Q: Name a place in Europe in nine letters. Swap the third and fourth letters, then the eighth and ninth letters. The result is two words describing what this place famously does.
A: STROMBOLI (an active volcanic island off Italy), STORM and BOIL
Sunday, May 21, 2023
NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 21, 2023): A Place in Europe
NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 21, 2023): A Place in Europe
181 comments:
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Anyone else notice the last "answer" to the on-air puzzle this week?
ReplyDeleteWill asked for a "Tape Company" that ends in EX and then gave MEMOREX as the intended answer. Which pained me deeply, as an amateur Historian of Technology, since the original "Tape Company," which actually stole the technology from the Germans during WWII, was AMPEX.
A puzzling shanda.
Yes. I posted at the end of last week's blog:
DeleteShocked that there were only 500 correct answers this week!
During the on-air puzzle, when Will asked about recording tape, I flashed back to my high school AV squad's 2-inch open-reel video tape recorder and said "Ampex". Memorex came later, I think.
Those were the 500 answers that had deer. The 2000 "could be others" disappeared.
DeleteEveryone complains about my chiding Shortz.
Considering that the offering was a collusion between him and Ed Pegg, Jr., I think it not unreasonable to have expected more.
With my and other's slow off the mark reactions today, i expect some trouble ahead.
The tape was billed as a "bygone product." I would have thought the rotary address files, Rolodex, would be a bygone by now as well. Turns out they are still around!
ReplyDeleteWhat goes around comes around.
DeleteVinyl outsold CD's last year!
DeleteThey always were round.
DeleteYes, that was my double entendre.
DeleteAs to the puzzle, I wish something would come around. Who else is clueless?
I am.
DeleteShouldn't a writer for "The Simpsons" be on strike this week? He must be throwing a gauntlet at the chatbots by writing a challenge that begins "Name a place in Europe..."
ReplyDeleteIt's a trick question. There are no "places in Europe" any longer.
DeleteEngland gave up and left, so now there are only Lugares, des Lieux, und der Orts.
I just tried. It didn't work. It came up with lots of combinations that had a single letter as the second word.
DeleteLugares with a hard G or silent?
ReplyDeleteLugar siempre tiene una G dura
Deletegracias.
Deletewhy is the host answering half the questions let the contestant think a bit
ReplyDeleteI can think of something the west coast of England does.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't come up with anything else, I'm submitting this one!
Delete... and don't forget the east coast.
DeleteEAST COAST → EATS COATS
DeleteWEST COAST → WETS COATS
DeleteAm stumped at the moment. The use of the word "place" here makes me believe that it is not a "landmark" or "city," because wouldn't that have been used instead of "place"?!
ReplyDeleteCountry, city, landform, body of water, geographical location, or specific tourist attraction? Still stumped.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have not yet had any luck with this one, I continue to believe (hope) that it should not be too hard and that finding the answer will be satisfying.
ReplyDeleteI've heard both words used with seafood.
ReplyDeleteAttempt by Bing Chat: The answer to this riddle is Barcelona. If you swap the third and fourth letters, then the eighth and ninth letters, you get “Bacrelona,” which can be split into two words: “Bac” and “relona.” These two words describe what Barcelona famously does: “Bac” refers to the city’s famous nightlife and party scene, while “relona” refers to its relaxed atmosphere and laid-back lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteThat's great. I tried Bard, and it suggested ROME, and when swapping, you get ROMES. and ROMES is two words describing what Rome famously does: ROMES RULES
DeleteEarly on, I had looked at Barcelona, and realized the switching of letters 8 and 9 would make LOAN. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a currency called a Bacre. BACRE is the Black Association of CRE Professionals, so I did learn that today!
DeleteI am reassured by that answer since it means the robots aren't as close to taking over the world as I thought they could be.
DeleteWouldn't that become "reloan"?
ReplyDeleteWas that the worst aspect of the answer?
DeleteThese language models are all terrible at letter manipulations like this.
DeleteBarcelona would become bac reloan which might make sense if you were looking for a US bank (bac is the ticker symbol for Bank of America) and one of their businesses.
DeleteIs this book (Livre Polo) published in Liverpool?
ReplyDeleteThis is Will's "payback" for all the complaining about the ease of past puzzles.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't make any difference whether you swap the third and fourth letters, and then swap the eighth and ninth letters, or the other way around. Is the inclusion of the word "then", implying a certain order, just the latest example of sloppy puzzle wording, or am I missing something (besides the answer)?
ReplyDeleteJan, I assume the wording was simply an inelegant way of clarifying that the 3-4 pair is not to be swapped with the 8-9 pair.
DeleteAs usual, Lorenzo said it much better than I could have.
DeleteBlaine, back in February, you posted a hint based on the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. I thought you might appreciate this tribute, on that site's 50th anniversary. (No hint here; I'm still clueless this week.)
ReplyDeleteYour link is to a New York Times article; and I've been informed that I've reached my limit of free articles.
DeleteNo matter how many times I look at it COOLS SEMU does not semu to work ;-).
ReplyDeleteMe2
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSevres is famous for porcelain, but I can't come up with anything that is "served" there.
DeleteI'm pretty sure I got it. It came to me while watching an episode of The Great British Bake Off.
ReplyDeleteI have an answer that is probably too poetic to be the intended one, but I kinda like it! Clue: Coleridge.
ReplyDeleteColeridge has a poem called "The Eolian Harp"; Stromboli is one of the Aeolian Islands. Gotta say that this puzzle is clever but a bit of a stretch—I didn't think this could actually be the intended answer, but I'm giving myself props for finding it before the extra clues came in!
DeleteAnd here I thought the Aeolian Islands were part of Alaska.
DeleteHaving given up on 9-letter places, I now find myself wondering if people in Bosnia are into cultivating those tiny little trees.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good one!
DeleteHi everyone. Original Ben here — it's been a while. Hope all is well with everyone.
ReplyDeleteI now write puzzles for the New York Times! Check out my cryptograms next to the crossword in the newsprint Arts section every Tue and Thu (or if you prefer an easier ride, the answers appear Wed and Fri). The material is generally quips or trivia items.
HOWEVER, today I am here on Mike Reiss' behalf. He asked me to post the following note:
"Puzzle constructor Mike Reiss here and I'm sorry to have caused so much pain. I'm sure you've heard of the answer, if not as a place (not a city or country), then as a film title, classic film character or food."
Ok, I think I have the answer. If I'm correct, the two words should be considered separately, rather than as a two-word phrase. Is that right, Ben?
DeleteI think I have the same answer.
DeleteBen, Thanks for posting on behalf of Mike Reiss, and congrats on your puzzle-writing gig for the New York Times. The hint that Mike wrote was helpful. I believe I have Blaine's, Tortitude's and Courtney's answer.
DeleteLegoWhoAddsThatHeLearnedMuchAboutEuropeWhileTryingToSolveThisPuzzle!
I'm on the same page—two words to be considered separately—now I'm thinking my "poetic" answer mentioned above is actually correct! Not exactly an easy & breezy one this week...
DeleteBlaine, Yes, you are right about that.
Deletelol Blaine deletes spoilerly clues unless he hasn't figured out the answer yet. And then he asks followup questions!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteIf any of you submit the winning answer and make it on the air this week make sure to tell Ayesha that Corky sent you!
DeleteWell, there goes the neighborhood.
DeleteI'm not referring to Corky, of course, but to the return of my nemesis Original Ben, if that's even his real name.
This Original Ben runs off gallivanting and hobnobbing with Shortz, then suddenly wishes to return and reclaim this Noble Name, just as Bed Bath & Beyond goes out of business, and he clearly needs our support.
Welcome back, despite your outstretched hand, and your feigning to be some benevolent emissary from Mike Reiss.
In illness or in health, you may return, of course. As lifers in the puzzle world, you are as welcome as am I here. And it's Blaine's World, we just visit to kibbitz a bit.
So I guess I'm now Other Ben, once again. Oh, also, there's a clue or two, above, in my rant. Cheers.
There can only be one. Oh noble one.
DeleteWould Reiss or anyone else like to clarify the remaining ambiguity in the phrasing (or is figuring that out considered part of the puzzle)? The phrase "Swap the third and fourth letters, then the eighth and ninth letters. The result is two words ..." can be interpreted multiple ways, and I can think of at least three:
Deletea) After each swap we get a nine-letter word, possibly after concatenating the multiple pieces of the place.
b) After making both swaps, we can split the nine letters into two words.
c) The place consists of two parts, and after the swaps those parts become words. (This is a special case of (b).)
Is one of these right? Something else? Am I expected to guess?
It's not (a).
DeleteThe "order of operations" of the two swaps isn't relevant. After you perform those two swaps, you will clearly see two words, relevant to the place. - Other Ben
Delete@Blaine and @Ben, thanks. I'll give it another go with that in mind.
DeleteThere is obviously something amiss with the wording of this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteHint: Jackie Gleason.
ReplyDeleteI think I’ve got it. No hint here, but to quote Etta James, “At last.”
ReplyDeleteRearrange the letters of the place name, and get two words referring to body parts.
ReplyDeleteOK, that tracks.
DeleteYou can also rearrange the letters to get two words referring to a non-human creature of a certain body type.
DeleteNice one, Wolfgang.
DeleteWell, ain't this a fine kettle of fish?
ReplyDeleteUnique, I think.
Will this be made available to all of Shortz' other millions of listeners?
It took me far too long to finally solve this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteSolved it. Not all that satisfying a solve, though, as it's a bit of a stretch.
ReplyDeleteWith better wording in the directions, it could have been a better puzzle. And one of the above clues provided to the original puzzle would have been helpful.
DeleteRoger that, Courtney.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought this would be another easy one to solve, but then I came to realize I was not going to perhaps solve it at all. Well, I finally did, and now I have to say that it is by far and wide the best puzzle we have had so far this year. But that cannot be said without some further comment. For one, it is not at all well stated. And for another, it will be next to impossible for most NPR listeners to solve. I could say a lot more, but it is not Thursday noon here yet, so I will behave. However, I will go on to admit that when we do eventually sometimes get a really difficult puzzle to test our mettle, they tend to be the ones I like the most, at least after I finally solve them. This has been one of those. I can only hope for more of the same.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteBen, Thank you the post for Mike Reiss. Not sure I could have solved otherwise. I learned a lot from this puzzle.
DeleteI second what Natasha says. Thank you, Ben. Mike Reiss's hints didn't lead me to the answer, but they confirmed I had the intended answer. I might have dismissed it otherwise, because I don't think the two words are that spot-on in capturing "what this place famously does." Anyway: Yes, after Mike Reiss's hints, I, too, learned from this puzzle. I had heard of the food before, but not of the film or the film character.
DeleteCongratulations on solving the puzzle prior to the Reiss post! The puzzle could have been worded better, I think. I never heard of the food or film before.
DeleteNote: Commenting has been turned off until further notice.
ReplyDeleteWell, that took a weird turn.
DeleteI'm having to moderate all the comments because of someone not playing nicely.
DeleteI totally understand.
DeleteI was reminded of something Sam Rayburn once said about a barn, a carpenter, and a certain quadruped.
DeleteI got it on Sunday, but discounted my answer, as the first of the two words was general and did not seem especially applicable.
ReplyDeleteGlad Blaine is allowing comments again, I wasn't sure where to vent!
ReplyDeleteI have an answer but it does not feel satisfying. Does anyone else's location have a connection to one of the words in last week's puzzle?
ReplyDeleteJust a quickie: I agree with Sky Dive Boy that this was an excellent puzzle, though also of course that the wording was pretty bad. When a puzzle is this hard, it's not really fair to have wording that leads solvers (or would-be solvers!) off on the wrong track. I wasted a lot of thinking (on a long drive) on the assumption that the two words had to be a verb phrase and the verb had to be third person singular (because what this place *does* -- it runs, it eats, it lies...).
ReplyDeleteBut I am very pleased to have a very tough one now and then, so keep at it Mike Reiss!
Crito and Buck Barn, I went down that same rabbit hole, assuming an incorrect part-of-speech.
DeleteThe last line reads:
The result is two words describing what this place famously does.
Perhaps revealing each word's part-of-speech would have helped. Or perhaps adding a comma followed by the word "each":
The result is two words, each describing what this place famously does. Or maybe replace "describing" with "indicating" would have been better?
After all, the place does (blank) and the place does (blank).
The puzzles of Mike Reiss that Will Shortz has aired are invariably very solid.
LegoWonderingIfThisPostIsToMuchInformationHopingThatItIsNotButNeverthelessAlertingBlaineInCaseItIs
Buck Bard! My apologies, Buck.
DeleteLegoCareless
I think any further discussion of this puzzle should take place in a public restroom.
DeleteThe puzzle creator could hardly have been more generous with his tripartite hint, but I'm afraid it was NEI for me. I'll just have to take the word of my colleagues that it's a great puzzle and wait for tomorrow to read 'em and weep!
ReplyDeleteEarlier this week, I submitted what I believe is certainly the intended solution. However, I do not share the favorable opinion of this puzzle that others have expressed. More after the witching hour tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI've thrown a lot at this and yet will probably finish in the same boat.
ReplyDeleteWe feature four fascinating-yet-flummoxing puzzles by our friend Plantsmith on this week's edition of Puzzleria! They appear in his recurring "Garden of Puzzley Delights" puzzle-package, and involve:
ReplyDelete1. a fictional kingdom,
2. a children's book character,
3. a spoonerized singing group that is not “The Spovin’ Loonful,”
4. an Alabaman Barbeque Steakhouse and an Alabaman.
We upload Puzzleria! in the wee hours between Thursday and Friday, around Midnight PDT (or sometimes sooner).
Also on this week's menus:
* a Schpuzzle of the Week about "Excalibur & rhetorical excellence,"
* an Hors d’Oeuvre titled “Who spiked my soft drink?”
* a “Red Rider Puzzle Slice” titled “Black & white & riddled all over,”
* an "X’s and O’s" Dessert titled "Publish... or Robert Parrish?" and
* eleven riff-offs of this week's NPR Puzzle that I can't tell you the title of because that title gives the answer away.
That's 19 puzzles!
LegoWhoNotesThatPuzzleria!IsAlways"DelightfullyPuzzley"EveryTimeWeRunPlantsmith'sPuzzles!
Here is a sneak preview of this week's NPR-Puzzle riff-off #1:
DeleteName a puzzle-maker, first and last names, in nine letters. Replace the first letter in the first name with the letter following it in the alphabet, forming the name of a Greek god. Then remove the last letter of the last name and anagram the remaining letters to form the name of a Greek goddess. Who is the puzzle-maker? Who are these Greek deities?
LegoNeitherAGodNorAGoddessButRatherADogAndADoggoneSonOfA"Doggess!"
Hmm…either I don't have the right puzzle maker, or….
DeleteThe one I think of, when I perform that operation with the first name, I get a goddess (not a god). As for the last name, I am not getting a Greek goddess (or a god). However, when I remove the second letter (rather than the last), and then anagram the remaining letters, I get the name of a virtual assistant (whom some people might think of as a goddess).
Thank you for editing me, Wolfgang.
DeleteMy puzzle should read:
Name a puzzle-maker, first and last names, in nine letters. Replace the first letter in the first name with the letter following it in the alphabet, forming the name of a Greek goddess. Then remove the last letter of the last name and anagram the remaining letters to form the name of a second Greek goddess.
Who is the puzzle-maker? Who are these Greek deities?
But I stand by the name of my second Greek goddess.
LegoThankfulForWolfgangianEding!
You are right, Lego. I had the right puzzle maker, but at first I didn't get the (second) goddess you had in mind. I also stand self-corrected regarding that idea about a virtual assistant. Never mind about that. (It seems I could use one, though.)
DeleteYou and I both, Wolfgang!
DeleteLegoAddsThatItDoesNotMatterOneWhitWhatTheName OfOurVirtualAssistantGoddessIs(SiriOrIrisOrErsiOrRies...WeCouldAllUseOne!
I got a kick out of this puzzle and my music.
ReplyDeleteTonight is another must-win for the Boston Celtics to stay in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Celtics win—on to game 6. Celtics lose—it's a wrap.
ReplyDeleteWell, I finally got it by looking at the right list, but I did not enjoy the "aha" moment I was expecting. I enjoy a hard puzzle that is cleverly crafted, but this one is just hard because it is arcane. I actually had to do some further research to understand the part that was supposed to be famous.
ReplyDeleteI predicted on Sunday that there was trouble ahead.
ReplyDeletePerhaps more on that later, but I am concerned that two posts I made yesterday disappeared with no indication why.
Reminder: Post are still being manually moderated. If you don't see something post right away, be patient and don't keep repeating the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Blaine, for the reminder. I think most of us, including me, thought that that had ended. Mass confusion on our end that now I see you could not be aware of.
DeleteI finally got it (from a list, sigh; I dislike when success comes down to how long you're willing to spend reviewing lists). I now see the reason for all the heated discussion that has occurred here.
ReplyDeleteSTROMBOLI >>> STORM & BOIL
ReplyDeleteMy Hint:
“I think any further discussion of this puzzle should take place in a public restroom.”
If I had instead said LAVATORY it would have been TMI.
This could have been a much better stated puzzle. For one thing, what we were told to look for in Europe was far too nebulous and ambiguous. We had no hint as to what we were looking for. Another thing is its’ second part, (the 2 words,) were said to be “famous.” Most of us here I do not believe would consider this remote island and volcano to be quite famous let alone what they do. It is too bad a little more attention isn’t paid to the wording of these puzzles. I never would have solved it had we not eventually been provided a hint by its creator, even though I did think of considering Mount Etna. I have had Will Shortz reject several of my puzzle creations by saying there is something about them that is too obscure, or he does not know of the answer place or location. Could it be he gives more leeway to certain persons?
STROMBOLI —> STORM, BOIL
ReplyDeleteHint: “Rearrange the letters of the place name, and get two words referring to body parts.” Stromboli —> torso, limb
I had roots, like the roots of your hair. I'm surprised I did not also see torso.
DeleteThat's funny. I saw "torso" but not "roots".
DeleteStromboli — storm, boil
ReplyDeleteIn one of my posts, replying to Dr. K, I said you could “rearrange the letters to get two words referring to a non-human creature of a certain body type.” That would be a slim robot.
(Thanks, Dr. K, for the recognition.)
I also posted about the Boston Celtics, and how tonight’s game is another must-win: “Celtics lose—it’s a wrap.” That was a reference to stromboli as a food, which is a wrap.
Stromboli --> storm, boil
ReplyDeleteStromboli is a small, volcanic island off the coast of Italy. After the required letter transformations, Stromboli yields storm and boil as its two derivative words. If you agree that this is the intended answer, read on. If not, pardon the interruption and skip to the next blogger’s comments.
I realize there are some here at Blainesville who like this puzzle. I am not one of them. It was a clever idea to start with but, in the end, it just doesn’t work well. Storm and boil do not accurately describe “what this place famously does.” It’s much too much of a stretch. The puzzle is insufficiently clued, poorly worded and too arcane. So few of us had even hinted at a solution on Sunday that its creator had a fellow blogger post 3 additional clues on his behalf. Evidently, it wouldn’t do to have Ayesha start off the segment by saying “there were 5 correct answers this week” :)
Anyway, sincere thanks for the extra help, Mike, from me and from many others here at Blainesville, including those who would never admit they needed it.
STROMBOLI, STORM, BOIL
ReplyDeleteI liked the puzzle.
My hint was in the sentences In illness or in health, you may return, of course. As lifers in the puzzle world....
The film Stromboli (1950) developed when Ingrid Bergman (a huge star after Casablanca) wrote to Director Roberto Rossellini and asked to work with him. They created this film, with Bergman as the star, then began an extramarital affair, and had their child Isabella Rossellini a few weeks before the film's American release.
In illness or is Rossellini spelled backwards (almost) and As lifers contains Ilsa spelled backwards, which is, of course, Bergman's most famous role.
STROMBOLI; STORM, BOIL. My hint referred to the “heated discussion” about the puzzle that occurred here.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, it was Stromboli. The connection to last week's puzzle is that one needs (kneads) dough to make the food stromboli.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, too bad someone tried screwing up Blaine's website!! Hope that comes to a stop really soon!!
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed at this puzzle. I had never heard of an island called Stromboli and never really watched the movie "Pinocchio".
My entry regarding not being able to "vent" referred to a volcanic vent:
"Any opening at the Earth's surface through which magma erupts or volcanic gases are emitted."
This puzzle was just too obscure.
STROMBOLI; STORM BOIL
ReplyDelete"Solved it. Not all that satisfying a solve, though, as it's a bit of a stretch." >>> One stretches dough to make STROMBOLI.
Here is my suggested wording for the puzzle:
Name a (natural) feature in Europe in nine letters. Swap the third and fourth letters, then the eighth and ninth letters. The resulting two words describe two separate things that often happen at the feature.
This wording (or something similar) would have elevated my view of the puzzle by enhancing "place" and changing "what this place famously does" to what was actually being asked for with greater clarity.
much better iteration. Go Mr. Schriff(sp?)
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks, WW, for getting this started. Here is my suggestion, incorporating some of your ideas:
Delete"Name a place in Europe in nine letters. Swap the third and fourth letters, then the eighth and ninth letters. The result can be split into two words that signify what often happens in that place, thanks to one very distinctive natural feature."
Yes!
DeleteMy hints "kick" as in the boot of Italy and "My Music" a song from Loggins and Messina, Messina being not too far from Stromboli. Thanks all!
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that when I Googled: "list of Italian volcanoes" Stromboli was not listed, but 10 others are.
ReplyDeleteThat is very odd, since Mt Stromboli is an active volcano, unlike most of the 10 others.
DeleteThis is a helpful article about the types of volcanoes that discusses Strombolian.
DeleteMy hint was Jackie Gleason. The reference was to Mrs. Manicotti from The Honeymooners. Manicotti is another Italian food like stromboli.
ReplyDeleteI think the puzzle was fine, although it was relying on an obscure place and the puzzle wording was unclear. I'd rather have a hard puzzle based on a clever twist than one based on obscure geographical knowledge. I have seen Pinocchio, but didn't really remember Stromboli. I certainly remember Figaro, however, and considered using my black and white cat as a hint. That would have helped precisely zero people.
I too did not know of this place or volcano, nor did I know of the 2 Stromboli movies. I also did not know of a Pinocchio character named Stromboli, and I don't think I have heard of the food item in years, but who nose?
DeleteI looked up a list of foods named after places in Wikipedia. Did not take but a few minutes.
ReplyDeletePlaces in Wikipedia???
DeleteI've never eaten anything that was named after a Wikipedia location.
(I feel like this is a SDB kind of joke, but SDB may disagree.)
Crito, I could have phrased that better. Sorry.
DeleteSDB nosesnot to disagree.
DeleteI did not solve this week nor two weeks back when the answer was the only word that has the zh sound from t, which I felt was only gonna be solved by doing internet searches, which I generally do not do to solve, only to confirm. That run-on sentence being besides the point, I thought this weeks’ puzzle was below standards, as, apparently did a few others. “Famously does” – come on. I vaguely even recognize Stromboli as a place, let alone famous. And the “does” part seems like the words should be boils and storms. Without the “s” the wording maybe should have been along the lines of what this place might do. Boil and storm. And both seem like stretches.
ReplyDeleteAt least I was not trapped in a room with letters between the doors.
To anyone who actually came up with the answer without the hints given here, I salute you. You are a better solver than me. And if I spelled anything wrong, it was a cut and pasta error.
Complain all you want about this puzzle, and I too have complaints, but we should all be able to agree that it is gneiss.
ReplyDeleteA very magmanimous comment.
DeleteI can afford to be. The Brits have Saint Helena, but here where I reside, we have Mount Saint Helens.
DeleteMaster Lock to shut down Milwaukee manufacturing plant. Does mean there will be a lock out?
ReplyDeleteIf there is, the ex-employees will come out to pick it.
DeleteWould they have to sign up first?
DeleteYou two are like Abbot and Costello... but, better yet, improvisational.
DeleteLegoJustReportingTheReparteeFacts
sdb, signing up first and notifying the city authorities would be a safe combination.
DeleteYes, but they must strike before Spring or they are doomed to become tumblers.
DeleteThat is a key point.
DeleteThat's a safe bet.
DeleteIf the police show up a lot of the picketers will bolt, probably.
DeleteI knew you'd eventually pin me with your spin.
DeleteI couldn't resist the urge to latch onto your comment.
DeleteAnd it all hinges on that?
DeleteIt's a part of the chain of events.
DeleteWho screens your posts?
DeleteA graduate of Yale.
DeleteNo doubt a Jack of all trades, but a Master on none.
DeleteSometimes he is too schlossed to think clearly.
DeleteWhereas a fearless man will always Diebold.
DeleteYes, it could have been worded better but I should have solved it. No excuses. Accidenti!
ReplyDeleteI am a dissenter. While I can grudgingly go along with a volcano 'boiling', I challenge someone to show me one writer who has ever said a volcano 'stormed'.
ReplyDeleteFurther, the question clearly implies that Stromboli is "famous" (as if it "famously" storms and boils, the volcano itself must be 'famous', right?).
As skydiveboy points out, it's not even on a list of famous Italian volcanos (and Googling just 'Stromboli' gets me tons of recipes way before I find a listing for the volcanic island).
I'm disappointed as I love geographic based puzzles...and now I'm going to have to wait another 3 months (which seems to be the frequency) before we see another one.
I tend to agree with you about the 2 words, but I did not use them to solve the puzzle. Anyway, to be fair, I just found this on a Google search:
Delete"Volcanic thunderstorms occur especially in the eruption clouds of volcanic and plinian eruptions. Occasionally, volcanic lightning also occurs during smaller eruptions: at Sakura-jima, Anak Krakatau and Etna I could already observe occasional flashes in the ash clouds of strombolian eruptions. The flashes mostly formed between 5 and 10 seconds after the explosion. At Sinabung volcano lightning appeared in the fast rising ash clouds of pyroclastic flows."
I challenge someone to show me one writer who has ever said a volcano 'stormed'.
DeleteChallenge accepted!
"Victors sing, the oppressed kept in silence, 'til tables are turned and art is reformed by wrath's force as if a volcano stormed."
Matthew Theisen, "Author of the Worlds"
Woody Guthrie wrote a love song to Ingrid Bergman called "Ingrid Bergman," in which he mentioned Stromboli. The volcano serves as a metaphor for, um, Woody.
ReplyDeleteI know of the song by way of the '90s cover by Billy Bragg & Wilco, hinted at by my "Roger that" reply to Courtney's post.
.
No sense in making a long post, since about half of my recent ones have evaporated.
ReplyDeleteBeyond admitting I never solved it, I'll just say that I agree with the folks who found this to be a very poor effort all around.
The posting by Mike Reiss via Ben Bass is one of the strangest things I can remember on Blainesville.
I'll put my suspicion level of correct submissions at 20.
I'm sure there are more than 20 of us here in Blainesville who saw Corky blurt out the answer before it was blogadministered. There had to be more than that many correct submissions. What's surprising to me is that we haven't seen one of us claiming to have gotten The Call this week!
DeleteProbably on a par with STROMBOLI in terms of obscurity is tonight's Final Jeopardy:
ReplyDeleteGROUPS IN HISTORY
THE THIRD-MOST FAMOUS GROUP THAT INVADED BRITAIN IN THE 5th CENTURY, THEY GAVE THEIR NAME TO THE CONTINENTAL PART OF DENMARK
Tough week all around!
Missed it, even though I've read the Cornwall saga.
DeleteMayim seems more over her head with each show.
I am related to Mayim through marriage. I never met her but did meet the relatives. I prefer Ken on Jeopardy.
DeleteSTROMBOLI, STORM and BOIL
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I had only heard of STROMBOLI as an Italian food before now. I also have to admit I didn't even really get it from Mr. Reiss's hints. I think eventually I looked up "islands in Europe" because of all the "places" lists I had consulted, islands had not crossed my mind initially. Otherwise I'm sure I would've solved it much sooner.
"Apt" anagram of MIKE REISS:
I SEE SMIRK, or possibly I SEE.(SMIRK)
pjbBelievesThisPuzzleIsProofSometimesMr.ReissIsMuchBetterAtHisWorkOn"TheSimpsons"ThanWithWhateverHeSendsInHere
That's where I heard of it! The movie Bergman was in and went off with Rossellini. My father was scandalized because he thought she was so wholesome she'd stay married to the doctor or whomever she was married to. But I didn't know it was a place, even. And I lived in Italy for a whille.
ReplyDeleteWe get pretty animated at times, though.
ReplyDeleteNot to mention animus at times.
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ReplyDeleteKeep it up and you might get locked in a cel.
ReplyDeleteAnd wouldn't that just be my lock? I could celebrate.
ReplyDeleteI know, that reply was a bit filmsy.
ReplyDeleteWhen you're reely in the can, you'll be whistling a different toon.
ReplyDeleteI am still in the lavatory trying to do more volcano research.
ReplyDeleteWatch out for the ejecta!
ReplyDeleteNot a problem. I will plunge ahead.
ReplyDeleteWow: Looking for a "place" that "does" something, I looked at a list of volcanoes in Europe ... and missed Stromboli! But years ago I was on a Mediterranean cruise that passed right by Stromboli ... it was very impressive.
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