Sunday, August 18, 2024

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 18, 2024): A Famous Movie Star

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Aug 18, 2024): A Famous Movie Star
Q: Think of a famous movie star -- .first and last names, nine letters in all. The third, fourth, fifth, seventh, and eighth letters, in order, name a profession. The star's last name is something that this profession uses. Who is the movie star and what is the profession?
In one role, this actor played a [redacted].

Edit: My redacted clue was "king" as in Billie Jean King.
A: EMMA STONE --> MASON, STONE

117 comments:

  1. The five-letter word is also the surname of others prominent in the field of entertainment.

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  3. Just 615 correct entries last week.

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  4. Remove the first two and last two letters of the actor’s name, and rearrange. You get something that’s all around.

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    1. My TMI clue was: "As with many movie stars, this one landed in L.A."
      --> Emma Stone starred in "LA LA Land"

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  6. Remove the 4th and 5th letters of the name. Rearrange to get something special.

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  7. Literary clue -- Hardy novel.

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    1. Hmmm... I was thinking of a novel by another author.

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    2. EMMA is my favorite Jane Austen novel.

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  8. Change a letter in the last name and rearrange to get an appropriate word re: movies.

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  9. Clever puzzle! There are so many conditions in the instructions that hints are hardly needed. If the over/under is 615 this week, give me the over.

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  10. Got it. Now back to vacation, where I might see the something that is used by the profession.

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  11. Ho hum. Enjoyed Blaine's clue immensely.

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  12. The four letters in the name not involved in the profession, when rearranged, might also be appropriate.

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    1. They can be rearranged to spell "meet" which, as an adjective, can mean "appropriate."

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  13. Kudos if you get/got it without consulting a list. (I didn't have the patience today. Have a nice week!)

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    1. This one is more fun without a list. I have a recent connection to the puzzle.

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    2. You are correct WW but I had fun ruling out some answers. It would have been a nice nod to sdb if the answer had once again been Cary Grant but the transformation didn't yield anything close to "tenured professor". :)

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  14. Not obvious. I started with the profession...

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  15. Russian troops invading a European neighbor? Student antiwar protests? Incumbent President declines to run for re-election? Candidate shot? Democrats convening in Chicago? Yup, must be 1968. I'm borrowing our library's copy of Medium Cool and re-watching it this week (doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere).

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    1. I've seen that. I've been a fan of Robert Forster and his distinct Rochester accent for years. I liked him in Diamond Men and lotsa other things. A good movie to complement Medium COOL is the Big Fix with Richard Dreyfuss (1978). It isn't streaming either and it only seems to be available on YouTube.

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    2. Wow, indeed dayzha voo all over again ...!

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  16. Not an Easy Answer. It took me about 43 tries.

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  17. Blaine's clue actually led me to the answer. That's a first.

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  18. Reminds me of a Simon & Garfunkel song

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    1. Funny, I was thinking of a Simon & Garfunkel song not so long ago.

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    2. A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking of "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" in connection with the Amelia Earhart puzzle. Ms. Stone is actually Emily Jean Stone, so it works this week, too. Amelia, Emily, Emma -- all in the same ballpark, to my way of thinking.
      This week, however, I assume Rudolfo was thinking of "I Am A Rock".

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  20. I had to use a list because I do not think I have ever watched a movie with this actor. I am not big on Hollywood movies as a rule.

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  21. also one of my favorite simpsons episodes of all time

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  22. Replace the last letter of the actor's last name with 2 letters and rearrange to get the last name of another actor with the same first name as the original actor.

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    1. I'll say more about this comment on Thursday.

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    2. Replace the E in Emma Stone with A and W and rearrange to get Emma Watson.

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    3. In addition to my Emma Stone -> amusement puzzle that didn't capture NPR's approval, I had a similar puzzle to the above that I was going to send to Lego eventually. Oh, well!

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  23. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)

    ..... you're welcome for the earworm. 😉

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    1. The second song that popped into my head...

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    2. I think I follow Scarlett's logic again! And the actor isn't even Yul Brynner.

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    3. Lancek, I'll be interested on your take of my clue. Guess we'll ll need to wait for Thursday.

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  24. Riffing on Blaine’s clue, did you notice the actor’s middle name?

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  25. Btw, the on air contestant Eli Shear-Baggish is the son of the frequent puzzle contributor Steve Baggish, also of Arlington, MA (and Eli even authored one of our NPR Sunday puzzles about 10 years ago as an 11 year old!).

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    1. I thought I recognized not only the last name, but the town. So I came here to Blaine's, hoping someone would have commented on it. Thank you for having done so!

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  26. Reminds me of my late nephew.
    pjbNowOnlyHasNieces,AndAllAreBeautiful

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    1. Just noticed Blaine had to "redact" his own hint at the beginning, too. No one is safe.
      pjbNeedn'tSayAnythingMoreAfterThat

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  28. Hm.
    But what you're doing here isn't inadvertent.
    It's very advertent.

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  29. Good point. I had to redact my clue.

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  30. No worries. Even I step over the line once in awhile.

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  31. I realize Blaine can rig it as he pleases.

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  32. Thanks, Blaine. I have had Michael Jackson on repeat in my brain ALL day!

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  33. I think we're all ready for a royal flush.

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  34. Rearrange the letters in the first name to get a mediocre movie with a great cast.

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    1. I loved that movie. But maybe it's because I loved the book so much.

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  35. Enter this movie star's name in the IMDB. Looking through the acting credits (You have to click 'See All'), the very last two entries have "(as ...)" with TWO DIFFERENT alternate first names!

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  36. Too many puzzles involving movie stars lately. I need me a nice cup of hot chocolate to calm down.

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  37. Remove two letters and rearrange to get the name of a movie.

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  38. When searching for information about this actor, I learned that two other actors with the same first name have appeared in movies together that I have seen.

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  39. The movie star crafted an award-winning career.

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  40. Not Mikey. Not Arnold from Different Strokes. Not Rodney Allen Rippy, either. You know...

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  41. R.I.P. (REST IN PRISON) Former U.S. Rep. George Santos

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    1. Not for at least six months. Who knows what stunts he'll pull before sentencing next February?

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    2. I know; I know. But please don't spoil my momentary bout of schadenfreude.

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  42. Thank you, Blaine, for making order out of chaos.

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  43. Martin Cooper comes to mind…

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  44. Blaine's redacted clue totally threw me off. Still don't understand it unless there's something about this star's career I don't know.

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    1. Actually, one of the cleverest features of Blaine's clue was its likelihood to throw people completely off unless they knew the answer. I was sorry to see it redacted -- but I understand why it was. Sadly, fewer people will get a chance to appreciate Snipper's lovely riff!

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    2. Once again I feel chiseled out of seeing one of Blaine's clues that he later removed before I saw it. Dang!

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    3. Saw it, totally got it. Will explain tomorrow if necessary.
      pjbDidLoveTheHint,BTW

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  45. Oh - having read the star's bio, now I get it.

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  47. The area this actor is from is on my bucket list. So far, I have only stopped there to change planes (never leaving the airport).

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  48. I am posting the Puzzleria! preview a bit early this week. That's why there i a word missing near the end (It's a giveaway word before noon PDT today. I will fill it in later.
    "Earthly Delights?" Sure, they're fine, I guess. But what will really knock your socks will be this week's latest edition of "Garden of Puzzley Delights," courtesy of our friend and master-puzzle-maker, Plantsmith. We are dubbing his latest masterpiece a “Bowlful of Herbal Verbal Blurts!” – a bowl filled with five tasty in-your-face puzzles titled:
    ~ “Verbal gymnastics,”
    ~ Below-belt-bone + boy = bowlful,
    ~ An “across the pond” entree,
    ~ “Daili? Yes, Sydo!” and
    ~ "Gordon Ramsay’s World Food Tour."
    (Danger!... Be sure to pack a spare pair of socks before attempting to solve!!!!!)
    We shall upload Puzzleria! very soon this afternoon PDT.
    Also on this week's menu:
    * a Schpuzzle of the Week titled “Takin’ makin’ prose o’er makin’ the pros!”
    * a Band In Boston Hors d’Oeuvre titled "Folkie Flyover Rockies?"
    * a Chevy Equinoxymoronic Slice titled "Setting Sons of the Pioneers,"
    * a Wobbly Bouncy Dessert titled "Creature, clown, comedian," and
    * seventeen riff-offs of this week's NPR puzzle titled "Cinematic _____________!
    That adds up to 26 puzzles for your solving enjoyment!

    LegoWhoSays"SureAVillageSmithyIsFineAndDandyButWhatIsEvenFinerAndDandierIsAn"OnlineOnPuzzleriaPlantSmithy"WhoForgesGorgeousGardensOfPuzzleyDelights!"

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    1. The missing word in the blank, above, is STONEMASONRY.

      LegoQuarryman

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  49. EMMA STONE → MASON + STONE = STONEMASONRY

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  50. EMMA STONE — MASON

    My clue:

    The area this actor is from is on my bucket list. So far, I have only stopped there to change planes (never leaving the airport).

    That would be the Phoenix, AZ area. In 2011, I changed planes at Phoenix Sky Harbor Int'l Airport on my way from Boston to Monterey, CA, and on my way back. (As I said, I never left the airport, so I don't think it counts as a "check" on my bucket list.)

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  51. EMMA STONE, MASON

    > I'd like to meet the actor.

    The dropped letters in her name anagram to "MEET".

    >> Remove the first two and last two letters of the actor’s name, and rearrange. You get something that’s all around.
    > A reference to Blaine's hint?

    I think Rob was going for "ATOMS". But "MOATS" also works, in that Blaine was hinting at the actor's portrayal of Billie Jean King, and kings live in castles, surrounded by MOATS.

    > My cereal clue: Cocoa Pebbles

    Pebbles are small (Flint)STONEs.

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  52. EMMA STONE & MASON as a stone mason

    My Hints:

    "I realize Blaine can rig it as he pleases."

    RIG refers to Bobby Riggs and the movie, Battle of the Sexes.

    "Once again I feel chiseled out of seeing one of Blaine's clues that he later removed before I saw it. Dang!"

    This is a blatant lie. I had seen Blaine's clue long before he redacted it, but I wanted to use the word, CHISELED, and that refers to what a stone mason does.

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  53. Emma Stone/Mason

    I was unfamiliar with Emma Stone, but while researching actresses named Emma learned that three Harry Potter movies had two Emmas.
    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II, featured Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, and Emma Thompson as Professor Trelawny.


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  54. EMMA STONE —> MASON, STONE

    Hint: “The five-letter word is also the surname of others prominent in the field of entertainment.”
    —> James Mason, Jackie Mason, Barbara Mason, Dave Mason, others…

    I don’t know for certain what Scarlett’s comment “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” meant, but my reply—“The second song that popped into my head…”—hinted at another Four Tops song, the first one that I immediately thought of once I had solved the puzzle, “I’ll Turn to Stone.”

    Although I know the name Emma Stone, like sdb I am not familiar with contemporary/Hollywood/Emma Stone films. (Hence, another Blaine clue, since redacted, that went over my head until I researched it.) A friend with whom I share the puzzle—but who doesn’t visit or participate in the blog—and I, unbeknownst to each other, used the same method to solve it. In his words, he had planned to “concentrate on the last name of the famous movie star and try to think of a surname of five letters which was connected to an implement/tool or material.” Coincidentally, we had both thought of Tom Cruise first but then by following the same means and independently of each other arrived at Emma Stone.

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    1. My thought re: Scarlett's comment was was also the same (old) song: "I'll Turn to Stone."

      TortieWhoThinksELOCouldHaveBeenUsedAsWell

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    2. See my long and winding road below.

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  55. Emma Stone, mason.. I wrote: Change a letter in the last name and rearrange to get an appropriate word re: movies. Change ‘o’ to ‘u’ -> amusement. This, by the way, is a slightly rewritten version of one of my many NPR puzzle rejections.

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  56. I wrote, “Remove the first two and last two letters of the actor’s name, and rearrange. You get something that’s all around.” That’s ATOMS.

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  57. Reminds me of a Simon & Garfunkel song => "I am a Rock"

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  58. My take on Scarlett's clue: She named a spurious Four Tops song just to get in the word "Myself," then said "You're welcome for the earworm" to suggest "Thank you," thus completing a clue for a song by Sly and the Family Stone: Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin). Technically, she gave a music clue that included neither the artist nor any of the words in the title, matching the achievement of Yul Brynner --> Pharaoh --> Sam the Sham --> Wooly Bully as a hint for the wool/wood puzzle. I hope I'm right, Scarlett!

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    1. You flatter me! I wish I was that brilliant!
      My clue: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" I was alluding to the unforgettable pie scene in the movie "The Help," which starred Emma Stone. (The scene is easy to find on the internet, if you haven't already seen it.) I loved the book and reluctantly went to see the movie when it was released. I was pleased with the way the movie closely followed the book. A rarity in my experience.
      The earworm comment was just an afterthought. I was singing it the rest of the day.

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  59. My clue was: "An old book in an old house." TOME + MANSE anagrams to Emma Stone.

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  60. Emma Stone, stonemason. My clue, "Not Mikey, not Arnold, not Rodney Allen Rippy, was a reference to Mason Reese, or Reece, I forget. The child actor, known for his distinctive appearance, was a rival of Rodney Allen Rippy in the 1970s and probably could be confused with the other two. I was thinking the word Mason might point someone in the right direction and be a little blast from the past.

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  61. EMMA STONE; MASON, STONE

    "This one is more fun without a list. I have a recent connection to the puzzle." My nephew passed the test to become a MASON on Friday and he was offered a job starting Monday!

    "Snipper, love it!" as in the score love in tennis referring to Emma Stone playing Billy Jean King (of Blaine fame) in "Battle of the Sexes." Blaine, I enjoyed your clue!


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  62. Emma Stone, mason

    Last Sunday I said, “Fist.” I was thinking of the children’s game, Rock, Scissors, Paper. A fist represents Rock. Rock ≈ Stone.

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  63. My riff on Blaine’s clue about the ‘king’ role (pre-redaction) was to note that Emma’s middle name is Jean, just like Billie Jean King! And thanks for the shout outs from Word Woman, LanceK, Scarlett, and ViolinTeddy. Howie Roark - I didn’t follow your response.

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  64. Emma Stone/Mason
    Anagram to get memento.(see clue above)
    Billie Jean King/Blaine's clue, lead me to Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. Which is still stuck in my head BTW!!

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  65. EMMA STONE, MASON
    My late nephew's full name was JAMES MASON BERRY. We called him by his middle name.
    Ms. STONE recently got her "Five Timers' Club" jacket from SNL. She also found out you're supposed to give back the jacket after the monologue. She refused.
    pjbWouldKeepIt,Too(WhyNot?)

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  66. This week's challenge comes from listener Lillian Range, of New Orleans. The word NONUNION has four N's and no other consonant. What famous American of the past -- first and last names, 8 letters in all -- has four instances of the same consonant and no other consonant?

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  67. I've got an answer, but I'm not sure it's the intended one.

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    1. Hard to clue without giving too much away. Still working on that.

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    2. It will be obvious if the intended answer, I think.

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  68. Over 1000 correct entries last week.

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