Sunday, March 02, 2025

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 2, 2025): Scary Things: The Musical

NPR Sunday Puzzle (Mar 2, 2025): Scary Things: The Musical
Q: Think of a famous singer and actress, first and last names, two syllables each. The second syllable of the last name followed by the first syllable of the first name spell something that can be dangerous to run into. What is it?
After we've gotten the answer, we'll be the judges of whether this was a good puzzle or not.

Edit: If you take the left over letters (BRASTREI) and rearrange them, you get ARBITERS.
A: BARBRA STREISAND --> SANDBAR

136 comments:

  1. Immediately reminded me of a local event awhile back.

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  2. I approve of the syllabification this week. Nice puzzle!

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    1. The syllabification was unknown to me until this puzzle. (But that's not her real first name). I may even understand Blaine's clue, also.

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  3. I can't believe I got this before I finished my coffee.

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  4. Not Dolly Parton, although I wouldn't want to run into a (one-)ton doll.

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  5. I'm going with Lady Gaga - gala. I never was a fan of those high-brow affairs.

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  6. I’m trying to have fun with this

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  7. I initially thought we were looking for 2 people: a singer AND an actress. As a result, the 2nd part of the puzzle made no sense. After I realized my mistake I quickly solved it.

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  8. A "ton" of "whit"? Nah, that's not it. 😏

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  9. I got it. This (using an alternate meaning) can also be a dangerous thing to walk into. I’m also ok with the syllabification thanks to the actress.

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  10. An unusual spelling doesn’t negate the puzzle answer.

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  11. Well, it ain't Dua Lipa or Julie Andrews. I wonder if Dr K's clue wasn't a reference to Lawrence, KS?

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    1. Well, actually, I didn't think so, but the name of the singer paired with D.H. Lawrence as a search argument led me to an interesting result.

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  12. The second syllable of the last name followed by the second
    syllable of the first name spells something interesting.

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  13. I imagine this person may not appreciate this puzzle without consent.

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  14. I am currently on vacation, but it's not my usual type of destination. If it were, I should indeed be wary of that "something." (Assuming I have the intended answer.)

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  15. Take the remaining letters from the person's name after puzzle answer (the other two syllables). Rearrange into something a tween might do.

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  16. This singer-actress's name almost anagrams to the title of one of her most well-known movies.

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    1. If I have the correct film and you remove from her name the letters of the film as they occur in the name left to right, what remains, in order, is a food.

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  17. This is what I posted over 4 hours ago at the end of last week's blog:

    WOW! I just got up for a moment and read jan's post of the new puzzle and got the name of the actress half way through and then finished reading and confirmed it as the answer.

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  18. I take issue with something posted by Blaine, but I don't want to spend my time arguing with the landlord.

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    1. I stand by what I wrote and we can discuss on Thursday. I think I know why you think there's a mistake.

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  19. What is the difference between Bamboo and Bambi?

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    1. One is a floor-a and the other one is a fawn-a?

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    2. I like it, but it is not at all what I came up with. I confess that I had a very tough time making something work.

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    3. One is a big reed and the other is quite the opposite.

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    4. No, but you might be getting there slightly.

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    5. Something to do with shoots?

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    6. One is a shoot, the other was shot.

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    7. Well, now you two are on the right track.

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    8. Bamboo lives by shooting, but Bambi could die by it.

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    9. Bambi can eat bamboo, but bamboo can't eat Bambi?

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  20. Hm, I found two such women whose names yield something meaningful - and unflattering - if you *pronounce* the second syllable of the last name followed by the first syllable of the first name ...

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  21. Take the name. Remove an article of furniture. Remove an article of clothing. Remove the middle third of what's left. Remaining is a word relevant to the condition that can result if the danger is run into.

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  22. Close the gap caused by removing the middle third, of course.

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  23. Rearrange the letters of the dangerous thing to get a blue building.

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  24. Ohhh, I think I get Blaine's hint.

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  25. My great-great-great-uncle (or something like that) would have taken issue with the answer. Details on Thursday, as there is no way to explain without revealing TMI.

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  26. I will avoid the obvious Victorian poetry clue :)

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    1. Sunset and evening star,
      And one clear call for me!
      And may there be no moaning of the bar,
      When I put out to sea,

      But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
      Too full for sound and foam,
      When that which drew from out the boundless deep
      Turns again home.

      Twilight and evening bell,
      And after that the dark!
      And may there be no sadness of farewell,
      When I embark;

      For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
      The flood may bear me far,
      I hope to see my Pilot face to face
      When I have crost the bar.

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  27. Replies
    1. Underdog's arch-nemesis, Simon BAR Sinister, was voiced by Allen Swift, whose real name was Ira J. Stadlen; but I don't know what the "J" stands for.

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  28. The singer’s Grandfather also sang professionally.

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  29. Although her singing is beautiful, I consider them over produced and a bit "too much"

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  30. Something about this puzzle really bugs me.

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  31. This singer owes something to another Singer.

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  32. I've been working on Bobby's riff on and off since Sunday, and I still don't have it. Despite Dr. K's quick solve, it appears to be a lot harder than the original puzzle! There's an obvious near-miss that leaves a few letters unexplained.

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  33. BARBRA STREISAND ---> SAND BAR

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  34. BARBRA STREISAND —> SANDBAR

    Hint: “D. H. Lawrence” —> Women in Love —> Streisand’s 1980 #1 song “Woman in Love”

    For Bobby’s puzzle, think Tim Russert.

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  35. BARBRA STREISAND, SAND BAR

    > I saw a queen do this.

    On August 7, 1992, while my family was on a ferry to Martha's Vineyard, Cunard's Queen Elizabeth 2 ran aground off Cuttyhunk Island, near the western end of the Vineyard. (The ferry later assisted in evacuating passengers from the liner.)

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    1. Golly, this brought back memories. I finished up a four year USAF tour in England, and my wife and two dogs were all booked for the QE2 to go back to the States. (Most people fly, of course, but we did some extra stuff to make a cruise happen.) That grounding was just before the ship was to cross back to England and we were to catch it. The ship's sailing was canceled, we had to rearrange everything to fly back, and we missed crossing in style.

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    2. Well Rob, my first crossing the pond to Europe was by ship, but not exactly what I would call "in style." It was on the USNS General Simon B. Buckner, a troop ship. This crossing was in early February 1964, and it took 9 days and nights, not to mention 3 adjoining storms. A crew member said it was the worst crossing in 11 years. Fortunately I was one of the few who did not get seasick. However, I did get washed overboard. I suspect I would have enjoyed The QE2 a bit more, even if it did become grounded.

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  36. Puzzleria! is proud to present another edition of "Jeff Zarkin Puzzle Riffs" on this week's March 6th edition. Our good friend Jeff has concocted a "Fractured Entertainment Titles Appetizer" that features 25 bogus movie titles that hint at the real movie titles. For example, “Patriotic Pastry” = “American Pie”, or “Rotten Cartonful” = “The Dirty Dozen.”
    We upload Jeff's puzzle mastery very soon, indeed, this very afternoon!
    Also on this week's Menu:
    * a Schpuzzle of the Week titled “That’s just the way he rolls!”
    * a Hot Dogs, Oysters, Shortcake Hors d’Oeuvre titled "Gutfuls of Competitive Gluttony!"
    * a Transpositional Slice titled Codes of etiquette & communication,
    * a Toasty Tootsies Dessert titled "Ten-toe podiatric tepidity,"
    * a Pejorative Dessert tiled Weasels & cats & synonyms, oh my!, and, finally,
    * 14 riffs of this week's NPR puzzle, titled "Marooned on a Zanzibar sandbar (with Barbra?)" (including seven composed by Nodd, one by Plantsmith and two by Ecoarchitect).

    LegoWhoInvitesYouAllToJoinUsFoSomeMentalGymnasticsCourtesyOfJeffAsWellAsPosersCourtesyOfNoddPlantsmith&Eco!

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  37. BARBRA STREISAND, SAND BAR

    "It's not Miley Cyrus." >>> Miley sings "I can buy myself flowers" and Barbra sang "You don't bring me flowers."

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  38. Streisand is an anagram of R. DeSantis, as in Ron DeSantis.

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  39. Replies
    1. Who's your politician, Bobby?

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    2. I went upstairs to get it. Wonderful anagram!

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    3. Ron DeSantis. The R. DeSantis->Streisand anagram was a puzzle that Steve Baggish gave me.

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  40. BARBRA STREISAND, SAND BAR. "Scarlet Mustang?"
    (Robert Redford, Streisand's co-star in "The Way We Were."

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  41. BARBRA STREISAND, SAND BAR

    I wrote that I take issue with something posted by Blaine, but I don't want to spend my time arguing with the landlord.

    I actually wasn't taking any issue with Blaine. I was echoing a scene from Funny Girl:

    Florenz Ziegfeld: Miss Brice, do I have to remind you this is my theatre?
    Fanny Brice: So what, nobody argues with the landlord?




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  42. Excellent! That's a tough anagram to discover. That would have made a great puzzle in itself!

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  43. I wrote: Rearrange the letters of the dangerous thing to get a blue building. Sandbar anagrams to sad barn.

    I also said "Something about this puzzle really bugs me." That was a reference to Bugs Bunny, and the 1972 film "What's Up, Doc", starring Barbra Streisand.

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  44. I wrote "My great-great-great-uncle (or something like that) would have taken issue with the answer." According to my relatives in Eastern Oregon, when the Loennig family was crossing the Snake River in 1858 little Henry Loennig floated out of the wagon in his crib and down the river until he and it ran into a sandbar and he was rescued.

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  45. My comment above contains a homophone of an animal to which Rob's word might apply.

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  46. I also wrote "Rather Tweedy." Cherry's and Iris's clues about the Streisand Effect reminded me of William Macy "Boss" Tweed, who famously said "Stop them damned pictures. I don't care so much what the papers say about me. My constituents don't know how to read, but they can't help seeing them damned pictures!" When you see what Thomas Nast did to him you'll understand why he felt that way. [https://cdn.britannica.com/19/113019-050-D4EB7893/Boss-Tweed-Thomas-Nast-ring-vultures-group-September-23-1871.jpg]

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  47. What is the difference between Bamboo and Bambi?

    Answer: One provides shoots for bears, and the other provides deers for shoots.

    Note: I used an irregular spelling for deer on purpose for effect.


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    1. If you're going to use "bears" in the first clause, I would have said: "What is the difference between Bamboo and Boo-Boo? One provides shoots for bears, and the other provides bears for shoots."

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    2. That is not at all how I came up with the puzzle. I happened to think of bamboo and Bambi and wondered how I could make a joke. It was not easy.

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    3. Good job SDB! I remember reading decades ago that pandas are not a bears. So I just looked it up and learned that in 1985, molecular studies indicated that the giant panda is a true bear, part of the family Ursidae.

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    4. I remember hearing that too, but I could not bear it, and instead just grin and bear with it. My sign is Aries, bears are ursine, but perhaps not your sign.

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    5. I don't put much stalk (as in bamboo) in astrology, but I will pander 🐼 to you and tell you my bear-thday puts me in Gemini. If my husband's name was Jim, I could make a pun about Jim and I. But that's not him name, and I don't want to poke the bear.

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    6. This reminds me of when I was a teenager and my horse had an upset stomach which tended to cause a considerable mess we had to deal with. On the other hand he would just whinny the poo.

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    7. No, they were all rather warm.

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  48. And, two famous women whose names yield something unflattering if you *pronounce* the second syllable of the last name followed by the first syllable of the first name ...
    MINNIE DRIVER => VER-MIN
    NICOLE KIDMAN => MAN-NIC

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  49. Barbra Streisand >>> Sand Bar.

    Barbra Streisand’s career in music was somewhat preordained as her maternal grandfather was a professional Cantor. Plus, she and Neil Diamond were classmates, and in the chorus together at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn.



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  50. Barbra Streisand, sand bar. Streisand's name almost anagrams to A Star is Born. Another "Singer" is Isaac Beshevis Singer who wrote Yentl. I liked Iris Corona's "effect on people" retort. Funny.

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  51. Barbra Streisand --> sandbar

    Last Sunday I said, “An unusual spelling doesn’t negate the puzzle answer.” I was referring to Barbra as opposed to Barbara, but we don’t really care about the first name except for the first syllable.

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  52. Barbra Streisand --> Sandbar

    I had said, "Take the remaining letters from the person's name after puzzle answer (the other two syllables). Rearrange into something a tween might do." That's TRIES BRA

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  53. Blaine's clue was to anagram those same letters into ARBITERS, a synonym for judges. I thought he was going for the much simpler connection to the BAR, since Barbra consists of that word plus an anagram of it. Many of us can appreciate how a comment we think is obscure enough can have an unforeseen direct path to the answer, occasionally meriting the dreaded administrative takedown.

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  54. A bit surprised nobody came up with Barbara Carroll. It's in the category of "almost sorta works." Was tempted to offer it as a joke before I realized how close it was to the actual solution. I guess it's unlikely you'd run into one unless you spend a lot of time running around tipped over dune buggies...

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    1. Nah, I'm just into cow tipping. (But since you brought this up. Why is it my waiters never remember to tip me?)

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  55. My clues - “ I got it.” was a reference to EGOT for the awards she’s won…….then “This (using an alternate meaning) can also be a dangerous thing to walk into.”….was a reference to walking into a “Sandbar” that serves adult drinks……and then…. “I’m also ok with the syllabification thanks to the actress.”…..was a reference to the fact that she changed her first name to remove an a, so therefore Barbra is in fact two syllables and not three (as in Barbara).

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    1. I just ain't got no sandbar jokes, but can anyone here come up with a punchline to: A Republican congressman walks into a gay bar...? (Of course, statistically he might feel Right at home.)

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  56. Besides Barbra Streisand ==> sandbar, I also submitted
    Dusty Springfield ==> Field Dust
    Sandy Dennis ==> Nissan
    Toni Braxton ==> Tonto

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  57. Barbra Streisand >> sandbar

    My hint: I can't believe I got this before I finished my coffee.
    Barbra was a common topic on SNL's Coffee Talk skit, including a surprise visit to the set.

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  58. Elon Musk's SpaceX's massive Starship spacecraft exploded in space on Thursday minutes after lifting off from Texas. Perhaps DOGE should be changed to DOGEX in order to more accurately reflect Musk's knack for exploding everything he touches. And come to think about it, how about Gulf of AmericaX?

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    1. This was the eighth flight of Starship, which has yet to even reach orbit. By the eighth flight of the similar-sized Saturn V, over 50 years ago, it had sent five crews to the moon. Maybe DOGE should look into the inefficiency, waste, and fraud that's making SpaceX perform so poorly.

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    2. I think what I am saying is Musk blows everything he touches up, and we should not be surprised he is also now blowing up our country and fake democracy. Wake up America!

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  59. Thanks. This was actually a puzzle that Steve Baggish gave me.

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  60. This week's challenge: This week's challenge comes from listener Al Gori, of Cozy Lake, N.J. Take the name JON STEWART, as in the comedian and TV host. Rearrange the letters to spell the titles of three classic movies. One of the titles is its familiar shortened form.

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    1. I can see two but not the third.

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    2. I think the key is probably that "familiar shortened form".

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    3. Also, it's easy (I know because I did) to get yourself into a situation where your remaining letters aren't going to be usable for a good 'shortened form' answer, by finding an unintended title for one (or both) of the other two.

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  61. Nearly 1600 correct entries last week.

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  62. Easier than it appears at first.

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  63. Do we need to use all letters in each of the three? I hate such ambiguities

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  64. Ok, I've got three but the term "classic" doesn't seem to apply to the 3rd.

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  65. No. Just anagram "JON STEWART" to get all three movies with short names.

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  66. Way too easy. I'm disappointed that they gave us Jon Stewart's name to start with, so it becomes a simple issue of anagramming.

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  67. All 3 films were directed by people with the same first name.

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  68. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  69. A puzzle with no puzzling involved.

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  70. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  71. Sorry I was AWOL. Of course it was Barbra Streisand — sandbar. I said I was currently on vacation (just got back), but it wasn't my usual type of destination. That "usual" would be the beach. That's why my clue suggested I didn't have to be wary of sandbars just now. :)

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