Check your globes; I think you could fly in a straight line over all 4 countries.Q: There are four countries whose names have one-syllable anagrams that rhyme with "Spain." What are they?
Sunday, May 04, 2025
NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 4, 2025): Rhymes with Spain
NPR Sunday Puzzle (May 4, 2025): Rhymes with Spain
112 comments:
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You may provide indirect hints to the answer to show you know it, but make sure they don't assist with solving. You can openly discuss your hints and the answer after the deadline. Thank you.
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I’ve got a 5th, but it’s arguable.
ReplyDeleteI suspect we have the same arguable 5th.
DeleteIf you're suggesting "Spain" as the 5th, then I may have to decide if I'm disappointed in or in awe of both of you. Or will I?
DeletePaul, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed in me. My initial enthusiasm for this “arguable fifth” has waned for several reasons. While the four correct answers are all common nouns, this one was a proper noun, medieval, and, worst of all, slightly misspelled. And not knowing it, I can’t speak to Lorenzo’s answer.
DeleteDr. K, you actually do speak to my answer.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTrying again, some interesting etymology here.
DeleteOver 600 correct entries last week
ReplyDeleteI suppose it could depend somewhat on what "straight" means on a curved surface, but I think one would have to be a very foolish or stupid person to disagree with Blaine.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can tell, his observation holds true both on a globe (where a straight line means your compass heading stays constant) and on a Mercator projection (where a straight line isn’t the shortest distance unless you’re perfectly aligned with the poles)
DeleteA path on the earth that maintains a constant compass heading is called a ‘rhumb line’. For instance, a line of latitude, like the Tropic of Cancer, is a rhumb line. But latitude lines are not great circles (with one notable exception!) so they do not trace the shortest surface path between two points. (This is why when you fly somewhere in the northern hemisphere your flight always goes north of your origin latitude and destination latitude.)
DeleteMercator projections do, in fact, represent all earthly rhumb lines as straight map lines. They do not represent great circles as straight lines, except for longitude lines and the equator.
I think you’re right that you could draw one rhumb line through the four countries.
That’s some cool info Crito, thanks for sharing! Rhumb lines vs. great circles is a new concept to me. It seems odd that your compass heading (usually) has to vary in order to travel the shortest distance, but the more I think about it the more sense it makes (especially when thinking about travel near those pesky poles).
DeleteRearrange the second letters of the four countries. You get a determination important in many legal cases.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, only one letter is common to all four.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI don't understand the procedure. Are just supposed to words that rhyme with Spain hidden in the names of these countries? For instance, if the we was a country called Abstainia, would we pull out the word stain? I don't get these rules at all.
ReplyDeleteNo, you have to anagram the whole name of the country, and get a word that rhymes with 'Spain'.
DeleteE.g., if (only) there were a country called 'Elbina', you could anagram it to make 'Blaine'.
Okay, so we just narrow down the search to countries with five letters? Okay, thanks. See you in Nalibe.
DeleteRhyming words don't have to have the same number of letters.
DeleteNot necessarily, Musinglink.
DeleteGotcha. I figured it out. I was stuck on Bahrain, brain and Estonia, stain. The straight line thing helped, also.
DeleteThree of the countries have the same number of letters.
DeletePretty close, anyway, Blaine. I tried using a nice internet tool and got close -- I'd have to pick exactly the right cities to be sure it can be done.
ReplyDeletePaul, 'straight line' surely means a great circle. (If they were on the same line of latitude, I could see that interpretation too.)
Yes, great circle and I found two airports that work.
DeleteOh, nice!
DeleteDoh. I was thinking I had to put in four airports! Wow that was dumb.
Okay now I'm going to look for two airports :)
Ah, got a great circle! I had to put in one of the intermediate airports to be confident. (The tool I used doesn't show country borders.)
DeleteCan you clarify? Are the countries each only one syllable? Or is one syllable within the name of a multi syllable name anagrammed that rhymes?
ReplyDeleteAnagram the whole name of the country, and get a word that rhymes with 'Spain'.
DeleteE.g., if (only) there were a country called 'Elbina', you could anagram it to make 'Blaine'.
Crito has a great explanation above. 😜
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThat's how I started: What country does Blaine anagram to? Of course, as usual, this got me nowhere.
DeleteSo can there be letters left over?
ReplyDeleteNo!
DeleteAt least 10 people ought to be able to solve this week.
ReplyDeleteI think there'll be Samoa.
DeleteGot it! Now to think of a clue.
ReplyDeleteSeen on a flashing road sign today:
ReplyDeleteSlow down you must.
Arrive safely you will.
May the fourth be with you.
Today’s NYTimes puzzle page also had fun with today’s date.
DeleteMetaphors be with you.
DeleteDo celebrate May 4th. There is no try.
DeletepjbOnlySawTheTrilogyAsAChild,AndDoesNotReferToTheFirstFilmAs"ANewHope",ThankYouVeryMuch
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAll right, got it! I was at first bogged down with Bahrain, brain, Estonia, stain. But indeed there are four countries that work with all the letters. Not a bad puzzle.
ReplyDeleteTook only a few minutes of looking at a world map. It's taking me longer to figure out a clue...
ReplyDeleteI'm going to give a supplemental puzzle as my clue. Take the first letters of the four countries. Rotate one letter 90 degrees. If you started with the countries in the correct order, you will have the answer to this supplemental puzzle.
Delete30?
DeleteGreat response, Nodd!
DeleteResponding to JAWS, I'm told that the material scientists at the computer maker were constantly reminded of this.
DeleteJAWS, I had figured out what word your supplemental puzzle is, verified by Nodd's answer. However, I;m in the rather nasty condition of having three of the countries, but unable to find the fourth, try over and over as I did. Given that I now am sure what the initial letter of that fourth country SHOULD be, I still can't find it. Thus, the scream of frustration that you hear....etc etc
DeleteGee, ViolinTeddy, I have a guess as to which one you are missing, but I can't say, because that would be TMI. I will say good night, and good luck. Perhaps after a good night's sleep, the last one will reveal itself.
DeleteI suspect there is a hint in your last comment, JAWS, however I have yet to figure it. Perhaps after said good night's sleep?
DeleteYippee, JAWS, I just got it! And I can see why you coudl guess which country I was missing. I had failed, until a minute ago, to realize a particular rhyming word!
DeleteGlad to hear you figured it out!
DeleteInterestingly, the names of the four countries share a feature that the Spain-rhyming anagrams do not have.
ReplyDeleteAL-BLAINE-IA. Not a clue, just an (imaginary?) land.
ReplyDeleteThere are famous song lyrics that lend themselves to this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteYou can anagram the first three letters of all four countries to get the full names of two of them, with one letter left over.
ReplyDeleteYour hint helped me finally realize what the (fourth) rhyming would should be, but in so doing, when at last I had my fourth country, I realized that there have to be TWO leftover letters for what you suggested (the arithmetic doesn't work out otherwise.)
DeleteNot relevant: some other country name anagrams:
ReplyDeletealgeria ~ regalia
angola ~ analog
bermuda ~ rumbaed
burma ~ rumba
burma ~ umbra
israel ~ serial
italy ~ laity
laos ~ also
mali ~ mail
micronesia ~ acrimonies
oman ~ moan
persia ~ aspire
persia ~ paries
persia ~ praise
peru ~ pure
serbia ~ rabies
tonga ~ tango
yemen ~ enemy
And I've always liked Germany ~ Meg Ryan.
DeleteIt does not work if you spell Spain correctly, but may with other countries sans anagraming. Easy puzzle and I solved it in bed a couple of hours before it even aired.
ReplyDelete[CB Radio Chatter near Rome]
ReplyDeleteYeah, breaker one-nine
This here's the Holy Roller
You got a copy on me Holy Roller, c'mon?
Uh, yeah, Ten-Four Holy Roller, fer sure, fer sure
By golly it's clean clear to The Fisherman's Friend, c'mon
Yeah, its a big Ten-Four there, Holy Roller
Yeah, we definitely got the Pearly Gates, Good Buddy
Mercy sakes alive, looks like we've got us a CONCLAVE
Breaker one niner. Sediagester here. I think Holy Roller's new handle should be C.W. Skydiveboy. Over, good buddy.
DeleteYeah, good buddy. Better make sure there are no Smokeys in your back door. You don't want to have to deal with a Kojak with a Kodak. Steer clear of them bubblegum machines, and we'll catch you on the flipside. Keep the bugs off your glass, and the Smokeys off your...tail. Good numbers to you and the Bandit. Cranberry down, Cranberry gone, Cranberry out!
DeletepjbWillSoonBeEastboundAndDownThisWeek(HeadedToFlorida!)
A show tune comes to mind
ReplyDeleteBeen stuck in my head all day!
DeleteI enjoyed this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteNever been to any of the four countries, but I've experienced all four of the things that rhyme with Spain.
(Never been to Spain, either!)
....but I've been to Oklahoma 🎶
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTMI, I think!
DeleteBy George, she's got it!
DeleteAnd I suppose Rex Harrison would call it a Four Poster.
DeleteNever been to any of the four countries, either…but yes, I have been to Spain—three times! 😁
DeleteI can't see any of these countries from where I'm now sitting. How much help can that be?
DeleteAh Spain. They say the ladies are insane there, and they sure know how to use it. Well, I've never been to England, but I kinda like the Beatles.
DeletepjbAlsoKnowsNeedles,BecauseThat'sWhereSnoopy'sBrotherSpikeLivesInCalifornia
I had to do little to solve this puzzle.
DeleteA word that describes the countries contains one of the words.
ReplyDeleteIf I have the right answer, two of the countries' anagrams have something in common.
ReplyDeleteIs there a country by the name of El Bani? 🤔
ReplyDeleteIt'd be nice if Ammon were somehow part of the answer.
ReplyDeleteKudos to the on-air contestant who was pretty sharp with the on air game - I'm sure he'll solve this week's "challenge" as will anyone with half a Bahrain. Though I have to admit it is a pretty creative puzzle.
ReplyDeleteDid we resolve the issue of no submission confirmations being sent? I haven't gotten one in several weeks since using the new submission procedure and form. What's the story? And thanks!
ReplyDeleteOkay here is the new puzzle offshoot. I just measured the distance between the 4 answer countries with my sewing tape measure on my living room world globe. It measured at almost exactly 10 inches. So now I want to see, given that information, who can figure out the circumference of my world globe first. My Bitcoins are betting it will either be Blaine or Bobby.
ReplyDeleteInteresting puzzle. My compliments. I have a solution based on an assumption of direction of travel, crude measurements, and non-mathematician conversions and calculations. My $$ would be on Bobby for accuracy, so I'll hold up posting for now. (Hint: A little more than three times a famous comedian's age.)
DeleteSpeaking of crude calculations, that would be a little over one-third of the famous individual's age.
Delete37.7 inches?
DeleteIt could vary depending on exact endpoints in the countries, but I come out with 34 5/8" for the diameter, making it a globe with an 11" diameter.
Delete*circumference
DeleteI wondered about the exact cities, too, but factored in that the most common globe diameter manufactured is 12 inches. Hence, my 37.7 inches circumference guess.
DeleteI probably should clarify by saying I did not pick specific points, but just running the tape over the globe so it would form a route beginning in one country and ending in another and passing over part or more of the 2 countries in the middle, so it will have a little wiggle room. I cannot measure the diameter, so let's stick with circumference. Now, none of those answers are close to what I get.
DeleteIn other words, I am not measuring from where a plane might take off and land from, only the tape measurement from between the 2 start and end countries while crossing over the 2 in the middle.
DeleteI’m estimating SDB has an 18inch diameter globe, circumference ~54 inches.
DeleteCorrection. 56.5 inch circumference
DeleteSince everyone is firing away, my solution was 13.89 inch circumference. Probably 14". That's a little over one-third of Jack Benny's accepted age.
DeleteIf 10 inches is the length of the minimal great circle route that touches all four countries, I get a circumference of 59.77 inches for SDB's globe. But I'd also note that we can all find the circumference of the Earth, so this is certainly all TMI (or at least more TMI than my earlier post, that I deleted, giving the minimum distance I've been from any of the countries).
DeleteThis is very weird, how different the answers are.
DeleteMy estimate is very close to Word Woman's. I get 36 inches for the circumference. (Actually my calculation gets 34.5, but I suspect globes might come in nice tidy circumferences.)
I just took the circumference of the earth, divided it by my great circle route, and multiplied by 10.
Oh, so my answer is almost exactly the same as Blaine's, that's encouraging. (I was thrown by his mentioning the diameter.)
DeleteI just measured it and SuperZee is closest so far.
DeleteDo you mean 13.89 (~14) inches in diameter?
Delete^^^ My question was to Cloak'n'Dagger.
DeleteFollowing that route would be no picnic for us aliens.
DeleteObviously there are many great circle routes that pass through the four countries. Blaine and I, and I bet WW too, use... let's just say largish airports as our termini, which is why we got very similar answers. I can see how to shorten the great circle route by quite a bit, which makes SDB's 10 inches a significantly smaller proportion of the circumference of the globe.
DeleteAll of this does indeed give some info about the answer, but so does Blaine's original hint! But for this reason I'll refrain from further contribution on the topic until Thursday.
Be prepared to show all work on Thursday.
DeleteAll this speculation about the size of one of SDB's balls is unseemly.
DeleteI believe the word you are searching for is elephantiasis.
Deletejan, or inseamly? 😉
DeleteMy AP Bio teacher in high school was dyslexic and constantly mispronounced terms. My lab partner and I compiled a dictionary of Russo-isms. He once described "eh-LEFF-en-tee-A-sis" a disease caused by a filarial worm that caused great swelling of the lower extremities. "Isn't that elephantiasis?", I asked. "The two diseases are similar," he replied.
DeleteAnyway:
There once was a man from Devizes
Whose bollocks were different sizes.
One was so small
It was no use at all
But the other won numerous prizes!
“Balls,” said the Queen. “If I had two, I'd be king.” The King just laughed, not because he wanted to but because he had to.
DeleteWW, this is in reply to your question. Yes. However, I reached that after making an initial incorrect assumption, I think. So strike it. I'd explain, but avoiding challenge solution details would probably make that too difficult before Thursday. If I remember to do it, I'll explain my initial calculation element then.
DeleteWhen asked point blank whether he supported the Constitution, Trump said “I’m not sure, I’m not a lawyer.”
ReplyDeleteNeither am I, but I think I remember his taking an oath in January to that effect. But I’m 78 and may be losing my hearing.
He says the Constitution has many “nuances.” And he has Bondi & MTG searching thru the Constitution for other nuances, like “habeas corpus.” But they may need to call in Rubio & Vance to translate.
C’mon people: English is the official language of the U.S., so what’s all this Latin shit?
Ain’t America great? Any moron can become President.
Interesting you state English being the official U.S. language, when until Trump just declared it so, we have had no official language. But that may not suit his whims at the moment.
DeleteRIP Ruth Buzzi.
ReplyDelete