Q: Name a famous current American singer. Replace the last name with a colloquial term for a person from the place where this singer was born and raised. Say the result out loud. Phonetically, you'll get a form of singing the singer doesn't usually do. Who is the singer and what is the kind of singing?I realize why I was having trouble with the puzzle. I knew the singer, but the "phonetically" was what threw me. I had to change my pronunciation for the sake of making the puzzle work.
Edit: My hint was sake referring to Japanese rice wine which is pronounced in Japanese as sah-keh while English speakers will often say sah-kee. Likewise the Japanese pronunciation of karaoke is kah-rah-oh-keh but English speakers turn it into care-ee-oh-kee.
A: CARRIE UNDERWOOD, OKLAHOMA (OKIE) --> KARAOKE
Bedeviling.
ReplyDeleteNodd, are you the creator of today's puzzle? I don't know of too many Donns that live in CA. Haven't solved it yet, in any case.
DeleteYes, it's mine. Hope you like it!
DeleteCongrats, Nodd!
DeleteCongratulations, Nodd!
DeleteAnother nod to Nodd!
DeleteWay to go, Nodd!
DeleteThanks, everyone!
DeleteIt took a while, but I finally got it. Nice one, Nodd!
DeleteKudos, Nodd. I had to research the connection of the singer to the place. But how did you know the singer "doesn't usually do" this kind of singing?
DeleteSo, with that cat outta the bag...
DeleteDonn DiMichele (also known by his screen name. "Nodd") is an excellent puzzlesmith! His "Nodd ready for prime time" puzzle collections have appeared regularly on Puzzleria! since March of 2023. Both the quantity and the quality of his puzzlemaking are quite impressive. In addition, each week "Nodd" writes six riffs of the NPR Puzzle. You can see his six "self-riffs" when we upload P! this Thursday!
LegoWhoConfessesThatPuzzleContributorsLikeNoddAreTheTrueStrengthOfPuzzleria!
Congrats, Nodd. Finally solved it. It's a fun puzzle!
DeleteLancek, I relied on an Internet search. I don't actually know, of course.
DeleteJust solved it! Good one, Nodd! Also, I didn't know your screen name is a phonetic pronunciation of your real name, Donn! BTW Anybody here know why you can't hear the on-air puzzle on the NPR website right now? I solved all the examples that were printed on the site from the on-air puzzle, but I can't hear it. Blaine, is there another site we can find the recording?
DeletepjbIsRemindedOfAHorrorMovieCharacterWithThisOne
Nice one Nodd.
DeleteI think I have the answer, but I never heard of this person.
ReplyDeleteI hope my hint wins a ribbon this week.
ReplyDeletehttps://typewriters.com/supplies/grc-compatible-typewriter-ribbon-replacement-for-underwood-o-s-typewriter-spool-black/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21379770631&gbraid=0AAAAAqwONG836XKZsmP50h7LRQmmC0Z7V&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmYzIBhC6ARIsAHA3IkQCurNPap5FgH-iw9vYm6eT3vaGwBySaOn4eRgN7X2E5Ev2K_SnbrkaAm_gEALw_wcB
DeleteI didn't know the singer. I admit to having to use lists.
ReplyDeleteRearrange another colloquial name for a resident of the place, and you get someone associated with capital punishment.
I don't know most current American singers. I might have to use lists.
ReplyDeleteHow many forms of singing are there?
ReplyDeleteThat's what gets me too...I tried working it backward from singing forms or styles and...nada. I tried to make "mariachi" work, alas.
DeleteAt least three... ;-)
DeleteAI should help.
ReplyDeleteI solved it and asked Chatgpt. Did not solve it. Made good attempts though.
DeleteMe too - I don't think I would have found this singer without AI
ReplyDeleteI really like this puzzle, maybe because I solved it! I've had a long dry spell lately. Been feeling like I'm stuck in Folsom prison like last week... or is that San Quentin?
ReplyDeleteAnother fun puzzle - interestingly, the answer to this puzzle (the singing style) is actually quoted in one of the singer's most popular songs. And for those that use AI to solve, you know that's not appropriate!
ReplyDeleteSquares
ReplyDeleteOkay, Chuck! You must be proud of that one.
DeleteI dunno, I'd think twice before using AI on this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud to have solved this one. The singer has the same last name as the lead roles in a sort-of-recent TV drama series. One of the lead actors in that series was a lead in a classic movie. The actor in the other lead role in that movie shares a first name with the singer. (I'll grant you that's an unusually large and twisty rat's maze to follow.) (Several clue here.)
ReplyDelete(The actor in the other lead role in that movie shares a first name phonetically with the singer.)
DeleteThe singer also shares the same last name (i.e. the same name as the family in the sort-of-recent TV drama) with an actor from an ensemble dramedy that was popular from the mid-80 to the mid-90s.
DeleteThis was the second singer I thought of. Not my particular taste in singers, but seems like a really decent person
ReplyDeleteThe mere act of asking oneself how to solve this could lead to the answer.
ReplyDeleteWould overly lengthy Gregorian chanting be considered chapel drone? (I happen to be sitting in a chapel as I type this.)
Students today have laptops, but I went to college with a portable typewriter.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThe situation that first brought this singer fame has been likened (by detractors) to the type of singing.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Idol winner Carrie Underwood.
DeleteI haven't watched "American Idol" since Paula Abdul left, but I know that detractors call it a "Karaoke Contest."
Take another colloquial term for a resident of the place, remove one repeated letter, rearrange, and get the surname of a renowned artist.
ReplyDeleteHe thought it was hip to be square. Eventually, anyway.
Delete"Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can."
ReplyDelete~Paul Tournier
The singer's first name sounds like the last name of another famous singer.
ReplyDeleteCarrie sounds like Carey, as in Mariah Carey.
DeleteThe singer and singing style are both well known, so I wouldn't go overboard scouring lists
ReplyDeleteGood one, Nodd. I thought it would be hard for me to solve because I know almost nothing about current singers other than opera singers. However I solved it both easily and quickly while still in bed, except for the singer's last name, which I had to use a short list to discover.
ReplyDeleteWe're not in Kansas anymore.
ReplyDeleteI can't find today's puzzle episode on the app or online. Anyone have a link?
ReplyDeleteI found the transcript; "audio will be available later today" :(
DeleteClick the blue highlighted subheading link below Blaine's heading.
DeleteThe audio is out there now.
DeleteNodd's puzzle earns a big yellow thumbs-up.
ReplyDeleteThe thumbs-up is an okey-dokey—or OK, which is where you'll find Okies. This one is saffron because it connects to the affirming yellow hand of Ned "Okily Dokily" Flanders.
DeleteA more specific description of a person from the same place as the singer was sung about by a famous past American singer in the same genre
ReplyDeleteI am embarassed to say that I went to chat gpt which gave the answer readily. It's totally cheating and if I receive the call, politely, I will decline and tell them why. I hope others will own up as well. AI is not like using lists. If you do plan to use AI, You're not using your ability to think and it will atrophy!
ReplyDeleteI did not resort to AI for solving, but after getting the answer, I asked Gemini for its thoughts. It declared that "Taylor (Swift) Pennsylvanian" sounded like "acapella". 😜
DeleteOh, you mean that Mexican resort town where they sing; sing without accompaniment.
DeleteAtrophy will not win you a trophy.
DeleteIf I use ChatGPT to solve it, I simply won't submit the answer. I think a good rule of thumb is that when Ayesha asks, "How did you solve the puzzle?", if I'm embarrassed to tell the truth, then it's a good idea to not submit that week.
DeleteI do not submit anymore. Would not submit if did not solve myself. It would be embarrassing, i agree.
DeleteFinally got it. It didn't help that none of the lists I found had the "form of singing" needed.
ReplyDeleteHey Blaine people! I KNOW some of you have gotten the CALL. When do they call, and what is the AREA code? I get so much SPAM that I DECLINE everything and then BLOCK the number. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI got the call, but it was more than 15 years ago. I'm certain their servers/strategies have changed since that time. But your answers:
Delete- I got a call on Thursday about 3:15pm
- Caller ID said National Public Ratio and had a 202 Area Code.
- They told me I had won, booked a second call to record on the next day (Friday) to ready for the Sunday Broadcast
Don't depend on a 202 area code. The call can come from an intern's cell phone. Accept all calls from 3:00 to 4:00 ET or so on Thursday.
DeleteMine was in January 2020 (after 30 years of submissions!) and had a 202 area code but no caller ID. The call came sometime between 3:05 and 3:10 p.m. But Jan may be right. If you've submitted the correct answer, it's probably best to take your chances and answer any call on Thursday between 3 and 4 p.m.
DeleteThank you SO much. I've been doing it-- irregularly, since the postcard days. I notice that a significant number of winners say "This is the FIRST time I submitted." which leads me to wonder if the algorithm they use just "likes" new IDs.
DeleteNodd -
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I and a number of other puzzle writers here know how difficult it is to get through the WS screen :)
Ben -
Your experience was exactly like mine the first time around. But less than a year later, I was picked again! I told the producer that I would be happy to be on a second time, but, if he'd rather, I'd give my spot up and have him draw someone else. He very thankfully accepted my offer.
I was surprised to learn that so many of you hadn’t heard of this singer. I’ve been a fan for years—and I’m 79! Also, if memory serves me (not as well as it used to), I believe this singer was on Wait, Wait years ago.
ReplyDeleteClever post by Blaine; I love when I understand it! 😊
ReplyDeleteI don't know if anyone else here who has heard of the singer finds this person attractive. I certainly do.
ReplyDeleteBTW Here's my riff based on the original puzzle:
Name a famous singer/songwriter. Remove the last letter of the first name, and then remove the first letter of the last name. Put the remainders of these names together in that order, and you'll get a singing style we're sure to be hearing more of in the next few weeks. What are these?
pjbWillRevealTheAnswerThursday(UnlessIt'sTooLate!)
And I won't be among them who participate.
DeleteNot falling within a certain demographic, neither will I.
DeleteThis was the Sunday Puzzle a couple years ago, wasn't it?
DeleteIt seems to me you, Nodd, had to be a fan of this singer in order to make up this puzzle. It is probably too early in the game for you to comment, but I would like to know how you came up with it. While I found it easy to solve using logic, I could not have coined it.
DeleteActually, sdb, I was not familiar with the singer. I worked backwards from the kind of singing.
DeleteThat is exactly how I solved it. I guess I am impressed at how you connected it with the place of birth. I suppose we both used a short list to finish that part.
DeleteThat's right. I looked for a singer with the name and place of birth and got lucky.
DeleteDidn't Will have a puzzle almost like this recently?
DeleteCARRIE UNDERWOOD, OKIE(Oklahoma), KARAOKE(CARRIE-OKIE)
DeleteAnd now, the answer to my "Riff":
CAROLE KING, CAROLING
pjbWishesEveryoneHereOnThisBlog,AndEveryoneOnPuzzleria!AsWell,AVeryHappyHalloweenTomorrow!
ThatIsSoSweetOfYou.
DeleteI'm thinking of Greek architecture...
ReplyDelete(that is, caryatids!)
DeleteCARRIE UNDERWOOD, CARRIE + OAKIE, KARAOKE
ReplyDelete"AI should help." CARRIE UNDERWOOD was on American Idol (AI).
Lots of piling onto the AI (American Idol) train this week.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD —> CARRIE + OKIE—> KARAOKE
ReplyDeleteHint: “Take another colloquial term for a resident of the place, remove one repeated letter, rearrange, and get the surname of a renowned artist.”
SOONER -O —> ENSOR
Btw, "soner" can also be rearranged to form "Norse," "Senor," and "snore." Feel free to make of that what you will.
DeleteDid you reson that out?
DeleteRes: No.
DeleteLOL
DeleteCarrie Underwood & karaoke
ReplyDeleteCarrie Underwood, Karaoke
ReplyDeleteI wrote that I don't think I would have found this singer without AI because I believe that Underwood got her start on American Idol.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD (OKIE), KARAOKE
ReplyDelete> I'm proud to have solved this one.
Ref. I'm Proud to be an OKIE from Muskogee, where she was born.
> The singer has the same last name as the lead roles in a sort-of-recent TV drama series.
House of Cards
> One of the lead actors in that series was a lead in a classic movie.
Robin Wright, in The Princess Bride
> The actor in the other lead role in that movie shares a first name phonetically with the singer.
Cary Elwes
> I'll grant you...
As in Cary Grant
> ... an unusually large and twisty rat's maze...
Ref. Rodents of Unusual Size, from The Princess Bride
> Students today have laptops, but I went to college with a portable typewriter.
You could Carry that UNDERWOOD anywhere.
My typewriter while I was in the army for 3 years, 2 1/2 in Germany, was a very long carriage manual Underwood. It was an amazing machine.
DeleteI wrote, “Rearrange another colloquial name for a resident of the place, and you get someone associated with capital punishment.” That’s SOONER and NOOSER (yeah, that’s a real word).
ReplyDeleteI got your clue, but had to google to see if nooser is a real word. It is.
DeleteA timely Appetizer is featured on this week’s edition of Puzzleria!... Daylight-Savings-Timely!. Our good friend and master puzzle-crafter Bobby Jacobs has composed a pair of posers packaged within a “Movin’ On Back” Appetizer entitled “Be punctual and fall back!”
ReplyDeleteWe will upload this week's Puzzleria! very soon this very afternoon.
Also on this week’s menus:
~ a Schpuzzle of the Week titled “Proactive or passive transport?”
~ a Will & Ayesha Hors d’Oeuvre titled “Are you ready to play The Puzzle?”
~ a From Trouper To Singer Slice titled “Actor loses letters, so now sings!”
~ a Fish-Outta-Water Dog-Outta-Dirt Dessert titled “Canine varmint vis-à-vis Pisces,” and
~ 10 riffs (including six "self-riffs" composed by Don Dimichele... aka our friend “Nodd,” of his current NPR Puzzle Challenge) titled “Carrie Okie from Muskogee?... No, “Puzzle-making ‘Legend from the Redlands!’”
All-in-all, this week’s timely “Puzzle-Fun-Filled” Puzzleria! deserves our “Nodding Approval!”
(Also, my thanks to Blaine for allowing me to plug and preview Puzzleria! each week on his great blog.)
LegoWhoTakesGreatPrideInDisplayingOnPuzzleriaThePuzzlingGeniusOfPuzzleMakersLikeBobbyAndNoddAndAllOthersWhoContributeToOurBlog
CARRIE (Underwood) + OKIE = KARAOKE. My hint, “Bedeviling,” referred to Underwood deviled ham.
ReplyDeleteMy clue was, "I dunno, I'd think twice before using AI on this one."
ReplyDeleteI think maybe others were hinting at this idea too. Carrie Underwood's most famous song is "Before He Cheats", with the line "maybe next time he'll think before he cheats."
I thought you were hinting at the Dylan song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," since all right = OK.
DeleteCarrie Underwood, Okie->Carrie Okie (karaoke)
ReplyDeleteCarrie Underwood is from Oklahoma.
Carrie Underwood, karaoke
ReplyDeleteI wrote: "We're not in Kansas anymore." That was a reference to Jimmy Webb, who is also from Oklahoma, and "Wichita Lineman." The song was inspired by Jimmy seeing a lineman in Oklahoma. (Technically, I should have written "We're not in Oklahoma anymore." but that would have given away the answer!)
My comment was: "I really like this puzzle, maybe because I solved it! I've had a long dry spell lately. Been feeling like I'm stuck in Folsom prison like last week... or is that San Quentin?" Merle Haggard, who sang "Okie From Muskogee," was serving time in San Quentin when Johnny Cash visited.
ReplyDeleteCarrie Underwood, karaoke.
ReplyDeleteI think Chuck was thinking of that song when he posted "squares." (Muskogee: a place where even squares can have a ball.) My reply was "Okay, Chuck! You must be proud of that one!" While Merle was proud to be an Okie from Muskogee, I was trying to deflect from "Okay," which would have been TMI on its own. I guess it worked; Blaine left it up.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I thought "squares" was referring to Oklahoma squares (used for patio stones, etc.). But I did catch your "proud" comment!
DeleteI wrote about not going overboard, which sounds like it should be the opposite of Underwood
ReplyDeleteBreaking News: Prince Andrew stripped of titles and privileges
ReplyDeleteI believe stripping may have been where his problems began.
Blaine,
ReplyDeleteI got your clue, and considered commenting on the pronunciation issue, but decided not to. That being said, I appreciate your explanation. When I was growing up Hiroshima was always pronounced properly, but for some time now it rarely is.
I was going to say something about boomerangs for a clue, but I was worried it might be tmi.
ReplyDelete'Karaoke' is a boomerang word. It appeared in Japanese via a loan from English, and then English borrowed it back. (So... which language speakers get to decide how it's properly pronounced?)
The Japanese word comes from kara 空 "empty" and ōkesutora オーケストラ which is a borrowing from "orchestra".
Occasionally I will see a nice looking boomerang for sale at Goodwill, but I always decline the temptation because I am unsure of their return policy.
DeleteIt reminds me of the History of Sudoku where it started out in Dell Magazine as "Number Place", then got named as "Sudoku" in Japan by one company who claimed copyright on the name, so other companies decided to use "Number Place". Then it got rediscovered by English speaking countries which used the Japanese name of "Sudoku".
Deletesdb, you're wise to be concerned about the return policy. If you don't think about things like that it can come back to haunt you.
DeleteEspecially this time of year too. But that reminds me of several years ago and I was walking along a very busy arterial here in Seattle, when I saw a teenager tossing his boomerang at an intersection. When I walked up closer there was a police officer writing the kid a ticket. I asked what this was for, and the cop pointed at a traffic sign by the stoplight that said, NO U TURNS.
DeleteThe cop was probably a Boomer, angry that a young punk would flout the law so blatantly.
DeleteWell that puts a different spin on it.
DeleteI might add that the kid appeared to be in the throws of turmoil when I got there.
DeleteWas the kid thrown in jail?
DeleteJust a ticket. I really don't think the cop gave a toss.
DeleteDon't know if I can bear a lot more of this punning.
DeleteWell that does lower the boom.
DeleteBut at least it does remind me of back when there was mirth in Perth.
DeleteDid ya redo that comment?
DeleteNo. I found it in my down underwear I left it.
DeleteI thought you were going to say you left it out back.
DeleteYou were on the right track. I was, and looking for brumbys. But enough of this horsing around.
Delete... and "kara" is known to us from "kara-te" meaning "empty hand". The trick is to pronounce "te" like "teh" and not like "tea" which it isn't.
ReplyDeleteMy post made reference to the fact that one of Carrie Underwood's top songs - Before He Cheats - actually mentions the answer in the lyrics ["Right now she's probably up singing some white trash version of Shania karaoke"]. I also warned against using AI since that may be "cheating" as in the hit song title. Finally, I commented on my understanding Blaine's clue (re "sake") and added my own "Japanese" reference by including a smiley face "emoji" at the end.
ReplyDelete"emoji" - another Jinglish oddity: Looks fer sher like "emo-ji" means "emo(tion) character", and it does ... but that's a pun, it actually comes from "eh-moji" meaning "picture character", you might know "eh" from "sumi-e" art.
DeleteMy hint "The mere act of asking oneself how to solve this could lead to the answer" was in reference to the song 'Maria' from The Sound of Music. Carrie Underwood played Maria in NBC's 2013 live production of The Sound of Music.
ReplyDeleteCarrie Underwood is from Oklahoma, Okie, karaoke
ReplyDeleteLast Sunday I clued, “Squares.” Partial lyrics from Merle Haggard’s huge hit: I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee A place where even squares can have a ball.
Odd coincidence for me this week: Several years ago, I found a large package on my doorstep, addressed to me, from Walmart. I hadn't ordered anything. Inside were ten XZL model Y15 wireless Bluetooth karaoke microphones, worth maybe $40 each. I called Walmart, made sure I hadn't been charged for anything, and asked what I should do with them. Keep them, trash them, or donate them, I was told. within a few weeks, I'd given one to one niece, and another to another niece. I asked around some local schools and daycares, but no takers. The other eight mics sat in a corner of my laundry room, waiting for me to decide what to do about them. Late last week, I posted them available on nextdoor.com. By Sunday morning, they were gone. Lifetime, my only interaction with karaoke, until The Puzzle came on a little later.
ReplyDeleteI had commented that I had finally solved it. I posted that after a frustrating afternoon of scrolling through lists of singers and types of singing. After I posted it, I realized that it was itself a clue, since obviously, I had wanted to solve it "sooner."
ReplyDeleteAt one point, I did try ChatGPT, which tried to tell me that the answer was Bruno Mars, who is from Hawaii, and Hawaiian sounds like "wailing." Obviously, not even close the the right answer, of Carrie Underwood, Karaoke.
This week's challenge comes from Andrew Chaikin, of San Francisco. Name a popular automobile import -- make + model. Add the letter V and anagram the result. You'll name a popular ethnic food. What names are these?
ReplyDeleteMy father had such a car. I told him it was appropriate that it was black.
ReplyDelete