Q: Think of a famous current actor. His first name is also the name of a famous movie character. Drop the middle letter of his last name and you'll name another famous movie character. Each character is a central figure in a dozen or more films. What actor is this?Let me add that I've already heard part of this wordplay. The puzzle might have been more relevant in a couple weeks, give or take.
Edit: "add" = "ad" --> Recent State Farm commercials have made fun of asking for "Bateman" when you really want "Batman". The only Friday the 13th this year will occur this month; a hint toward "Jason Voorhees".
A: JASON BATEMAN --> JASON and BATMAN.
ChatGPT solved it.
ReplyDeleteSo did Claude and DeepSeek. Gemini didn't.
DeleteHm, you must have the high-price versions! After I got my own answer, I tried ChatGPT and DeepSeek, which both completely failed.
DeleteChatGPT worked for me. Just copied in the puzzle and out it came, reasoning and all.
DeleteI don't know why the wordplay would be more relevant in a couple weeks. Unless maybe you're going to come sailing with me? You can be in charge of the sail toward the stern.
ReplyDeleteMade a slight update to clarify.
DeleteOhhhh.
DeleteYeah I should have seen that!
Finally got it. One of the characters I was thinking of was wrong. Aaargh!
DeleteGo!
DeleteIf you're feeling unlucky...
ReplyDeleteThe wordplay has been in the news. And in the sports. And in the sitcoms...
ReplyDeleteAnd possibly in podcasts
DeleteYesterday there were news stories of Taylor Swift reclaiming the rights to her famous songs. In the background, of course, they played some of the songs. I didn’t recognize a single tune. My being 75 years old might account for being so out of it. Similarly, I had not heard of this actor; I had to consult lists to get an answer.
ReplyDeleteRearrange the letters of the actor’s last name. You get an animal not associated with tacos.
Oh, heck. I meant: "Rearrange the letters of the character formed from the actor’s last name. You get an animal not associated with tacos."
DeleteI know the reference. Clever. My clue to answer your clue is Ilka Tanya Payan Park, NYC
DeleteI disagree, Rob. The animal is very much associated with tacos this week!
DeleteLove it!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteGot it. Now for a clue—hmmmm.
ReplyDeleteThe first name of the actor/character is also the middle name of a famous actress. (TMI?) If so, I will self-delete. Unlike the Terminator, I believe I can self-terminate!
DeleteThat middle name was given to honor the first name of another actor, not the last name of the actress' father's co-star.
DeleteI just read that the actor him/herself changed to that middle name, and thus dumped his/her father's surname in the process.
DeleteOOps, I guess you (Jan) aleady mentioned it was an actress, so I didn't need to use his/her....
DeleteOur neighbors aren't the best. Their cars have been parked in front of our house for over a week now. Police took notice and ticketed them Friday, but the cars haven't yet been moved
ReplyDeleteThat's horrible. Please let us know if/when there are any arrests.
DeleteI do indeed know that the famous actress I referenced changed her middle name, to honor a family friend.
DeleteA good neighbor wouldn't abandon a car in front of our house. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Jason Bateman's State Farm commercials are clever.
DeletePS--Cars were gone Monday morning.
While not a fan of the first character, I've enjoyed several versions of the second.
ReplyDeleteThanks to whoever sent in the railway station in Transnistria clue last week. I already had the answer, but that confirmed it and I thought it was hilariously clever! The actor in question has been around on TV sitcoms and dramas and in the Movies. This actor is known for having a straight forward, yet somewhat acerbic, wry personality. Starred in a series in which he got a lot more than he bargained for, especially considering the locale.
ReplyDeleteWow, it's kind of crazy but I was really slow on this one! It might also be relevant towards the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYes.
DeleteA switch on Blaine's hint?
DeleteOther than the fact that they both deal with time, my hint has little to do with Blaine's, which I actually understand this week.
DeleteWhat I meant by "switch" was that Blaine's clue referenced June 13, while yours appeared to reference October 31.
DeleteI have a family connection to this puzzle.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a prime number.
ReplyDeleteAfter consulting lists unsuccessfully and then giving up, the answer suddenly popped into my head. I'm glad I was able to solve this week's puzzle (last week's completely stumped me).
ReplyDeleteRicky Schroeder?
ReplyDeleteTake the surname of someone associated with the second character, rearrange, and get two creatures, one a reptile that can prey on the other, a bird.
ReplyDelete300 some odd correct answers last week?
ReplyDeleteSome odd, some even 🙃
DeleteSpeaking of numbers, here an odd one: #27.
DeleteI initially mis-read the comment above as meaning that the answers that were sent in -- were themselves "odd."
DeleteNo, it's just my odd way of expressing some unspecified number in the 300 range. So few!
DeleteYeah, I finally worked out what you had meant!
DeleteThere is a connection between the first name of a famous past actor and the second famous movie character.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle might be appropriate within the next few months.
ReplyDeleteThe initials of July, August, September, October, November spell JASON.
DeleteI guess I'm a little bit more familiar with the sister, but it's been years!
ReplyDeleteHere's another clue: Jackie Blue, without the hills or the acrobats.
ReplyDeleteRIP Hudson Bay Co., the answer to last October 27th's puzzle.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis might be TMI.
DeleteTime for a math quiz! This showed up on YouTube, from an entrance exam for Harvard:
ReplyDeleteSolve for x:
(x + 3)(x + 5)(x + 7)(x + 9) = 9
x = -6 is the simple solution, which is only easy to find if you start by assuming there's a solution that should be easy to find. I don't feel like looking for others.
DeleteAs far as I know, you are ready to go to Harvard!
DeleteI wonder how many YouTube videos claim to be solving a puzzle that comes from an entrance exam for Harvard.
ReplyDelete(I know how many puzzles actually come from an entrance exam for Harvard.)
Finally came across the right name to get the answer.
ReplyDeleteThe name is not Stanley.
DeleteMy (adult) son thinks this actor looks really good "for his age."
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't cast this actor as either of the referenced characters, but I suppose he *could* play the second.
Remove the last two letters of an alternate name of the second character. Then rearrange the remaining letters to get a tired baby bear.
ReplyDeleteMusical Clue: Drummers
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed to admit I used AI to get an answer. If NPR calls, I'll admit how I got the answer and withdraw
ReplyDeletePS My conclusion is that AI is definitely cheating. It's one thing to use a list, but quite different from getting the answer from a machine that deprives one of the challenge.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
DeleteUsing a reference tool beyond personal noggin knowledge—whether wiki lists, atlases or AI—disqualifies any answer submissions for on-air play IMO. I've only submitted puzzle ideas, never answers IAE, and now will submit neither since living in nordic Europe. But on the off-chance I'm stumped still on a Wednesday or Thursday, then I may consult a reference source rather than wait for the answer on Fridays here or Sunday's stream. As for using AI, my maiden voyage with Claude wasn't promising in merely pinpointing the term for last week's puzzle principle despite handing it my solution. For me the jury's still out if AI's even all that useful as a solution tool. 🤷♂️
DeleteThe famous actor’s first name is associated with another well-known movie character with fewer than a dozen movies
ReplyDeleteWasn't there a birthday celebration in one of these movies?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, Chat GPT gave a very stupid, and therefore wrong, answer. Luckily, the intended answer finally popped into my head late last night in bed.
ReplyDeletepjbKnowsExactlyWhichCommercialPhredp(IThinkItWasHim/Her)ClaimedToHaveSeen
Chat GPT arrived at the answer after a few tries. I was impressed.
DeleteI do not send in my answer if from Chatgpt. Don't send in anymore anyway.
DeleteBTW They're right. The intended answer never showed up in any of the lists I originally consulted either.
DeletepjbShould'veJustConductedHisSearchListlessly
Got it before it was too late!
ReplyDeleteI didn't fall off the planet, but just now got back home from a full week tent camping in Eastern Oregon where I could not log into Google with my cell phone to post last week's answer, which I did have.
ReplyDeleteFor those who have already solved the NPR puzzle, try solving this one that appears on this week's Puzzleria!:
ReplyDeleteSchpuzzle of the Week:
Two chains, two missing links
Place in alphabetical order a pair of two-word service-industry chains (like Days Inn and Red Roof, for example, or Burger King and White Castle).
Delete the second word from the first chain and most of the second word from the second chain.
The result is a category and a member of that category.
What are these two chains, category and member of that category?
Hint: the two chains are in the same category – fast food, hospitality, insurance, technology, or etc.
As for this week's NPR puzzle, take the middle name of the actor. Do not remove the middle letter (which you couldn't do anyway!) and you'll get a name of another famous movie character.
LegoWhoRecommendsThatYouAlsoCheckOutTheExcellentPairOfPuzzlesByBobbyJacobsOnThisWeek'sPuzzleria!
NPR is really banking on the stereotype that their listeners don't watch television, huh?
ReplyDeleteJASON BATEMAN, BATMAN, JASON VOORHEES, FRIDAY THE 13TH
ReplyDelete"I have a family connection to this puzzle." JASON BATEMAN'S sister, Justine Bateman, starred in the TV show "Family Ties."
Jason Bateman
ReplyDeleteI wrote: Wow, it's kind of crazy but I was really slow on this one! It might also be relevant towards the end of the year.
All of my hints were based on Zootopia. Jason plays Nick Wilde (“crazy”). “Slow” refers to Flash the sloth. Zootopia 2 will be out on Thanksgiving.
JASON BATEMAN
ReplyDelete> A recent commercial is based on the wordplay. [deleted] [Why???]
Batman vs. Bateman
>> Rearrange the letters of the character formed from the actor’s last name. You get an animal not associated with tacos.
> The animal is very much associated with tacos this week!
A reporter asked Trump about the TACO meme ("Trump Always Chickens Out"), referring to his pattern of imposing or threatening high tariffs, and then backing down when markets respond unfavorably. He attacked the reporter as "very nasty". Bantams are chickens.
>> The first name of the actor/character is also the middle name of a famous actress.
> That middle name was given to honor the first name of another actor, not the last name of the actress' father's co-star.
Jason Robards, not Rick Jason, who starred in "Combat!" with Vic Morrow, father of Jennifer Jason Leigh.
I wrote, “Rearrange the letters of the character formed from actor’s last name. You get an animal not associated with tacos.” TACO meaning “Trump always chickens out” refers to timid chickens. A BANTAM, however, is an aggressive little bird.
ReplyDeleteYes, I got that. That was how I was sure my answer was right. My clue Ilka Tanya Payan Park, at 157th and Broadway, NYC, is a little vest pocket park NYC is so famous for. It is also used for outdoor art displays. One such is sculptor Paul Woytuk's Bantam Pair.
DeleteJason Bateman >>> Jason (of the Friday the 13th films, and Batman
ReplyDeleteWhile I’ve enjoyed multiple film versions of Batman (my favorite being the campy 1960’s TV version with Adam West and Burt Ward) I have no liking for slasher movies. Ergo, my Sunday morning comment.
On the other hand, I enjoyed Curtis’s comment that the actor’s first name is associated with another well-known movie character, who I assumed to be Jason Bourne. Unable to resist the temptation for word play, I asked about a birthday celebration, playing on a birthday being the anniversary of being born.
Are you prepared to be "confounded" by some "compounding" and "Econfusing" puzzles? This week's Puzzleria! presents (courtesy of our friend Greg VanMechelen, also known as Ecoarchitect) an octet of puzzle-making mastery, titled "Compound it!" In his introduction to his eight "confounding compoundables," Eco provides the following example:
ReplyDeleteMany will be _________ (9 letters) this puzzle’s ___, __ ____ (3,2 and 4 letters) cheers at the very least.
ANSWER: Many will be ENDORSING this puzzle’s END, OR SING cheers at the very least.
You will "sing cheers" if you can solve all eight of 'em!
We upload Puzzleria! very soon, this afternoon.
Also on our menus:
~a Schpuzzle of the Week titled "Synonymous Syllabification,"
~a Triangulation & Rotation Hors d’Oeuvre titled "Geometric Geography,"
~a Dangerous Loom & Doom Slice titled "Camels’-food-words,"
~a Polite and Popular Dessert titled "Child’s play turns violent!" and
~a few handfuls of riffs of the NPR puzzle challenge, titled “...hee’s Jason (Bateman, not Batman)!”
So, compound your interest and confound your gray matter this week on Puzzleria!
LegoAFanOf"Econfusions"
I wrote: Remove the last two letters of an alternate name of the second character. Then rearrange the remaining letters to get a tired baby bear.
ReplyDeleteSolution: Bruce Wayne - weary cub
I thought of BATMAN fairly quickly, but took my time finding the E for the middle. I knew Jason was Justine's brother, and an actor but I was incorrect in thinking there were a lot of movies made about Jason of Argonaut fame (might have been thinking of Hercules). When I decided to take another look at Blaine's hint, the answer became clear.
ReplyDeleteJason Bateman & Batman
ReplyDeleteJason Bateman (Jason Voorhees, Batman)
ReplyDeleteMy clue (responding to Blaine) was: "maybe you're going to come sailing with me? You can be in charge of the sail toward the stern."
ReplyDeleteBecause the AFTERMAST is an anagram of STATE FARM. The commercial that Jan's deleted comment was about was a State Farm commercial.
JASON BATEMAN
ReplyDeleteMy musical clue was "drummers" to honor the "twelve drummers drumming" in the TWELVE DAYS of CHRISTMAS song.
At the time I posted, it was June 1st and thus TWELVE DAYS away from Friday the 13th, home of JASON Vorhees.
If you take Jackie Blue, and nix the hills and the acrobats, you get Ozark, as in the Ozark Mountain Daredevils who had the hit Jackie Blue in 1974. Ozark is the name of Jason Bateman's hir series from 2017 to 2022.
ReplyDeleteJason Bateman
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I said, “It’s a prime number.” I was referring to the Friday the 13th franchise that the character Jason was featured in.
JASON BATEMAN
ReplyDeleteHints:
“If you’re feeling unlucky…” —> Friday the 13th
“Take the surname of someone associated with the second character, rearrange, and get two creatures, one a reptile that can prey on the other, a bird.” —> Pennyworth (Alfred, Batman’s butler) —> python, wren
“Speaking of numbers, here’s an odd one: #27. —> Batman first appeared in 1939 in Detective Comics #27.
Doctor K. Guess what? AI WAS WRONG ! YAY!!!!
ReplyDeleteHa!
DeleteJASON BATEMAN. My hint: There is a connection between the first name of a famous past actor and the second famous movie character. (Robin Williams)
ReplyDeleteJASON BATEMAN, JASON(Voorhees, of the "Friday the 13th" movie franchise), BATMAN
ReplyDeleteGood thing anyone who talked about "TACOS" or "it'll be more relevant in a few weeks" finally explained it all. Made no sense to me whatsoever.
pjbShould'veAtLeastGotThe"July,August,September,October,November"ReferenceRightAway