas, my "career years" are behind me. And, I'd be a lousy diplomat... I had a tough enough time just getting a diploma!
DeleteI do feel a bit better about "Molson/Colon" with the passage of time, Nodd, but I am still trying to steer clear of brand names whenever I can.
LegoLambda"SheepskinChallenged!"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEGGPLANTS, LEG, PANTS
ReplyDeletepjbSaysForARealChallenge,StopByPuzzleria!ToSeeHisLatestCrypticCrossword(JustInTimeForHis53rdBirthday!)
This week's challenge comes from listener Jan Brooksby, of Mesa, Ariz. 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?
ReplyDeleteUpper case? Lower case? AXIS of rotation? Aaargh!
ReplyDeleteIf lower-case, I have an answer in which the two 3-letter words are closely related. Ted Cruz would not approve.
ReplyDeleteAssuming my answer is correct, Blaine will have to monitor comments closely.
ReplyDeleteI have what I'm pretty sure is the intended answer. If I'm right, there may be some complaints -- but I think it's fine.
ReplyDeleteGood work, Jan Brooksby!
Superzee: yes, he'll have to keep a close watch over us.